AP + Frequent Flyer Miles = Savings!

[DrKnow77]

I've been to Disney World 6 times and we are planning another trip in December. After years of going to Disney World, I just learned about the AP passes and how you can save a ton of money, assuming that there are AP Discounts for your hotel.

I've also just learned something that I don't see discussed on the boards quite often, that might help others!

We are planning a trip to Las Vegas in March. I've never paid much attention to frequent flyer miles until yesterday. ATA has a very easy frequent flyer program: Three round trips = 1 free companion flight ticket, Six round trips = 1 free regular flight ticket.

I wish I would have known this sooner! We paid for 6 roundtrip tickets to Disney World last September... and we're paying for a few more round trip tickets to Vegas this March.

With an AP Pass and some frequent flyer miles, we may be able to go to Disney World with only hotel expenses in 2005 (use free flights from ATA and use AP pass). Now that would be a dream come true!

Does anyone else use ATA Frequent Flyer miles (or another airline)?

 

[GoldenOldie]

I wouldn't get too excited yet. They require three round trips per frequent flyer member, not per family. If you bought six tickets in December and only one of you was a member of their frequent flyer program at the time, that person would be credited with one round trip. The others would get no credit.

There is also a deadline for using the awards:

Points earned on or after 7/1/03 are available for redemption anytime through 1/31/05.

That means even if you do fly enough to get the companion ticket, you have to use it by 1/31/05.

It's possible that all of that can still fit in with your travelling habits. If it can then yes, it's definitely a good deal.

 

[BambiTamby]

Works for us!
I've earned a Companion Pass for SWA (Southwest Airlines)
three years in a row!
IOW...DH flies everywhere I fly for FREE!

I pay for all my tickets, for my business flights, and rack up the credits for all those Rapid Reward tickets!

Also, there are several credit card companies that have points for usage, that can be rolled over into a frequent flyer program.

Between free airline tickets and AP passes....we have a BLAST
going to WDW at least three times a year!

Best part about SWA....deadline is use these tickets are a whole year! LOL!
Most of the time, they're used within weeks!

and another thing....they can be used for any member of my family, friends, etc.

 

[ColoradoDis]

You make me miss SWA even more. I lived in Dallas for 14 years and flew regularly for work. Great company, great service and a great frequent flyer program!

My DD11 and I are going to WDW in October using American Airlines Advantage miles. The whole family is going in May and buying APs for that trip, so the two of us only need to worry about hotel (still deciding between BC and WL), rental car and food. The Advantage program is great if they have availability, but they don't in May so we're flying Frontier out of Denver. Have to pay, but at least it's a direct flight.

 

[justhat]

We have Delta Skymiles and planned to use them for our trip in June, but when we looked up possible flights, they all required double miles, 50,000 per ticket. Neither of us have that many and we won't be able to get them by June, so looks like we'll have to pay for our tickets. The regular 25,000 mile tickets are so limited in terms of days and times that we can't even rearrange our trip a little to fly on those flights.

 

[darcyt]

We are in the same boat with Delta! The 25000 mile tickets seem very limited to Orlando (and we had several days to play with too). We could get there with 2 connections (from DFW), but we would spend all day flying/at airports! We tried Tampa too, and it's just as difficult.

 

[justhat]

We also have the option of taking a flight with 2 connections that arrives around 1am. We're leaving from Newark and even if I were willing to do that, which I'm not, we have a 3 month old so dragging her around 4 airports and on 3 planes would be insane. We also checked Continental since you can use your Skymiles with them too, but they didn't have any 25,000 mile tickets either. What I did notice, which is weird, is that they have 45,000 mile 1st class seats or 50,000 mile economy class seats for the same flights. I can't understand why the 1st class tickets are less than the economy!?!

 

[crazywig]

we use southwest visa in combination with flight credits to earn free tickets.

plus we are annual passholders.

and we own our dvc outright.


life is good

 

[cdpa4d]

I believe the ATA deal only gives you 1 flight for yourself. If you book 6 flights on one reservation you only get credited 1 flight for yourself. The other 5 people would have one for each of them and not 6 all for you. I could be wrong, but I believe that is how it works. Good Luck!
ADP

 

[BambiTamby]

Originally posted by crazywig....
we use southwest visa in combination with flight credits to earn free tickets.
plus we are annual passholders.

and we own our dvc outright

life is good

Looks like crazywig and I are the only ones enjoying SWA freebies!

All of the above postings is the reason I cut up my Continental One Pass, American Airlines, and Delta FF cards.....
there's no big deal to have them!
And they're non-transferrable!
That bites!

 

[AdventurerKat]

I am a big fan of frequent flier programs, they are a big reason I have been able to go as much as I have.

I have been able to get FF tickets on Continental, US Airways and now Alaska Airlines. Alaska will be my preferred FF program from now on as they are the only airline that offers non stop from Seattle to Orlando. Even if I fly another airline, like Continental, I put those miles on my Alaska account. Alaska fortunately partners with alot of airlines and only requires 20000 miles for an offpeak round trip ticket. They only have two flights a day but I was able to get my preferred flights for my trip in May.

Be sure to sign up EVERY member of your family for FF mileage. I have used my son's account to get a ticket for myself before (when he was too little to travel...now I think I would feel guilty since he loves WDW just as much as I do!)