Airfares From the West Coast

[Rantybaby]

CALIFORNIA DISers ONLY!!

If you travel with a non DME provider, how do you get to the resorts?

 

[Rantybaby]

Well, I'm booking our flight tomorrow night which will be exactly 330 days out. If the current rate holds one more day, I'll be paying $367 per person including taxes/fees on AA from LAX to MCO departing 8/21/07 returning 9/8/07 not including the Entertainment discount. I could get Delta for about $40 less per ticket but AA has the times I prefer plus I'll be getting 5% off anyway.

How far out to book is a personal decision. It really depends on whether you want to fly on one the major carriers or whether you don't mind playing the waiting game and holding out for a discount on Southwest, Jet Blue, etc. who don't release their fares until 6-8 months out. I believe the aforementioned carriers may not have direct flights but I'm not certain.

Personally, I've been tracking fares for several months now and the rate we're getting is very decent.

How does the Entertainment Book 5% discount work?

 

[mamacatnv]

CALIFORNIA DISers ONLY!!

If you travel with a non DME provider, how do you get to the resorts?

DME "provider" airlines is only for luggage handling. Any Disney resort guest can access DME. Last year we were in Fl. for a week, then drove to the airport, dropped off the rental car and took DME to our resort.

Airfare: I booked Delta back in Feb for our Dec 25 to Jan 9th trip. Due to the time of year, I prefer to take flights in and out of Southern airports as there are less weather issues. From Reno to MCO with a stop in Atlanta I paid $308 per person RT w/ all taxes. There were cheaper flights but the times were awful or it was a crop duster type aircraft from here to Salt Lake City and then a regular plane to MCO. My flights have done nothing but go up in price.

SWA came out with their rates, I could have saved $2.70 per person, stopped more often and have less convenient flight times.

 

[jordansmomma]

Where are you flying from on the west coast?
This past august i paid $279 round trip from Spokane, wa to Orlando. on america west/us airways.
I am hoping to get that good of a price for next summer, but i am trying to go for Christmas 2007 instead but i am sure the flights will be outrageous that time of year.

 

[PixelPusher]

We just paid 600 a person round trip from Seattle to MCO. We booked it just this past Friday (last minute vacation)leaving on the 21st of December(christmas travel) and returning on the 29th(new years travel). Our times and dates were completely inflexible and we only make one stop each way. Price wasn't too shabby considering I saw TONS of flights for 800-1000 per person in the same timeframe.

 

[Castillo Mom]

How does the Entertainment Book 5% discount work?

The '07 Entertainment Book has a discount code wherby you get the 5% discount on AA. The cool part is that you don't neet to wait for the book to arrive in order to get the code. As soon as you purchase you can just go to the travel section of the Entertainment website and the code will appear. Here's a link if you need more info:

http://entertainment.com/discount/travel.shtml

 

[Rantybaby]

The '07 Entertainment Book has a discount code wherby you get the 5% discount on AA. The cool part is that you don't neet to wait for the book to arrive in order to get the code. As soon as you purchase you can just go to the travel section of the Entertainment website and the code will appear. Here's a link if you need more info:

http://entertainment.com/discount/travel.shtml

Castillo Mom,

Purchased '07 Entertainment Book this past Saturday (10/21). I figured if I save at least $30 with American Airlines it would be worth it. Can you still get AA Advantage Miles?

 

[BeccaG]

I try to book around 3 months out. 3 months seems to be the time you will get the best deals, in general terms, any earlier you are likely not to get sales and any later you get crunched as far as availability. The most we have ever paid from so cal to florida,was $280 I think. I haven't done it a ton, but that is the most I have paid!

 

[Rantybaby]

I try to book around 3 months out. 3 months seems to be the time you will get the best deals, in general terms, any earlier you are likely not to get sales and any later you get crunched as far as availability. The most we have ever paid from so cal to florida,was $280 I think. I haven't done it a ton, but that is the most I have paid!

BeccaG,

How far back was that $280.00 flight?

 

[BeccaG]

BeccaG,

How far back was that $280.00 flight?

