Almost C$5000 for a family of 4 to fly from Toronto to Orlando in Xmas

[Disneylover99]

As far as cancellations go,it's not always because of the weather in Toronto;it's the weather where they're connecting.The Canadian airports are ahead of the americans in dealing with winter imo,lol.I have to laugh when they get 20cm of snow and have to shut down the city.

For sure. I sometimes wonder though if they use weather as an excuse for delays when there are other reasons.

 

[quandrea]

I've flown from Ottawa at Christmas a couple of times now.The most we've ever paid was a direct flight,return,and it was under 500pp.Don't be fooled by the high prices;they do come down,and go up, and down again;it's a game they play. Check prices everyday but be patient.I find usually,booking more than 6 months ahead is a mistake,and the 3 month area usually the best.
As far as cancellations go,it's not always because of the weather in Toronto;it's the weather where they're connecting.The Canadian airports are ahead of the americans in dealing with winter imo,lol.I have to laugh when they get 20cm of snow and have to shut down the city.

The way we handle it is to book when the air hits a price we are comfortable with. For January that was a couple of weeks ago. $400 return non stop. Then I let it go.

 

[allykat73]

I am also patiently watching Christmas flights. Fingers crossed they improve. I will watch both Toronto and Buffalo prices.

 

[mkmommy]

Air Canada is open for March Break 2018 and for weekend dates out of Toronto it is about $1000 per person. So many of my kids friends went early this year to avoid the high rates but looking at the Air Canada rates you have to leave on Tuesday as right now from Wednesday on is high.

I was just looking I can book direct flights to Paris cheaper than direct flights to Orlando for March Break 2018, on Air Canada, maybe I need to rethink plans.

 

[darwinsrule]

I am also patiently watching Christmas flights. Fingers crossed they improve. I will watch both Toronto and Buffalo prices.

Southwest will release X-mas (up to Jan 7/18) on May 18th. Probably about the cheapest you will find. I wouldn't book with the ECB however. Well worth the $15 to ensure getting seats together since the flight will be sold out.

We have a cruise booked for March Break booked for 2018 out of Fort Lauderdale. If we had to pay YYZ prices we wouldn't be going. DW is a teacher so we are limited as to when we can travel. We are waiting (somewhat patiently) for JB and SW to release from BUF (based upon history July and August). The savings for 4 more than justify the 2 hr drive. And goes a long way toward paying for a other parts of the trip. We are doing an Alaska cruise this summer from Seattle. YYZ to Seattle we were looking at just over $3k CAD for the 4 of us. BUF to SEA was $1400 USD. Comes down to where you want to spend your money. On your flight, or at your destination.

 

[lisaviolet]

Buffalo, I have had one delay in about thirty flights over the years.

Last Christmas, I booked AC from Pearson and both flights had multiple delays. I was travelling with my elderly mother, who has many health concerns, and we arrived at the Polynesian at five o'clock in the morning. She was wide awake and bright eyed but really AC! Direct flight, no weather issues. One traveller yelled out that this flight is delayed most weeks so it was all BS, on a regular basis, as his girlfriend takes it all the time. Both flights had the first delay, then another, then another, then another. And so disorganized at the gate on the way home. Chaos.

I don't know why people ever slam Southwest, not here but many avoid booking it, as I have never had one bit of chaos at a gate.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

OP, I travelled on high volume days last Christmas/New Year's, on Air Canada, and my return was $252 - might have been a Thursday return though but still high volume during the holidays, I booked business class on the way down for about $640 - I booked it as a treat for Mom's big trip and more leg room to help her get into the seat. So much for business class when it is the middle of the night!

Anyway, I know I booked late. I had already booked Buffalo and worried about my mom. The $252 might have been as late as a month out. The great business class fare was probably two-three months out.

Best of luck.

 

[momof2gr8kids]

Thank you for your replies. I see your points. With a kid getting close to high school years, I do not want to pull her off school work for 2 weeks for vacation. It will teach her the wrong work ethics and make her struggle to catch up after missing school. We also have a toddler that will not sit still more than a couple of hours... so anything other than direct flight will be a torturing experience. You are right, I am stuck with direct flights in school vacation time, but still $5000 for a family of 4? I still remember in 2009 during the financial crisis, Air Canada came begging for government bailout. Now economy is better, they simply gouge those taxpayers who supported them a few years ago.

Should I wait until the summer to book my Christmas flight? Do you think the price will be cheaper? Anyone has a crystal ball that still works? Please let me now what you think.

As someone who has taken both my kids out of school for trips, I don't think it teaches wrong work ethics to miss school. In fact, I think it teaches them that those who work really hard can get extra perks. If your daughter wouldn't have a problem catching up if she missed a few days on either side of the holiday, I'd book that if it can get you a cheaper flight. If needed, you could hire a tutor for a few lessions if she's missing something major that you are worried about. Every kid's different, and every school is different, but I find that those few days before the holiday, pretty much nothing major is going on in my kids classrooms.

 

[Sabathamk]

This is one of the major reasons why we have decided to drive this Thursday. $2600 out of Ottawa for 4 ppl. Flying into Tampa or Miami is even more expensive. Finding the ideal flights with right number of days can be expensive to fly. If we wanted to compromise on flight times, lay overs and days in Orlando we could find $300 PP out off Ottawa but we want to maximize our days in Disney. $2500 to fly or $400 to drive. The savings just paid for Disney tickets

Us as well. The cost to rent a van (we want to do more than WDW this trip) and the cost of flights for 6 people all together is $4000. It's only about $500 Cdn for our fuel, plus the four extra hotel stays (2 down, 2 back) and any food I decide to splurge on (likely not much. I'm a pack lunches type of gal). That pays for all of the stuff we want to actually do down there... WDW tickets, Memory Maker, LEGOLAND, etc. And... I hate airports. Stress me out to no end.

I also understand not wanting to take the kids out of school. We are homeschooling, so I don't have to worry about that anymore, but our last trip my daughter was in kindergarten so it was 'no worries'. When I was in high school, my dad would sometimes take me out of school to spend time together (he was a long distance hauler, so we didn't see him for weeks at a time and he wanted to maximize time with us when home). We also had some times when I would go on trips with him and he would take me out of school for that. My teachers never had a problem, as we would tell them in advance, and they would give me the homework they were planning to assign during that time, which I would often finish in 2 days of cram work without difficulty, but I was also one of those A students who had no problem with any of the material given, so my parents had no problem doing this, and neither did my teachers. Always wished me a good trip. I never had catching up to do afterwards, and was often ahead of the class when I'd get back due to them not finishing the work that the teacher had planned on. I would personally change the dates a bit to get better pricing. But that is me. I'm not sure how schools are now compared to 15 years ago.

 

[Sailormoon2]

n Air Canada, and my return was $252

This is the price I am seeing right now for a one way direct in January, and I have totally been sitting on the fence thinking it is too expensive! Am I being completely unrealistic about what I'm likely able to get if I wait?

 

[quandrea]

This is the price I am seeing right now for a one way direct in January, and I have totally been sitting on the fence thinking it is too expensive! Am I being completely unrealistic about what I'm likely able to get if I wait?

Yes. That's a good fare.

 

[tgropp]

I cannot believe it would cost as much to fly to Asia as to fly to Orlando?! $1250 per person after taxes to fly YYZ to MCO in December holiday? I think Canadian should remember this and refuse any bailout to these monopolies if there is a recession. They really know how to bite the hand that feeds them, don't them?[/QUOTE

We are flying out of Toronto on Friday Dec 15 and coming home on Dec 31 (both morning flights) and we got two tickets for $800 total using the Westjet CC. I got six tickets (Dec 16-30 morning flights) for my children/grandchildren for $945 total.........plus close to 18,000 Airmiles. Using Airmiles with the BOM Airmiles CC at high travel season is very cost effective. Since we book DVC for Christmas time at 11 months out, we always get our flights as soon as we can to get the flight times that we want. We have found that after 8 Christmas flights/vacations that booking the earliest is usually the cheapest fares. OP, keep looking as cheaper flights should come available, probably less desirable flight times.

 

[Gigi@Disney]

OP, that bites! I hear you. I hope you find your flights!

I was looking at flights to Vancouver and it was cheaper to fly to England or Ireland than domestically.

It's not direct but for future reference one thing I do is book YYZ to Chicago. Usually for $100. Chicago has two major airports and is a huge hub so when I go to the states that's worked for me. Then I can book any American airline, for me as I'm going west, it's usually SWA or Frontier.

 

[lisaviolet]

This is the price I am seeing right now for a one way direct in January, and I have totally been sitting on the fence thinking it is too expensive! Am I being completely unrealistic about what I'm likely able to get if I wait?

Yes.

___________________________________

January when? During the holidays? Or off the holiday schedule? Is this your return or departure fare? I was shocked to get $252 during the Christmas holiday break.

Heads up though the prices are often lower with Air Canada, when not priced one way. Many times I lost out on even more reduced fares because I bought my departure first, not changing my $99 Southwest fare until I found something comparable here (ie. with adding getting home from Buffalo). Of course I liked to drive myself crazy by actually checking round trip when I had no options! Laughing.

 

[Sailormoon2]

and we got two tickets for $800 total using the Westjet CC

Was this because you used points?

 

[Sailormoon2]

January when? During the holidays?

January third from YOW to MCO. I am choosing 1 way becasue I will fly Westjet to return using points.

 

[grantclaire]

Just on the WestJet site and the direct flights at 1030 and 845 PM are sold out, some people are willing and able to pay the high prices! Not me I will wait for Southwest flights.

 

[lisaviolet]

January third from YOW to MCO. I am choosing 1 way becasue I will fly Westjet to return using points.

Well it's a great price for a direct flight from Ottawa, don't you think? How low have you seen them go in the past? But since you are flying out, not in I get your indecision a bit more. Mine was MCO-YYZ. So out of Orlando during the break was an easy choice.

And like I said AC discounts deeper into the round trip more often one way. And even it is goes to $180 or something, is the waiting/checking game worth $70?

______________________________________________________________

I enjoy the hunt/game so I get it.

 

[tgropp]

Was this because you used points?

If you get a WestJet CC for $99 you get a companion flight for $99 plus taxes. If I recall you also get a one time $250 travel credit. If both you and your spouse got the CC your four tickets would be considerably less

 

[deedubb]

I booked less than a week ago and the "plus" seats on the the trip home have already gone up by about $200 per person when I looked today!

 

[daver]

Big Bucks for Xmas... well worth it though!