Delta or SW?

[AmberI]

I need to get plane tics for my Sept trip. Delta has a non stop flight fot 118pp, the southwest have 110pp non stop. They both leave at 7:50am and land at 9:30am. I don't know what one to book
I have to have a non stop flight, if Delta changes the flight I can get my money back right?

 

[scammermom]

Book the SW flight. You'll sleep at night. And you'll probably actually get on the flight you booked.

Happy trip!

 

[a1tinkfans]

Totally Agree!!!

 

[deltachi8]

I like both airlines, but I would book southwest...delta changes schedules often.

 

[Poly Pal]

I would choose Delta if the fares are the same. If Delta has to cancel a flight, they have reciprocal agreements with other airlines to get you to your destination. If SW has to cancel a flight you are out of luck. Delta does typically change their schedules quarterly, so if you are talking about this September, the schedule should be pretty much set.

 

[AmberI]

Yes i'm flying this September. I want to book with Delta, but I don't want them to change it to a flight with a layover. I like i'll have seats because i'll be flying with my two kids. Is it still the same if you fly with kids on SW you'll get on the plane first?

 

[clkelley]

I would go with Southwest. Their schedule WILL stay the same. Delta's probably will not. I am so leery of Delta's schedule changes that I passed on 175 RT out of my home city on Delta (direct flights, and for now, at times I wanted) and booked Southwest at 140 RT out of Nashville. (With the 100 mile drive to Nashville and parking fees, the SW fare is actually slightly higher). But I KNOW that I will be departing and returning at the times on their schedule. Delta is notorious for moving that 6:15pm flight to Orlando to 3:30 in the afternoon and that just won't work for us.

Also, if your children are 4 and under, yes you can preboard after the disabled passengers.

 

[marty0518]

I would go with Southwest. Their schedule WILL stay the same. Delta's probably will not. I am so leery of Delta's schedule changes that I passed on 175 RT out of my home city on Delta (direct flights, and for now, at times I wanted) and booked Southwest at 140 RT out of Nashville. (With the 100 mile drive to Nashville and parking fees, the SW fare is actually slightly higher). But I KNOW that I will be departing and returning at the times on their schedule. Delta is notorious for moving that 6:15pm flight to Orlando to 3:30 in the afternoon and that just won't work for us.

Also, if your children are 4 and under, yes you can preboard after the disabled passengers.

Completely agree. Another vote for SWA!! Never a worry about them changing the flight schedule on you. Atleast that's been my expereince.

 

[cjnix29]

I had actually booked with delta because of fare, and ended up cancelling that flight and booking with SW because of the schedule changes and times. That being said, something else to consider is that if you are staying onsite, you can check in at your hotel for your flight if you take the Delta fare.

 

[ainemcgrath]

Hands down SW - have never flown with them before but nothing could be worse than Delta for customer care and flight changes.

Last Christmas we flew transatlantic with Delta (Dublin - jfk - Orlando), lots of flight time changes later we got as far as JFK and they couldn't get us to Orlando til the next day, tough luck was only reply we got.

Incurred 3 different taxi fares (JFK - LGA - flea pit of hotel we were put into - LGA) and were never reimbursed, told that even though it is Deltas fault it is not their policy to reimburse expenses incurred.

ANY AIRLINE BUT DELTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[AmberI]

Maybe I should just drive..... It's only 8hrs and the airport is 2hrs from my house. Man this planning stuff is a pain in the butt.
Thank you, i'll stay away from delta. I hope my mom will get to Orlando on time she's flying with them from CA.

 

[AmberI]

SW I will have to bring my bags to the resort? With Delta they will take my bags for me? That would be much better, I'll have two car seats, strollers, 2 bags, then our carry ons.

 

[cnids00]

Another SW vote. Delta changed our flight to a "none" N/S twice, the only reason we booked Delta was to be on a N/S flight...Southwest all the way

 

[pamjb]

SW I will have to bring my bags to the resort? With Delta they will take my bags for me? That would be much better, I'll have two car seats, strollers, 2 bags, then our carry ons.