Last summer, I realize fares have gone up. Oh and the flight I took was on American and Delta out of Ontario. I actually posted another thread about the whole price thing to see how much they had gone up on average, but on travelocity I can still get fares with taxes etc, for under $250, just not when I want to go, which is over Christmas. What does everyone pay for around Christmas?

 

[Califgirl]

I paid $266 from CLD (Carlsbad, just up from San Diego) to MCO for a Sept. flight. But now the fares are $400 - $ 550 for early March. Sorry - I just can't bring myself to pay that much. I was really surprised at the jump!

 

[bekkiz]

When we lived in Northern CA, we paid anywhere from 147 (!I know-insane deal on Delta!) to about 300 r/t (thats 5 or 6 flights from San Jose to MCO).

For our upcoming trip, Seattle to MCO this December, we paid 280 r/t

 

[macs4us]

I usually book 45 - 90 days out. We live in SoCal and have flown from Carlsbad, Long Beach and OC, usually paying from $200 - $250 (late spring, summer and Xmas). You can check out farecast.com which has airfare trends - it's pretty cool.

 

[BeccaG]

I usually book 45 - 90 days out. We live in SoCal and have flown from Carlsbad, Long Beach and OC, usually paying from $200 - $250 (late spring, summer and Xmas). You can check out farecast.com which has airfare trends - it's pretty cool.

That's cool website I had never seen before! When was the last time you flew at Christmas for $250 and where was it from if you don't mind me asking? We are planning a trip in that time range (next year) and things are looking pricy for those dates now, but I am trying to get an accurate estimate price for the group we are going with!

 

[pppiglet]

I usually book 45 - 90 days out. We live in SoCal and have flown from Carlsbad, Long Beach and OC, usually paying from $200 - $250 (late spring, summer and Xmas). You can check out farecast.com which has airfare trends - it's pretty cool.

Are those prices non-stop prices?

 

[adrock1976]

Are those prices non-stop prices?

You cannot fly nonstop from Carlsbad, Long Beach or Orange County to MCO...gotta make at LEAST one stop.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

In 2004, we booked a Nov trip in Aug for a NS on UA from SFO to MCO for about $240pp (incl taxes & fees). In 2005, we booked an Oct trip in Aug for a NS on AA from LAX for $200pp, then rebooked after a $25 change fee for $117 pp (incl taxes and fees).
In 2006, I was tracking prices for an Oct trip and up to May, it stayed about $240pp (plus taxes & fees), then jumped to more than $300. We booked using miles, but I continued to monitor prices and saw some prices dip back to $240 or so (plus taxes & fees) during short sales in Sept.
I am now following prices for a late Apr 2007 trip and have seen a NS on AA from LAX to MCO as low as $308 (plus taxes & fees), but often (incl yesterday) it has been as high as $508+. This pricing is partly due to a return flight on a Friday which usually has no inventory left in the cheap buckets. Today it is $408+.
Because we are not flexible with our dates, we may book soon using a companion certificate that we have which should bring the price to about $300pp (incl. taxes & fees).
Best of luck to all of you! -- Suzanne

 

[Castillo Mom]

Even though I booked already I checked the fare on AA for our dates and it's come down a bit. Current fare for Aug./Sept. is $308 not including tax/fees.

 

[adreayoung]

Right now on Alaska from SEA to MCO for non stop it's about $537 RT but that's for middle of March so we'll see- I have to add about $100 more to fly from Boise the night before so I can stay with my parents that night then my dad would drop my mom and I off at Sea-Tac. But that's what I do at work all day is keep checking fairs.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Not sure if this helps anyone, but it looks like AA just introduced sale fares from LAX to MCO for November and part of December for $168 & $178. With taxes and fees, those come out to about $199 and $209. It includes non-stop flight, although the seats are limited and may be gone on some flights on some dates.

For some people, this may be enough of a drop in their existing fare that they can pay the $100 change fee and still get a voucher back for the fare difference.

I looked at planning another trip (we have our APs!), but since we just got back less than a week ago and are returnng in April, it really doesn't make sense for us.

Best of luck -- Suzanne