HELP needed by tomorrow COB - US airfares!!!

[Nicsjtp]

OK we are going May 2011 for approx 4 weeks. We have started to book bits and pieces but just today have been given a FANTASTIC airfare deal at the flight centre expo

hmmmm what to do.... we only have until COB tomorrow to pay in full to lock it all in. The total adult price is $1152 including taxes - this is syd-SF-Orlando
(need to buy a ticket from Orlando to NY but wont be any more than $200 pp)
NY-SF
SF-Syd

SO ALL FLIGHTS ARE INCLUDED in that $1152 except the Orlando-NY flight

So it is a never heard of deal..... the only 2 negatives

1. Its flying United Airlines. Im just not keen on them. I dont think I have heard many positive esp those travelling with young kids.
2. The flight from SF to Orlando gets us into Orlando at 11:45pm - not ideal with 3 young kids. And Im thinking that the rest of the next day will be a write- off in WDW....

but is the above enough NOT to book this deal? I cant do anything about no 1. but with no 2 I can actually add an extra 2 days on the end of our cruise in Orlando (we have 10 nights in WDW then a 4 day Bahamas cruise before flying to New York) and we can then do KEnnedy Space Center or Universal or something else we run out of time to do (just not WDW)....

Has anyone flown United? I just dont know and am feeling nervous because we HAVE to decide by tomorrow!!!! What would you do (by the way my kids will be 8,6 and 2 at time of travelling but essentially we have one child each as my mum is coming with us too!!)

HELP needed and quickly!!!!

 

[queenie82]

I personally love United and flown to the US with them 6 times now.
You won't get many positive comments about them on here as United seems to be used as a punching bag by many Australians.

The biggest complaint is the lack of in seat entertainment which I really don't care about it. I've had it on JAL, Finnair and others but I find it a pain. And I WILL NOT pay more to have it.
I get told by the parents...oh you don't understand...we MUST have inseat...
If you have an uncontrollable need for inseat entertainment then that is a decision only you can make.

I've seen very very happy kids aged 6 and 8. I saw a delightful 6yo with her own dvd player and headphones. To me this is a cheaper investment, they get WHAT they want when they want, and you get to keep it.
[Her younger sister would have been no happier with inseat entertainment as she was a wrigglepuss.]

Beyond this complaint is the age of their fleet. However our last flights were on newly refurbished planes, and while it would still have been an older plane...they are well maintained and reliable planes.

I would DEFINITELY take up the flights. It is a good deal
HOWEVER...I wouldn't book ANYTHING through Flight Centre.
They are about the worst travel agency out there.
The deal is being offered BY UNITED...not FC. So if you have ANY other agent you can contact and get them to book it please do.

As I say I love United and have never had any major issues.
They are reliable and as it is an American Airline you travel with less Australians - which means when you get to Customs there are less 'Aliens' travelling with you.

BEST thing for me is Economy Plus. You pay about $500AUD a year and get extra legroom. You need one membership per 2 people and you can apply it to ALL flights over that year.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I personally will fly United....as LAST resort.

I've tried flying with them about 3 times before and I'm not a fan of their service nor lack of inseat entertainment. And this was in the days before we had our son.
You are the only person that will know how your kids behave and how essential it is for personal entertainment, possibly only applicable for your 6 and 8 year old.

My husband will fly United and doesn't mind their service; but I'm still yet to be convinced. I will try them again with their newer fleet of planes - but I don't like their older planes at all.

In all 3 times, we have also flown United internally as well. Whilst I am prepared to try flying with them for the long haul (as last resort), I am NOT prepared to use them as an internal carrier. In my personal opinion, their airport service is appalling!

 

[Nicsjtp]

Thanks for the replies so far...

queenie82 - yes United are offering the deal BUT it was for today only at the flightcentre expo - it isnt offered on their website or through United itself... was a "day only" deal for the expo so I highly doubt any other TA could match it. But I suppose I could go to my trusty TA tomorrow before making any decisions with my paperwork to see if they can come close??? Tha TA I dealt with today actually seemed really on the ball ????

Hmm I just dont know - Qantas have absolutely no deals on for May 2011 but I think I was told sept/oct would be the time for some better deals on the airfares so I may just be too early... we realise we wont be able to get anything cheaper but do we take the gamble that we will get a good special to LA flying a different carrier????

Anyone know how I can look up what the Syd to LA flights were this may just gone just to get a bit of an idea (ie May 2010??)

 

[PrincessInOz]

I flew Qantas MLB to LAX return this May. I chose the direct flight and paid about $1250 for an adult ticket. I bought my ticket in Feb/March of this year.

At the same time, the indirect flights via Sydney being offered in Feb 2010 AND April 2010 were $1100. I think at one stage, we could have gotten MLB via Brisbane to LAX for as low as $1030.

Without the online deals/specials, the direct flights were $1800.

 

[Sugarglider]

We went to orlando return in early June and, whilst we flew Qantas, the United price on offer was pretty much the same as this one - maybe only $100 more?
I paid $1300 for my husband to fly Qantas and AA Syd - LAX - Orlando return. United was charging $1000 for SYD-LAX rtn and adding the LAX-MCO rtn flight would have been about $300. So I suspect you have a price as cheap as they come (in May 2009 I flew Qantas Syd-LAX-MCO rtn for $1100!) so you run the gamble of will they have the cheap fares again in May 2011

 

[cola]

We flew United last year, and I would happily do it again. I took a little netbook as inseat entertainment. I really don't think inseat entertainment is the be all and end all of airline selection (price was the biggest factor $970 Syd-Vegas-Orlando-San Fran-Syd)

The other advantage with United is you get the international and US domestic flights all on one ticket. It seems most (all???) of the internal airlines are charging for checked baggage, but if your ticket originates outside the US you don't have to pay the checked baggage fee. Some have managed to avoid the checked baggage on different internal airlines, but I also know some that did have to pay the checked baggage fee on a standalone internal flight, seems to be a bit of if you get someone on a good day or a bad day. I prefer knowing I will avoid it, not hope for the best.

Arriving at 11:45pm, arriving at 10am, arriving at any time of day if you're not having a stop over in SF, the next day will be a bit of a challenge. At least late at night you will have a no queing check-in, if you arrived first thing in the morning, you can't check-in until later. If you are having a stopover in SF 11:45pm isn't that bad once you take in the time zone difference.

I'll probably fly United again if it's cheap

 

[Nicsjtp]

Your posts have been so helpful! Knowing that some have flown around that time for not a great deal of difference - well we think we will take the gamble.. we werent planning on having to pay this early on for ALL airfares (we have to pay for the WDW accomodation shortly as we are doing a DVC rent for a villa at the contemporary) as well as trying to knock the rest of the cruise... and whilst the inflight entertainment isnt a huge deal to us as adults given the age of our kids it really will be a major thing.. yes we could do a portable dvd but that would mean the 3 of them have to share and we can envisage all sorts of problems... the older boys will not want to sit and watch the wiggles!!! We were only going to go ahead IF this deal was not even close to what we may get a few months down the track at that time of year... and also knowing that United have offered a similar deal in the past - well I think I may just sit and wait like we originally planned...