DVC reservations and Airline tickets

[chemie15]

I am a new DVC member. I am about to make my first reservation at my home resort using the 11 months max window. When I do that, how does everyone handle scheduling airline tickets, and who would you recommend out of BWI or philly?

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I am a new DVC member. I am about to make my first reservation at my home resort using the 11 months max window. When I do that, how does everyone handle scheduling airline tickets, and who would you recommend out of BWI or philly?

Always make your reservation first, and get confirmation of your ressie. Then, you can search for airfare. We fly out of BWI....Southwest usually always has the best fare, but not for this April!! We ended up flying Continental. The discount airlines are Air Tran and Southwest, USA 3000if you want to fly into Melbourne. Southwest doesn't usually post their fares until about 6 mos out from your vacation date. All of the others post earlier. Good Luck!

 

[wildernessDad]

I am a new DVC member. I am about to make my first reservation at my home resort using the 11 months max window. When I do that, how does everyone handle scheduling airline tickets, and who would you recommend out of BWI or philly?

We fly out of BWI and are using AirTran, as they have several direct flights into Orlando.

 

[Anal Annie]

I am a new DVC member. I am about to make my first reservation at my home resort using the 11 months max window. When I do that, how does everyone handle scheduling airline tickets, and who would you recommend out of BWI or philly?

We no longer book our flights way ahead of time as the flight schedules change too much and are unreliable. Everytime I book too far out they change or cancel the flight. So I now wait until within 5-6 months to book.

Southwest and Air Tran both fly out of BWI with non-stops to Orlando and are usually the cheapest - but neither release their flight schedules until 4-6 months out. It doesn't matter who you use going down but I don't think Southwest is a participating airline in the Magic Express - so when you leave you'll have to handle and check your own bags thru at the airport if you use ME. If you rent a car and drive yourself it won't matter. Once I book our flights I call Member Services again and give them the flight info. for the Magic Express and they add it to our ressie.

We live in Maryland and it's about 50/50 for us to go to either BWI or Dulles so we flip flop between them. When the rates & schedules came out for January we ended up booking Jet Blue out of Dulles as they beat anything that was offered out of BWI for this particular trip. (They now have a couple of direct flights per day from Dulles!) I've heard good things about them so thought they were worth trying. Couldn't tell you anything about flying out of Philly. Here's a great site for checking flights: http://www.kayak.com It will show you all of your options all at once and provide you the links!

 

[Doug7856]

Don't forget to download Ding from southwest.com. My trip two weeks ago included a $36 fare from BWI to MCO!

Southwest is my favorite airline from BWI: no change fees for change of plans, no change fee if a cheaper fare becomes available, and now with the improved boarding -- what's not to LUV?

 

[chemie15]

thanks for all your advice

 

[Patsy1969]

Hi, We live in Delaware too, and use to fly out of BWI till southwest came to Philly. However we live in North Wilmington so it depends where you are in De.We have always made our DVC reservations first, The flights have never been a problem Patsy

 

[chemie15]

we are down in the middletown area so both airports are easily accesible. Thanks, I am sure I am definitely flying SouthWest or Airtran now though. I can stand USAir.

 

[mowog]

Also consider the possibility of using one airline down and another back. We live near BWI and have used SW one way and Airtran the other. We like nonstops, and between the two we can usually get a good flight at a good time. Also check different days, as Sunday is usually less expensive down (although not always), and Saturday less expensive back. We booked a trip starting Sunday Dec 2 through Friday night Dec 7. When air fares became available we added a night on the 1st at AKV and and are flying down this Saturday morning. We'll be jammed into a studio with ourselves and my DD, her husband and our 9 mo old grandson (be glad to move into our 2BR BCV villa per our original ressie).

So if you book the minimum trip at 11 months, you can add on later or stay in a value for a night or two (I know moving is a hassle but can be done if needed). Another good thing is that in a pinch you (and us) could drive to WDW with about 15-16 hours of driving. I'm not saying I would want to, but it can be done, and a few years down the road when I'm retired I can see doing this. We have friends with time shares in Aruba, and airfare there is a crap game with no other way to get there.

So as others have said book the room first, at least the most important part of your trip, and then watch for airfares as they are released.

Jean and Bob