Worrying flight prices!!

[mexico]

Hi everybody! Just thought I'd start a new discussion about flight prices from the uk!!! I'm thoroughly hooked on Orlando and also on this forum! I can't believe Iwe have been going to Orlando for ten years and I've only discovered this forum!!! Anyway I am getting into a bit of a panic at The cost of flights and going by some recent posts I'm not alone!!! So I was wandering what other people think? What about all you villa owners are you getting concerned and are flight costs impacting on bookings? Every year I watch the price of the flights and they periodically go to terrible heights and then their will be a sale and they come back down again!!! But this year they just keep getting more expensive[msnsad] so what do you all think? Looking forward to your replies!!! Thanks Pauline

[abbeyvillas]

Hi Pauline, it all depends on when you can travel. Unfortunately people are still getting ripped off in the school holidays, as the flight prices are all hiked up then. If you can go slightly off the holiday period and shop around you can get some good prices. We found flights with Delta, with 1 stopover, in June for £480 and around £530 direct flights with Virgin. It's such a shame that those with school age children end up having to pay the highest prices. Saying that, it hasn't realty affected our bookings, touch wood! We've had more weeks booked this year than last, even in a recession! We find most of our guests just get the Disney bug and once they've been to Florida, find anywhere else hard to compare. [8D]
Pam & Jeanette

[steph_goodrum]

It is also compensated bit for the rise in Americans who are now discovering the luxury of a villa as opposed to an hotel room and are passing on the message to their friends. I've already had 2 referrals from some people who stayed in the New Year and now say they wished they had had the courage to try a private rental before.

We booked in Feb and got a price of £489 for June direct with Virgin which and my family who are going over the half term managed to get fllights for £450 with BA.

It is the school hols that affect the price somewhat but I did see in the Evening Standard the other that that something like 79% of people took their children out of school for last year so maybe the balance will swing soon. Unfortunately teachers have no option so the airlines do still have a captive audience in some markets.
The best advice is set your price limit and keep looking, if you get near to it , then book it so that at least you know you are going. If you keep waiting and waiting then , unless you are going on a charter which may be trying to fill the last seats , invariably the closer you get the higher the flight price as their is no incentive for the scheduled airlines to fill all their seats.

[DaveL]

Yes some airlines are 'extracting the urine' when it comes to fares to Orlando. Even more so when they fly direct to Orlando International and think they have a captive audience.

The simple answer is don't use them. There are plenty of other airlines who will get you there at a cheaper cost.

You can travel to Sanford or via another U.S. gateway. I have just checked flights over the next 6 weeks and have found prices from £265 (no that's not a typo) to £430 per person INCLUDING all tax and charges.

As an owner I travel to Orlando more frequently than most travellers. I have only travelled direct with Virgin once in the last ten years and that was because the ticket was free. They update almost all their other aircraft first before the ones on the Orlando route. My view is that they do as little as possible for customers on this route while extracting the most money they can.

What can you do?

Well I help all my guests get better deals elsewhere.

You do need to look at the overall picture and remember that the day you travel to Orlando is a 'dead' day. You are not going to do anything that day but travel to the villa, get some food, unpack and maybe have a swim. So look at the 'door to door' time for the journey not the flying time. Indirect flights that land at another U.S. gateway and then have a local flight look longer; however you clear customs when you change planes so there is not queue at Orlando. I generally find that I am in my home between 6:00 and 7:00 using one of these routes which is about 2 hours longer than a direct flight.

These flights are still expensive in the school holidays, Easter and Christmas. However over the last year quotes I have been getting are around £250 per person less than a direct Virgin flight. At these rates picking an indirect flight can effectively mean that you are getting the villa and your car hire for free.

Now who can argue with a 100% discount on villa and car prices.

The journey does not have to be a trial and breaking it up can actually help with a lot of children as they get to do something different.

So to answer the original questions prices are a concern but booking and enquiry levels are up on last year. I guess Virgin see the same thing which is why they have pushed prices as high as they are. So we come full circle, use another carrier and they will see booking drop.

