SW flight update - change or cancel?

[zanzibar138]

**Update: We have decided to take the later direct flight and be ok with 'wasting' the first night at the Poly. I'm looking at it from the perspective of being able to wake up there with the view of MK.**

We are flying from Vegas to Orlando in late January. Surprisingly, options for direct flights were VERY limited, with SW offering the option that wasn't a red-eye. I'm actually not a good flyer - I get very anxious, can get air sick and usually experience severe ear pain during descent, so the less time in the air the better, particularly takeoff and landing. The timing was actually pretty good too - departing close to 9am for a late afternoon arrival at MCO. I haven't ever been a fan of SW, but it seemed like the best option for us, so I booked it with Business Select fares so that we could avoid the boarding group chaos. We have splurged on a lake view room at the Poly for our first 4 nights. My entire justification for such a massive splurge on accommodation was the idea of a lovely relaxing first night at the resort, with a nice low-key fireworks experience. It's our honeymoon and our first trip to WDW, and I couldn't think of a more perfect way to start the trip.

We have now been advised that this flight has been changed, and will now be departing 2 hours earlier with a layover in St Louis requiring a change of plane, but still arriving at a similar time as the original flight. We have the option to change at no cost, and I've noticed that there is now a direct flight available later in the day, departing at nearly 2pm and not arriving until later in the evening (after 9pm). With the later flight, we won't have much of a chance to relax before going to sleep and then waking up to get stuck straight into the parks. Or maybe we could treat that entire first day as a relaxed intro, maybe start with a character brunch and spend a few hours at MK before returning to the resort for our low-key fireworks? We have 14 nights in total, so we won't have to rush.

I've now seen on the boards that SW have announced that they are planning to implement an assigned seating system, and that this is likely to come into place next year. Having splurged on the most expensive fare type just to get around the boarding chaos, I'm not sure how we are going to get our money's worth if they move to assigned seating before our trip. This isn't really a major concern, just another factor in the mix.

At this stage I'm thinking it's probably worth putting myself through a bit more flying stress to be able to keep our first night plans, but just thought I'd put it out there and see if there are any other considerations I might not have thought of.

 

[georgina]

We are flying from Vegas to Orlando in late January. Surprisingly, options for direct flights were VERY limited, with SW offering the option that wasn't a red-eye. I'm actually not a good flyer - I get very anxious, can get air sick and usually experience severe ear pain during descent, so the less time in the air the better, particularly takeoff and landing. The timing was actually pretty good too - departing close to 9am for a late afternoon arrival at MCO. I haven't ever been a fan of SW, but it seemed like the best option for us, so I booked it with Business Select fares so that we could avoid the boarding group chaos. We have splurged on a lake view room at the Poly for our first 4 nights. My entire justification for such a massive splurge on accommodation was the idea of a lovely relaxing first night at the resort, with a nice low-key fireworks experience. It's our honeymoon and our first trip to WDW, and I couldn't think of a more perfect way to start the trip.

We have now been advised that this flight has been changed, and will now be departing 2 hours earlier with a layover in St Louis requiring a change of plane, but still arriving at a similar time as the original flight. We have the option to change at no cost, and I've noticed that there is now a direct flight available later in the day, departing at nearly 2pm and not arriving until later in the evening (after 9pm). With the later flight, we won't have much of a chance to relax before going to sleep and then waking up to get stuck straight into the parks. Or maybe we could treat that entire first day as a relaxed intro, maybe start with a character brunch and spend a few hours at MK before returning to the resort for our low-key fireworks? We have 14 nights in total, so we won't have to rush.

I've now seen on the boards that SW have announced that they are planning to implement an assigned seating system, and that this is likely to come into place next year. Having splurged on the most expensive fare type just to get around the boarding chaos, I'm not sure how we are going to get our money's worth if they move to assigned seating before our trip. This isn't really a major concern, just another factor in the mix.

At this stage I'm thinking it's probably worth putting myself through a bit more flying stress to be able to keep our first night plans, but just thought I'd put it out there and see if there are any other considerations I might not have thought of.I don't think the assigned seating is coming until April.

Congrats on the marriage! It is always a bummer when flights change. I don't think the assigned seating starts until April., so that should not be an issue. It is really up to you if you want to leave earlier with a change in St Louis or arrive later non-stop. How long is the layover? With an early flight out of LAS, there should be no problem with the connection time. You will have an opportunity to see fireworks another night from the Poly if you decide to arrive later. (Or from MK if you are there.)

