Disney on a Dime: Post 1 Airfare

Okay, as promised, here is the first post on how to get yourself a trip to Disney on the cheap. When planning a vacation, the very first thing to think about is airfare. I've had vacation plans that sunk in the first moments of planning (like Hawaii) because of cost. If you've never flown from Cleveland to Hawaii, look up a flight. Not only is it EXPENSIVE, but its a crazy long flight. Hawaii seems beautiful and I really want to go one day but for that kind of money, I'll travel abroad first! So back to Orlando. To give a basic idea of the cost of a flight from Cleveland to Orlando, I used Continental Airlines and used dates far off in the future of March 20, 2012 through March 26, 2010. (Yes, March 20th is a tuesday; more on this later.) The cheapest non-stop flight on Continental is $359.40 and if you would like to check your bags, it is $25 for the first and $35 for the second. We will call this our base fair, it actually seem "okay" but now lets discuss Airtran Airways. If you've never flown out of Akron/Canton Airport, you have no idea what you are missing! The airport is tiny and not very busy, which means less wait time and a more relaxed start to your vacation. I can't remember the last time I waited more than say five minutes in line there and its much more friendly. I have to imagine parking is cheaper but I'm not 100% sure. They have a bar, Arby's (I think) and a Cinnabun; so you have snacks if your flight is delayed like ours was last May. Also, I went out to smoke several times while delayed and came back through security multiple times in a couple hours, try doing that at Hopkins! The same non-stop flight from Airtran is $285.40 and if you would like to check your bag the fee is $20 for the first one and $25 for the second. Without including the bags, this is a savings of $74.00. Now go ahead and times that by family members, in my family that is a savings of $444.00! Just by driving to a more quiet, relaxed airport to leave out of. It's a no brainer for me. