Any tips to help me surprise hubby with flights.

[mommymanda]

We are finally booked for Disney, end of August, Saturday to Saturday.

Currently our plan is to drive (southwestern Ontario). We have done it in the past and honestly no complaints. The trip is a tight budget and driving helps settle that. Currently the estimated cost for our drive there and back is $1000 that's gas, food, and halfway hotel stay.

However when I say WE drive, its really hubby doing all the work. I would love to book us flights and surprise him with that option. I'm just not having much luck with it.

I know to look out of Detroit or Buffalo. We are okay with later arrivals if need be. I get excited seeing tickets around $1100 which is so close to our drive budget I think 'why not'. Than I remember all the sites are the 'basic' get your ticket. Once I add the fact that we need luggage for a family of 5 to bring, organize so my 5 year old is not in the opposite end of the plane and all the other "bonuses" you can choose to add on I'm looking at another $600+ for the tickets.

So does anyone have tips to help me drop those costs? Or where can I find prices that include them so I know exactly what I am pricing out? At this point I am truly considering packing the suitcases to see how many we really need to bring.

 

[craigkerstiens]

You can usually look up what your luggage cost would be on the airlines. There's sometimes a slight difference in cost if you pay for your luggage ahead of being at the airport, usually at check-in time online. Another is to look for an airline that includes luggage. A quick search shows Southwest which includes baggage out of Detriot you could go for $1,299 and that's including taxes and all so a little over your budget but not too painful perhaps.

Also, keep looking, flights will often be ideal at around 90-60 days out and at 45 days out more start to climb. So if you keep checking over the next few weeks you may find things drop just a little bit to make it doable.

 

[ottawamom]

Detroit is definitely less expensive than Buffalo. Sign up for their weekly notifications and watch for a couple of weeks for deals. I've flown Southwest many times with our 3 boys. So long as you sign in to get your boarding passes at the 24 hour mark your family should be able to sit together (granted it may be the back of the plane but together). Trust me when I say no one is going to want to care for someone else's 5 year old on a three hour flight.

 

[dancin Disney style]

I think $1000 is a VERY healthy budget for driving. It shouldn't cost that much though, unless you are taking 3 days to drive in each direction. The most we have ever spent on driving down was $700(one night in a hotel each way) and that was when gas prices were very high...as in $1.40/L CAD. Out of curiosity I put my info into gasbuddy.com and it gave me a round trip gas cost of $140 CAD for my SUV. The last time we drove our actual gas cost was about $50 higher than gasbuddy for two reasons. 1. I drive fast and 2. we never stopped at the places that gasbuddy sets out. Also, we pack most of our food and all drinks/snacks in a cooler. We only purchase dinner, which is usually McD's or something similar.

Your actual question was really about flying. I fly from BUF 2-4 times per year. Going to MCO it's often around $225 RT/person on SW. If you have a little flexibility in travel dates you could get fares that are closer to $200 RT/person. I only fly SW now and love it. SW allows 2 checked bags per person plus your carry on so luggage ends up not being an issue. If seating is an issue then you can always add in the EBCI at a cost of $30/person RT or they offer family boarding on most flights that board after the A group but before the B group. This is for families with children under age 6. I always check in right at the 24hr mark and the worst boarding position I've ever had was around B30ish. In that slot you shouldn't have issues getting seats together at the back....worst case scenario would be maybe 2 and 2 and a single. Another option would be to purchase EBCI for two and then use family boarding for the other 3.

 

[mort1331]

I concur about the $1000 being a very healthy budget for driving. That would be staying in a very nice hotel on the way down, now having 5 might be for 2 rooms.
What the flying would do is save you 2 days on either end. But do you need a car while down there, if so factor in cost of renting.
We have done both, and both ways we don't use cars, just park and let the bus take us.
If in the GTA you could fly out of Niagara with Allegiant and they fly into Sanford, but there again you would have to rent a car, but they are cheap too.
We like the drive, but split it up and drive straight 24 hours, only you will know what your family could endure.

 

[alohamom]

We used Frontier out of Detroit last December for a spur of the moment trip to MVMCP. It was actually very good, even thought it is a no frills airline. The only reason we went is because we got a Black Friday sale that totalled 206 USD FOR ALL 4 OF US round trip including joining Frontiers DEN Deals (50 bucks) and paying for bags! Honestly, I would have never flown them if not for that sale but the planes was brand new, totally comfortable and the crew was really pleasant. I did have to book an overnight hotel going down because of the flight times so that factored intot he cost too but it was around 140 and included breakfast. Still under 400 USD for all of us to get there and back. The only problem is the cheaper flights (Den Deals) sell out quickly so you need to be able to book as soon as you see them. I am on the email list so I get them to my inbox, just a thought...

 

[mommymanda]

Thank you I will check southwest and see, I'm guessing they are US pricing so will have to add exchange.

I know $1000 drive is generous, when we drove in 2014 we spent roughly $700 in gas, food, one hotel and all the coffee/toll stops. This round I know we would spend less on food, but the 2nd hotel night for return.

No rental car needed. We are booked on site and even driving there the van does not leave the parking lot until we head home.