MN, How are you flying to Disney? The flights are outrageous!!

[goofeyshell]

I bought tickets in June on Delta for our Feb/Mar vacation in Florida and wondered if I did the right thing as they have 1 connect---They were $185. Now I am JUMPING for joy as the cheapest flt out of MSP for our dates is $291 and connect also. Who are you flying out of Msp on and what prices are you getting?

 

[zulaya]

I am flying out Dec 4 and I got a rate of $203 per person on NWA non stop. It was sheer luck becasue we were on a charter from HHH, the charter cancelled and they put us on NWA no extra charge.

I think the $185 you got was really good. I know CarolMN is going a few days before me and is flying Delta with a connection and got a good rate because MSP is always high.

You have to know the rates and watch them like a hawk as soon as you know your dates so you can jump on that low one when it appears.

You also have to realize that you did the smart thing by booking early. Feb/Mar is peak season at DIsney plus you have Spring Breaks in there. People will travel during that time without a deal on airfare so that's why you are seeing the outrageous prices.

 

[pugdog]

We are flying out on AA on Dec 4 and got the flight for $145 back in aug. It was great price war at the time and AA beat out Delta.

 

[Disneymooners]

We are flying out of Sacramento, Ca. Dec. 7 and got $129.00 round trip on NWA...

I booked back in September during the price wars..

 

[CarolMN]

Yep, we're flying out of MSP just after Thanksgiving on Delta. Got fares of $158 RT with 1 stop (at CVG). Bought the tickets last June. At the time, NWA wanted more than $300 for a non-stop. IIRC, I bought two tickets for less than NWA wanted for 1 ticket.

I agree with zulaya - you have to watch fares "like a hawk" and jump on anything within your price range when you see it. IT helps if you can plan your trips well in advance of departure. Good fares do not last long.

IMHO, we are all going to have to get used to paying higher fares. The airlines, with one or two exceptions (and those do not serve MSP), are losing money. Most are agressively cutting capacity. Most are also cutting business fares. That means higher fares for leisure travelers, like us.

 

[MickeyMagic]

I bought 7 tickets on Delta for the end of March 2003 for $205 each. A couple weeks after I bought them, I saw a price of $155 -so I called Delta and was issued vouchers for the extra $50.

Here and there, I see rates under $200 for the end of March, but when I try to plug in my dates, the seats always come up unavailable. I'm glad I booked early!!!

 

[goofeyshell]

Other years when we have gone in Feb, we always bought tickets at the end of Oct. with tickets running around $210 or less.....When I bought the Delta Tickets I hesitated as a nonstop flight for $25 more was worth it for me but they are not to be found this year. With 6 tickets to buy that hundred dollars each saved me the price of the two rental cars for 10 days which is a whole different story.........

 

[mattlm]

Very low - right down I-75....

 

[jselz]

Watching like a hawk on the net is the only way to go. Booked early last week from MSP-MCO 3/9-3/18 on US Airways $125 base price per person for 6 people, ~$160 pp after fees and taxes. Noticed the fares around midnight, by 2 am, fares were back to normal (was working a midnight shift). NWA was around $250. By the time I received travelocity's airfare alert through the email ~6am, fares were back up. Next day, Delta and United were down to $138 for a short time, maybe due to US Airways recent short price drop.

Fares are a funny thing, just booked wife on NWA roundtrip from Honolulu to Fargo, ND, connecting in MSP for $550 pp. If we were to book exact same flights on same dates from HNL-MSP without additional leg to FAR (lower operating cost for airline), $680 pp.

Reason, no real competition on the HNL-MSP route but United flys HNL-FAR through Denver causing competition cutting prices.

 

[disneymom3]

We leave in 12 days for Disney from Elk River and after our fiasco last year with ATA decided we weren't ever doing that again with three small children, so we are driving. $200 in gas and a $50 hotel in Macon is a better deal all around. Now just pray there is no Thanksgiving blizzard.!