If you are taking Magical Express (ME) your bags will get to your resort, regardless of the airline that you arrive on. As for the return to the airport, if you use SW, you will have to put your bags on the ME bus. Delta is a participant in Resort Airline Checkin (RAC). You can check your bags at the resort and they will magically appear (hopefully) at your home airport. I say magically, because the only time that we used RAC, none of our bags (4 of them ) made it to our home airport for 2 days.

I assume you will use the car seats on the plane only. You will have to take them to the ME bus.

With that being said, I love SW. I have had 2 experiences with Delta and won't go back. My flights changed more times than I can count. SW has never changed a flight on me.

 

[LovesThumper]

Having flown on both many times I would pick Southwest in a quick minute. We just flew Delta from Hartford to Seattle in June- No directs -a stopover in Atlanta and then supposedly to Seattle.They had plane problems and we ended up traveling all day and hopscotching across the US from Hartford to Atlanta to Los Angeles to Salt Lake City and finally Seattle. No food, no apology, no compensation. Give me Southwest. Magical Express takes your bags on the bus and you have control over them when you get to your resort. I personally have never seen a problem with families sitting together even with older kids. My husband and I have given up our seats and they still offer early boarding for family with young children. Supposedly they are going to change to assigned seats this fall- I wonder if that will increase the prices.

 

[PlutoPony]

Maybe I should just drive..... It's only 8hrs and the airport is 2hrs from my house.

Honestly, I WOULD drive given that info.... Let's see - you need to get to the airport 2 hours before the flight, it takes you 2 yours to drive to the airport so there's 4 hours right there eaten up. Add flight time of say an hour and a half, plus an hour to get from deplaning to your resort and it will take you at least 6 hours door to door to get from your house to the resort flying! You'd save at best 2 hours and maybe less if there's a flight delay, bad weather, etc.
Granted driving isn't as much fun but in this case flying may not really be saving you anything!

 

[JMLBrats]

Honestly, I WOULD drive given that info.... Let's see - you need to get to the airport 2 hours before the flight, it takes you 2 yours to drive to the airport so there's 4 hours right there eaten up. Add flight time of say an hour and a half, plus an hour to get from deplaning to your resort and it will take you at least 6 hours door to door to get from your house to the resort flying! You'd save at best 2 hours and maybe less if there's a flight delay, bad weather, etc.
Granted driving isn't as much fun but in this case flying may not really be saving you anything!

Yeah, I'll second that. We live 22 hours from WDW and We Drive every time (w/3 kids). (DH doesn't fly). Wish I could say we only had an 8 hour drive!

 

[clkelley]

I just reread your original post. If the flights leave a 7:50 in the morning and you are two hours from the airport, that would mean leaving your house at 3:50 in the morning, or driving to the airport the night before.

Here is what I would do in your situation. As soon as everyone gets off work the day before, hop in the car and head South. Depending on your driving style, you can get 4 - 5 hours out of the way the night before. Stop in a hotel, then head out the next morning on to WDW. You will actually get there before or about the same time your flight did, and you won't have to get up at an ungodly hour of the morning. You don't have to lug car seats, kids through the airport. You can pack any size juices, snacks you wish for the little ones, etc. The little ones are not bouncing off the walls at the airport while you deal with flight delays, security line, etc.

Just make sure you pick a hotel that is easy on, easy off the interstate, and pack a separate bag with your one night of essentials. Then bring in only that one bag and your bag of electronics/valuables.

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

Southwest hands down! For our Sept. trip I got lazy and did not want to drive for 3 hours across the state to fly Southwest direct. Instead, I booked Delta from our local airport with a layover in Atlanta. So far, in 3 months Delta has changed our flights around three times, and each time I have to call and re-confirm seat assignments. Delta is just too much work!

 

[AmberI]

It cost the same to fly as it would to drive..... I would be the one driving the whole time and I hate to drive! We drive to VA and it's 5hrs, my kids drive me up the wall. The only cost differents we'll have is the car rental, (no lovebugs on my car)

How bad is the traffic coming down on friday/saturday?
How much are the tolls to WD, and are there any coming back?