Flights for cruise $$$ just needed to vent...

[disneyeek]

We have our cruise booked for spring break 2019 (ours is not over easter) and have been waiting for Southwest to release our dates. Well they just did and the prices for flights are ridiculous. I mean we knew they'd be expensive, but they are $750 per person round trip! We were thinking they'd be closer to $500.
I checked American and United and without the bag fees their prices are $1000 a person, what????

I know it's a long shot that the prices will drop, especially since the lowest category is almost sold out.

Not sure what to do. I guess we might end up having to drive, which it would be 2 days to do.

I don't remember the prices being this outrageous for our last spring break cruise.

 

[Malestrom Troll]

The prices are always high when flights are initially released. The prices will come down.

 

[Shanti]

We have our cruise booked for spring break 2019 (ours is not over easter) and have been waiting for Southwest to release our dates. Well they just did and the prices for flights are ridiculous. I mean we knew they'd be expensive, but they are $750 per person round trip! We were thinking they'd be closer to $500.
I checked American and United and without the bag fees their prices are $1000 a person, what????

I know it's a long shot that the prices will drop, especially since the lowest category is almost sold out.

Not sure what to do. I guess we might end up having to drive, which it would be 2 days to do.

I don't remember the prices being this outrageous for our last spring break cruise.

Have you checked Jet Blue?

 

[MaleficentRN]

It's too early.

 

[dcassetta]

We have our cruise booked for spring break 2019 (ours is not over easter) and have been waiting for Southwest to release our dates. Well they just did and the prices for flights are ridiculous. I mean we knew they'd be expensive, but they are $750 per person round trip! We were thinking they'd be closer to $500.
I checked American and United and without the bag fees their prices are $1000 a person, what????

I know it's a long shot that the prices will drop, especially since the lowest category is almost sold out.

Not sure what to do. I guess we might end up having to drive, which it would be 2 days to do.

I don't remember the prices being this outrageous for our last spring break cruise.

Which port are you sailing from? If it's Port Canaveral, you might take a look at the rates for Tampa. It's a little bit longer drive, but I find the prices are often cheaper there. If you're selling out of Miami, take a look at Fort Lauderdale.

 

[CM Dad]

The prices are always high when flights are initially released. The prices will come down.

If you book southwest and the prices drop, you should be able to get a credit for the difference without a change fee. Not sure, but I think the credit needs to be used within a year? of your original purchase date.

 

[nutshell]

Where are you flying from?

 

[Rob1872]

Spring break/holidays are always more. Not uncommon to see big jumps due to higher demand. Sorry!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Southwest won't come down. They'll sell through to MCO pretty well for all of March-April and there won't be seats to discount.

 

[disneyeek]

Have you checked Jet Blue?

I haven't, I'm not sure if they fly from our airports, I've never flown them.

Which port are you sailing from? If it's Port Canaveral, you might take a look at the rates for Tampa. It's a little bit longer drive, but I find the prices are often cheaper there. If you're selling out of Miami, take a look at Fort Lauderdale.

We're going out of Port Canaveral

Where are you flying from?

Chicago, so we have access to both airports

 

[lklgoodman]

This might seem crazy, but how about driving to an airport somewhere else and flying from there. We live by Columbus, Ohio and always fly SW (it's a 2 hr, 20 min direct flight to MCO). I don't know you're dates, but went to check on flights from Columbus leaving last Frid of March. They had a flight for $181, leaves really early though. Most expensive was just over $400. Never know, it could be cheaper to drive some distance and leave car at a park and fly place. There are a lot of flights from Columbus to Orlando. Not all are direct, but there are usually 4 or 5 that are direct. I'd also check the prices at Indy's airport.

 

[EricLaurie]

We were in the same boat from the Chicago area looking at prices. We usually do Southwest or American but grabbed decent prices from Delta connecting through Atlanta. They have some $500 round trips if you are flexible on times and connecting. (Perhaps we’ll be on the same boat in March )

 

[VTNuke]

Yeah, we have a similar problem. Richmond use to have a ton of direct flights to MCO. Now, sometimes Jet Blue will have one that will work, but most of the time we're flying out of National. It's an 1.5 hour drive on a good day, usually takes 2 hours. It works well because we have family near National that like to watch our puppers for us (seriously, they love our dogs and one of them is a neurotic nut job!). National also tends to be considerably cheaper with a lot more options. Flights use to be less than $200 to get to MCO. Now we're happy if we can get them below $300. Plus there's all of the fees if you don't go with SW. It gets expensive.

 

[a1tinkfans]

There are several sites that will watch the flights for u and basically aid in timing for best price. Hopper comes to mind..
Good luck!

 

[Carrie in AZ]

I am so sorry. I completely understand your shock and disappointment. UGH It is the absolute pits how much flights cost. It really adds so much to the cost of your vacation.

On a side note, my SIL spends a few months here in Arizona each year. She just bought her ticket on United from Chicago to Phoenix, round trip Nov - April at a cost of $1,200!!! WTHeck!!

 

[hedwigowl73]

Have you checked prices to Sanford or even Jax? Jax is about 2.5 hour drive, though.

 

[Corfam]

We have our cruise booked for spring break 2019 (ours is not over easter) and have been waiting for Southwest to release our dates. Well they just did and the prices for flights are ridiculous. I mean we knew they'd be expensive, but they are $750 per person round trip! We were thinking they'd be closer to $500.
I checked American and United and without the bag fees their prices are $1000 a person, what????

I know it's a long shot that the prices will drop, especially since the lowest category is almost sold out.

While I haven't been pricing Southwest tickets during Spring Break for the past couple of years, I have found that Southwest prices are not lowest when dates are first released. Even if categories sell out, they often come back later. I've found the sometime in the 90-30 day mark is cheapest. I had found in the past that Tuesday mornings were the best time to look & buy, but recently that hasn't seemed to work so well for me. Lowest price for my currently planned trip in November was found on a Monday night, 75 days out. Price for same flight was sold out previously for that category and price dropped over $100 for each flight day. I had similar experience last year too.

As others stated you can get a credit of fare difference found on cheaper fares, but it needs to be used from 1 year from original booking date. Assuming you would have use for a credit, my suggestion is also to book as soon as you decide you can deal with fare cost and then keep looking. SW does not penalize you for booking one way, vs round trip, so it's usually best to pull trigger on each travel day at different points (book 2 one way trips whenever price is good enough for each day).

I've found this site to be decent providing some level of guidance for Southwest...http://www.airhint.com/southwest.

 

[GusGus77]

I haven't, I'm not sure if they fly from our airports, I've never flown them.


We're going out of Port Canaveral



Chicago, so we have access to both airports

Try out of O’Hare. While Midway is convenient, sometimes O’Hare has better deals on the discount airlines (jet blue, spirit.) We priced for my brother to Vegas last year and going out of O’Hare saved $200 per ticket over southwest.

 

[GusGus77]

Also look at driving to Bloomington. Only about 2hrs depending on where in Chicagoland you are. Frontier flies directly to MCO starting next month from there (plus free airport parking.)

 

[Shanti]

I haven't, I'm not sure if they fly from our airports, I've never flown them.

You should definitely check Jet Blue. Their customer service & reliability are similar to SWA's- better than the legacy airlines. Their planes are a bit nicer than SWA's- they tend to have personal entertainment systems on the seat backs, and you can reserve your seats with Jet Blue. Their prices tend to be in the same ballpark as SWA, but can sometimes be lower. They have a low fare finder tool that you can use to find the best rates.

You should also check Delta if you haven't yet.

But whatever you do, I recommend against paying through the nose for those SWA tickets in a panic, just assuming that's the best you can do.