What is the most you'll pay for airfare?

[PRmamiDEdos]

With the gas prices going up, we figured we might as well pay the extra bucks and fly to Disney this year instead of driving. We bought our tickets for coming home ($129 each, o/w), now we're just waiting for a good price for our trip down. All together, I'm hoping not to spend more than $1,000 for all four of us and that's with taxes and fees.

What will you guys usually spend on airfare? Am I being too optimistic on my $1K goal?

 

[Alexander]

I just paid $504 r/t per person in April for direct flights BUF to MCO. That is the most I've ever paid, but it seems to be the direction flights are going in. If we can find anything below $300 pp now-a-days, I consider it a bargain.

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

I just paid $504 r/t per person in April for direct flights BUF to MCO. That is the most I've ever paid, but it seems to be the direction flights are going in. If we can find anything below $300 pp now-a-days, I consider it a bargain.

 

[ancestry]

The most I have paid from here to Orlando is $300 round trip (including seat fees and baggage fees) because I booked close to the travel dates. Normally if I watch carefully and travel at a non-peak time I can get that for around $200 per person.

At the present time I wouldn't be willing to pay much over $300 to go to Orlando. However I can't say what I would or wouldn't do in the future since gas prices are so unstable and high. Driving for us usually isn't an option due to time. Our trips are usually short trips. Driving is a two day process each way and often we only have 4-5 days to get away to begin with.

 

[DebbieB]

With the gas prices going up, we figured we might as well pay the extra bucks and fly to Disney this year instead of driving. We bought our tickets for coming home ($129 each, o/w), now we're just waiting for a good price for our trip down. All together, I'm hoping not to spend more than $1,000 for all four of us and that's with taxes and fees.

What will you guys usually spend on airfare? Am I being too optimistic on my $1K goal?

Where are you flying from?

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

Where are you flying from?

NYC area - ISP, JFK, LGA, HPN, SWF & EWR are doable.

 

[DebbieB]

NYC area - ISP, JFK, LGA, HPN, SWF & EWR are doable.

There's alot of competition in that area, you should be able to find under $250.

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

It seems the best flight out of NYC is $144 on JetBlue but it gets in at midnight of our check-in day. This means we'd have to twiddle our thumbs for 5 hours before getting on DME. The ones that arrive in the morning are $250 and up for a one-way ticket!!

 

[brenda1966]

Right now, flights are $450 each, r/t for Denver to MCO. Painful. I think the most I have paid is $350, and then I paid $420 r/t to Tampa for spring break. I don't want to even ask myself what's the most I'll pay. Last year I had two tickets for under $600 and this year I'm looking at $900 or more?! It's crazy. We live too far to drive, so our only option is to pay up, look for 1-stop flights (which I HATE), or forget it and stay home, not an option I even want to consider.

 

[ancestry]

It seems the best flight out of NYC is $144 on JetBlue but it gets in at midnight of our check-in day. This means we'd have to twiddle our thumbs for 5 hours before getting on DME. The ones that arrive in the morning are $250 and up for a one-way ticket!!

DME runs 24 hours around the clock.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

It seems the best flight out of NYC is $144 on JetBlue but it gets in at midnight of our check-in day. This means we'd have to twiddle our thumbs for 5 hours before getting on DME.

There is no reason "to twiddle our thumbs for 5 hours before getting on DME."

It's only the Disney's Magical Express (DME) inbound baggage transfer service that's unavailable for arrivals between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

DME guest transportation runs 24 hours a day, based on when guests need the transportation.

So with a midnight arrival and having to claim your own bags (which can mean spending and extra half hour or so at the airport), you could arrive at your resort around 2 a.m. That's not so bad if you're a night owl and you sleep in the next morning, but it would be pretty awful if you're the type of person who wakes up early regardless of when you go to bed.

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

There is no reason "to twiddle our thumbs for 5 hours before getting on DME."

It's only the Disney's Magical Express (DME) inbound baggage transfer service that's unavailable for arrivals between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

DME guest transportation runs 24 hours a day, based on when guests need the transportation.

So with a midnight arrival and having to claim your own bags (which can mean spending and extra half hour or so at the airport), you could arrive at your resort around 2 a.m. That's not so bad if you're a night owl and you sleep in the next morning, but it would be pretty awful if you're the type of person who wakes up early regardless of when you go to bed.

Sleep in where? Our hotel check-in starts on 6/25. If we get in at 2 AM on 6/25, it's considered the night of 6/24. I doubt they'll have pity on us and give us an extra night for free. We can't wait around the AKL lobby so we'll just tough it out in the airport.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Sleep in where? Our hotel check-in starts on 6/25. If we get in at 2 AM on 6/25, it's considered the night of 6/24. I doubt they'll have pity on us and give us an extra night for free. We can't wait around the AKL lobby so we'll just tough it out in the airport.

I assume you would want a hotel room the night of your arrival, even if you'll be checking in after midnight. If you and your family try to stay up all night you'll be miserable the first day, and it might take several days before you're back to normal -- and that's only if nobody gets sick because of weakened resistance due to sleep deprivation.

I would not expect any Disney resort to give you a room for free just because you show up after midnight. You would need to have a reservation for the night you're flying in (and you should let them know how late you will arrive).

Also, I would also not expect immediate access to your room if you check in at your Disney resort early in the morning for a reservation that evening. You would probably still have wait until the afternoon.

There's a Hyatt in the airport. The advantage of the Hyatt is that you can be at a check-in desk and into room soon after you arrive.

 

[Redarrow5150]

That seems a tad bit pricey. When are you going to WDW?

I just paid $504 r/t per person in April for direct flights BUF to MCO. That is the most I've ever paid, but it seems to be the direction flights are going in. If we can find anything below $300 pp now-a-days, I consider it a bargain.

 

[lllGurulll]

$300 per person round trip. That includes all taxes and fees.

 

[JimboCh]

Sleep in where? Our hotel check-in starts on 6/25. If we get in at 2 AM on 6/25, it's considered the night of 6/24. I doubt they'll have pity on us and give us an extra night for free. We can't wait around the AKL lobby so we'll just tough it out in the airport.

You could book the Hyatt at the Airport on June 24th for $128 for the four of you for the one night and take DME in the morning.

 

[francie57]

Thankfully we purchased our airfare for our Aug. trip last Sept. We got non-stops both ways - out of Hartford and we paid $179 round trip with all taxed and fees. This is the cheapest we have paid in years.

 

[JimboCh]

Thankfully we purchased our airfare for our Aug. trip last Sept. We got non-stops both ways - out of Hartford and we paid $179 round trip with all taxed and fees. This is the cheapest we have paid in years.

Think you can thank Jetblue for that....

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

Thankfully we purchased our airfare for our Aug. trip last Sept. We got non-stops both ways - out of Hartford and we paid $179 round trip with all taxed and fees. This is the cheapest we have paid in years.

I would have driven to Hartford for that price!

 

[jacdolfin]

This is a tough question and very personal so everyones answer differs. We live near San Antoino Texas and drove last year because it was cheaper. All 22 hours of it. This year we are flying because I got intro fares for $55 each way for 4 people on Allegiant for $600.

For us the deal breaker for driving vs flying is I have to keep the rental car and airfare below $1200. I wont pay over about $275 per person.

If you time it right there are good deal to be had you just have to keep checking. You might want to check out www.airfarewatchdog.com

Good luck!