Advice from Frequent Fliers

[lost*in*cyberspace]

........

Many airlines that assign seats do charge for seat assignments. So again, if that's really important to you to sit together, consider paying for seat assignments. .....

No US legacy airline charges for seat assignments in regular economy seats.

 

[kymom99]

This is not necessarily true. It depends on the type of fare you purchase. If you buy Delta's Basic Economy Fare, you don't get advanced seat assignments; Delta will assign you a seat at check-in.

Not true. I have never booked more than the basic seat. I've always been able to choose my seat

 

[Minnesota!]

I recently came across this article that you might find helpful. Although many Southwest loyalists seem to say you have to book right when flights are open, that is not the case with all airlines.

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_56cf1648e4b03260bf759b79

I am a SW loyalist and I stay away from opening date fares. I find they are cheapest about 2 months out.

OP - I am a nut at take off, too. My kids always say "who has mom this time?". It has gotten easier each time.

One tip - watch the flight crew. If they are not panicking, you don't need to panic. They know the ins/outs and normal sounds of a plane.

Does Sun Country fly out from where you are? We love them - they are cheap for us, direct flights, and LOTS of leg room.

 

[ready123go]

We're in Sterling Heights so, it's about equal distance to either airport. Metro is probably slightly closer. I have never flown out of Bishop. Is it nice? I haven't been looking at Bishop, but I will check it out!

Right now, it's going to be between Delta and Spirit. I am leaning towards paying more and flying on Delta. I would love to try Southwest, but it does not appear to have direct flights. Since I am really uncomfortable flying, I would like to stick with one take off and landing for each leg. Take off is the worst thing for me and whomever is sitting next to me.

Lots of great advice, thanks everyone!!!

We're in "Fabulous" Ferndale, so we are (basically) neighbors!

We have never used Bishop, but I usually price going out of there. Now that I see SW no longer has direct flights to MCO, I guess I'll eliminate FNT from my radar. I really miss Air Tran - once SW took over they eliminated all the good times and routes down. Now Delta and Spirit are the only players

I think you are wise to stick with directs. My one experience where I opted for a less expensive flight with connections was not a good one. With kids and luggage and whatnot, I imagine a direct will be much less headache for you. Add fear-of-flying to that and it seems a no-brainer.

We have used both Spirit and Delta many, many times. Spirit is definitely a no-frills ride, and the seats are closer together, but that's ok by me. Since it's just DH and myself we often just upgrade to exit rows or front seats for more leg room.

We have never flown to MCO in May. However, we have flown many times Nov through Mid-April. I would wait. $2000+ for five is pricey.

Edited to add: $2000+ seems more like holiday season airfare than late spring/early summer airfare.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Not true. I have never booked more than the basic seat. I've always been able to choose my seat

It is true. You must not have been buying the basic economy fare.

http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/support/faqs/planning-reservations-faqs.html#BasicEcon

What Is A Basic Economy Fare?

Basic Economy (E booking class) is a value-fare option for price-driven customers. When you purchase Basic Economy, you will typically enjoy our lowest fare, but seats will be assigned after check-in.......

 

[AquaDame]

It is true. You must not have been buying the basic economy fare.

http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/support/faqs/planning-reservations-faqs.html#BasicEcon

What Is A Basic Economy Fare?

Basic Economy (E booking class) is a value-fare option for price-driven customers. When you purchase Basic Economy, you will typically enjoy our lowest fare, but seats will be assigned after check-in.......

I am not 100% this is fleet wide yet, but I have also seen this put into practice recently on Delta. It is a minimal charge, but they have been charging to pick seats ahead of time on some of the flights we have taken.

Edit: On the FAQ sheet posted above it says "Basic Economy fares will be available in select markets." so perhaps that is why they haven't run into it yet.

 

[EllieBride]

We fly from Detroit-Orlando on non-stop flights and it's been YEARS since I've seen a Delta flight for less than $200 (looking at "decent" departure times, that is). We prefer the flight that departs DTW at 10am and the one that departs MCO at 4pm and these always tend to have a premium price tag attached... You can definitely get cheaper flights if you are willing to arrive in Orlando late and leave early, but then you are basically giving up two days of vacation.

As a point of reference, I purchased 5 round-trip tickets this past May for our upcoming November trip and the total price was $1750 with taxes (Delta). This does NOT include checked bag fees and also does not include advance seat assignments, which we've never had a problem getting seats assigned together upon check-in. The $1750 was the best available price for these flights since opening day. I should have just bought them when the booking window first opened, but I thought they were too high and would drop, but they just went up, up, up. A couple of months later (on a Tuesday, which they say is a good day to buy, they finally dropped back to the original price and I jumped on them. I just now did a price-check for the same flights and they are currently $2350 for 5 tickets. If you are finding 5 tickets for $2000, I think that sounds pretty good

Are you flying with small children? Our last few flights to Orlando on Delta have all had seats with the built-in monitors. Our kids loved being able to watch movies during the flight (for free!). Just remember to bring headphones. We were bummed when we flew to NY last month and they didn't have the monitors. My husband said that they must save those planes for the Orlando trips because of all the kids, LOL.

