For those who fly to CA for Disneyland

[barbaraann]

I booked my September trip actually a few months earlier than usual. I could not believe it when I saw a morning flight for just $244 from Chicago's Ohare Airport into John Wayne Airport in Orange County. I almost always avoid LAX. Normally I fly in the afternoon, but I could not resist this morning flight. It's not super early. It leaves Chicago about 9:30 a.m.

I am always checking flights. As soon as I book my hotel, I start looking at airline prices. I fly United. I checked other airlines, but they never suit my needs. I can choose my own seat, and I always fly with just a carryon.

Good luck finding a flight. It is true. Check every day. You will surprised how often the prices change. I always book directly with United.

 

[Sergio S]

If you're coming during the summer, flights aren't gonna be cheap at all. However, you minimize the impact by maybe buying a Costco Disneyland package (assuming you have membership).
Depending on how many are traveling, you can also download the app "Skiplagged" which help finds you cheap flights through "hidden connections/cities." I would advised against this if you're traveling with small children though.

When you do search for flights, use the code QLA (all Los Angeles airports) and it basically finds you the cheapest price on all surrounding airports within the LA metro area.

 

[prprincess]

Don't know if you've heard, but Virgin America/Alaskan Air is coming back to PHL in September. We flew them to LAX for our last Disneyland trip and they were the most economical at the time.

 

[Sagginit]

I'm right outside NYC and we try to be flexible with airports. We flew roundtrip last trip with Jetblue from JFK to LAX. Our previous trip we flew from LAX to EWR because we were able to use miles on United. I personally love Jetblue as they provide free unlimited snacks, drinks, and have actual tv that is free. This makes a huge difference on a longer flight and they also have decent legroom. We have booked just 2-4 months out and have gotten decent airfare. Generally we find it only goes up and can never get dates/times we want as parts of sales as NYC to LAX is a popular route. We always end up a LAX as we haven't been able to book flights into the other airports for our dates/times.

Before you book since you have time decide what you are willing to give/take on. Are you willing to lose 3 hours on a layover for what price (will that eat into your first or last day being a park day, how much did you pay for that ticket vs what are you saving)? Will you fly carry on only on some airlines to save fees? Since you have time look at the airlines in Philly and realistically decide what fees you will be paying for each airline (fees for luggage, carry ons, seat selection etc). Keep that number in mind as you start searching for flights.

 

[cmpeter]

I like to use the Hopper app. You can track prices and they'll recommend when you should purchase. You can also easily see if it might be cheaper to fly.

 

[Jason_V]

I booked roundtrip through Alaska Airlines in early June for tomorrow through next Saturday. Round trip, which seat upgrade and all fees/taxes, was $327. This is Seattle to Orange County. Not bad for middle of summer.

 

[DLgal]

We are flying Southwest in 11 days and I paid about $180 per person per flight. Plus taxes etc and I even got the early check-in which was $120 extra and final bill was $1500 some which I didn't think was that bad for 4 people to fly from Ohio to LAX. I bought the tickets in mid-May but I had been stalking tickets for all airlines since at least March. And other than Frontier and Spirit, Southwest was far less expensive than the other major airlines.

Just checked...before the extras the flights for the four of us was $1299. I thought that wasn't too terrible I guess.

See, to me that's high. We flew Long Beach to Orlando last August (first week) for $280 total per person round trip. Anything over $350 total round trip, I consider high.

 

[DLgal]

We almost always fly into Long Beach, as it's a tiny airport and a major Jet Blue hub. There are direct flights from JFK and ones with layovers from PHL. Our uber was about $30 to DL last month. I've also flown into Ontario, but I had family to pick me up. John Wayne and Lax are much bigger airports, and all things being equal, I'd avoid them . Long Beach is shockingly small town (with almost non existent tsa lines--2 minutes to get through. )

LGB is TINY, but John Wayne is, as airports go, VERY small as well and security there often takes under 5 minutes, and all he gates are right there. They are super efficient with baggage too. Long Beach, you will wait a long time for checked bags. It is SO slow there.

SNA is my #1, LGB#2. LAX is a distant, distant 3rd.

 

[RobertaMomof2]

I second this:

"SNA is my #1, LGB#2. LAX is a distant, distant 3rd."

We fly down a lot (we live in CA).

 

[becks59]

We love using southwest to fly. We get their credit card and sign up for the bonus points. They will sometimes do a bonus of 60,000 points if you spend something like $2000 in the first three months on it. Plus, I like their company and how they handle things from luggage (no fees!) and customer service. If you book with points only then you can also cancel your flight and get all your points back.

 

[mmmears]

I buy RT tickets from CA to PHL 4 or 5 times a year. Honestly, SWA tends to be a bit cheaper, but there are no direct flights so we generally don't choose to fly with them. I would say that anything between $300-$400 is a very good price; we usually end up somewhere in the $400-$500 range. Sometimes when checking it shows the flights around $800 and I wait and the prices go back down again. (This is from SF, but the prices tend to be similar to flying into LAX). With Virgin/Alaska starting up again at PHL there are more options starting Sept. 1st.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I live in central NJ and mostly fly out of Newark and PHL. I am leaving for DL Sunday (!) and using JetBlue from JFK. Something of a hassle but worth it for me for the nonstop flights, at times I liked, in a comfortable seat. I am going in February, booked SW out of Newark for $152 each way, with layovers in Denver, which worries me a bit in FEB, but whatever. (I paid about $250 each way for my July trip, could not find cheaper fare that worked for me).

