MSP-MCO

[klynn]

What do you think the chances are of a sale for May? I got in on the sale from Delta last year. We bought tix in March for our December trip and paid $136. I'm hoping for something like again. What do you think?

 

[zulaya]

My opinion is unlikely. I got in on that sale with Delta for a June and November trip and I think it's pretty safe to say that was a once in a lifetime opportunity. If you remember, those March sales happened within days of us invading Iraq. I am sure the airlines were thinking people wouldn't fly so they gave great deals.

I think at this point for May, you may be out of luck for a really good sale like the last one. If you check orbitz and such, a lot of the airlines have advertised for sales for May timeframe for a while now.

The economy is doing better and people are travelling more...supply and demand.

I can tell you I started watching my December dates as soon as they were released. I got non stop on NWA for $230. It has since gone up to at least $260.

There's always a chance for a one day miracle sale. You have to decide how long you want to wait to buy your tickets before the prices really start taking a huge hike upwards.

Good luck.

 

[jacksonsmom]

Well, we plan on leaving on June 4th & we have not brought our tickets yet. I am holding out for a sale.

I don't know if we will see the Delta sale like last year. We were able to get our last years June & December ticktes for only $137.50! That is an awesome price.
I will not hold out for that low price again but I am waiting for around $180 or so.
I am pretty confident that as the time gets closer you will see the prices go down a bit.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

 

[stacy2197]

I'm also flying out of msp. I'm kicking myself for not booking when it was 223 a person. Now I'm waiting it out. If the prices go up much more I'll just fly out of Lacross. Right now it's only $13 more.

 

[zulaya]

The problem is that we have really no no-frills airlines going to MCO from MSP. If we did, there'd be a lot more competition. I know AirTran and ATA come out of MSP, but they, too, make a stop either in Chicago or Atlanta. And they really haven't been much less than NWA's nonstops - not less enough to make me try them.

Keep in mind that each airline has a formula that computes their cost per mile to fly a route. I can't remember what the number of cents per mile it costs NWA, but I remember computing it and discussing it with CarolMN and for NWA from MSP-MCO, it's like $256. So it costs the airline, NWA, with labor, maintenance, fuel, etc $256 per person to make that flight even break even . I hate to spend more money on flights myself, but taken in that context, you can see that ifyou can geta flight for less than $256 per person, you are ahead of the game.

That's not to say a sale won't come along. But the stinky part with sales is you have to hit them at just the right time. I am happy with the $230 pp I got on a non-stop with very good times for my December trip.

Good luck to you all! Now if I can just get a good price on my July trip for my Pampered Chef conference in Chicago I would love it. Right now, the cheapest MSP-MDW is $203! I can't believe it.

 

[grover]

I have been watching prices MSP to MCO as well.
We are up north in Winnipeg...it is so expensive to fly from here-best I have seen is 680.00 Canadian, so far the best I have seen is NWA at 320.0 Canadian.
I am hoping it will come down--even to 280.00 CAD..then I would book.
I have been checking orbitz,delta,nwa and expedia each day for a while but no real change in price....
Okay so if someone happens upon a deal please post it here!!
Grover in Winnipeg ( Which is a balmy -25 at the moment!!)

 

[hercamore]

Hi everyone in balmy Minnesota!

Windchills of 30 below here tonight!

We are looking to travel in May too and I am so hoping for the NW spring sale to be decent.

To the Wisconsins resident: can you fly out of Rochester? Ssometimes RST is not much more than MSP

You will have to connect in MSP tho, so maybe that is not want you want.

herc.

 

[smart cookie]

Originally posted by zulaya
I know AirTran and ATA come out of MSP, but they, too, make a stop either in Chicago or Atlanta.

Not true....Since October 2003, Airtran has offered a non-stop Minneapolis to Orlando flight.

http://www.airtran.com/aboutus/letter/index.jsp




& there will be a sale for may with fares of no more than $159 Rt (not necessarily on Northwest, though)

 

[zulaya]

Ok, but it's only one flight out of several, which I admit is better than none. I wasn't trying to start something here. And October 2003 is relatively recent.

How do you know there are sales of $159 coming for May? Do you have the inside track, so to speak, on airfares somehow? Do you work for the pricing division of an airline?

 

[stacy2197]

Living in western wisconsin these are the options fly out of Msp non stop 247 a person, fly out of La Cross stop in milwaukee 260 person, and fly out of Eau Claire stop in msp 312 a person. Rochester would be further than both Eau Claire and La Cross. I would love to fly out of Eau Claire since I have family there and would leave my car at there place but at 312 a person I can't do it.

 

[zulaya]

That is just terrible. Usually the smaller airports are cheaper to flyo ut of and connect in the big airport so that they get more people there. Keep watching and you can probably find a deal you can live with.

 

[Figaro]

stacy, have you ever considered flying American out of LaCrosse? Our tickets are $213.00 each and unlike when we fly Northwest, we are heading in the right direction, so the flights take less time.

 

[smart cookie]

Originally posted by smart cookie
& there will be a sale for may with fares of no more than $159 Rt (not necessarily on Northwest, though)

Sale going on right now ... nonstop from Minneapolis thru mid-June for $146.98 plus taxes & fees on northwest.