 

[kymom99]

It is true. You must not have been buying the basic economy fare.

http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/support/faqs/planning-reservations-faqs.html#BasicEcon

What Is A Basic Economy Fare?

Basic Economy (E booking class) is a value-fare option for price-driven customers. When you purchase Basic Economy, you will typically enjoy our lowest fare, but seats will be assigned after check-in.......

That's interesting. I will have to check into this next time I fly. I looked at the link though and it says select markets. Whenever I have done a search for a flight this has ever been given as an option. I paid a pretty penny to book a flight for my son and he couldn't have cared less where he sat, plus he was flying alone. I made the reservation thru an agent and it was not suggested as an option.

 

[mistysue]

They removed the non-stop flight Flint-Orlando then a few weeks later announced it as a "New" route.
The last time I looked it's only running on Saturdays though.
We definitely prefer the Flint airport. Parking is cheap, it's probably more secure for your car, it's clean and you get in and out fast. Not a lot of food offered though.

 

[mousefanmichelle]

I have flown both Metro and Bishop but I prefer Flint/Bishop airport as its small and clean and easy in/easy out. I am looking right now for flights to Orlando for end of March/April. Southwest doesn't have direct flights like they did last year (May 2015) which is a huge bummer. I have flown Spirit and it is bare bones and cheapest because they just want to get you to and from. Even flying Spirit with all the baggage fees is still cheaper than Delta. I don't want to fly Spirit just because I have being cramped for 3 hours. So we either drive or fly Delta out of Metro becuz it is a bit cheaper than Flint even though Flint is closer to me. Decisions, decisions......

Good luck op!

 

[Sagginit]

I typically like to take the first flight of the day and opt to return at a later time, this sometimes can get us the cheapest fare. On my most recent trip we booked airfare with just 80-90 days left. We managed to get roundtrip for about $310 a person with fees by picking these flights. I like the early flight going down too as it's less likely to be delayed. Our flight down for ex. is at 6:30 am and our flight back is 9:30pm, this saved us $100 a person vs taking prime time flights. Make sure you check luggage fees. I booked JetBlue and they have tiered pricing. With the second tier it was $15 more with first bag free, they charge $20 a bag a la carte. If you ever choose Spirit it really isn't that bad you just pay for everything you want including seat choices and carry on bags. It may be too stressful for you to run the numbers so I might skip them if this is your first flight as a family.

I have known quite a few people who got stuck in an airport when they did connecting flights so I avoid them at all costs. It has never been worth the savings for the time. Typically I know adults that do that only b/c its free with miles so they don't mind the layover for the free flight (whereas if I am paying I am not sitting in an airport for a few hours on my way to vacation).

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Delta allows you to choose your seats when you book. But it's true, they sometimes change flights and consequently, your seats. However, you can always go in and choose different seats as long as the flight isn't full. Now, if they change your flight and you aren't happy with the change, you can call and you may be able to change yo another flight with no additional charge. I did this myself when we were flying to San Diego. They changed us from and early flight to a late one and we had planned to drive straight to Anaheim when we landed. They let me change the flights with no problem

Delta generally lets you pick your seats. As has been posted on here if you book Basic Economy you don't get that. If you book on the Delta site it's VERY clear what you are getting when you book basic economy. If you book someplace else, WHY? There's generally no reason to book anyplace but direct with the airline and if you use an online agency to book and there's a problem, you get to deal with the agency not the airline (and on line agencies aren't known for customer service)

Notes I've made about shopping for cheap airfare from various sites:

-shop for flights on Tuesdays
-clear your cookies/history each time
-Friday and Sunday flights are typically most expensive
-book 45 days before you travel
-try Google's ITA Matrix for research https://matrix.itasoftware.com/

Usually when I book airfare I am within a month of my travel date (yeah, I don't plan far in advance), and want to fly from the smaller Chicago airport, and prefer Southwest...so I don't shop around much.

I hate the slow boarding process when there are assigned seats, so I prefer Southwest. We've never had a problem finding seats for the three of us together. It is helpful to do online checkin 24 hours before flight time so you get a good boarding number (it's like numbers at the deli...they board in order). I believe you can pay a bit more to get preferred boarding, but I don't remember how much since we never get it.

(edited to delete reference to app OnTheFly since it hasn't been updated for several years)

And most of this is "urban myth"
1. Flights may go on sale on Tuesdays. They may also go sale on Mon, Sat, Wed etc... pick a day
2 I don't do this and my flight pricing goes down as much as it goes up.
3. Sunday mornings are often the cheapest I can get
4. Every time I see this it's shortly followed by some upset person who is now at 30 days pre travel still waiting on the "great fare" Seriously start tracking your preferred routes and book when you see a deal. In July I got a $90 round trip to Florida for the first weekend in October. It's only gone up.

No US legacy airline charges for seat assignments in regular economy seats.

Yes and no... More and more of them are holding blocks of seats for "charge" and if you book late and all the "free" seats are gone it's either take your chances or pay.

