Flights to Orlando

Sam127

I'm going on holiday to Orlando next summer (2013) with a group of friends, there will be 5 of us in total. We are currently pricing up flights, and are looking to spend around £600-£700 per person but we can't book flights until November/December.

I'm just wondering the following questions:

• What's the average I can expect to pay (per person) for a flight next August if I book around November 2012?
• Is there any way of getting a really good deal with the airline? (i.e. phoning them up/bartering on price etc?)
• Is it possible to get a good deal including car hire, for the budget we were looking to pay on the flight (£600p/p + car hire) ?

Also, I would appreciate any advice anyone can give me with regards to flights, etc. as there's quite a lot of preperation involved and want to make sure we do it all right!


Thanks in advance!

Obviously_the_best

Just use Skyscanner about 6 months before your dates, then phone the travel agent who comes up cheapest and try to haggle on the phone, if they wont it isn't too bad because they're the cheapest anyway. You should be able to get direct flights for under your budget, and connecting flights for a lot under.

Sam127

Obviously_the_best wrote: »

Just use Skyscanner about 6 months before your dates, then phone the travel agent who comes up cheapest and try to haggle on the phone, if they wont it isn't too bad because they're the cheapest anyway. You should be able to get direct flights for under your budget, and connecting flights for a lot under.

Is that tried & tested?! When we were discussing the holiday back in January 2012 and looked at flight prices for August 2012 for roughly the same dates some were coming in well over budget just for economy but due to other commitments with members of the group we decided to wait until 2013.

But we don't want to pay ridiculous money for flights so I wondered if it was better to book as soon as possible, or in the new year?

KarenG

Direct flights are running approx £1k per person for next August. Check out https://www.thedibb.co.uk for details of a thread which has details.

We go most Augusts and I would never pay that. We would fly direct and play hunt the bargain, I've normally been able to get to MCO for £550 per person.

When a cheap flight materialises you must be ready to buy immediately, as they can come and go quickly. Is that going to be an issue with so many people going?

Any chance you could go in September instead - flights cheaper!

KarenG

Obviously_the_best wrote: »

Just use Skyscanner about 6 months before your dates, then phone the travel agent who comes up cheapest and try to haggle on the phone, if they wont it isn't too bad because they're the cheapest anyway. You should be able to get direct flights for under your budget, and connecting flights for a lot under.

I'm not sure this is the best way for flights to Orlando in the school summer holidays. I recommend checking daily, from now onwards, preferably several times a day.

Sam127

KarenG wrote: »

Direct flights are running approx £1k per person for next August. Check out thedibb.co.uk for details of a thread which has details.

We go most Augusts and I would never pay that. We would fly direct and play hunt the bargain, I've normally been able to get to MCO for £550 per person.

When a cheap flight materialises you must be ready to buy immediately, as they can come and go quickly. Is that going to be an issue with so many people going?

Any chance you could go in September instead - flights cheaper!

Hi Karen - thanks for your response! It's good to know I'm not the only one in the boat here. We did consider September but various other factors made August the better option. I know it's because of the school holiday's etc, and the travel companies want to try and milk it!

We've agreed on a deadline on when we can all pay for the flights so as soon as we can do that and we find a flight at the right price that's when we'll book!

If you can get to MCO in Aug for £550 p/p that gives me some hope! Is that with a charter or one of the big names like BA/ Virgin? Do you also get deals with car hire? We would be staying in a villa so it's probably impractical to use public transport!

daphnemoon

Some great deals and on occasion sales to be found on Expedia or similar websites.

I used to work for an airline and basically if you book as soon as the flights come available you get the best rates. Group discounts normally start at groups of ten or so. Try lesser known airlines and boom as soon as you see a good deal. It won't be around for long!

Try holiday company airlines as they can sometimes sell off odd seats on their flights.

All the best!

KarenG

Sam127 wrote: »

Hi Karen - thanks for your response! It's good to know I'm not the only one in the boat here. We did consider September but various other factors made August the better option. I know it's because of the school holiday's etc, and the travel companies want to try and milk it!

We've agreed on a deadline on when we can all pay for the flights so as soon as we can do that and we find a flight at the right price that's when we'll book!

If you can get to MCO in Aug for £550 p/p that gives me some hope! Is that with a charter or one of the big names like BA/ Virgin? Do you also get deals with car hire? We would be staying in a villa so it's probably impractical to use public transport!

We've flown with Virgin at £436 per person into Miami using a miles plus money deal (using very few miles), last August we flew with Delta for £480 per person, we have also flown with Continental (now United) for similar prices. I've got my eye on Air Canada for next August with some possibles at £539 (we are lucky that our children seem to go back to school later than others next year which gives us access to cheaper flights). All the examples I've used there are indirect (except VA into Miami). We have flown VA and BA also, but I refuse to pay a lot more to fly direct in the holidays. I'd rather go on holiday a second time in the year and use the money for those flights!

You just have to look endlessly, or keep an eye on the Dibb - you can be sure any bargains will appear there! The bargains I've found historically have not generally appeared on Expedia. I use kayak and skyscanner to monitor.

I would never choose August for a holiday if I didn't have school age children (sorry!)
I book car hire separately, again I just wait for a deal to pop up.

There are not really any villas that you could access via public transport.

I've never done a charter flight, they've always been far too expensive in the school holidays for me. Whether you can expect a discount for multiple bookings I don't know!

Obviously_the_best

The other thing I'd try, is considering connections. If they're with the same airline, they're not really a hassle at all, and flying to charlotte or JFK, then changing planes, can reduce the costs dramatically.

Bradders9126

My advice is book the day they come out!! I've just booked for Orlando July 2013 in the school holidays. Day they come out a family of 4 was £3300. Week later they were £3800. That's when I did it and now they are over £4000 or no flights available. 7 days cost me £500.

Peter_Kendrick

Hi Sam 127,
I live in Orlando six months a year and rent out my villa the rest of the time. Unless you have to don't go in August. It is wet (rains almost every day but only for a short time), it is very hot and humid (mid 90's), VERY busy in the Theme Parks and flights are very expensive.

I assume you are going with schoolchildren. Direct flights will be way out of your budget. Therefore you would need to book with an American airline. Cheapest flights are midweek. Try to go with US Airways (via Philidelphia), or Delta (via Atlanta) as they are usually the quickest allowing for a stop over. Expect to pay around £750+ per person. If you see them cheaper book but BEWARE US airlines overbook and also consolidate their fights nearer departure leaving you with a much longer journey and nothing you can do about it. It is usually cheaper the later you go in August. The theme parks are slightly quieter then as most US schools go back at the beginning of August.

The car hire company I use if I need a car is Dollar and you can book direct via their website https://www.dollar.co.uk

Good luck.