Will airline costs keep anyone from going to Disney?

[reggiemcp]

Well the airline costs did make the decision for me and I hated to cancel , but I just can't see paying $800 for airfare from NYC to MCO.

It killed me to cancel because we had free dining for 9/20 - 9/28 but it would cost 1/2 of what the vacation (w/meals and tix) would cost to fly 2 adults and 1 kid. We usually pay around $400 per trip.

The upside is that I don't really like hot weather and I was willling to suck it up to get the good deal, but now it looks like we will try again for January (good weather and low attendance at parks). But if the airfare stays this way we won't be going back for awhile.

I never thought I would see the day! Hoping things will get better sooner than later, but not looking so good.

 

[DisFlan]

We're going this year because we got good fare prices on Airtran before they went up. They've almost TRIPLED out of KC for the nonstop flights we got. I'm glad I didn't wait!

We won't be going next year, and beyond that is an open question. Sky high (pardon the pun) airfares could easily cause us to forgo future WDW trips. And high gas prices could put us off driving, too.

And oil just hit $136.61 on CNBC. Predicting $150 by July 4. Ouch. Wow, I hope they're wrong.

DisFlan

 

[Missy1961]

Since flying is my only option (I don't drive), the high prices will keep me away from Disney. I think this December's trip will be my last for a while. I'll still go, but not every year anymore.

 

[Goofy&Sleepy]

I'm not as concerned about the price as I am WHETHER the flight will be there or not when it comes time to go. We live in a midsize city & only have Allegiant....I was ready to book while the fares were still cheap for our Oct trip but after the news reports this week, there is no way! It sounds like cities larger than ours will have routes cut & I don't want to be stuck w/tix if they decide to just fly to Orlando once a week OR NOT at all.

I had posted a ? about taking out the insurance if you fly & as the moderator replied---insurance does no good if the airline files bankruptcy (or the above happens). I'll just hold out til a few weeks before & check the prices again or drive (which we usually do).

 

[puffkin]

I don't think the airline cuts will affect PHL-MCO traffic too much since most of the flights out of there are on Airtran or SWA for that route. I am not aware of any cuts on those airlines.

Our October flights are $147 RT so not bad at all

If you fly out of a small or mid-size airport with legacy carriers, I would be worried. I don't think the MCO routes will be cut too drastically though...especially out of the larger airports. JMHO.

 

[faindrops27]

Well the airline costs did make the decision for me and I hated to cancel , but I just can't see paying $800 for airfare from NYC to MCO.

It killed me to cancel because we had free dining for 9/20 - 9/28 but it would cost 1/2 of what the vacation (w/meals and tix) would cost to fly 2 adults and 1 kid. We usually pay around $400 per trip.

The upside is that I don't really like hot weather and I was willling to suck it up to get the good deal, but now it looks like we will try again for January (good weather and low attendance at parks). But if the airfare stays this way we won't be going back for awhile.

I never thought I would see the day! Hoping things will get better sooner than later, but not looking so good.

Hmm, 800, for the 3 of you. From NYC. I am on Long Island, but will take the train into Jamaica, to fly out of JFK. On Jetblue. I saw just yesterday 94 dollars one way. So, it would be 600, and some change for your family.

Op, the way I look at it, is this. If airfare stays this way. I would rather cruise. Out of NY, which is always higher. But, less than what it will cost my family to fly+onsite vacation. I really like road trips. But, 18 hours, driving back home. Is very unappealing to me. So, time will tell. If, I will be going after this Sept.

 

[bavaria]

DL has already cut the majority of its non-stop MCO flights, and other legacy carriers such as UA are expected to do the same.

The MCO route is notoriously unprofitable for legacy carriers due to the high ratio of leisure travellers who are unwilling to pay sustainable fares, and the low ratio of business/last minute travellers who offset those low fares.