It is harder to find a good fare, but not impossible. Good luck it is worth it.

 

[mfleeting]

I use google flights and hopper to monitor ticket prices for us. It gives me a basic idea of how much I need to budget and gives me an idea on when the best time to book is.

 

[bcla]

We almost always fly into Long Beach, as it's a tiny airport and a major Jet Blue hub. There are direct flights from JFK and ones with layovers from PHL. Our uber was about $30 to DL last month. I've also flown into Ontario, but I had family to pick me up. John Wayne and Lax are much bigger airports, and all things being equal, I'd avoid them . Long Beach is shockingly small town (with almost non existent tsa lines--2 minutes to get through. )

I don't know about Long Beach being small. It's got almost a half million people, but it's mostly a large bedroom community with a large shipping port.

The airport isn't terribly busy though. I think LGB is a bigger airport (SNA has shockingly short runway for an airport that busy) but has a smaller terminal. As someone who in the past five years has used JFK, SEA, PDX, OAK, SFO, PHX, and several airports outside the US, I consider SNA really easy to use. It's one terminal that's relatively small, with car rental just in the parking garage.

The only airport I remember that was easier was one in Asia that apparently has less than 700,000 passengers a year and two gates.

 

[Valbot]

I was really shocked to see a flight from Chicago to lax at 155 and very last minute. We are talking checked Thursday night for a Monday. Only downside was it left at 6am

 

[Denise0362]

Look for flights into SNA. 15 minute Uber/Cab ride to DL resort area. I would highly recommend Uber as they are 1/2 the price of Yellow Cab. If the flight into SNA is relatively comparable in price as LAX always choose SNA. The time saved and price of transportation will make up the difference and than some. Good luck

 

[bdiddy]

See, to me that's high. We flew Long Beach to Orlando last August (first week) for $280 total per person round trip. Anything over $350 total round trip, I consider high.

It probably is the time of year then because other than Frontier and Spirit the $1299 at Southwest was the cheapest compared to the other major airlines. So compared to those I didn't think it was that bad. And I didn't want to deal with the hassle and possible issues of flying the cheaper two. But I'm sure it's probably much lower other times of the year.

 

[DLgal]

I don't know about Long Beach being small. It's got almost a half million people, but it's mostly a large bedroom community with a large shipping port.

The airport isn't terribly busy though. I think LGB is a bigger airport (SNA has shockingly short runway for an airport that busy) but has a smaller terminal. As someone who in the past five years has used JFK, SEA, PDX, OAK, SFO, PHX, and several airports outside the US, I consider SNA really easy to use. It's one terminal that's relatively small, with car rental just in the parking garage.

The only airport I remember that was easier was one in Asia that apparently has less than 700,000 passengers a year and two gates.

I think they meant the airport when they said Long Beach is small.

And SNA has three terminals now...but it used to have 2 prior to that. It is a much larger airport, flight traffic wise, than LGB.

 

[bumbershoot]

The OP is coming in SUMMER. September doesn't count. Southwest summer fares are among the highest for cross country flights.

It's summer until around September 21. That's when it changes to fall. The OP said summer, not summer vacation, so an early September example could be totally relevant.

Don't know if you've heard, but Virgin America/Alaskan Air is coming back to PHL in September. We flew them to LAX for our last Disneyland trip and they were the most economical at the time.

Cool.

It was mentioned to use southwest because you can get credit if the fare goes down. Alaska does that, too. And it's easier.

But with either airline, checking for fare drops is ONLY worth it if you'll be flying that airline inside a year from when you originally booked. OP you said you're an infrequent flier. So that might not be any sort of benefit to you. I snagged the credits once on SW then wasn't flying SW again that year, and it was frustrating to have them expire. So only care about that credit possibility if you will be flying again relatively soon and would use that airline.


Flying in for Disneyland gives you 5 airports to choose from. Each will be different and each will have different transportation options. Be sure to check all transportation prices before you start looking at air, so you know at a glance (at your notes about transportation) what's a good deal. We cheaped out flying into Ontario once only to find out that the superrshuttle pricing structure was totally different than at LAX or SNA, and because of how we were flying in (first me and kidlet, then hubby, and hubby flew home separately as well) we lost all of the flight savings.

I personally like LAX. I find it to be very simple for the traveler. I hated picking up dh there (I could never find the cell lot and they do NOT allow you to sit there and wait for even a minute or two, so I circled so many times I nearly got dizzy lol), but as the one flying I like it. It tends to be the cheapest for me, but not always.

I personally don't love SNA. I find the walk to the gates to be interminably long and boring (nothing like a long straight line!), and I've run into nasty traffic to/from there. One expects traffic with LAX. But SNA is touted as being so close and easy, so encountering turtle-ish traffic makes me madder.

ONT was rotten and we haven't booked through there since the one time. Burbank (BUR?) seems to be further north than LAX and doesn't have the shuttle options nor the rental car options of LAX or SNA, and got crossed off my list quickly. And then there's LGB, which I haven't flown into or out of. Thought about it for our trip next week but we land just before the rental car facilities close, and the shuttle options were not good, so it was crossed off as well.

Lots to think of!

 

[bcla]

I think they meant the airport when they said Long Beach is small.

And SNA has three terminals now...but it used to have 2 prior to that. It is a much larger airport, flight traffic wise, than LGB.

It's essentially just one bigger terminal though, even if they give the sections of the same terminal different names.