 

[zanzibar138]

Congrats on the marriage! It is always a bummer when flights change. I don't think the assigned seating starts until April., so that should not be an issue. It is really up to you if you want to leave earlier with a change in St Louis or arrive later non-stop. How long is the layover? With an early flight out of LAS, there should be no problem with the connection time. You will have an opportunity to see fireworks another night from the Poly if you decide to arrive later. (Or from MK if you are there.)

Thank you, I know it's really a personal choice - I guess I'm just interested to hear what others would do or if anyone has any ideas I haven't thought of!

It's only a 45 minute layover, but I have no idea what St Louis airport is like to get around. I would normally allow more time than that, but since that's what they've given us I'm assuming it will be ok.

 

[fla4fun]

Wow, a 45 minute layover could have you running if your inbound flight is delayed at all. Not how I would want to start a honeymoon. I also don’t like take off or landing, although once we are up in the air I am okay, so I would switch to the non stop just for that reason. It really does boil down to what the two of you want though, not a bunch of strangers on the internet.

Whichever you choose, I hope you have a great trip!

 

[Neener16]

I’m not a fan of flying either. I avoid anything but a direct flight as much as possible. Are there any flights that are nonstop the day before? If so, I would stay either at the airport that night, or a cheaper Disney Good Neighbor hotel, and then start early the next day on Disney property. I would be nervous about that 45 minute layover. That doesn’t seem enough for me. You should be able to switch the day before for no charge.

 

[zanzibar138]

Wow, a 45 minute layover could have you running if your inbound flight is delayed at all. Not how I would want to start a honeymoon. I also don’t like take off or landing, although once we are up in the air I am okay, so I would switch to the non stop just for that reason. It really does boil down to what the two of you want though, not a bunch of strangers on the internet.

Whichever you choose, I hope you have a great trip!

That's good feedback on the layover, thanks. That's exactly the type of thing I probably would have missed if I hadn't asked - I'd just assumed it would be ok because it's what they gave us!

I’m not a fan of flying either. I avoid anything but a direct flight as much as possible. Are there any flights that are nonstop the day before? If so, I would stay either at the airport that night, or a cheaper Disney Good Neighbor hotel, and then start early the next day on Disney property. I would be nervous about that 45 minute layover. That doesn’t seem enough for me. You should be able to switch the day before for no charge.

Unfortunately FH *needs* 4 nights in Vegas. I get 14 nights at WDW, so I'm going to let him have that one But I am starting to come around to the idea of taking the later flight and making our first full day a lower pressure, ease in type day. Just a shame that we will lose the benefit of the massive splurge for the Poly that first night Unfortunately we can't change it either as we've rented points.

 

[focusondisney]

Unfortunately FH *needs* 4 nights in Vegas. I get 14 nights at WDW, so I'm going to let him have that one But I am starting to come around to the idea of taking the later flight and making our first full day a lower pressure, ease in type day. Just a shame that we will lose the benefit of the massive splurge for the Poly that first night Unfortunately we can't change it either as we've rented points.

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage! I don’t know anything about St Louis airport. But personally, I would always pick a nonstop if 1 is available. I know it means leaving later & missing half a day at Poly. But it also means your husband will have a few extra hours in Las Vegas. Instead of thinking of it as missing Poly time, try thinking of it as extending your Las Vegas stay. And getting a head start on your WDW time the next day. Since you have so much time, I’d do the late flight then spend the first full day getting a slow, relaxing start. Take your time getting the lay of the land at Poly & have a leisurely breakfast before you head into MK. Take that easy too, take in the atmosphere & do a few rides that have low waits.

Also, no start date has been announced for the assigned seating. I really don’t think it will be in January. More likely, a start date will be announced that will coordinate with a flight release. Ex: on XX date flights will be released from date to date under the new system. And flights already booked will follow the current system. JMO.

 

[zanzibar138]

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage! I don’t know anything about St Louis airport. But personally, I would always pick a nonstop if 1 is available. I know it means leaving later & missing half a day at Poly. But it also means your husband will have a few extra hours in Las Vegas. Instead of thinking of it as missing Poly time, try thinking of it as extending your Las Vegas stay. And getting a head start on your WDW time the next day. Since you have so much time, I’d do the late flight then spend the first full day getting a slow, relaxing start. Take your time getting the lay of the land at Poly & have a leisurely breakfast before you head into MK. Take that easy too, take in the atmosphere & do a few rides that have low waits.