MCO, LAS, and other primarily leisure destinations are high on the 'cut' list for all of the legacy carriers. Expect fewer nonstop flights to these destinations.

 

[my2tinkerbells]

We're paying $850 for the 5 of us in Sept to fly Airtran. We were on nonstop flight, I got the email 2 days ago that they cancelled both of our nonstop flights. We got onto other flights just fine, but I was still bummed. I can't complain about the price though, that's the cheapest we've ever paid.

 

[ibdamamma]

Well I was very fortunate in a sense that I bought my tickets early. I was able to get White plains to orlando at $62 each way through air tran. I also am fairly lucky because I have 5 flying and I am praying I don't need 10 bags LOL. I believe the total with taxes etc came to $798. I saw airfare for 200+ a ticket and I said NO WAY! I will drive, so my cousin founds these rates and I jumped on it.

 

[RuthnPaul]

We know we will be flying SWA out of St. Louis to avoid all the fees that all the other airlines are levying! It's a waiting game now -- I have Southwest's DING software set up and am just waiting until a good fares shows up. Luckily, we still have 4 months to purchase our airline tickets.

 

[DaisyD]

I just bought tickets two days ago for a trip I am taking in 10 days. I only paid $500 r/t from Balt to MCO, non stop for two people. I'm very happy!

 

[christa112]

We were lucky and got really cheap tickets on Southwest during one of their sales and then an extra 15% DING!!! We are basically flying for 1/2 price of what we would have flown on Delta.

 

[clownchk]

I'm curious about other Disers thoughts. There have been posts about the economy and if it will keep people from going to Disney. Will the airlines keep people from going to Disney? It really is far for us to drive and we would lose most of our vacation on the road, but I really don't see us flying at $400+ a ticket for 5 of us. However, if the airlines do keep people from going, do you think Disney will be making deals for people in the areas closer that can drive?

um, apparently not. DH told me Friday night - if we can go for under $5K, let just go. I got us 6 days in a cabin, free dining, park hoppers and airfare for $4849.

SO much for saving $$ this year by not going to disney! LOL! There are 5 of us, and we invited another adult to join us since we did end up at the cabins instead of POR. (SHe will only have to pay $900 plus her airfare, which will will partially compensate in return for "babysitting" while we are there - she has ben asking to join us for years, but it has never worked out. Maybe this year!)

Anyway. I guess I need to change my siggy!!!

 

[pakhowe]

We booked $70 each way on SWA nonstop. Originally we were going to drive down but we couldn't pass up that airfare! We'll save time getting down and back and were able to add 2 days at WDW because of it!!!

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Well I was very fortunate in a sense that I bought my tickets early. I was able to get White plains to orlando at $62 each way through air tran. I also am fairly lucky because I have 5 flying and I am praying I don't need 10 bags LOL. I believe the total with taxes etc came to $798. I saw airfare for 200+ a ticket and I said NO WAY! I will drive, so my cousin founds these rates and I jumped on it.

I always forget about looking for tickets at White Plains. Whenever I rent a car (I don't own one) I go to to White Plains airport because it's about half the price of renting in the city. And every time, I tell myself I should try flying out of White Plains....then I forget.

My December trip WILL happen....on a whim today I decided to check the prices of NYC to MCO (I was scared to look LOL) and got round trip for $208 + tax, nonstop on JetBlue.

 

[MoniqueU]

What is the policy on refunding or getting you on another flight if your flight is cancelled/ eliminated? Think about it: If an airline is operating say, 6 flights per day from your airport to Orlando, and they are cutting 1/3 of their flights or more, up to 250 people (2 full planes of passengers) would be playing musical chairs with each other to get into the remaining open seats on the other 4 flights. Figure 250 stranded passengers trying to get one of about 100 open seats on that day's remaining four flights. And figure those cuts are permanent and happening each and every day, so the standby list will NEVER clear.

