What do you consider a good airfare from PHL to MCO in August.

[jjjbennett]

I don't fly much and never to WDW so now I waiting for the SW release but honestly I'm not even certain what a good fare is?

You veterans flying from PHL to MCO what do you consider a decent fare and what is a great fare?

I am flying mid August and can fly any day of the week.

 

[pamjb]

Right now, Southwest is having a "fare frenzy" sale for Florida. It is only for travel till June 15,2006. It is $59 one-way. So it would be around $130-ish round trip with taxes and fee. This, in my opinion, is a great fare. Of course, I don't mind the cattle-call seating on SW, while you might. Since I am a white-knuckle flyer, I prefer to limit my takeoffs and landings one of each per day. IE: Direct. Many of the major carrier flights from PHL are not direct, routing thru Detroit, Cincinnati, Atlanta, etc. I know bestares.com and sidestep.com show fare of $189 and up. You can check either of those sites for ballpark figures.
Does any of that babbling help you?

 

[pamjb]

I am flying mid August and can fly any day of the week.

You can get a better fare flying out on a day OTHER than a Sunday or Saturday. Southwest has been showing a lot of "Ding!" fares for travel that begins on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

 

[MinnieGirl33]

To me, $79 each way is a good fare, $59 each way is a great fare.

 

[jiminy14]

I agree with MinnieGirl33. I am happy if I can get the $79 price on SWA. I know that $49 or $59 is better but I've paid as much as $300 a ticket when I first started going to WDW about 15 years ago.

 

[NJOYURLIFE]

To me, $79 each way is a good fare, $59 each way is a great fare.

I agree. Last year we got lucky and got a $49 each way DING. This year we couldn't get our flight times with SW so we got Delta for $188 round trip from PHL to MCO. Now we are just keeping our fingers crossed that there is no strike.

 

[jultomzach]

If you can fly any day of the week, and are going in August, you should easily be able to book $79. each way. Airtran is having a sale now that extends until first week of October. Have you checked their site? Watch for a direct flight (some of the nondirect MCO-PHL Airtran flights have LONG layovers in Atlanta). They should have lots of midweek $79 flights with current sale. Options for you would include: booking Airtran now during their sale, waiting for Southwest ding and/or their later August dates to be released, watching for USAir flights. Southwest Dings (and I love 'em) are not generally released until 5 - 6 weeks beforehand. While they are the "cheapest", I would not wait for them unless I had great flexibility with my trip dates and reservations. I have never paid more than $200 from PHL to MCO and only fly direct. Sometimes, I have to be creative with one way on Airtran and one way on Southwest. One more thing, if it is only you flying than you have much more flexibility but if you are booking for a family (say 5 -6) it may be difficult as some sales are based on a limited amount of seats.

 

[jjjbennett]

To all who answered thanks

I did see the Airtran flights for $79 but I keep reading about everyone waiting for SW so I figured that they must be better.

I did see a $34 midweek Southwest Ding fare from PHL to MCO about a month ago and that has affected my ability to think straight. I'm wondering if that was a fluke or I might see something like that in August with a Ding.

I do have to book 6 seats and while that may make getting specials a problem it also is the reason I am trying to find a low fare as a $1200 to fly is a lot of money.

So in other words all this waiting for SW may have no real value as I can probably book midweek Airtran for the same price that SW will release for?

I think it may be easier to drive less stress.

 

[maddhatir]

I think it may be easier to drive less stress.

DH and I have driven to Disney about 3 times in the past from Marlton. not sure about driving causing less stress- especially with 6 people! i actually said to DH- i am through with driving- it takes a lot out of you. especially on the way home. sure-going there you are all psyched- but coming home in DC traffic- forget-about-it! each time we were stuck in DC traffic i would say- next time we are flying- next time we are flying......well now, we are flying!-- we usually boogie to Disney in about 16 hrs....DH wont let me have ANY coffee before or during travel time! it slows him up!

we are booked with airtran in sept for disney- i booked in feb and got $79 each way and that is a flight leaving on sat - non stop 7am and returning on a sunday non stop- 5:15pm. i thought that was a very good rate. but we werent flexiable with our times. i just checked AirTran and the filght i have is no longer available- so you better choose soon!

good luck neighbor!

 

[Drake]

We live right outside of PHL and use Southwest often. I think they have great fares! If the fares go down after you book your flights, just go into your itinerary and reserve at the lower rate....getting a credit for the difference! I booked our WDW flights last December for our family of 7 persons. Since then, the prices have gone down twice. I now have a credit of just over 300.00 from rebooking at the lower rates!

If you do decide to book now, sign up for Southwest's emails. Their emails announce sales. I just go to their reservations page and check to see if any of the lower fares apply to the dates we are booked.....if so, I go to our itinerary and rebook it with the lower fare.

BTW, we drove to WDW once, and it just wasn't worth the time....the gas....the meals....

 

[Pollyann]

I just booked on AirTran for $187. The PHL to MCO is nonstop but the MCO to PHL is one stop. (There were MCO to PHL non-stops, just not at the time I wanted.)

 

[Pollyann]

Sorry - I meant to also tell you that the flights are in September.

 

[jultomzach]

Do a search on credits on Airtran (if fare on your booked flights decreases). Lots of threads saying it can't be done but a few saying it can be done.
I have a credit from this last year. My recall is to email NOT call directly. There is a way to get a credit without a penalty on all of their flights.

 

[Iluvthemouse]

We traveled AirTran last year in September for 112.00 PHL to MCO. We booked the end of July but I wouldnt recommend waiting so close.

 

[2infinityandbeyond]

We're a family of five and I'd considered driving in August, but with the price of gas it's not much more to fly (assuming $79 each way on SWA). 2.5 hrs in a plane is much easier on my bad back than all of that driving.