Ouch, SW!

[SheriB]

Checked for flights 11/29-12/3 PHL to MCO. $326 rt! Need to arrive early & leave late, but other options aren't much cheaper. I've seen some people with flights from Midwest & further north $100 cheaper. Should I wait? I've never paid more than $225.

 

[Disneylover99]

It's a tough pill to swallow, but if you need those times and dates, I would book it.

 

[laura428]

$622 from Chicago. I'd book it.

 

[Disneylover99]

$622 from Chicago. I'd book it.

Crazy huh?....your price makes my price ($610 out of Buffalo) sound like a bargain!

 

[DisneyFansInLINY]

My husband and I can't believe the prices. We have flown for Christmas the past 2 years and never paid this. And so we have decided to wait and see what happens with the airfare.

We decided to fly into Tampa. But are going to wait to book our return flights. Ahhhh so frustrating and disappointing.

 

[laura428]

Crazy huh?....your price makes my price ($610 out of Buffalo) sound like a bargain!

Update! Just played with the dates and found a fare for $390 and grabbed it. Not thrilled with the price, but it's not completely outlandish like the $2400 total I was looking at earlier!

 

[Disneylover99]

Update! Just played with the dates and found a fare for $390 and grabbed it. Not thrilled with the price, but it's not completely outlandish like the $2400 total I was looking at earlier!

Good for you! I tried playing with my dates too, but it's still the same price on the other dates. Oh well.

 

[puffkin]

For the first time in 25+ trips it looks like we will be driving. I just can't swallow these costs. I've played with our dates a day or two and different combinations of PHL/BWI/MCO/TPA and can't get anything below $390 RT and thats going BWI to TPA which is our least desirable option. At least double what we normally pay for PHL to MCO.

I'll keep watching but I doubt our dates they will come down more than a few dollars. I am very disappointed.

Our reasoning is drive this time and use our money/points for 2 more trips rather than blow it all on this trip.

 

[Paging Tom Morrow]

For the first time in 25+ trips it looks like we will be driving. I just can't swallow these costs. I've played with our dates a day or two and different combinations of PHL/BWI/MCO/TPA and can't get anything below $390 RT and thats going BWI to TPA which is our least desirable option. At least double what we normally pay for PHL to MCO.

I'll keep watching but I doubt our dates they will come down more than a few dollars. I am very disappointed.

Our reasoning is drive this time and use our money/points for 2 more trips rather than blow it all on this trip.

Have you looked at flying into JAX? It's about a 2.5 hour drive to WDW, so you'd need a rental car, but I just found very good airfare on Delta ($254 RT for 12/27- 01/03 compared to $600+ into MCO or TPA). Rental car prices were reasonable too.

 

[disneyagain]

I lucked out this morning. We're 3 hours from Rochester, NY, 3 hours from Philadelphia, NY and 2 hours from Albany, NY. Albany is usually the most expensive, with the least options. Philadelphia the least expensive with the most options.

I was able to get RT direct flights 12/17 - 12/22 Albany-MCO for 6,707 pts each. 1:50 afternoon flight down - that's good. The flight back is at 7:40 in the evening, arriving in Albany at 10:20 PM. Not the flights we normally take, but I"ll add another day to our hoppers and enjoy the 22nd in the parks the last day.

I had to buy 5 tickets this year - I used existing points to buy 7 legs of the journey, paid about $150 to round up our 2 accounts to buy 2 more legs and then paid $114 cash for the final one-way fare.

Around $280 for 5 RT tickets (including the $2.50 fee).

I'll take it! Now, let's all hope and pray for a mild winter

 

[TandEsMommy]

I can't believe prices--from DEN a lot of the prices are the same as or higher than the legacy airlines, taking into account a checked bag. We're in Wyoming, and with all 3 kids, we would not go before we would drive, but ouch does it hurt to pay these prices. Definitely not what I was hoping for this morning!

 

[nkereina]

What's the cause for higher prices? Just checked 11/15-11/22 out of Buffalo. The flight going was $173 pp (booked the return for $109 pp). I remember last year the prices were lowest on the day the booking window opened and only went up from there. Maybe the anniversary sale will bring some luck

 

[SheriB]

I'm just beside myself. Driving is not an option, we're only going for 5 days. My husband refuses to drive 18 hours when we can fly in 2 1/2. I may wait for the anniversary sale in June. Another problem is there are 15 of us going altogether(I'm only booking 4 tix). We don't all need the same flight, but it would be nice. I remember getting a sale and snagging $109 rt tix one year, including taxes & fees. Those days are long gone. I think I'm going to just check every day for the next few weeks and hope for the best. Good luck to everyone else!

