August 2013 Virgin Flydrive

[catherine]

We've been to WDW loads of times and the majority of the time have flown with Virgin. However we've never been in August before. Next year we've booked 3 weeks at OKW and now I'm starting to look at flight prices. We don't really want to fly indirect if we can help it (DD has problems with her ears on take off and landing) but obviously if there's a great difference in price we might consider it. I've just priced up a Flydrive with Virgin with a 4 door intermediate car and fully inclusive insurance for 2A and 1C the price is £3,562. So my question is, is this a decent price (I know that it's not going to be the cheapest option) or do you think that it's a bit of a rip off?

TIA for any help!

 

[nibbo]

We've been to WDW loads of times and the majority of the time have flown with Virgin. However we've never been in August before. Next year we've booked 3 weeks at OKW and now I'm starting to look at flight prices. We don't really want to fly indirect if we can help it (DD has problems with her ears on take off and landing) but obviously if there's a great difference in price we might consider it. I've just priced up a Flydrive with Virgin with a 4 door intermediate car and fully inclusive insurance for 2A and 1C the price is £3,562. So my question is, is this a decent price (I know that it's not going to be the cheapest option) or do you think that it's a bit of a rip off?

TIA for any help!

I'm in the same boat. Virgin want £4000 off me for 3 adults, a teenager and a full size car, and that's with 10% frequent Virgin discount. Fly Thomas Cook only want £3000 for flight only. I'm in communication with Virgin though and they're seeing what they can do price wise seeing as I've used them so much before. I'd rather fly Virgin but not for their current price.

 

[TheFram4]

If you have flown with virgin previously? If so have you got a virgin air miles account?

Consider using miles to purchase miles + money fares. For 2,000 miles you can generally get a good discount on fares, but for August you certainly have to book when you see them available (not always available for all dates)
I got Glasgow -Orlando (virgin):
Last year last 2 weeks of english school hols £527 miles + money
This year 12/8/12-2/9/12. £706 m+m ( flying PE on return)

I would certainly not expect to pay over £800 pp even at regular fares flying direct in August, it just takes some searching to find the deals.

I would recommend booking car hire separately there are always good deals from time to time (we have just paid £429 for 3 weeks with intermediate SUV, full tank fuel and extra drivers)

 

[catherine]

If you have flown with virgin previously? If so have you got a virgin air miles account?

Consider using miles to purchase miles + money fares. For 2,000 miles you can generally get a good discount on fares, but for August you certainly have to book when you see them available (not always available for all dates)
I got Glasgow -Orlando (virgin):
Last year last 2 weeks of english school hols £527 miles + money
This year 12/8/12-2/9/12. £706 m+m ( flying PE on return)

I would certainly not expect to pay over £800 pp even at regular fares flying direct in August, it just takes some searching to find the deals.

I would recommend booking car hire separately there are always good deals from time to time (we have just paid £429 for 3 weeks with intermediate SUV, full tank fuel and extra drivers)

Yes, we've got air miles and have used them previously. We have talked about waiting and seeing what is available when we can book, but the problem is, as you said not all dates are available for M&M. I really can't be too flexible with dates as I've had to get special permission from work to take 3 weeks off, so my dates are kind of locked in. I think that probably the sensible thing to do is wait and see. I guess that I'll just have to be patient!

 

[wayneg]

I guess that I'll just have to be patient!

It will be worth it.
Flydrive price is OTT, your car is worth about £300 with insurance so your flights are costing £1087pp far too high IMO.
I helped Mart (burt) book his flights for this August M&M in PE both ways just over £700pp, there is no way economy flights are worth over £1000pp.

 

[catherine]

I'm in the same boat. Virgin want £4000 off me for 3 adults, a teenager and a full size car, and that's with 10% frequent Virgin discount. Fly Thomas Cook only want £3000 for flight only. I'm in communication with Virgin though and they're seeing what they can do price wise seeing as I've used them so much before. I'd rather fly Virgin but not for their current price.

I just looked at Fly TC and it would cost me just over £3,000 for our flights and I would have to move everything forward 2 days as they don't have flights on the date that we want to go! I had a look at car hire for Aug 2012 and I'm looking at around £390, so will probably be higher next year! Anyway that gives me a total of £3.400 and the price with Virgin is £3,562. So basically around £150 more but we would be able to book the dates that we want and get DTD check in.

 

[wilma-bride]

Have you loked at Travel City Direct. They are Virgin Atlantic flights (and do Flydrive) but were over £250 cheaper than VH when we looked for October 2013.

 

[catherine]

Have you loked at Travel City Direct. They are Virgin Atlantic flights (and do Flydrive) but were over £250 cheaper than VH when we looked for October 2013.

No I hadn't checked TCD, so thanks for the suggestion. I just had a look and we would save £119 booking with them, but they don't have flights on the Fri., so we would have to fly out on Sat and change our booking with WDW UK.

