Would you drive 9 hours to save $250 on airfare?

[tc]

I have can get the friends fly free deal from southwest, but they don't fly from Denver. The closest is Kansas City. My daughter goes to school in Manhattan, KS, so we could stay with her the night before, and then have her take us to KS the day of the flight. The offer expires 5/23, and we go in September. Should I book this, or is it anyones opinion that I may find a better deal from Denver. I can get $264 for two people, direct flight from KC to Orlando. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Smee]

That's equal to $132 per person!!! If it's too inconvenient to drive to KS, I would be all over that deal.
Plus you can see your DD!

 

[Tiggerkeeper]

Ha! In 9 hours I could drive to Disney! Sorry, couldn't resist! We fly from Atlanta to Denver quite a bit and the best we have ever gotten round trip for one ticket is $250! So yeah, I'd be all over that deal! And you'd get to see your daughter too! Sounds like a done deal, have a good trip

 

[ducklite]

No way would I drive nine hours to save $250. Not a chance.

When you figure in the cost of gas (probably $80 r/t or more, depending on your car), oil, wear and tear, four extra meals if not more (even eating fast food will run you $40 or so), you've really only saved around $100, $150 on the outside. Not worth it, no way!

Anne

 

[LucyStorm]

not to mention the physical toll it takes. It always takes me about a day to get over that kind of drive. Plus it would subtract two days from your trip assuming you have a 9 hour drive down and a 9 hour drive back.

So, my answer is, nope, sorry, not me.

 

[LisaTx]

The Southwest ad I've heard running mentions several fees that can add up to about $30 extra per ticket. That would be $60 round trip. Have you figured that into your costs?

 

[ncligs]

If you can afford it, I would NOT drive 9 hrs to save $250 or less!!!!!!!!!!
After driving 9 hrs , you are wasted for that day, and for the return trip also.

 

[travelcoupons]

I've drove nine hours, but it was to save more in the neighborhood of $800-900.
Fares are extremely high from the any airport within 450 miles of my hometown ($350 RT to Orlando is a sale). I have drove to Minneapolis and flown for never more than $154 RT.

 

[kamgen]

In one word...YES

We drive to save money all the time. And it takes us between 18-20 hours straight through.
It is worth it to us to save, especially when dh lets me spend what we saved in WDW! LOL!

Kamy

 

[DisneyKidds]

I wouldn't drive 9 hours to save $250 on airfare. Is that is 9 hours each way? 18 hours of driving for $250. Even if it is 9 hours round trip it seems like an awful lot to save $250 - and you still have to pay for airfare. The drive would take it's toll before you even start your vacation.

 

[tc]

My figuring is this, we drove all the way to Orlando last September (not really willing to fly September 14 when I had tickets). So, just driving to KC didn't seem like much. I have a New Beetle so it gets great gas mileage, but do I want to put those miles on it? We'd only have to eat one meal there and one back because we will stay with my dd, Sarah, and she loves to cook for us. We will get to see her, which is an added bonus. We also will not need a hotel. We won't need to take time off work because it's 7 hours to Manhattan, and we would do that Thursday after work. She would take us to KC Friday a.m., and we would come back the next Friday, so we could drive home that afternoon or Sat. morning and still rest up on Sunday before work. Can you tell, I am so torn, I just don't know what to do. I didn't add in the extra fees, I will go back and do that now. Currently, the best airfare from Denver to Orlando is $258 rt, one lay over, per person. The Southwest fare is non-stop. Can you tell I just don't know.

 

[LoriZH]

9 hours is NOTHING, I would definitely do it! I would have to drive 24 hours to save $1000 and wouldn't do it, but if it were 9 hours to Disney SURE! Obtw, if it were to anywhere else, I would have to think about it, lol.

 

[DisneyKidds]

LoriZH - I agree, a 9 hour drive to WDW I would do . Heck, we've done the 22 hour drive from NY and will probably do it again when my ff miles run out and we have to pay for 4 or 5 airline tickets . However, tc is talking about driving 9 hours to get to an airport so they can get on a flight to Orlando that is $250 cheaper.

9 hours is longer than the door to door trip from Denver to WDW. They would have to do that and then get on a flight and spend another 3 to 4 hours door to door getting from KC to WDW. I would feel like I made the trip twice and we would just be arriving. I'm all for saving some money, but when you consider the investment of time, 9 hours for $250, and you still have to make the flight - just too much.

Of course, if the $250 will make or break the trip - hop in the car, we're going to DisneyWorld!

 

[dmfuru]

I am assuming that you want to go back to Denver after your WDW trip, which would be another 9 hour drive. IMO the question should be, 'would you drive 18 hours to save $250 on airfare?'. Either way (9 or 18 hours), I personally wouldn't do it. I'd spend the extra money and get to WDW sooner (and leave later).

 

[Bob NC]

Well, in my book the extra added attraction here is that you have a car while at WDW. That TOO is worth something over and above the $250.

 

[iwannago!!]

NO WAY!
Lets see.. drive 9 hours from Denver to Kansas City.. then drive to airport then wait at airport then fly down to Disney then drive to the world. then back again.. augh!

how about checking into the cheapest flight between Denver and KC?

9 hours is a long time, maybe not on the way there.. but on the way home it will be FOREVER..

but I feel for you with the airfare deal!

good luck, have fun!

 

[DisneyKidds]

Ahhhh.... but they wouldn't have a car at WDW (unless they rented). They are talking about driving 9 hours to get to an airport so they can fly to WDW, not driving to WDW.

 

[SleepyatDVC]

Unless you were planning on visiting your dd anyways, then NO, I definitely won't make the 9 hour one-way drive just to get to the AIRPORT to fly to WDW!

However, if you were planning on making the drive to see your dd maybe on a separate trip anyways, then I might consider it since you would kind of be "killing two birds with one stone." If you were going to visit dd, September would be a good month since it wouldn't be midterms or finals yet.

But boy, driving 18 hours to save $250 off of $500 airfare. That's less than $14 per hour not including gas and mileage on your car! It boils down to time versus money!

Well, good luck on your decision.