I hate to be the doomsayer, but those aren't good odds. 1:3 chance your flight may be cancelled and a little worse than 1:2 that you won't get on another flight that same day if you are stranded.

Just because you got your ticket early for $200 doesn't mean it's carved in stone... I hope they would refund, but as a victim of the AA MD-80 inspection debacle a couple of months ago - - I can tell you that you do NOT want to be rebooked onto an already full flight on other carriers.

I don't think the information in this post can be emphasized enough I also heard today on the news it may not be such a bright idea to be buying tickets for airlines for say a year from now on alot of companies because they very well may not be in business at that time. The guy was an airlines/travel expert and said he wouldn't take that gamble. Though I did hear SW bought fuel at a guaranteed rate through 2012.

 

[eeyoregon]

Nope, won't keep me away. Airfare is cheaper this year than in years past.
I paid $330 last year for the same travel dates that I am paying $240 for this year.

 

[4nana]

We have been planning our family's Disney grand gathering over a year now . We have 17 people going: 12 flying and 5 driving. We haven't done WDW in years (other than a family Disney cruise 6 yrs ago) so everyone is very excited to be spending Thanksgivng together for the first time in one of the most magical places in the world. We have decide to go forth, knowing flights will be more expensive than orginally expected. We all agree we don't know what tomorrow will bring, meanwhile we're going to make some magical memories at Disney today. It will be worth it's weight in gold, as we can't wait to see the magic in our grands eyes.

 

[brockscandy]

We have been planning our family's Disney grand gathering over a year now . We have 17 people going: 12 flying and 5 driving. We haven't done WDW in years (other than a family Disney cruise 6 yrs ago) so everyone is very excited to be spending Thanksgivng together for the first time in one of the most magical places in the world. We have decide to go forth, knowing flights will be more expensive than orginally expected. We all agree we don't know what tomorrow will bring, meanwhile we're going to make some magical memories at Disney today. It will be worth it's weight in gold, as we can't wait to see the magic in our grands eyes.

Good for you. Have a great time.

 

[piratemom07]

My family myself, DH, DS, DD my sisters family (her, husband, 2 girls) and my cousins family (cousin,husband, one boy, one girl) will all be going to WDW in August 08.
My cousin and my sisters family have decided to fly, my cousin really had no choice her husband works 7 days then off 7 days so that was a concern for them with driving we are 16 hrs. away. My sisters family have a 9 year old and a 19 month old(will be in aug.) and she is not quite the traveler that her sister was at that age. For our cousin and her family this will be there first trip to WDW they are very excited and her 3 yr. old son asked everyday is this the day we go to Disney world to see Pooh he is a big fan of his.
They were all able to book there flights round trip out of Houston, Texas for approx. 238.00 per person.
We decided to drive because we just started planning this trip in March and we could not come up with the extra 1000.00 for the plane tickets. We are a 16 hr. trip but really no big deal we have made this trip before in May 06 and we also drive to Colorado and that is a 21 hr. trip for us.
We will have three people who can drive (myself, husband and our 18 yr old son)

We were unsure if we could make the trip with so many things changing but we do realize we could pay some bills ahead with the money but not pay anything off and we do not make these more expensive trips very often.
We came in May of 2006 and before that it was May of 2001 where we were able to spend 10 days at WDW which was really nice my kids were in elem. school and they attend a small school so we missed the last week of school and left WDW the day before Memorial Day.

We are excited about this trip we will come about 2 weeks before we start back to school we have never been in August so we will see how it goes as far as the heat that is not noting new to us we live in East Texas and today the high was 96 it has not begun to get HOT for us yet.

This will be our last trip I am quite sure for at least 2-3 years our ds starts college in the fall (will stay at home) our dd will start high school so with sports and activities will be hard to squeeze in a big trip like this for us.

I have really learned some great things from this board I am on it each day we decided to do the Dining Plan this year so I am trying to figure it all out. Thanks for all the great posts and safe and happy travels to everyone