Yes, you're right, will be nice to have a more leisurely morning in Vegas, enjoy a nice brekky etc instead of having to rush off for an early flight. I'm struggling to come to terms with a late arrival when we've spent *so* much to be at the Poly that night, but we'll still get the benefit of waking up with a view of MK and being able to leisurely make our way over on the boat. And who knows... SW might change the flight schedule again in the meantime lol!

 

[zanzibar138]

Also, no start date has been announced for the assigned seating. I really don’t think it will be in January. More likely, a start date will be announced that will coordinate with a flight release. Ex: on XX date flights will be released from date to date under the new system. And flights already booked will follow the current system. JMO.

That would absolutely make sense too - I think it's unlikely to impact us in January.

 

[Miffy]

I agree with everyone who's advised the nonstop flight. 45 minutes may not be enough time for the switch and flying nonstop is almost a guarantee that your checked luggage won't be lost.

But the leaving-a-day-earlier suggestion is my favorite. However, I wouldn't want to spend 4 days in Vegas.

 

[iivye]

The Southwest terminal in St. Louis isn't very big and you could make it to your next flight but there's a good chance boarding may have already started by the time you get to the gate which would negate the benefit of the Business Select. I always opt for the nonstop flights because I don't like the stress of worrying about a delay causing me to miss the next flight or my luggage not making it.

 

[sam_gordon]

I would look into departing the night before. Arriving after 9 means not getting to the resort until probably close to 10:30. Of course, your "body clock" will think it's 7:30(? 8:30?) so maybe it won't be so bad. But still, IMO, it's almost "wasting" an expensive night.

Come in the night before (even if it's late). Get a hotel near the airport, then go to Disney in the morning.

 

[EACarlson]

No chance that the assigned seating starts during the time frame flights are already on sale. Personally, I would go with the later non-stop. But I wouldn't figure the short connection into the equation. With your issues, I wouldn't want to deal with multiple legs or the additional time in the air.

 

[SkyGuy]

We are flying from Vegas to Orlando in late January. Surprisingly, options for direct flights were VERY limited, with SW offering the option that wasn't a red-eye. I'm actually not a good flyer - I get very anxious, can get air sick and usually experience severe ear pain during descent, so the less time in the air the better, particularly takeoff and landing. The timing was actually pretty good too - departing close to 9am for a late afternoon arrival at MCO. I haven't ever been a fan of SW, but it seemed like the best option for us, so I booked it with Business Select fares so that we could avoid the boarding group chaos. We have splurged on a lake view room at the Poly for our first 4 nights. My entire justification for such a massive splurge on accommodation was the idea of a lovely relaxing first night at the resort, with a nice low-key fireworks experience. It's our honeymoon and our first trip to WDW, and I couldn't think of a more perfect way to start the trip.

We have now been advised that this flight has been changed, and will now be departing 2 hours earlier with a layover in St Louis requiring a change of plane, but still arriving at a similar time as the original flight. We have the option to change at no cost, and I've noticed that there is now a direct flight available later in the day, departing at nearly 2pm and not arriving until later in the evening (after 9pm). With the later flight, we won't have much of a chance to relax before going to sleep and then waking up to get stuck straight into the parks. Or maybe we could treat that entire first day as a relaxed intro, maybe start with a character brunch and spend a few hours at MK before returning to the resort for our low-key fireworks? We have 14 nights in total, so we won't have to rush.

I've now seen on the boards that SW have announced that they are planning to implement an assigned seating system, and that this is likely to come into place next year. Having splurged on the most expensive fare type just to get around the boarding chaos, I'm not sure how we are going to get our money's worth if they move to assigned seating before our trip. This isn't really a major concern, just another factor in the mix.

At this stage I'm thinking it's probably worth putting myself through a bit more flying stress to be able to keep our first night plans, but just thought I'd put it out there and see if there are any other considerations I might not have thought of.

The STL SW terminal is pretty much only SW, and it’s not very big by airport standards. They added a new wing with a moving walkway as that wing is long, but we rarely use it unless we’re in a rush, which is seldom as STL is my home airport and we have arrival time, parking, security down to a science. They have a restaurant, lounge that can be accessed with Priority Pass, a few bars, and several quick service places.

 

[MouseyMin]

45 minutes is cutting it too close for comfort, IMO. In addition, although you can run to the second gate, your checked bags can't. I would take the non-stop.

