Anyone so fed up with airline prices that you are actually considering driving?

[faulks family]

We are headed from Nashville to Orlando the first week of Oct. I have been watching SW since they released their new dates around April 1. Our prices have done nothing but go up!!!!!! For our family of 5 to fly right now, we are looking at $1750!!!! We don't want to drive, but are seriously considering it now. I figure we can drive for around $750, including staying in a hotel there and back to break up the trip.

Anyone else in this boat? What are you choosing to do?

 

[sorul82?]

Yep, we are a family of 5, and looks like flying is out. We have tossed around the idea of taking Amtrak.

 

[maxiesmom]

What dates are you going? When I pop over to Expedia and put in Oct 1-8, 5 people can fly for $1234 That is about $247 a person, while not dirt cheap is what I would consider a fair price.

 

[faulks family]

Thanks for the help with the Expedia deal...I guess I should have clarified earlier. SW is the only airline that flies direct to Orlando, so we are really most interested in SW. I am sure that price is Delta, and they do not fly direct, so we most likely will not do that.

Appreciate the help!

 

[bookwormde]

I am definetly in that group once RT for 4 got above $600 we are driving.

bookwormde

 

[redmonster]

We are two families, total of 9, coming from CNY and have never paid over 200.00. Cant get even close with luggage, are not justifying the driving vs. flying so we can still go. Roadtrip here we come...

 

[monymony3471]

Yes, family of six here and we are driving instead of flying. Prices all around are just too high. Going in August.

 

[Brian Noble]

No chance. From Michigan, it's a 20 hour drive. That burns an extra two days of vacation, unless both of us take time off of work, and that is very costly as well. If I lived closer---within a day's drive---maybe I'd feel differently.

For what it's worth, this is exactly what the airlines are shooting for---they are trying to cut off the lowest-fare leisure travelers, because they are not profitable. The airlines would rather fly fewer planes at higher fares.

 

[WildGrits]

Yep, we are with you also.

The saving grace for us is that we are going for two weeks so taking 2 days to get there and for me is ok.

I'm planning on making big lime green mickeys for the back windows. If you see us on the road, honk.

 

[bicker]

Prices are still very low, given the convenience of getting there faster. Well worth-it.

If I'm going to cut-back on my airline travel, it'll be because of how much airline travel pollutes the air.

 

[rigsby25]

We are going in June. Just booked our flight with American. 94.00 each way. This wasn't too bad, but you know with the suitcases and everything it goes up. We are considering owners locker for that reason.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Wouldn't drive, ever. Flying is CHEAP, on a per-mile basis.

I want to go to Las Vegas. It's about 2,600 miles from Boston (more, I think, but I'm too tired to look it up right now ). Airfare at this moment is $388 round trip per person.

That's just under SEVEN CENTS per mile. No way in the world gas plus wear & tear on my car would be anywhere close to that. I think the IRS allowance now is fifty cents per mile for business travel reimbursement? That means according to government calculations, it's cheaper overall to fly seven people from Boston to Las Vegas and back than it would be to drive there. That doesn't even account for the time involved - five hours vs. a minimum of two days, and that's only if you drive straight through stopping only for gas and 'facilities (no meals, no sleep) each way.

 

[Tara]

No chance. From Michigan, it's a 20 hour drive. That burns an extra two days of vacation, unless both of us take time off of work, and that is very costly as well. If I lived closer---within a day's drive---maybe I'd feel differently.

This is me -we're in upstate NY and I'm not willing to give up vacation time to a road trip that would be 4 days.

For what it's worth, this is exactly what the airlines are shooting for---they are trying to cut off the lowest-fare leisure travelers, because they are not profitable. The airlines would rather fly fewer planes at higher fares.

Exactly. People frequently comment, "___ airline dropped the direct flights to Orlando from my city - I don't understand why since they were always full!" They dropped because they didn't make enough money, and they were always full because the fares were too low.

Southwest out of my city is almost always higher than other carriers - they're the only nonstop to Orlando now and they built a good fan base with rock-bottom, unprofitable fares. Now they're charging higher fares and the flights are still close to full (though not always full anymore).

 

[maxiesmom]

No chance. From Michigan, it's a 20 hour drive. That burns an extra two days of vacation, unless both of us take time off of work, and that is very costly as well. If I lived closer---within a day's drive---maybe I'd feel differently.

Me too! Even with connections you still get to Disney much faster! What is 8 hours compared with 2 days stuck in the car? Plus, now that Air Tran and Allegiant fly out of GRR, fares have come down from where they used to be at around the $300 per person mark. Heck, right now we could fly down for just over $100 a person!

 

[MomtoEmIs&Ow]

Me too! Even with connections you still get to Disney much faster! What is 8 hours compared with 2 days stuck in the car? Plus, now that Air Tran and Allegiant fly out of GRR, fares have come down from where they used to be at around the $300 per person mark. Heck, right now we could fly down for just over $100 a person!

What dates were yo looking at for $100 each, and what airline?

 

[CharliNye]

Airfare for four from Chicago in September is ridiculous right now. We can't afford it and manage to take the kids to the parks.

We have a plan and really with one overnight stay each way it's not bad. And a heck of a lot less expensive. We're driving for the first time down there(well neither husband nor I have been since we were kids-30 yrs in my case) so we're really excited and my husband likes road trips. However I'm not overly keen on the driving part, I'm a bit of a nervous wreck about it.

The airfare on SW was 1000 for the four of us rt, the car rental(we're staying offsite due to a gifted place from a relative for my bday-whole reason we're able to do this) was about 300 something on top of it after all the taxes etc.

Granted I HATE flying with a passion, but if we could find some really good deal I'd do it.

 

[Brian Noble]

Airfare for four from Chicago in September is ridiculous right now...airfare on SW was 1000 for the four of us rt

I consider $250 per person very reasonable for a round trip flight from the upper midwest---and a downright bargain if it is direct and includes all luggage and fees.

Frankly, the airlines---even good old Southwest---will not miss you if you think that is "ridiculous".

 

[FINFAN]

we drive from Chicago...if we were in Nashville, we would NEVER fly...unless killer rates. I am envious as you can drive it in a day..and not really use up much more time than it takes to set aside for air travel.

 

[parmtoo]

I just paid $1267.00 for four roundtrip tickets from Rochester to MCO. It's not a great price, but better then driving 1200+ miles with two 2 year olds!

 

[pigletto]

I'm still trying to decide what we'll do. Resonable or not, I had a pretty specific budget for this trip and current airfare prices aren't really in that budget.
So .. perhaps we'll drive, perhaps we'll try to shave it from another area in the budget.. and perhaps we'll push the trip forward to December.
1200 for the four of us out of Buffalo is over twice what I paid two years ago.