Need help ?s with air travel

[littleangie]

Hey everyone! I thought this would be the best place to get help with my questions. Me and hubby will be going to WDW in February for the Princess half Marathon rincess:. This will be my first time flying ever and hubbys first time since he was a little kid . Okay so i am gonna just list my questions below, if you can answer them or give us advise i would greatly appreciate it.

1.) We are looking at Frontier Airlines since they just started non-stop flight from Cincinnati. If we fly Frontier we will save over $500. Are they a good airline?

2.) We would be using magical express. It is listed on the booking website as one of the preferred airlines to book but when i look at the magical express site it doesnt have it listed as a resort check in airline. Would this mean that they are planning to add it or do we need to put our luggage on the motor coach and check in at the airport?

3.) Please give me some advice on how to be prepared for my first flight. I will be worried the whole time till then.

Thanks everyone again! This will be our first trip completely on our own. So please help me.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

Have not used the RAK that often, it was nice , but not the end all for a trip when saving $$$$

I copied this from the mouse savers website: I'm not sure if there is an updated list.

All Disney resort hotel* guests, regardless of whether they are using the Magical Express buses, can get a boarding pass for their return trip home and check in their luggage at their hotel, subject to various restrictions (see below). This luggage check-in and boarding pass service is usually located in the lobby or just outside the front door of the hotel. It is only available for selected airlines.
The Resort Airline Check-in service is operated by a third party company, Baggage Airline Guest Services (Bags), not by Disney. Essentially the Resort Airline Check-in is like using curbside check-in at the airport, except that you get to do it at the hotel. Plan to tip the baggage handlers who take your bags, just as you would for curbside check-in.

Participating airlines for the resort check-in/boarding pass service are AirTran, Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, United and USAirways. All domestic (inside the US) flights qualify. Some international flights on these airlines now also qualify, from some resorts. Ask at the check-in desk.
The Resort Airline Check-In desk daily operating hours are 5:00 am to 1:00 pm. Since you must be checked in 3 hours in advance, you can’t use the resort luggage and check-in service for your return to the airport if your flight departs before 8:00 am.

You must pay any excess baggage surcharges that apply to your luggage. If you’re flying in Coach/Economy on any airline other than Southwest (2 free checked bags per person) or JetBlue (1 free checked bag per person), ALL of your checked luggage requires a surcharge, typically $25 or $35 per bag. This fee is charged by the airline but collected by Bags via MasterCard, Visa or American Express.

Only normal-sized bags (generally no more than 62 inches in overall dimensions [length + width + height] and no more than 50 lbs) will be accepted by the Resort Airline Check-in Service. They will NOT accept overweight or oversized luggage — you’ll have to take that to the airport and check it in yourself.
*Resort Airline Check-in Service is available only to guests staying at the official hotels owned and operated by Disney. The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels, the seven Downtown Disney hotels and Shades of Green are NOT included.

 

[Tbone17701]

I don't think Frontier participates in Resort Check-in, but that just means taking your luggage with you on DME and checking in like normal at the airport.

 

[DebbieB]

From what I could see on their website, they only fly CVG - MCO 4 days a week, one non-stop a day. So the first question is if those days match what you want. It's good if you save money but keep in mind you may have to be flexible. If your flight is cancelled for whatever reason, you may have issues rescheduling.

You will have to take your luggage to the airport on the bus for the return.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I will caution you that a friend of ours flew Frontier and got stuck in Cleveland for a day and a half because his plane had mechanical issues. He had to wait till the next time Frontier was due to fly into Cleveland in order to continue on with his trip.
You see Frontier is a small airline and only has a handful of planes that is why they only fly into and out of a city one or two days a week. So when there is an issue with a plane they don't have another one on stand by at the airport to fill in for a plane that is broken. You must wait for the next time they are due to fly into the airport. Then you must be very lucky that they have an available seat for you on that next flight otherwise you could be stranded even longer until there is a flight with available seating for you.

If it were me I would not fly on a small airline. All it takes is one hiccup in their system to really ruin your vacation.


Have you thought about driving to Columbus and taking Southwest airline. I see for the month of Feb the flight prices are $134 each way.

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

I will caution you that a friend of ours flew Frontier and got stuck in Cleveland for a day and a half because his plane had mechanical issues. He had to wait till the next time Frontier was due to fly into Cleveland in order to continue on with his trip.
You see Frontier is a small airline and only has a handful of planes that is why they only fly into and out of a city one or two days a week. So when there is an issue with a plane they don't have another one on stand by at the airport to fill in for a plane that is broken. You must wait for the next time they are due to fly into the airport. Then you must be very lucky that they have an available seat for you on that next flight otherwise you could be stranded even longer until there is a flight with available seating for you.

If it were me I would not fly on a small airline. All it takes is one hiccup in their system to really ruin your vacation.


Have you thought about driving to Columbus and taking Southwest airline. I see for the month of Feb the flight prices are $134 each way.

I totally agree with this! Especially if you are experiencing your first flight and experience with air travel you don't need the hassle of trying to figure things out "on the fly".... I would 100% recommend booking a flight with a larger more reputable company. Delays and Cancellations can still occur, however a larger airline will have more resources to fix the issues quickly.