PHL to MCO prices?

[Mrs. Bob Loblaw]

I moved last month from San Francisco to Philadelphia and am getting ready to buy airfare for my hubby and I, but since I've never lived on the east coast, I have nothing to use as a comparison for our airfare. Is $195 one way a normal fare? I'm looking at Southwest. They do have a cheaper flight, but it would make our arrival much too late to justify spending money on a hotel for the night. It seems like for that amount, I would be able to fly from SFO to MCO.

 

[Disney Ella]

That depends on if you are flying during a peak time, like Easter or buying tickets on short notice. I consider anything that is $200 or under RT a good price for flights between Orlando and Philadelphia. With the way carriers have been raising prices, I may have to up that a little, but I think you should be able to find something for less than $195 one way if you aren't going during a heavy travel time or aren't expecting good rates on short notice.

 

[juliebean]

We are flying RT from PHL on Airtran in mid April. The tickets are great times for us to fly (mid morning leaving, after dinner coming back), nonstop and $150 a piece, including taxes. We do expect to probably have to pay for luggage, since it appears the merge with SW will not be complete by then... We have three kids, so I will pay more for nonstops, but Airtran is good with nonstops not being more expensive.

Anyway, I would encourage you to look at their website and put in 2 days before and after (if you can). One day can make a huge difference - we are flying on Wednesdays, if we went on Friday it went up to over $300 a ticket...

Good luck! We love Philadelphia, hope you will too!

 

[Propro]

Depends on when you go, how much advance time you have and if Southwest or USAirways puts the route on sale. For example, you can get a $78 base fare each way later in the year on Southwest with a r/t total of $177.40 including all taxes.

 

[TaraPA]

I use $200 as my "rule of thumb" for pricing flights from PHL to MCO. I've paid as low as $120 RT and as much as $245 RT, so anything under $200RT is good for me!

 

[disneymayz]

I use $200 as my "rule of thumb" for pricing flights from PHL to MCO. I've paid as low as $120 RT and as much as $245 RT, so anything under $200RT is good for me!

$200RT is exactly my limit currently also. Including bag fees that is what I am paying for Airtran at the beginning of May.

 

[wdwnomad]

$195 on Southwest is great. In fact, I booked yesterday on SW and got the same price. I really doubt we are going to see anything better.

 

[PatMcDuck]

Yes, I look for $200 RT for MCO (WDW) and $300 RT to SNA/LAX (DL trips).

Sometimes we pay a little more for perfect flight times, nonstops, etc. For PHL also keep an eye on Airtran and US Airways. But SW is the best for being flexible, credits for fare drops, and no fees for luggage, etc, as we ALL KNOW, lol.

I am closer to Newark, but Philadelphia is usually cheaper.

 

[DCTooTall]

$195 ONE WAY does seem a bit high.... but the usual caveats apply. (as in, not trying to book last minute).

Depending on where you live in the Philly area, something you may also want to consider if you are trying to price shop is some of the surrounding airports. Newark, Allentown, Atlantic City, and even the Baltimore/DC areas aren't too far away, so depending on the side of town you live on, and your tolerance for a commute to the airport, you could potentially save money by flying out of another airport.

BWI can be convient too since AMTRAK has a station next door, so you could take a train from Philly to BWI.

I believe from what I recall Seeing in some of my previous looks that the Philly airport is a large hub for US Air, so pricing could sometimes be a little higher than some of the other airports in nearby cities where it was a more even mix of airlines competing.

 

[PSUGuy]

Check AirTran out of ABE, not far from PHL. We paid $97 per leg, non-stop, March 2-11. I booked as soon as they came out, they're much more now.

Bill From PA

 

[TaraPA]

I second what PSU Guy says. Depending where you live, ABE can be a cheaper alternative. I'm closer to ABE than PHL and got Airtran non-stop from ABE to MCO 3/12-16 for only $62 for each leg. It came to $145 RT after taxes. I got it even cheaper last year on Alelgiant - $19.99 each leg - BUT Allegiant only flies into Sanford now. I have a 2nd trip 3/22-28 this year & Airtran is $79 for one leg & $100 for the other, so still not too bad. I need to book that ASAP. I keep holding out thinking they will post some deal or discount code, but fares for those dates have only gone up (I watch like a hawk) so I better get moving on that.

 

[melissapealo]

I moved last month from San Francisco to Philadelphia and am getting ready to buy airfare for my hubby and I, but since I've never lived on the east coast, I have nothing to use as a comparison for our airfare. Is $195 one way a normal fare? I'm looking at Southwest. They do have a cheaper flight, but it would make our arrival much too late to justify spending money on a hotel for the night. It seems like for that amount, I would be able to fly from SFO to MCO.

Maybe you should look at other airlines. $195. is around what you should pay for a round trip ticket. I'd look at different airlines to see what you can get.