Late spring 2025 incentives (April 29-July 14)

[VGCgroupie]

The biggest impact to my WDW flight expenses is Southwest nuking their entire program.

I would always be able to book my entire family for a very reasonable number of points. I don’t think I’ve paid cash for a trip to Orlando in my entire life. Nor flown anyone but Southwest.

Now? I fear I’m going to actually have to pay money.

But hey they will now handle your luggage for free again. Not for DVC but for value rooms.

 

[NY Pirate Princess]

I don't fly with checked bags so this no longer matters to me. Southwest left my airport and jetblue had become outrageous. JB is still the lowest though. I would pay more to fly the other carriers and none of the others offer direct flights. Paying more for less!

 

[AstroBlasters]

The biggest impact to my WDW flight expenses is Southwest nuking their entire program.

I would always be able to book my entire family for a very reasonable number of points. I don’t think I’ve paid cash for a trip to Orlando in my entire life. Nor flown anyone but Southwest.

Now? I fear I’m going to actually have to pay money.

We probably would be going in July if it wasn’t for the high cost of airfare.

 

[CastAStone]

I don't fly with checked bags so this no longer matters to me. Southwest left my airport and jetblue had become outrageous. JB is still the lowest though. I would pay more to fly the other carriers and none of the others offer direct flights. Paying more for less!

The problem isn’t the checked bags the problem is that they killed both the points earning and points redemption sides of Rapid Rewards.

The only efficient ways to earn points anymore are through credit cards or through your employer flying you places. And with the credit cards, the way that they’ve nuked the redemption, you’re just better off with a cashback card. it’s sad.

 

[atthebeachclub]

The problem isn’t the checked bags the problem is that they killed both the points earning and points redemption sides of Rapid Rewards.

The only efficient ways to earn points anymore are through credit cards or through your employer flying you places. And with the credit cards, the way that they’ve nuked the redemption, you’re just better off with a cashback card. it’s sad.

I suspect they will eventually kill the companion pass too. That will be a sad day.

 

[Cfabar1]

I think someone told them they needed to act like a serious airline or something to that effect….

Big mistake….

Yes, I get that DL was charging double on some of those MCO routes, but they were likely attracting different customers…

Airfare in general is becoming prohibitive…. The price I paid for first class on some routes only a few years ago is now the cost for a seat in coach…

Not sure what it means for the airlines whenever the next (inevitable) travel recession hits…

 

[supercarrie]

I think someone told them they needed to act like a serious airline or something to that effect….

Big mistake….

Yes, I get that DL was charging double on some of those MCO routes, but they were likely attracting different customers…

Airfare in general is becoming prohibitive…. The price I paid for first class on some routes only a few years ago is now the cost for a seat in coach…

Not sure what it means for the airlines whenever the next (inevitable) travel recession hits…

I just booked flights for my trip in August. Southwest and Delta were within $20 of each other. At least from SoCal, Southwest hasn't been significantly cheaper in years on the routes I fly. Unless it is all companion pass people traveling, I just don't understand why anyone would pick SW over Delta.

It is wild to see the Southwest changes over the years. Almost like they are actively trying to go out of business.

 

[VGCgroupie]

I just booked flights for my trip in August. Southwest and Delta were within $20 of each other. At least from SoCal, Southwest hasn't been significantly cheaper in years on the routes I fly. Unless it is all companion pass people traveling, I just don't understand why anyone would pick SW over Delta.

It is wild to see the Southwest changes over the years. Almost like they are actively trying to go out of business.

Free headphones on every flight

 

[Cfabar1]

I just booked flights for my trip in August. Southwest and Delta were within $20 of each other. At least from SoCal, Southwest hasn't been significantly cheaper in years on the routes I fly. Unless it is all companion pass people traveling, I just don't understand why anyone would pick SW over Delta.

It is wild to see the Southwest changes over the years. Almost like they are actively trying to go out of business.

Probably depends on routes… when I have looked often SW is way less, which seems right for no seat and a consumer focused (rather than business focused) airline….

 

[Girlstar30]

I just booked flights for my trip in August. Southwest and Delta were within $20 of each other. At least from SoCal, Southwest hasn't been significantly cheaper in years on the routes I fly. Unless it is all companion pass people traveling, I just don't understand why anyone would pick SW over Delta.

It is wild to see the Southwest changes over the years. Almost like they are actively trying to go out of business.

I need to look into delta, I am from socal and always fly southwest, I need cheaper flights

 

[Girlstar30]

Probably depends on routes… when I have looked often SW is way less, which seems right for no seat and a consumer focused (rather than business focused) airline….

I always buy the costco deal of $449 for $500 Southwest gift card for black Friday.

Now that they changed their credit policy for cancellations (used to be unlimited time to use and now 6 months for the cheapest flight) i am looking into other options.

