We Have Airline Tickets To Get Us Home From Our December 2015 Disney Cruise

We have airfare for one half of our December 2015 Disney Cruise Line vacation—the return flight! 

When I told some folks, they thought I was nuts/crazy.  “What about getting there?”  “How can you do that?”  “That would drive me insane!”  And, my favorite, “Can you do that?”

Oh, yes, you can do that!  And, by “that” I mean not purchase round trip airfare.  It’s not the first time that we have only purchased one leg of airfare for a trip and there is definitely some thinking behind it. . .

Our cruise is over New Year’s and is 7-night itinerary.  We disembark on Saturday, January 2, 2016—after spending New Year’s Day on Castaway Cay!  And, given that we have to be at work and school on Monday, January 4, 2016, our window in which to get home starts at noon on January 2 as the cruise line suggests not booking flights any earlier than noon on disembarkation day.  The price for those flights, if they existed at all, was incredible—we’re talking $400-$700 per ticket one-way.  Alas, I found a very reasonable one-way flight for the next morning.  Yep, it is an early flight 6:00 am and yes, it has a connection with a short layover (50 minutes) and the price was right—especially after watching it fluctuate for a few days.  So, yesterday, I jumped.  I called our travel agent and within minutes, we had our seats. 

Was our travel agent worried about us getting there?  Nope.  She knows it will happen, especially since we aren’t sure yet when we can leave in December as work and school schedules have yet to be set. 

Another decision we made was to stay at the Hyatt at Orlando International Airport after we disembark the ship as we don’t fly until the next morning.  We could have picked a Disney Resort Hotel.  The trade off was ease and a bit of sleep.  If we stayed at a Disney Resort the Magical Express would be picking us up at 3:00 am for a 6:00 am flight.  Staying at the Hyatt means we can have a bit more leisurely pace in the wee hours of the morning and check-in for our flight literally downstairs say at 4:30 am.  I’ve got another ace up my sleeve in case of inclement weather by being at the airport the day prior to our flights home, too.  (I don’t want to jinx it and at the same time, if travel advisories are issued we may be able to get on flights sooner—rather than later.)

Buying airfare is like playing Russian Roulette. . . at least it feels that way.  I set the price alerts on Kayak to get notifications, I watch the prices for various days, and even various airports.  Most of the time, we do okay—as of today, that same flight is now $51 higher per ticket.  Whew!  Now, I’m going to stop looking at those prices and keep an eye out for flights TO Orlando!

One Call To Our Travel Agent And Airline Tickets For Trip #12 Are Purchased

Airfare for trip #12 has been purchased.  For July?  Already?  Yes and yes!

Trolling airline prices, setting price alerts on Kayak, and even checking out a new airfare site, hipmunk.com keeps me in the loop for flight prices, times, trends, etc.  I was watching fares climb and then descend.  Everything in my gut said buy.  So, we did.  And, two days later the price climbed $65 per ticket. 

When I called our travel agent to make the purchase, she called me back just a few minutes later to let me know that the prices were a handful of dollars higher at an airport 60 miles closer than the one we were booking our flights to and from.  She said she might make more work for herself by telling me but wanted us to know.  (Oh, just another reason why we love her!) 

I told her that I already knew the prices for that airport but while the prices were only a bit higher, the times for the flights were not as good.  Early morning as compared to later in the morning; one requiring an overnight stay prior to flying as opposed to driving that morning.  She laughed and I thanked her for checking.

Buying airfare is like gambling and figuring odds of winning.  Knowing price trends for various airports, airlines, and destinations helps.  I have also found, after several trips, that there is also a cycle with flights out of various airports being better deals some years and then not so much other years. 

When I was visiting with our travel agent, I told her I thought it was funny that we booked the flights first and then will fill in the middle, though we already know what we want.  She didn’t think it was funny to do the flights first at all.   Let the planning begin!

Purchasing Airfare--And Getting The Best Deal

Flying on our last trip

What cost us $660 when we bought it and is now $1,404?  No, not stock in Apple.  Airfare!  When we planned our upcoming trip and purchased airfare, round trip tickets for nonstop flights were $220 per person or $110 per “leg” of the trip.  If we were to purchase those exact same tickets today, the cost would be $468 per person or more than $700 more!

Buying airfare can be tricky.  And, even after dozens of flights, I still find myself double guessing and not trusting my instincts.  Very seldom though, have my instincts been wrong.  Here are some things we have learned about purchasing airfare:

• It helps to know what a “good price” is for air, just like you would know what a good price is on any other purchase such as an appliance or something at the grocery store.  Message boards can help you as well traveled folks often post their “good deals.”
• Let technology help you, along with a great travel agent.  We use Kayak and Airfare Watchdog to keep track of flight prices for us, setting notifications for weekly updates if we are a ways away from our trip and then changing them to daily when we are considering making a purchase.  Remember that Kayak.com does search major carriers, but discount carriers such as Southwest and Allegiant are not featured on their site, so you have to go to those airline web-sites directly.  (Southwest’s DING app can help though)
• Major carriers release dates 335 days prior to flying while discount carriers release flights 6-9 months ahead.  So best deals can be found within that 6-9 month window typically as major carriers will adjust their prices when the discount carriers release theirs if they are in a competing market.
• A caution to the previous bullet—the fares for discount carriers may not be the best when they are first released.  They know folks are waiting for them and the prices can be higher the first week or so of released fares—waiting may get you savings.  A caveat to this is around the holidays or other peak travel times.  For example, newly released flights for a Saturday before a holiday could be sold out before the price gets reduced.
• If your travel dates are flexible, week-day flights are typically less than week-ends.  Play with your dates to find the best air deal.
• Airfares are typically less when shopping on a Tuesday or Wednesday.  True.  It has to do with when airlines check the status of their flights and reconfigure rates, publicize them, etc.  So when you are tempted to book that getaway on a Friday, stop yourself and check the following Tuesday.  Patience may pay off!
• You don’t have to book a round trip.  Flyers can purchase “legs” of their trips using different carriers for the best deals.  For example, if United had the best flight times and prices for the outgoing leg of a trip but Southwest had the best return times and flight fares, then take advantage and purchase separately.

When we made our airfare purchase for our upcoming trip, we only purchased one “leg” of the trip. . . the outbound flight.  The price was right, we had the money, and we were willing to make the gamble about the return flight.  The husband was nervous for a while thinking we might have to hitchhike home.  Sure enough, our gamble paid off, as flight prices for the return flight went down and we pounced.  It was a relief.

Purchasing airfare is a major portion of any trip budget and it can be nerve racking to find and pounce on the best deal.  I work in tandem with our travel agent; both of us checking to find a great price and flight times and dates that work the best.  But when you get a great deal, you know it!

Potential Hazards of Winter/Holiday Travel

Traveling anytime can be tricky, but traveling during the winter and peek holiday time can be perilous.  Still, we take our risks and have many “war” stories about cancelled flights, unplanned overnight stays, delayed flights, broken airplanes, dead car batteries, etc.  We have been mid flight before when the pilot informed us there was a hole in the windshield and we were returning to the airport only to sit on the tarmac in a bus while the airline figured out what to do with us.  Holiday travel can also mean stores, restaurants, gas stations, and other services have limited hours or are closed. Yep, we have some stories and our most recent holiday travel not only brought some of those stories back to mind, but added to our list.

I’ll start at the beginning, which is a very good place to start.  The day prior to the drive and fly portion of our journey, the husband’s van was rear-ended.  He called me to say that he and the boy were okay, but they had been involved in an accident.  I went to the scene to discover that the back end of our van was smashed and the rear tailgate would not and could not open. 

Hmmm. . . this was the car we were driving to the airport to haul our family and luggage in comfort.  The van was still drivable and safe.  We decided to load the luggage in and out of the side door.  I felt like the Beverly Hillbillies pulling up in front of the airport to drop off the boy, the husband, and the luggage.  It was a two person job to get the luggage out of the back and out the side door.  Nevertheless, it worked. 

We arrived safely at the airport in time for our flights even after a blizzard had hit our area two days prior.  The roads, highways, and interstates on our 120 mile journey to the airport were of varying conditions and we counted the number of cars and trucks off the sides of the roads.  I just kept my hands on the wheel and adjusted speed as necessary.  We had a shovel in the car with us along with a hard sided cooler with food and drinks.

Upon arrival at the airport, all went smoothly. . . checking in for our flights, checking the luggage, etc.  We went through security and on to our gate.  After a few moments, the time of the plane’s departure was pushed back an hour and ten minutes.  I had the airlines programmed on my cell phone and made a call.  Seems our connecting flight hadn’t left Chicago yet.  I waited another forty minutes and made another call.  Same story.  At this point, I left the gate with boarding pass and ID in hand and went back to the ticket counter.  I was reassured that we would arrive in Chicago in plenty of time to catch our connecting flight to Orlando.  Back through security I went to re-join my family.

Well, the flight did arrive and soon we were off.  Upon arrival in Chicago, we took a shuttle to another terminal and found the gate for our next flight.  We actually arrived in Orlando a few minutes ahead of schedule!

Since liquids are limited to 3 ounces going through security, I wait until we are at our gate and purchase a bottle of water.  We then refill the bottle regularly throughout our journey.  In O’Hare, there are water fountains with bottle refill stations—very convenient!

We had also packed a soft-sided cooler inside the husband’s carry-on bag that contained sandwiches, snacks, fruit bars, granola bars, and Clementine’s.  These made it through security with no problem and provided a juicy and nutritious treat for us throughout our journey.  Note:  Any opened items or fruits and vegetables had to be consumed prior to boarding the ship.  The unopened packaged items, such as fruit bars, granola bars, and fruit snacks were okay for us to take on the ship.