 

[SheriB]

Double ouch! The outgoing flight I wanted is no longer available. Why is this so crazy? I don't even usually book this far out!

 

[MiaSRN62]

Have you looked at flying into JAX? It's about a 2.5 hour drive to WDW, so you'd need a rental car, but I just found very good airfare on Delta ($254 RT for 12/27- 01/03 compared to $600+ into MCO or TPA). Rental car prices were reasonable too.

We used to always do this.....a couple years ago PHL to JAX stopped all direct flights. They are all layovers, and while *sometimes* cheaper....it will take 4-7 hours VS 2 hrs with a direct flight to get to Orlando (with higher risk of missed connections) flying in to JAX. I used to LOVE the direct flights to JAX.

I got an email this morning from SW about "Fall Sale". I got excited but when I checked, my flights (Oct 23-Nov 5) are still the same price as they were 6 weeks ago??? So where is the sale I'm wondering??

 

[Minniekins]

I'm just beside myself. Driving is not an option, we're only going for 5 days. My husband refuses to drive 18 hours when we can fly in 2 1/2. I may wait for the anniversary sale in June. Another problem is there are 15 of us going altogether(I'm only booking 4 tix). We don't all need the same flight, but it would be nice. I remember getting a sale and snagging $109 rt tix one year, including taxes & fees. Those days are long gone. I think I'm going to just check every day for the next few weeks and hope for the best. Good luck to everyone else!

I think you should check several times a day if you can! Last year I got my low fare down to Orlando at five am or so,(I was up), checked early afternoon and the way down was already up in price. The price for the way back lasted the three days of the sale, it was during the Anniversary sale. Anyway, if I'd only checked the afternoon time, I'd have missed out, so I obsess and check often!
Also last year, I unexpectedly got 500 RT for DD23 and friend, to Ft. Lauderdale for a cruise. It had been much more during months of checking, (they were gonna drive), and after I purchased them, the fares went up a few hours later, to 750 and then 900! The kids were happy I was an SW stalker! So, my points are that I think you still have a shot at lower prices, and you need to stalk like crazy as best you can, as well as hope for a bit of luck!

 

[Dayman99]

You should look into Frontier Airlines out of Trenton/Mercer airport. I just paid $223 R/T NS to MCO for October!!

 

[Splashboat]

I booked when the holiday window opened yesterday and today the same flight is down $26 per ticket. It pays to keep checking.

 

[rcklein5269]

I think you should check several times a day if you can! Last year I got my low fare down to Orlando at five am or so,(I was up), checked early afternoon and the way down was already up in price. The price for the way back lasted the three days of the sale, it was during the Anniversary sale. Anyway, if I'd only checked the afternoon time, I'd have missed out, so I obsess and check often! Also last year, I unexpectedly got 500 RT for DD23 and friend, to Ft. Lauderdale for a cruise. It had been much more during months of checking, (they were gonna drive), and after I purchased them, the fares went up a few hours later, to 750 and then 900! The kids were happy I was an SW stalker! So, my points are that I think you still have a shot at lower prices, and you need to stalk like crazy as best you can, as well as hope for a bit of luck!

First time southwest flyer... So whenever u find a cheaper fare after booking do u have to call or can u do something online to lock in the lower fare?

 

[Minniekins]

When I did it I called because I was having computer issues at the moment and I was worried if I didn't do immediately, the lower price would go away. They were very nice and changed things for me. I had used points to book and they were immediately available in my account afterwards. Using cash you would get a refund in the form of a credit to be used(trip taken) by one year from the date you first bought the first ticket.

There is also a way to change online, using the change button. I'm hoping to use it during the anniversary sale, lol! I found this just tonight! Another disser answered a question for me, so I looked for this. I found it under the Travel Tools tab on the right, clicked and chose the last one in the list, View all Travel Tools, which brings up a page with various tools, and in the Manage Air section, there is a link that says Change Reservation. So choose that and following it thru, it should help you change to lower price. It will bring up only available flights and just choose the one you want, even if it's the one you already have but want the lower price. Hope that's helpful for you!