Updated Again -- Help me decide! Extend trip but pay airline re-booking fees???

[javaj]

Our Christmas trip is scheduled 12/15 to 12/25 because I thought 12/15 would be the earliest we could get away for vacation. Well, turns out we can leave as early as 12/11 or 12/12, and it would be great to have those 3 extra days with less crowds. Hotel would be covered because we still have 3 kellogg kash hotel vouchers for the All-Stars (really don't like the values but for 3 nights before the CR, we're ok with it LOL).

The problem is, airline plus orbitz re-booking fees would be $130 per person. Yikes! We jumped on a $183 great rate last July, thinking it wouldn't last. Wouldn't you know it but that rate is still available now. Paying an extra 390 (130 per ticket) just ruins the great airfare rate though. It's cheaper to get 1-way tickets, ATA shows $117 for a 1 way ticket. But if we didn't show up for our outbound flight, I think there's a possibility of losing our return flight too. So is 3 extra wonderful less-crowded days at WDW worth $390 more?!?!

Thanks!

 

[cathy59]

Try not to think of it as "for airfare." Think of it as $130/night for your "free" hotel!

If you could get 3 extra days at WDW for $390, would you do it?

Only you know the answer to that question!

(But I say go for it!)

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

Your fees to rebook would almost be enough to cover another trip. I'd just wait and go again and use the Kellogg Kash at the time. I might have voted differently if you were only going for 4 or 5 days to start with but 10 days is pretty great already.

 

[cathy59]

I'm sorry, I have to make another comment. I've been thinking about this, and I am the QUEEN of rationalizations, BUT...

You sound like you are willing to shell out $117/ticket for the one-way flight to get you there early, but not $130/ticket for the change fee? It's only $13/ticket difference!

Go already!

 

[CarolA]

If you do not show up for your flight to Orlando, you will NOT have a flight home. So your only real option is to pay the rebooking fee if you want to extend this on the front end.

 

[Maddle]

I can't even bring myself to vote...it's too hard. Please let us know what you decide.

Maddle

 

[javaj]

Well, we're out of luck. We decided we wanted to go ahead and spend the extra $$$.

So I called Orbitz this morning (website wouldn't allow me to change it online), and they couldn't do it for that price. They said they could only get the special fare online, so if I changed over the phone, they'd have to also charge the difference between the air fare price. I'm so bummed! With what they wanted to charge me, it would be cheaper just to buy brand new tickets.

 

[cathy59]

I'm so sorry to hear that!!!!

Any chance you have another trip planned to Orlando during the next year? You could use the original tickets (and pay the change fee) for that trip, and buy new tickets for this trip?

Pixie dust!!!

 

[javaj]

Funny you should say that, I did just that about an hour ago!!! I was just coming here to update again. I was so frustrated since I thought about this so much and I decided I really wanted to go earlier, so we used the existing reservations for our May 2005 trip, and made a new reservation (through AA so no extra fees) for $177!

Originally posted by cathy59
I'm so sorry to hear that!!!!

Any chance you have another trip planned to Orlando during the next year? You could use the original tickets (and pay the change fee) for that trip, and buy new tickets for this trip?

Pixie dust!!!

 

[LIFERBABE]

Well Good For you!!

I think it will be great to have the extra days during the holidays. By time the crowds show up, your group will be on cruise control.......