Regards Dave

[dynomike red]

We have been looking at flight prices for April next year(school holidays[msnsad]).We can not believe the price difference with a 1 stop booking compared to direct with virgin, you are looking at a £600 per person price difference. We have been looking every day since the middle of March and the I stop price has not changed much £500-£650, just hoping that prices come down in the next 2 weeks. But on saying that £550 does not sound a bad price, the price we were looking for was about £490 so that’s not bad

[Katys Grandad]

I don't know anything about the level of rental booking so can't comment on that but I do travel transatlantic frequently and can say with a shadow of doubt that the air fare increases over the past 6-12 months have been greater than over the previous 10 years on the routes I travel and the 'sale' fares seem to be much less frequent and generous now.

The rises have definitely affected the frequency of my travel and I'm much more selective these days. I have to say that when we're viewing a £550 fare outside school holidays as reasonable it just shows how prices have risen.

Whether people will pay these prices is of course a matter for their personal choice and budget and I know a number of people who see themselves as priced out of a US holiday now. I suppose it's a matter of whether we'll just get used to these levels and pay up because I don't see any falls in fares from these levels in the future.

[mexico]

I'm glad to hear that villa owners aren't taking the brunt!! We don't have young children so normally can pick and choose when we go, but this year friends are coming with us for the first time and are restricted as to when they can go! We are travelling from Glasgow so it is always much more expensive! First time we went it was a package holiday into Sanford!!! Horrible flight! Horrible airport! Since then we have travelled with American, ba and virgin of which ba have always come out on top for service, virgin from Manchester was like a cattle wagon and the crew were very unhelpful! Because taking first timers this year we thought it would be nice to go direct but would not give virgin £1700 each direct from Glasgow !!!! Anyway have been checking all prices for every date in October and finding it hard to get anything below £700 which is till quite high as you are talking about two changes and some journey times over 20 hours which I would probably consider if the price was right! We don't mind changes so long as our luggage get s transferred! Went through new York and Chicago a few times but then went with ba from London and loved arriving early and not having a dead day as I am always so excited I've got get out right away as soon as I drop of the cases!!!! That's why I love this forum I love reading about people making their plans and the things they do when they get their!!! It all adds to the excitement!!!!

[Jeanmd]

I find that if we book as soon as the flights are available - 11 months before we fly - then we get the best deal going. I delayed a few days once and when I came to book I had to pay more, but still less than I would have paid later. I know this can be hard for some people to budget but if you go on regular times of the year then book as soon as you get back from your trip. I would also say that British Airways - who fly direct - have a price match on their web site - so they are often a few pence cheaper than the sites like Expedia- and if not they will match it anyway. Added bonus you get to book in on line 24 hours before your flight - which if you book indirectly you often can not.

[Katys Grandad]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Jeanmd
I find that if we book as soon as the flights are available - 11 months before we fly - then we get the best deal going. I delayed a few days once and when I came to book I had to pay more, but still less than I would have paid later. I know this can be hard for some people to budget but if you go on regular times of the year then book as soon as you get back from your trip. I would also say that British Airways - who fly direct - have a price match on their web site - so they are often a few pence cheaper than the sites like Expedia- and if not they will match it anyway. Added bonus you get to book in on line 24 hours before your flight - which if you book indirectly you often can not.
[/quote]

Just to give an example of how fares have risen - using that method I checked the price of a BA flight from Glasgow to Orlando next May (outside school holidays). The fare is £742.

[dynomike red]

Just to show how much flight price have gone up, 3 years ago we booked the same dates we are going this year and paid £420 per person direct with virgin, this year over £1000. 3 years previous to that we flew a 1 stop flight and paid £230 per person, this year £550. I know prices go up each year with inflation but I think Virgin are just taking it a little bit far as they know there will always be someone that will pay it [msnsad].If this trend continues I for one will be priced out of Florida[msnsad