Flying from Rockford, IL?

[jgates]

Maybe DanMurphy, the Chicago guru can help me out here......

Meredian (sp?) flies from Rockford, IL to Orlando from what I can tell (also to Vegas). They are $75 one way so DD & I could go down and back for around $300 or so.

I have not been able to find anything on Expedia, Orbitz, etc for Rockford, IL. Only by doing a search for them thru google, etc. I know that there sb at least one other airline out of Rockford because they had billboards on the Hwy 12 by-pass in Madtown last week- however, I didn't catch the name.

Anyone have any experience on the airlines out of Rockford? Why don't they show up on Expedia - because they are more charter based?

Can anyone help me out here?

Also, parking cost or any park-n-flies in Rockford?

 

[wdwstar]

try to do a search on this, this subject was on this board last week or the week before and some people said that they had great trips, some said that their flights were canceled for no reason. it is further from wdw, i think about 1 hour 1/2 . and there is no place close to rent a car, so you would have to make arrangements for a taxi or towncar service before you arrive.
did you try flying into tampa airport and driving the almost same distance to wdw. we have been looking to fly to mco from mdw or ord in the spring. did you look into spirit airlines, and southwest?

 

[Eeyore2142]

You can find the prices on their website

http://www.iflytma.com/

one thing- they only fly certain days, so fitting it into your schedule may be difficult

Parking is free and very close to the terminal.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by jgates
Anyone have any experience on the airlines out of Rockford? Why don't they show up on Expedia - because they are more charter based?

Can anyone help me out here?

Also, parking cost or any park-n-flies in Rockford?

I've never flown out of Rockford. As far as I know, TransMeridian is the only scheduled carrier out of Rockford, and the Rockford Airport's website confirms that:

Rockford (Illinois) Airport: http://www.rockfordairport.com/

TransMeridian Airlines (TMA): http://www.iflytma.com/

For much of Central Wisconsin, Rockford should be much more convenient than the Chicago airports or even Milwaukee.

Expedia does not handle every airline. For example, Southwest is a large, scheduled airline, but your flight searches at Expedia won't show Southwest either. Southwest has a long history of selling directly to passengers rather than through third parties, and other low cost carriers follow Southwest's model.

Parking is free at Rockford Airport: http://www.rockfordairport.com/services/freeParking.cfm?Section=Services

Originally posted by wdwstar
it is further from wdw, i think about 1 hour 1/2 . and there is no place close to rent a car, so you would have to make arrangements for a taxi or towncar service before you arrive.

I would give the opposite advice. Because of its distance from WDW, towncar or taxi rates from Orlando Sanford Airport to WDW are very high. For example, Tiffany Towncar Service charges $160 roundtrip (plus tips).

Orlando Sanford Airport is serverd by six major car rental companies. Four are on the airport property, and two others serve the airport with shuttles to their facilities. See http://www.orlandosanfordairport.com/rental.htm

Here's more on Orlando Sanford Airport: http://www.orlandosanfordairport.com/

 

[jgates]

Wow - thanks guys! Plus 1 1/2 hours - yikes! I didn't realize that airport was so far away- isn't that considerably farther than MCO? Maybe I will hold off and keep watching Mpls rates - $236.50 pp seems to be the best out there right now on NWA. (Driving time to Mpls is about 2 1/2 hours, but parking gets pricey). Tampa is actually coming in at $316 - but I was told by someone else that they are usually cheaper too. I'll have to keep watching.

Car rental rates seem comparable between MCO and Sanford.

I need one more bit of advice from you guys - there is supposed to be a way to have expedia or one of the companies watch a particular air fare for you. I'm having trouble figuring out how to do it - any abc's on it? I don't want to accidently purchase it now! I was trying to do a price comparison, but it won't go out far enough for my return flight.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by jgates
Wow - thanks guys! Plus 1 1/2 hours - yikes! I didn't realize that airport was so far away- isn't that considerably farther than MCO?

wdwstar was mistaken in writing, "it is further from wdw, i think about 1 hour 1/2."

The following numbers are more accurate. (Actual time and mileage will vary, based on your destination within Walt Disney World, and the traffic at the time you're driving.)

-- Orlando International Airport to Walt Disney World = 20 miles / 30 minutes

-- Sanford International Airport to Walt Disney World = 40 miles / 50 minutes