Arghhh someone hold me hand please!!!

[suzybear6]

I think I'm just about to book the flights for our first family trip to WDW!

I've been watching the flights for the days we want to go and I've seen the price increasing slowly and I'm loosing my nerve about holding out for a sale to make the prices go down. I've also noticed that if we go a day before we originally intended (but come back the same day...so having a 15 day stay rather than 14 day stay) the flights are over £200 cheaper (overall cost for 4 of us). So just got DP to agree that we should do it!!!

Am I doing the right thing booking the flights now? It's October we're going...which includes the autumn half term. Adult price is £480 with a total of £1783 for 2 adults & 2 children (8 & 7yrs) with Virgin direct from Gatwick. I know no one can predict with any certainty if I could get those seats cheaper later in the year, but anyone got any views?

Oh and the other thing is which flight should I get home? The 19:05 or 20:50 from Orlando. We won't have tickets to get into the parks on that last day, so it will just be a leisurely shopping and lunch day...what do other people think about the flight home times...any pros or cons I should think about?

Help!!!!

Luv Suzy

 

[Netty]

go on book it!!!
and get the later flight home- go round downtown disney or go shopping etc!
we always get the late flight home, because you still need to be at the airport a couple of hrs before including the travel time so you get more of a last day getting on the later flight

 

[suzybear6]

Ohhh I want to but then I don't!! Actually I think I do need to book it as the stress is getting to me!

I am swinging more to the later flight as I reckon we won't actually want to leave and it does mean that we get back into Gatwick at a time that means we will hopefully miss the rush hour driving home

Ok, still not completely made up my mind whether or not to book it direct all myself or to let an independant travel agent book it. I think I would rather be in control myself and do it all myself, but they are offering to get me exactly the same holiday for £130 cheaper than I can get it

Oh and my other thought was that maybe if I hang on to book the accomodation (we want stay at ASMo) we might get free DDP over on the US site. Anyone done that before? I know it's only counter service, but if it's free it would save us a few pennies on some of the meals we would have in the parks?

Luv Suzy whos getting overly excited now

 

[suzybear6]

Arghhhh now something else has confused me. The flights are £20odd cheaper on Netflights than they are on the Virgin Atlantic website!

There was me set on boooking direct with Virgin and now this has me. Any drawbacks of booking the flights through Netflights? Any pros of booking direct with Virgin?

Luv Suzy

 

[thestevied]

Well I always go with Virgin and have never had anything other than excellent service, so if it were me I would stick with them even for a few more quid. Me and my partner are going in Sept and have just booked our flights. We wanted to fly on a saturday but they had sold out, so now going Sunday. It seems they do sell out quick with Virgin so I would get in quick. Also, you get free transfers to your hotel if you book with virgin, or if you want a car they do good rates. And the planes are the best I have been in. I'm 6' 4" and have enough leg room (just), and you get your own tv with many film and tv channels. Do I sound like a Virgin rep? I'm not, promise! Just love Virign and WDW and looking forward to our trip in September!

 

[wicket2005]

Seats usually get more expensive the closer you get to departure. No idea if prices will alter. I usually work on, if I like the price I book up then don't bother looking again.

The later the flight the better. I have found I can cat nap a lot better when it is a later flight which makes my jet lag tons better. What you have to watch when hiring a car is they are booked out on 24 hour bookings. So the time you take it is the time you bring it back. If you are on an earlier outbound flight and a later inbound flight you will have to hire the car for an extra day. We found this out in December 2008.

 

[gemmybear83]

We liked the later flights too - found we got a day in WDW rather than a day hanging around the airport

I just book wherever it is cheaper, have you tried the continental website too? Sometimes Virgin flights come out cheaper on there?

£480 direct with Virgin seems to the regular price that they are coming out with - book it!!

 

[wayneg]

I would book any Virgin direct flight that includes a school holiday under £500. Highly unlikely you will get it cheaper. You will get indirect cheaper but direct doubtful.
I use Netflights often, either flights, hotels or car hire, use them for all. I have booked my Easter flights (NWA/Delta)with them £420pp, a lot cheaper than direct with airline plus 2.08% cashback http://www.quidco.com/search?search=netflights

 

[suzybear6]

Well I always go with Virgin and have never had anything other than excellent service, so if it were me I would stick with them even for a few more quid.

It's actually the same flights just booking them via the Netflights website rather than booking them direct on the Virgin site.

