Someone please help make my mind up!

[Mrs Dazzle]

We had a fabulous two weeks skiing and then Boston earlier this year at Easter, but have a hankering for a quick week at October half-term for some Florida Fun 'n sun. However, we need to do it as economically as possible since we're already planning three weeks over there next Summer, plus this year's East Coast trip was not pence!

So I thought I'd use some of the Virgin Flying Club points we all have - no availability, nor with Virgin Hols for when we can go (DH's job has many restrictions, as does mine as admin officer in a school), so we can only go for 8 nights 19-27th Oct.

Gave up with Virgin Miles and thought I'd spend some of the Tesco Clubcard vouchers I've been saving, but it's more difficult than I thought to spend them, so I've been checking flights online for weeks now and there's been no luck with 'decent' prices, not even charter.

Contacted my friendly Travel Counsellor today and she has come up with what I think is a great deal - but flying indirect. only ever done indirect once before and that was on my first ever Florida trip back in the 80s when we flew Air Florida into Miami, then an internal flight to Tampa where we had our first week.

The quote is for American Airlines into Dallas, then onto MCO - £380 each all inclusive.

I would much prefer to fly direct, but simply cannot justify spending over £900that both Virgin and BA want for our dates.

Would you go with the AA prices?

 

[UKDEB]

We had a similar dilemma for our trip this August, Annie. We ended up bookig M+M into Miami (but still at a price for Economy which we normally pay for PE ). All I can say is that we searched for weeks and weeks and weeks, but once we booked we quickly came to terms with it and now we're looking forward to it (i.e. flying into Miami and the overnight stay at West Palm Beach). I know it's not exactly the same predicament you find yourselves in, but I think holding out for 'something better' (which is what we kept doing) was just wishful thinking and we both felt relaxed and settled once we'd booked.

 

[The Master]

If you don't mind the longer journey time then I would say the asnwer is a definate "Yes".

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

American are a good airline, along the lines of British Airways.
DFW (Dallas Fort Worth) airport is OK, quite large but you will find Texans very helpful and easy going.
Make sure you leave enough time to get from one terminal to the next
As I recall, you fly into Terminal D go through customs there then have to get to terminal A I think, though its by a shuttle train outside each terminal.

 

[wayneg]

Whoever quoted for AA is a little OTT. a few websites including ebookers have them at £361.20 Another option is BA indirect at £410.80 with Southall Travel.
Just checked with AA.co.uk they have flights for your dates from £335.50 incl taxes.
I am going with AA to Vegas and Disneyland CA. the same week in Oct. they were best prices from Manchester.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

We go indirect in October as we are also visiting a friend en-route. If you really want to go it's a small sacrafice to fly indirect.

 

[Mrs Dazzle]

Thanks for all the really great advice. My concern now is that we only seem to have an hour and a half to get off and on to the connection - touching down in DFW at 14.20, departing to MCO from a different terminal at 15.45.

Has anyone any experience of turnaround times, I'm beginning to panic already

Bring me a , quick

 

[wilma-bride]

Just out of interest, how many £s worth of Clubcard vouchers do you have? Have you thought about converting them to airmiles (www.airmiles.co.uk) and using them there

We did that for our August flights this year. Booked one as full fare (LHR to MIA) for £498 and one with miles for £312.

 

[Miffy2003]

Annie - for that difference in fare I too would go indirect!

I am having a smiliar dilemma about the turnaround time at the airport for our Easter trip (indirect) but I can't help you there. I would assume your carrier would have a responsibility to get you on the next available flight

Joh - conventional wisdom is that airmiles don't give you the same "value" as the Deals 4 x amounts, more that they are similar in %return to using vouchers at Tesco (which people always say not to do). Having said that though, it depends on your definition of value and how you could use them, of course.

 

[Frances999]

Hi Annie. I can't offer any advice except to say that we have flown with AA a number of times and always had excellent service. For less than half the price, it looks like indirect will be better.

OT - Karen! Polynesian trip coming up! You are going to have such a great time!!

 

[Ang1e]

Annie have you checked expedia. have put your dates in from Gatwick to Orlando - indirect flights unfortunately - flights/taxes/accom/car coming in around the £450 mark depending what accomodation you go for. I put in the Meridian Palms Orlando (where we are staying in August) and it's coming out at £471 per person.

Flight & car is coming in at £355 per person. Hotel on it's own £382.00.

No direct flights

 

[Mrs Dazzle]

Thanks everyone for the tips.

I think we've decided to go for it, I've had some really helpful advice from the US board for when we get to DFW, so my mind is a little bit more relaxed (for now, anyway! I'm a born worrier).

Joh - I've got around £250 pounds worth, which would be converted to £1000 in Clubcard deals. I thought about transferring them to airmiles, or using them as a deal. The only two companies you can book for Florida are with either Virgin (no availability) or Cosmos. We only need a fly drive since we want to rent a villa or condo, and Cosmos will not do fly-drives with the Clubcard scheme.

Besides which, I need to wait till the August vouchers are out to amass all of my Clubard wealth , by which time who know's what's going to be available, since you have to then ring up to have them switched to the name of the deal company - without any guarantee there will be availability for where/when you want to go

By the way - Karen and Frances, how lovely to 'see' you both

 

[Mrs Dazzle]

Annie have you checked expedia. have put your dates in from Gatwick to Orlando - indirect flights unfortunately - flights/taxes/accom/car coming in around the £450 mark depending what accomodation you go for. I put in the Meridian Palms Orlando (where we are staying in August) and it's coming out at £471 per person.

Flight & car is coming in at £355 per person. Hotel on it's own £382.00.

No direct flights

Thanks for this, it's amazing what you find when looking, isn't it I also checked out the Thomas Cook direct website and, although indirect, there are same great prices on there, too. Ooooh, decisions, decisions

 

[Miffy2003]

Besides which, I need to wait till the August vouchers are out to amass all of my Clubard wealth , by which time who know's what's going to be available, since you have to then ring up to have them switched to the name of the deal company - without any guarantee there will be availability for where/when you want to go

Hi Annie - nice to see you too!

I can totally relate to the above comment. We had amassed quite a sum of the vouchers and decided to go with VH with the deals, but the dates available meant we had to compromise quite a bit from what we had wanted. I'm not grumbling - it's only reason I can afford the Poly - but I was surprised by how restricted I felt being "dictated to" in terms of my holiday choices. Ordinarily if there was no availability for exactly what I wanted I would simply have looked elsewhere, but having exchanged the vouchers to VH already, I was a bit stuck!

OT: Frances - Hi! Yes I am very excited which I'm sure is hard to imagine