Returning was another matter, but this one was on Disney, specifically Disney’s Magical Express which offers free transportation to Walt Disney World Resort guests to and from Orlando International Airport.  Having traveled to Walt Disney World ten times, I can say that we have used Disney’s Magical Express for each of our trips, many times without incident.  It seems that when we cruise and then go to the resorts, there is a glitch in the system.

The first time we experienced the glitch was July 2011 when we took Disney Cruise Line transfers from Orlando International to Port Canaveral and from Port Canaveral to our Walt Disney World Resort and had reserved Disney’s Magical Express for our return ride to the airport.  Turns out that Magical Express didn’t have us on the “list” and we had to make some phone calls the last evening of our stay.

Having experienced this situation once already, I was determined to make sure it didn’t happen on our most recent trip.  So, when checking in for our Disney Cruise Line transfers at Orlando International Airport, which shares the counter with Disney’s Magical Express, I brought out my Magical Express documents, explained what happened last time, and asked if they needed to do anything to make sure we would receive “tickets” for the return trip back to the airport.  I was told to inform my resort when we check in.  Okay.

Fast forward to our check-in day at Coronado Springs after our cruise and once again, I’m telling the story and asking that we are for sure going to have a ride back to the airport.  Carmen was very helpful and phoned Disney’s Magical Express service while I waited to make sure everything was all right.  Our travel agent had included Magical Express reservations, so all was done well on that end.  Carmen assured me we were okay and would receive the “tickets” on our resort door the day prior to leaving.

When we returned to our resort after a long day of park touring, no Magical Express tickets were to be found.  Three phone calls later and a trip to the front desk by the husband we were set to go.  Not a very magical way to spend the last evening of our trip.  I emailed Walt Disney World guest services about this issue and have yet to hear back.  One time, I can understand, but for the same thing to happen twice, even after I took all those steps to make sure it didn’t happen tells me there is a glitch in the system.  And, we want it worked out before our next cruise and Walt Disney World stay.   

The funny thing is that each time we travel during the winter I tell myself we won’t do it again; the risks and inconveniences are too much.  And, yet, two to three years later, we find ourselves once again packing up and making travel plans over the holidays; each time attempting to plan and prepare better for a smoother journey.  The lessons we have learned from our “war” stories help us and give some perspective knowing that it could be worse and we have what we need to handle situations.  Keeping safe is the main thing.

Safe winter travels to you and yours!

Flexibility Is Key: Flight Changes

We are now less than three months from our next Disney vacation and our flights have changed. . . twice.

Let me begin with the fact that we have the best travel agent ever!  We love her and all that she does for us—which is a lot!

The first change came a couple of weeks ago.  I got an email or phone call, I don’t remember which, about our return flights.  They were being changed drastically, so we were able to pick new flight times at no expense.  The change went in our favor as the late morning flights would mean NO three or four AM trip on the bus to the airport.  We’ve done it and it isn’t pretty.  Score one in our favor!

The most recent change came yesterday with an email from our travel agent.  This change affected our outgoing flights and had us reaching our destination at midnight.  When I read the email I groaned, audibly.  When we purchased the flights we were arrived close to 10:00 pm which was not ideal, but midnight?  I immediately picked up the phone and Shauna, our travel agent, said she would try and work her magic.  Even if it meant an early morning flight out, that would okay as we would reserve a park-n-fly hotel nearby and make our drive to the airport the night before (the airport is 2 ½ hours away.)

Another email came in with good news.  Our flights had been changed and we now had a late morning flight with an arrival time of early evening.  Yeah!  And, we were flying on a different airline altogether.  Again, the changes were at no charge to us.  Score another one in our favor!

So now the decision is whether or not to reserve a park-n-fly room for the night before or drive the morning of our flights and pay for airport parking.  We are waiting a bit to make the final decision.  Weather and possible additional flight changes are factors in our decision making.

Flexibility is the key.  We purchased our flights 7 months ago and had we been rigid in the flight times these changes may have been difficult.  Also, we planned to fly to our destination the day prior to sailing on our cruise.  Imagine the frustration and anxiety if the flight changes were occurring the day OF the cruise!  We’ve been there, done that, and will try to avoid it if at all possible.

Also amusing in the whole story is that for our return flights on our new carrier, our seat assignments are not together.  Oh, the husband and I have been assigned to sit together, but not the boy.  When we were talking about it at dinner last night, the boy was thrilled to be seated away from us on both legs of our flights—that speaks volumes for his confidence and number of times flying.  The husband then segued into a story about how the boy would be seated next to a comedian and the story would then be used in a stand-up act, etc.  (He also wanted to know if we sitting in first class.  Answer: No.) 

Am I concerned?  No.  Either one of us will sit with the boy or we will check about switching seat assignments at flight check in or will wait until we get on the plane and see if someone will switch.  We have an aisle seat to trade for a window seat so the bargaining is in our favor!

I know that flight changes, seat assignments, late arrivals, and early departures are some of the reasons some folks choose not to fly.  I get it.  Yet, given the distance to our preferred destination and travel windows, we prefer the expediency of flight travel.