Unofficial Maryland DVC Member Listing

[Doug7856]

We have never used SW before....but I signed up for Dings when we bought DVC...this last batch of rates will cover our Aug. trip - but I was wondering if $79 ea way is about as good as it will get before we book it....from where we live we can use either BWI or Dulles - it's about the same distance...but I was hoping for a little less.... At last check Air Tran from BWI was only about $10-11 more pp (and with assigned seating). Anybody ever try them to Orlando?! I was thinking for the seat assignments it might be worth it...esp. for the return flight check-in thing - won't have to worry about hitting it at exactly 24 hrs prior... Opinions?! Is $79 good or should I play the waiting game?!

Hi, Southwest is our airline of choice from BWI! I have gotten fares to MCO for as low as $39 each way mostly in the shoulder months of May and September – but not this year.

We like southwest for the following reasons:

No change fees! There is no fee to change plans if our plans change on Southwest. I believe Air Tran charges $50 per person per change.

Rebook without a fee! If a lower fare comes out, you can re-book the same flight and claim the lower fare without a change fee (see above). You will not get a refund, but you will get a dollar for dollar credit for future travel.

A little bit more seat room! This is just my observation, I don’t have any proof, but it seems like there is a bit more room between rows on Southwest. I’m 6’ 2” and every inch counts!

Ability to get better seats. If you arrive at the airport early and have checked in online 24 hours in advance, you’ve got a great chance at great seats on Southwest. Most airlines reserve the best seats for super frequent flyers (not me!). With Southwest I am more likely to get a seat that I want.

These are just my opinions for using Southwest over Air Tran. Having said that, it’s only a two and half hour flight and if it gets me to WDW, I’m happy!

We are so glad that Southwest has established BWI as a hub!

 

[TenThousandVolts]

Anal Annie: I have gotten $39 on SWA also (my last trip we got $39 in Sept.) That is the best I ever got but if you are diligent about checking DINGS you have a very good chance of getting a $59 flight and a decent chance of $49 flight.
I don't usually travel during busy travel seasons thopugh so I am sure that factors in.

I have a DING trick that many of you may already know.
Don't book your flights as a round trip. Book a separate confirmation for departing and returning flights. That way if you get a DING for only one way you don't have to cancel the whole itenerary and rebook. This really is helpful if you get a DING for only 1 way of your trip inside the 14 or 21 day window. They raise prices in this booking window but send out DINGS to boost sales on some flights. This way if the price is raised from your original purchase price but you get a good DING for only the returning flight you have locked in your original price for your departing flight but can cancel and rebook your return flight and get the $$$outhwest dollars back on that leg of the flight. I hope I didn't confuse anybody.

 

[Anal Annie]

...and through two dings I was able to lower my tickets. I always do one ways.....so I use the credit from the first ding on the return flight. I got 49 one way and 59 the other way. I always book SW as two one way tickets.

Oh Lord help me! I'm sorry - I've always been an A.A. or Delta flyer (but they've both stopped all of their direct flights to MCO). Anyway, I don't get it - what credits? I see that it's cheaper to book 1 way w/ SW but I don't quite "get" how this game works. U book flights & watch for Dings & then cancel & re-book? But what credits? I guess you don't do the Magical Express thing - or do you call them back & change all your flt. info. too?

I guess this is why I go by Anal Annie....I might be too anal for SW!!! It sounds like a lot of stress watching & waiting...and checking in at exactly 24 hrs prior...I like to plan way ahead - flights included....and I'm thinking I might have to go with Air Tran just 'cuz I don't like the idea of not having an assigned seat...but of course, I'm also really picky about my flight times too... I can be a real piece of work sometimes!!!!!

 

[TenThousandVolts]

U book flights & watch for Dings & then cancel & re-book? But what credits? I guess you don't do the Magical Express thing - or do you call them back & change all your flt. info. too?

The credits are like SW dollars that you can use for future flights (they are good for 9 months or something like that). So you book at $79 each way and then DING comes out for your flights for $49 each way. You cancel and rebook and get $60 in credits back for each person in your party. I don't usually change my actual flight when I get a DING so my ME info remains unchanged.

 

[tomandrobin]

The credits are like SW dollars that you can use for future flights (they are good for 9 months or something like that). So you book at $79 each way and then DING comes out for your flights for $49 each way. You cancel and rebook and get $60 in credits back for each person in your party. I don't usually change my actual flight when I get a DING so my ME info remains unchanged.

I like this plan. We use SW often, almost exclusicely for our trips. We have several trips coming up where this can be very useful. $20-30 savings per tickect can really add up. I really like the idea of applying the saving to December. Those RT tickets for our New Years trips aren't cheap and I have never seen a ding fare during those times.

 

[edk35]

One more note. Your credit/credits are only good from the original date you made the reservation. So say you buy on Oct. 1st for April and come Dec. your flights go down and you get the lower fare and a credit. Then they go down again...in Feb. and you get another credit. Your credits are backdated to that original ressie of Oct. 1st. So you have to use them by the following Oct. So don't think you have a year from Feb.

 

[SnowWhite2]

We just sent our signed paperwork back this week!

Ellicott City - SSR

 

[TenThousandVolts]

We just sent our signed paperwork back this week!

Ellicott City - SSR

!!!!WELCOME HOME!!!!
​

 

[liznboys]

We are outta here!! Well, in the morning we are. Bye-bye Maryland, hello Walt Disney World!

 

[Luckymommyx2]

We are outta here!! Well, in the morning we are. Bye-bye Maryland, hello Walt Disney World!

Have a safe and magical trip! Be sure to give us a full trip report when you return!!

 

[FriendsOfEeyore]

Oh the weather down here is just terrible!!!! Today it was like 82 and partly cloudy. They 60% chance of rain. I did not get any rain on me today.

Tomorrow will probably be a pool day. We are learning VERY fast that a 13 day trip is a loooooonnng trip.

A family from Maryland was named the family of the hour, or something like that, @ The American Adventure around 3pm when we "on the attraction". It was one of the YOMD things. Family looked thrilled... The theater was only like 1/3 full for that showing.

Bye for now from OKW!

Edward

OH!!!! WELCOME HOME SNOWWHITE2!!!!!!!!

 

[Jacky]

More Marylanders here!!!

Jacky

 

[TenThousandVolts]

Hi Jacky- which is your home resort(s) Where in MD are you?

 

[gjw007]

We recently moved to Maryland from Minnesota. I had seen a couple of the DVC DISers were from Minnesota.

Just curious what part of Minnesota are you from (ok, I see Savage, MN). I'm originally from East Grand Forks (NW) and currently live in Maryland (Mt Airy).

 

[Lindamary123]

We own at SSR and live in Essex.

 

[wildernessDad]

I'm from Severn, Maryland and we own at VWL and now AKV.

 

[edk35]

I'm from Severn, Maryland and we own at VWL and now AKV.

HOWDY NEIGHBOR!!!!! We live in Severn too.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Westminster - Boardwalk Villas Go Terps Fear the Turtle ! !

 

[jcl]

I just purchased, cleared ROFR and paid for a new master contract with BCV. You can add BCV to my MWV under JCerniglow.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

Hi all- just a heads up- if you use BWI as your airport, USA3000 will soon be starting non-stop flights to Melbourne, FLA. This will be nice alternative to MCO if you are visiting VB.

Rates are pretty low- I saw flights as low as $69 one way.