 

[CluelessDisFan]

We are flying for the first time as a family next May. I am terrified of flying and have always won the battle to drive from Michigan to Orlando. This time my husband said no more and we're flying. We are flying Friday to Friday. Some airlines have announced their flights while others haven't. I just priced Delta and it was over $2,000 for all five of us. We very, very rarely fly so, I have a few questions.

How far in advance to like to book for the best price? Get it now or wait until closer?

Is Spirit really that awful of an airline? So far they are looking the cheapest.

Any advice on how we can ensure to sit together as a family? This is my biggest concern.

Any other tips are greatly appreciated!!

We fly from dtw, I try to wait till about 3 months before, but I start watching at like 6 months and if a deal pops up I purchase it. I've still never taken the deal to fly spirit. We stick with Delta, they're lowest airfare tickets you can't pick your seat before the flight, but once you check in you can usually change the seat, but I will say Delta gate agents do a great job of keeping the family together, we've never been separated. Even if initially after check in your seats are separate, just tell the gate agent your a family with kids and need to sit together, they'll move others seats to accommodate.

I also like kayak.com, this trip I used a fare hacker, and got our round-trip tickets for $175each. The flight there is a nonstop on Delta and the return on AA with a short layover.

I recommend a couple of stiff drinks, or a Xanax, never together though, to help get you through the flight. It helps take the edge off.

Happy flying, it might be terrifying, but look at the positive, you're adding 2 whole days to your vacation! I'm sure that's worth the cost of flying.

 

[JillianMarie]

Yeah – the Delta Basic Economy thing is different than regular economy. It’s usually about $20 cheaper and you get nothing but a chair. It’s really designed for markets where there’s a strong discount airline competitor. I see it in Minneapolis a lot because of Spirit and Frontier. It’s probably OK for someone who is going to fly once in a blue moon, but I would never book one. Not because I care about seat assignment (I don’t) but you don’t earn miles and you could change your ticket even if you paid a change fee. It’s not worth saving the $20 to me.

I’ve flown Spirit before and it was fine. It was a bit cramped, but it got me where I needed to go. I wouldn’t take a transcontinental flight on Spirit, but if I’m just flying the hour or whatever to Chicago it was fine. 2.5 hours? Eh. I think that’s borderline what I would be comfortable with, but if I could save some serious money, I’d probably seriously consider it. In my opinion, there’s nothing wrong with Spirit that an ipad and a backpack full of snacks and drinks can’t fix unless you’re a big person. Then it might be a bit of a squeeze and uncomfortable. Even with unassigned seats, people will probably change to let you sit together. Honestly, no one wants to sit by the unaccompanied minor anyway so you'll be fine.

$400 a ticket is bonkers. Wait. There is a lot of mysticism about how to get cheaper flights – search on a Tuesday, wait until after midnight, turn around 3 times and bury a yellow beet in your back yard – but the reality is that is just takes persistence. You just have to keep looking and set price alerts. Have a price point and if/when it hits that price point buy and don’t second guess yourself. Statistically speaking, I think the cheapest price is somewhere around 45 days from departure but it’s certainly not a guarantee. Early mornings are cheaper because no one wants to fly then. Same with Tuesday or Wednesday. There's no trick to it - those are just crappy times to fly so to sell seats they're usually cheaper.

I like Delta as an airline and since I’m in a hub, they’re usually a good balance of price and convenience. Plus they have the most direct flights. It would have to be a HUGE price difference for me to choose a connecting flight over direct. For me, it’s just not worth the time cost.

Another thing to look into - booking one ways instead of a round trip. I'm doing that for our trip in October. I couldn't find times that I wanted so I booked cheap-o tickets home on Sun Country and sprung for first class on Delta on the way out. It was still cheaper than doing a round trip on either. It's a little more coordinating work, but I think it's worth it.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Remember Spirit is a small airline and only has one maybe two flights a day from your city to Orlando. If anything should happen to your flight you could be spending several days waiting to get on the next flight. I witnessed this a few weeks ago where a Spirit flight from Cleveland to Vegas got cancelled. They told those people it would be Monday before they could get them on another flight. My husbands coworkers son was stranded at an airport for 2 days wait to get on another flight when his flight from Myrtle Beach was cancelled. And remember with Spirit all you can take on a plane for free is a small purse. Carry on bags are $30 a person each way. Checked luggage is $25 a bag per person each way. If you want to sit together it could be $12 - $40 person each way. By the time you add it all up you could have gotten a flight on a major carrier and had the security knowing that if your flight got cancelled they could get you out quicker than Spirit can.


Enjoy the fact that after a few short hours you will be at Disney rather than driving 2 days to get there.

Flying on a Tue or Wed is cheaper.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Remember Spirit is a small airline and only has one maybe two flights a day from your city to Orlando.

Seven every day, if the OP is flying out of DTW.

And remember with Spirit all you can take on a plane for free is a small purse.

Each passenger can take a personal item that will fit under the seat in front of them. Typically that space is much larger than a small purse.

Flying on a Tue or Wed is cheaper.

Maybe. Maybe not.