Yeah, I'm anxiously awaiting southwest to open up their schedule for our cruise dates later this month! It's gotta be less than the prices I'm seeing right now...PLEASE!! (hoping!!)
Sorry so long.....just my experience.....
We always look to fly on Southwest first, as we love leaving from/returning to ISP (Islip, NY). If we don't fly SWA, then we try to fly on Delta. If we are flying out of NYC (that's LGA or JFK for us) then we will fly the least expensive with the best flight itinerary we can get and fly Delta if multiple airlines are "close" in price/itinerary.
We have done the "week before Easter" cruise for the last 2 years (2010 and 2011) and it has been my experience that the prices do not decrease. I waited for Southwest to release their pricing in 2010 and was on my computer when they released the prices (by accident actually, because it was 545am when they were released), but their prices weren't any better than the other airlines (they were actually a few bucks higher), and in some respects worse because of flight times and/or connections. The "least expensive" prices on Southwest were gone in a matter of 5-10 minutes and I think it took that long because it was an odd time to release them.
I have to say, the prices for 2013 are the highest I have seen, compared to the 2 years past.
In 2011, we flew for $286.80 per person, roundtrip, nonstop on delta, from LGA to MCO. I bought the tickets in September, 2010 and the cruise was April 16. We flew on April 15 just because it makes me nervous to fly to Florida "the day of" the cruise. Delta had a huge schedule shift and my return flight was canceled, so I got lucky and got to pick a very expensive return flight (the nonstop) in it's place. I originally booked a flight with 1 connection on the return, which was MLB (Melbourne, Fl) to LGA.
In 2012, we flew for $233.00 per person, round trip, nonstop from NY to MCO, but with 1 connection on the return from MLB to NY. I bought these tickets in May, 2011 and the cruise was April 5. We flew to Florida April 3. No huge schedule shift this year, so we flew with the itinerary I bought. But, this past Easter break (2012) was unique because of the dates of Passover, some school districts here in NY, were off the week before Easter, some the week after, and some (like mine) a few days before and a few days after. It's pretty uncommon to have Passover fall in an "awkward" way with Easter. My school district is typically always off the week before Easter, which typically coincides with the dates of Passover. Plus, we flew on a Tuesday this year, again very uncommon for Easter break. The cost was $233 per person, flying from NY on a Tuesday and the return flight had 1 connection.
On the return flight, our connection was in Atlanta. The flight from Atlanta to NY was oversold. We gave up our 5 seats and flew 3 hours later with confirmed seats in coach (We were also priority listed for first class, but it was full). Delta gave us $400 per person in future flight credit and $20 per person in meal vouchers. (I knew I wanted to use this $2000 to offset the price of the flights for this cruise, so sitting in the ATL airport for 3 hours for $2000
seemed like a good deal...LOL). I used some of this credit for a trip to WDW we planned for September and the balance I applied below.....
So for 2013, I have bought our tickets already. I really wanted to wait for Southwest, as leaving out of Islip is waaaayyy better than LGA or JFK. But when I began to track the air, the prices for nonstop flights were close to $500 per person, roundtrip. This didn't alarm me, because the prices the past 2 years for nonstops was around $400 per person. But what really scared me was the prices with connections were in the $360 range! This is with flying on 3/22 (Friday, 1 day before the cruise). I waited and watched for 3 weeks, not 1 seat was sold on any of the flights I was tracking, but the prices only fluctuated up from $360 to $380 to $417, back to $380, etc. I purchased them at $368 per person on August 1. The lowest I saw was $358. Both flights are connecting flights and they are LGA to MLB, MLB to LGA. The flights in/out of MCO were way higher, except for a nonstop flight on American Airlines which was a few bucks cheaper.
I really only had enough credit left (approx $225 per person) to pay one way on Delta (since I used some of the credit for September, which was $175 per person, nonstop roundtrip). Perhaps having the credit "swayed me" to purchase the tickets when I did, but I have to admit, I am relieved it's done. In my mind, once I purchase the airline tickets, the trip is 99% "a go"...it seals the deal......and especially when the tickets are not on Southwest (because you can change those tickets without a fee).
Maybe Delta will shift their schedule again and I can change one leg (or both!!!) to a nonstop or better flight times. Maybe when we connect in Atlanta again we can volunteer our seats and get some more Delta credit. Maybe neither scenario. But I am happy with my flights and my total out of pocket cost was $175 per person, for 2 trips to Florida from NY for the 5 of us-- this September, 2012 and next March, 2013.
I hope Southwest does release some great fares for March at the end of this month. I got lucky, my husband would never have agreed to spend $400 a person for airfare. Literally, as we were giving up our seats, I said to him, this means we can do the Fantasy next March, right? He rolled his eyes....he has to know there is always a method to my madness! By the way, we did not get the "blue light special" cruise pricing, so I was pretty sure we were not going to make it onto this cruise, despite being platinum and booking the first day and getting thru to
DCL at like 930am.
Next year--for 2014, without being lucky enough to get a glitch price on DCL or have an airline credit that we "have to use-LOL", and if the prices for DCL and the airfare are the same or higher than they are for 2013, then I can safely say, we will NOT be doing the week before Easter cruise. Not without criminal activity......or winning the lottery.
GOOD LUCK to everyone with their airfare!!!!
to the group! My 17 yo DD also says 'Disney cruise' whenever she's asked for a vacation preference - guess that means we raised them right! 
. More than last year but the times are good and we'll save those baggage fees. Best of all it's done and I don't have to think about it anymore!