I think Hawaiian airlines is the best option for my aulani trip, SW was way more and I liked Hawaiian with the free little rum punch drink (if they still do that)

 

[supercarrie]

I need to look into delta, I am from socal and always fly southwest, I need cheaper flights

Honestly I will pay a small premium to fly Delta now out of LAX compared to the other options. Lately it has been comparable in price for my dates though.

There is a 4pm Delta departure out of LAX which I love because it isn’t a red eye, but I can work almost a full day and still get to Orlando. You get into MCO around midnight but it only feels like 9pm. They also have a 10am departure but then it takes all day.

The planes have free high speed internet (enough for my son to watch YouTube) which keeps him quiet for the entire flight. Worth the extra cost just for that

 

[Brian Noble]

Free headphones on every flight

I love these. Love them. They pair nicely with e.g. noise cancelling earbuds.

https://www.twelvesouth.com/products/airfly

I live in a Delta hub, so I'm captive unless I want to fly sub-optimal routes (i.e. with a connnection) or times. It is a lot more pleasant to fly them with status than without, and I used to travel enough for business that I typically rotated between Gold (okay) and Plat. My business travel took a nosedive during the pandemic, and my role has evolved since then away from travel. Thankfully, I snuck under the Million Miler bar just before they changed to count butt-in-seat-miles only.

 

[NY Pirate Princess]

6

The problem isn’t the checked bags the problem is that they killed both the points earning and points redemption sides of Rapid Rewards.

The only efficient ways to earn points anymore are through credit cards or through your employer flying you places. And with the credit cards, the way that they’ve nuked the redemption, you’re just better off with a cashback card. it’s sad.

Agreed.
The baggage handling at resorts doesn't matter to me because we don't check.

The credit rewards are now so poor for jb I can no longer get get an MCO trip with two years of saving points. And my employer is NYS so no luck there!

 

[disneylandtour]

But hey they will now handle your luggage for free again. Not for DVC but for value rooms.

Unless this has changed in the last two weeks, it's only for Southwest right now.

 

[VGCgroupie]

Unless this has changed in the last two weeks, it's only for Southwest right now.

Yes the comment was in regards to Southwest flights

 

[VGCgroupie]

But hey they will now handle your luggage for free again. Not for DVC but for value rooms.

In case anyone didnt pick up on this I was being facetious.

 

[jolynne28]

We probably would be going in July if it wasn’t for the high cost of airfare.

But it’s July…in Florida.

 

[AstroBlasters]

But it’s July…in Florida.

Yes, we also discussed how miserable one trip to Hawaii was where the temperature and humidity were lower than Orlando is projected to be.

The nights were OK, but the morning and daytime were oppressive…. even opening up a window could suck the pleasantness out of the room.

We’ll stay in Oregon for July and leave Orlando for March….

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

But it’s July…in Florida.

Yes, we also discussed how miserable one trip to Hawaii was where the temperature and humidity were lower than Orlando is projected to be.

The nights were OK, but the morning and daytime were oppressive…. even opening up a window could suck the pleasantness out of the room.

We’ll stay in Oregon for July and leave Orlando for March….

The me of even 3 or 4 years ago would be shocked to hear me say this now but hear me out: for the consummate Disney park goer, summer WDW trips are actually kind of appealing. It’s generally a slower time in the parks (outside of July4) and the summer heat forces us to really slow down. We find we really enjoy the resorts so much more during summer and actually utilize all the amenities and relax so much more than usual, especially now that we stay deluxe, it’s a treat to be back at the hotels.

We do a couple of leisure park hours early (will literally go and sit in front of the spitting camel with a dole whip for at least 30mins laughing the whole time at everyone getting surprise spit on), go back to the hotel for a good 5 or 6 hours, nap/have a good meal/pool time, then go back later in the evening for a few more rides and vibes. Idk somehow the warm, muggy summer night air feels like my best childhood memories. We went for 10 days end of June/4th of July last year and then again for 5days in early September and can’t believe we loved it both times.

I know this still isn’t for everyone and I wouldn’t say this if we didn’t also have APs and don’t feel like we’re wasting park tickets (another point to DVC) but it is so much better than you might think it would be. Just have to change the type of trip you’re gonna have, and it’s way less about getting everything done in the parks and more slowing down and enjoying the Disney bubble as a whole.

As an aside, I hate the new LL system because it won’t let you stack rides anymore. It feels like it punishes people who don’t rope drop. We used to stack a ton of rides for the last 3-4 hours of the night and never felt any pressure to do anything specific in the mornings. Just wish they’d let us pick a new LL every 2 hrs like it did previously. Doesn’t mean we’ll get everything we want but at least can have more than 3 rides set up for when we come back to the park in the evening. But other than that no longer going for it, summer trips can be surprisingly pretty great!