Stupid airline tickets... I am so mad at myself...

[Tara922c]

First I have to say, I will never make a trip from a sunday to a sunday again! Airline tickets are almost 100 dollars more expensive to fly on Sunday then it would be on Saturday or Monday. Anyway I have been watching airline tickets for the past few months... waiting. Watching them go up, and watching them go down.. and down.. wait... way up.. down... up... down. up Dh wanted me to wait until this month to buy them for our May trip. Anyway, I think we settled on flying Southwest because of the lower fares, and no bag fees. (we do have to drive an extra 20 minutes to get to the airport that Southwest flies out of, but Dh's dad is taking us and picking us up, and he said "no prob") Anyway, I looked at prices today, and they did drop but.... it looks like we are going to have to leave by 11 am on our last day, or pay an extra 200 bucks. We could take the last flight out, but that wouldn't put us home until 9 PM, and I don't want to ask FIL to drive an hour to come get us, then to our house, then 30 minutes home on a work night. Dh doesn't want to leave our cars at the airport (I gave up telling him no one wants our cars, but I will let him have this one!!!) Dh said I am driving him nuts, and doesn't care what we do about plane tickets.

So, what are some opinions? Has anyone else had to leave early in the morning on their departure date? My thoughts are I was ready to leave last year, but I will be sad we can't make one last trip to DTD, or the parks.

Has anyone ever paid the extra money for a later flight?

I am also considering flying out a day early, but I would have to miss an extra day of work. (won't get paid) The money I would save on a cheaper plane ticket, minus the cost of a hotel room would cost me about 50 extra bucks to do it this way. We would have an extra full day in the parks as well. Really considering this option. We would arrive at MCO around 9 pm, go to our cheap hotel right outside disney gates, and go to sleep.

So frusterating!!!

 

[Brian Noble]

I would probably not want to come home at 9PM and have to go to work the next day. The 11AM flight isn't horrible; I've been on one around that time before. But, I'm not the sort to want to squeeze every last minute of time there. By the last day, taking it easy is okay by me.

If it's an extra fifty bucks *including* your lost pay, maybe worth it. Otherwise, maybe not.

 

[backyardponder]

For a trip in August we are flying out a day early and staying at a LaQuinta near the airport for $61 per night (plus tax). We arrive about 8PM that day before. The airfare difference was about $150 per person, so it is worth it in our situation.

 

[Wendy5055]

Just a reminder...if you are using Magical Express to/from WDW, then you will need to allow for the 3 hour pick-up window. That means an 11am flight will get you an approximate 8am pick-up at your resort.

Personally, I try to make the mid-afternoon flight times as I like to make sure dd8 eats a good meal before the flight home (I like it too because airport food is not so great and airlines only give snacks).

I don't think I would like to arrive home so late...it makes the trip exhausting. To that end, I would go with the 11am...just make your last minute DTD trip the evening before and schedule an early breakfast (if you eat breakfast).

Hope this helps.

 

[Tara922c]

Thank you for the replies! I forgot to mention we are renting a car so no worries on ME!

 

[dudspizza]

I personally take the flight getting home at 9pm. We always use off airport parking in Minneapolis and love it. They pick us up at the car, drop us at the terminal, and are always waiting when we return.

I costs us maybe $60 for a week and we don't have to worry about inconveniencing anyone......

Just a thought.

 

[sue1013]

What about a car service to take you home from the airport?

 

[Nancy F]

We go from Fri. to Weds. so we like to get a 7:00AM flight on Fri. and an 8:30 PM flight out on Weds. This way we get a full day in at each end of our trip. We fly from Philly so it's not that long a flight. Even though I have to be up early Thurs. for work, we find it worth it. But that's just us.
Nancy

 

[Pembo]

I'd fly out a day early and take the earlier flight home.

 

[TheWog]

What about a car service to take you home from the airport?

That was going to be my suggestion. For half the cost of the earlier flight they could probably get a car service. Just a thought to look into.

 

[Hugpug]

I had the same problem and I decided to leave a day earlier and take a evening flight out and an afternoon flight home. Doing this saved me 300.00 compared to what the same flights are now. Also I am leaving midweek instead of Friday that alone cut the plane fare by 100.00. I just booked the additional 2 days at a value resort and then I will transfer to the moderate. Since I am using DME I have no transport cost at airport. You really have to do the math.

 

[dioxide45]

Can't you just fly out late on Saturday and just stay at a cheap offsite hotel for the night? It would likely save you money even paying for the hotel.

 

[Mrs D]

My thought is perhaps using 2 different airlines, SW to WDW and another on the way back, if it gives you a better flight time at a decent price. No reason why ya can't do it.

 

[PinkTink63]

Call us crazy,but we always take the red-eye out so we arrive in the morning, so as not to waste a day of our vacation traveling! We take the early evening flight home, which gets us back between 11:00 pm.-12:00am with the time change, so we can spend our last day leisurely or hit a park for a while. We have had to go to work that same day once, but now make sure we take a day to rest! We try to stay as long as we can on vacation!

What can I say...it works for us!

 

[Hannathy]

I would take the later flight , I don't think getting home at 9 is too late to go to work. and I would hate to loose a half day in Florida!!!!

As far as your FIL goes is there anyway someone could go with him and drive your car down earlier in the day, leave it for you in the lot and then ride back with your FIL? Same trip for him, he was going to have to drive down and back and this way you can stay later and he isn't out late at night.

That would be my plan.

 

[jillianml]

We just went through the same delimia.We booked a day earlier and have a flight back departing at 10:30 am.I now am 2nd guessing my decision!LOL