The later the flight the better. I have found I can cat nap a lot better when it is a later flight which makes my jet lag tons better. What you have to watch when hiring a car is they are booked out on 24 hour bookings. So the time you take it is the time you bring it back. If you are on an earlier outbound flight and a later inbound flight you will have to hire the car for an extra day. We found this out in December 2008.

That's a good point about taking the car back as we will be hiring a car at the airport. Maybe it's a good thing that the cheapest price if for the later flight out so it shouldn't be to much of a problem as it would be if we opted for the earlier flight out of Gatwick

I'm still umming and arring. I have decided on those flights at that price, just now got to decide who to actually book them through iyswim

Luv Suzy

 

[suzybear6]

I would book any Virgin direct flight that includes a school holiday under £500. Highly unlikely you will get it cheaper. You will get indirect cheaper but direct doubtful.
I use Netflights often, either flights, hotels or car hire, use them for all. I have booked my Easter flights (NWA/Delta)with them £420pp, a lot cheaper than direct with airline plus 2.08% cashback http://www.quidco.com/search?search=netflights

Thanks Wayne...just the sort of push I need

Ohh Quidco...now that's a good idea!

So if I book the flights thought Netflights I can still get the airmiles with the Virgin flying club?

Luv Suzy (who's gettng so very close to boooking the flights this morning )

 

[JohnnySharp2]

You are getting lots of good advice for the flight prices so I will just comment on the time.

I would actually get the earlier flight. It's not necessarily a case for us of spendng as much time at the parks or shopping or anything like that, by the end of the holiday we are ready for home and have done everything we wanted to do.
In addition the last day is so long, you have to check out of your accomodation by lunch time and have a lot of time to cater for before the flight home.
We get up early most days, our son is a very early riser, so all in all it makes it an extremely long day, personally I would get the earliest flight time especially if you have young children.

 

[wayneg]

Yes you get your airmiles whoever you book with.

 

[suzybear6]

Thanks Wayne

I think, no I know, I'm going to book it now!!!!!!!!!

AARRRGGGHHHHHHHHHH I am soooo excited!!!

Luv Suzy

 

[Ware Bears]

Go on, you know you want to!!

We always get the late flight back too ~ by the time we've got to DTD, dropped our cases, had a leisurely lunch and done any last-minute shopping there it's time to go to the airport.

 

[suzybear6]

Go on, you know you want to!!

We always get the late flight back too ~ by the time we've got to DTD, dropped our cases, had a leisurely lunch and done any last-minute shopping there it's time to go to the airport.

Thanks Elaine...that was what I was thinking...the later flight will give us time to do a bit of last minute shopping and have a leisurely lunch...I hate having to rush!

Ohhh I so want to...so I'm going to!...brb once I've got those flights booked!

Luv Suzy

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Good luck with your booking, as I was the only one who voted for the earlier flight I guess I was outnumbered

Just remember by the time you jet off home, you will already have been up for at least 12 hours depending on how early you are up and about.
Joshua gets up before 5 am each day so we are tired as you can imagine by time the flight home comes.

Let us know if you get it all booked.

 

[suzybear6]

Good luck with your booking, as I was the only one who voted for the earlier flight I guess I was outnumbered

Just remember by the time you jet off home, you will already have been up for at least 12 hours depending on how early you are up and about.
Joshua gets up before 5 am each day so we are tired as you can imagine by time the flight home comes.

Let us know if you get it all booked.

Thank you for your input Johnny, I do understand where you are coming from

We are late risers in our family, well 3 of us are, but DS is usually up before us but not as early as 5am We'll be lucky to make it out of the hotel before the check out time knowing us!! Then what with a long lunch at DTD, a bit of last minute shopping and an evening meal at the airport, I reckon we'll be all set up to sleep most of the way home! and then get back late enough in the morning to miss the rush hour traffic on the A23 down to Brighton

Luv Suzy

 

[luke]

Happy planning!

Have you got a hotel in mind?

 

[JohnnySharp2]

I understand Suzy - we are a bit 'wierd' in our house, but makes for different opinions and makes the threads more interesting.

 

[suzybear6]

OMG! OMG! I've just booked the flights!!!!!!

Phew.....it's done...I can say we are definitely going now and get a ticker sorted out...ohhh the relief is so good!!!!!

So we are flying out on Tuesday 19th October 2010, staying for 15 nights and coming home on Wednesday 3rd November

Now I can really start planning the exact details of our trip

Yes I've still got to book the hotel....plenty of time for that, and also car hire and park tickets...but they can all be done at my leisure over the coming months as and when i find the right deals

to all of you who have helped me so far....expect a lot more questions from me over the next few months!

Luv Suzy