Another reason that you might not want to take connecting flights is that you would have to go through 2 landings. You said that you have severe ear pain then.
I used to have severe ear pain during landings too until an ENT doc recommended that I use EarPlanes when I fly. When used correctly (you put them in about 1 hour before landing), they eliminate most of the pain by slowing down the change in air pressure that your ears experience.

Congratulations and enjoy the trip!

 

[zanzibar138]

I agree with everyone who's advised the nonstop flight. 45 minutes may not be enough time for the switch and flying nonstop is almost a guarantee that your checked luggage won't be lost.

But the leaving-a-day-earlier suggestion is my favorite. However, I wouldn't want to spend 4 days in Vegas.

I don't particularly want to spend 4 days in Vegas either But it's only fair that FH gets his time in Vegas since I get mine at WDW.

The Southwest terminal in St. Louis isn't very big and you could make it to your next flight but there's a good chance boarding may have already started by the time you get to the gate which would negate the benefit of the Business Select. I always opt for the nonstop flights because I don't like the stress of worrying about a delay causing me to miss the next flight or my luggage not making it.

Very good point about losing the benefit of the more expensive fare class!

I would look into departing the night before. Arriving after 9 means not getting to the resort until probably close to 10:30. Of course, your "body clock" will think it's 7:30(? 8:30?) so maybe it won't be so bad. But still, IMO, it's almost "wasting" an expensive night.

Come in the night before (even if it's late). Get a hotel near the airport, then go to Disney in the morning.

As much as I would really love to fly the night before, unfortunately it's just not an option. The 'wasting' the expensive night is definitely my main concern but I think I'm coming to peace with it.

No chance that the assigned seating starts during the time frame flights are already on sale. Personally, I would go with the later non-stop. But I wouldn't figure the short connection into the equation. With your issues, I wouldn't want to deal with multiple legs or the additional time in the air.

Yes, the multiple landings is definitely the major issue as well as the rushing around at the airport between flights. I'm stressed enough about flying already - don't want to add any extra stress to the equation!

The STL SW terminal is pretty much only SW, and it’s not very big by airport standards. They added a new wing with a moving walkway as that wing is long, but we rarely use it unless we’re in a rush, which is seldom as STL is my home airport and we have arrival time, parking, security down to a science. They have a restaurant, lounge that can be accessed with Priority Pass, a few bars, and several quick service places.

Good to know, thanks for the insight.

45 minutes is cutting it too close for comfort, IMO. In addition, although you can run to the second gate, your checked bags can't. I would take the non-stop.

Another reason that you might not want to take connecting flights is that you would have to go through 2 landings. You said that you have severe ear pain then.
I used to have severe ear pain during landings too until an ENT doc recommended that I use EarPlanes when I fly. When used correctly (you put them in about 1 hour before landing), they eliminate most of the pain by slowing down the change in air pressure that your ears experience.

Congratulations and enjoy the trip!

Yes, good point about the checked luggage too.

Unfortunately I've tried everything for the ear pain (including EarPlanes), and nothing has worked consistently. The only thing that did work was getting grommets, but it seems like a pretty extreme thing to keep doing just for flying lol!


We've ended up going with the later direct flight and being ok with 'wasting' that first night at the Poly.

 

[man-from-nantucket]

I would look into departing the night before. Arriving after 9 means not getting to the resort until probably close to 10:30. Of course, your "body clock" will think it's 7:30(? 8:30?) so maybe it won't be so bad. But still, IMO, it's almost "wasting" an expensive night.

Come in the night before (even if it's late). Get a hotel near the airport, then go to Disney in the morning.

This. Avoid connecting flight, go direct (losing bags is low probability, but HIGH (PIA) consequence). We’ve come in late before (night before checkin) and simply stayed at Hyatt in MCO. You’re in ur room within 30 min of landing. Next morning, grab your bags, a Mears and head to Poly. Leave bags at bell and head in. Good luck and congrats.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

This. Avoid connecting flight, go direct (losing bags is low probability, but HIGH (PIA) consequence). We’ve come in late before (night before checkin) and simply stayed at Hyatt in MCO. You’re in ur room within 30 min of landing. Next morning, grab your bags, a Mears and head to Poly. Leave bags at bell and head in. Good luck and congrats.

This. We love staying at the Hyatt inside MCO for late arrivals. Sometimes flights are delayed due to weather/storms so being able to head straight to our room is super convenient. We wake up feeling refreshed and ready to start our day.