Ottawa - MCO?

[ejrj]

Hi Folks!

We live in the Southern US but my parents are near Ottawa. I'm hoping that they will join us for our 2013 trip to the World. Usually when they come visit, they fly out of Syracuse as it offers by far the best price to get to where we live. I'm wondering though about booking them out of Ottawa for the MCO trip. Anyone in that area have experience with this? Do you sometimes see good rates out of YOW or is it usually through the roof in comparison to SYR? I did take a look this am and am seeing YOW about $200 (pp) higher than SYR. Just wondering if this is pretty normal or if it is quite possible to see a much smaller gap.

Thanks!

 

[minnie mum]

Unfortunately that looks pretty normal to me. DD and her DH live in Ottawa and always make the drive to Syracuse when flying to MCO. Even with gas and occasionally having to get a hotel the night before the flight, it's been cheaper for them to go across the border before flying.

 

[bankr63]

We prefer to fly direct from Ottawa when we can; much easier than the hassles of driving a couple of hours and hoping for good winter weather. Also gets us down there quicker for more fun time! Our coming March trip we are flying direct Friday afternoon, taking the kids out of school at noon. That means we'll be there and ready to go on Saturday morning instead of travelling.

You don't mention your dates, but I would suggest booking as soon as tickets are released if possible. Westjet direct flights are released 330 days prior, and open at $180 per direction ($360 return); add $59 in US taxes and fees and $69 in Canadian taxes and fees to that. Total return is $486pp all in (I'm looking at the latest released flights for this, one week stay).

As soon as flights start to book up, the airlines use yield management to adjust the price. We just booked our March break flights on Friday; the first day they opened. Now our have already risen by an additional $300 each because those are popular flights.

Note that currently WestJet flights direct from Ottawa are about half the price of the Air Canada direct flights on similar dates.

Does it show that I've spent a lot of time price watching over the past few weeks?

 

[ottawamom]

I vote for flying out of Syracuse. We have flown out of Ottawa, Syracuse, Albany and this year Buffalo. The price difference/taxes are just not worth it for us. I should mention we have 5 people flying. We go the day before our flight have a relaxed drive down, do some shopping etc. It has just become part of our journey.

 

[ejrj]

Thanks everyone. $200 total more, I can totally see booking out of YOW. By the time you consider the border and likely a hotel, $200ish makes sense..$400 I have trouble swallowing! We are taking the kids on our first family trip this September. We are hoping to go back in Aug 2013, just before our twins turn 3. THat is the trip I'm hoping that my parents will come for. Weather won't be an issue for that trip. Also, my parents are in Kingston. Ottawa is better but SYR isn't terrible.

 

[disneyworldfamily]

We prefer to fly direct from Ottawa when we can; much easier than the hassles of driving a couple of hours and hoping for good winter weather. Also gets us down there quicker for more fun time! Our coming March trip we are flying direct Friday afternoon, taking the kids out of school at noon. That means we'll be there and ready to go on Saturday morning instead of travelling.

You don't mention your dates, but I would suggest booking as soon as tickets are released if possible. Westjet direct flights are released 330 days prior, and open at $180 per direction ($360 return); add $59 in US taxes and fees and $69 in Canadian taxes and fees to that. Total return is $486pp all in (I'm looking at the latest released flights for this, one week stay).

As soon as flights start to book up, the airlines use yield management to adjust the price. We just booked our March break flights on Friday; the first day they opened. Now our have already risen by an additional $300 each because those are popular flights.

Note that currently WestJet flights direct from Ottawa are about half the price of the Air Canada direct flights on similar dates.

Does it show that I've spent a lot of time price watching over the past few weeks?

We are going in August and will DEFINITELY be flying out of Ottawa for the same reasons you mentioned. When I am pricing on Westjet site, I don't see the same prices you mentioned, also, I don't see direct flights, they all connect through Toronto. What am I missing?

Thanks!

 

[ottawamom]

Its the time of year. Westjet doesn't start flying direct until sometime in the fall. They continue direct flights until the end of April.

 

[ottawamom]

Disneyworldfamily. I just checked westjet for the same dates we are already booked for in August. Ottawa to Orlando Westjet $683.81 per person (through Toronto). We are booked on Southwest (Buffalo) $301 pp. Both amounts are all taxes included. I know you can get flights out of Syracuse similar to those out of Buffalo. Depending on how many of you are travelling you might want to revist Syracuse as an option. (try JetBlue)

 

[disneyworldfamily]

Thanks ottawamom!

 

[bankr63]

We are going in August and will DEFINITELY be flying out of Ottawa for the same reasons you mentioned. When I am pricing on Westjet site, I don't see the same prices you mentioned, also, I don't see direct flights, they all connect through Toronto. What am I missing?

Thanks!

Ottawamom is right on - no direct flights in the summer. To see those kinds of fares, you need to be looking as soon as the flights are release at 330 days out. They start rising right after that - quicker for the popular flights than the less popular.

I would like to compare my Ottawa direct flights to JB out of SYR, but I can't see flights past January with them. I expect that JB will be about $100 per person cheaper (based on their Dec prices), but I am happy to be booked. If I flew out of SYR we would probably be overnighting in SYR and spending half of Saturday travelling. With WJ direct we will be spending Friday night in Orlando, and waking up Saturday morning ready to go. That is worth it right there for me.

 

[ejrj]

Did you look at Delta? I'm not sure when you are going but I'm seeing fall rates SYR-MCO ( I looked the last week of October) starting at $281. Tax in. Happy travels CDN friends!