 

[wilma-bride]

I hope you manage to find something. FWIW I do think the VH price is quite steep. For comparison we paid £2220 for 2A and 1C for August this year (19 nights). We are flying into/out of Miami. Maybe that is worth consideration?

What are your dates as, obviously, early August will be more expensive? I do think you would be more than likely able to get direct flights with Virgin Atlantic on the dates you want as long as you booked as soon as they were released. I don't know that you'd necessarily get M+M flights on the exact dates you need but even paying full price I can't imagine that you'd be looking in excess of £1000 each.

 

[catherine]

I hope you manage to find something. FWIW I do think the VH price is quite steep. For comparison we paid £2220 for 2A and 1C for August this year (19 nights). We are flying into/out of Miami. Maybe that is worth consideration?

What are your dates as, obviously, early August will be more expensive? I do think you would be more than likely able to get direct flights with Virgin Atlantic on the dates you want as long as you booked as soon as they were released. I don't know that you'd necessarily get M+M flights on the exact dates you need but even paying full price I can't imagine that you'd be looking in excess of £1000 each.

We're flying out on 9/8 and back on 30/8. I thought it was a bit steep but never having gone in Aug before I thought that perhaps that's the ballpark of how much it costs for flights at this time of year! I think that I will just wait and see if I can anything with M&M and if not then I'll just have to keep my eyes open for any special deals!

 

[WiganTony]

May be worth waiting until the scheduled flight prices are released in September. I would start checking around mid-September, as flights are released around 330 days in advance.

 

[WiganTony]

Further to my post above, if you wouldn't mind flying from London, you may be able to get decent direct flight prices to Orlando with BA/VA, Tampa on VA, or if you wouldn't mind the drive in Florida, Heathrow to Miami (BA/AA or VA). In 2010, we managed to get return LHR-MIA flights with AA (out around 28th July, returning 14th August) for £403 each, saving the three of us over £1,000 on the equivalent MAN-MCO VA flights. These were booked in November 2009.

We don't really want to fly indirect if we can help it (DD has problems with her ears on take off and landing) but obviously if there's a great difference in price we might consider it.

For our travels this year (31st July to 17th August), we managed to get indirect MAN-CDG-MCO flights on Air France, plus 18 days car rental including all taxes etc, for £1,900 for three of us - this was via the Delta "glitch" back last September.

Well worth keeping an eye on this board, as both of the above flights were booked thanks to posts on this and another forum.

 

[catherine]

Further to my post above, if you wouldn't mind flying from London, you may be able to get decent direct flight prices to Orlando with BA/VA, Tampa on VA, or if you wouldn't mind the drive in Florida, Heathrow to Miami (BA/AA or VA). In 2010, we managed to get return LHR-MIA flights with AA (out around 28th July, returning 14th August) for £403 each, saving the three of us over £1,000 on the equivalent MAN-MCO VA flights. These were booked in November 2009.



For our travels this year (31st July to 17th August), we managed to get indirect MAN-CDG-MCO flights on Air France, plus 18 days car rental including all taxes etc, for £1,900 for three of us - this was via the Delta "glitch" back last September.

Well worth keeping an eye on this board, as both of the above flights were booked thanks to posts on this and another forum.

Thanks for the info. Like you suggested I'm just going to keep my eyes and ears open for any good deals that are out there!

 

[nibbo]

Thanks for the info. Like you suggested I'm just going to keep my eyes and ears open for any good deals that are out there!

Well I've just had a reply from Virgin and if I fly out a day later its nearly £800 cheaper. So although I lose a days holiday I get 4 adults flights with full size car and insurance for £3200 instead of £4000. This works out better in a way as we can drive straight down to Port Canaveral after the flight, stay overnight in a hotel and do our 4 night cruise from the Monday, that will give us 8 1/2 days for doing the parks uninterrupted. Might even do Discovery Cove again with money saved. Think I'm going to book everything tomorrow.

 

[catherine]

Well I've just had a reply from Virgin and if I fly out a day later its nearly £800 cheaper. So although I lose a days holiday I get 4 adults flights with full size car and insurance for £3200 instead of £4000. This works out better in a way as we can drive straight down to Port Canaveral after the flight, stay overnight in a hotel and do our 4 night cruise from the Monday, that will give us 8 1/2 days for doing the parks uninterrupted. Might even do Discovery Cove again with money saved. Think I'm going to book everything tomorrow.

What date are you flying? I just had a look and it's basically the same for us to fly out the day after. That's a good deal £3200 for 4 adults. As I posted earlier it's over £3500 for 2A and 1C!!

 

[nibbo]

What date are you flying? I just had a look and it's basically the same for us to fly out the day after. That's a good deal £3200 for 4 adults. As I posted earlier it's over £3500 for 2A and 1C!!

Flying out on August 18th. Looks like that's the day the prices drop from high season.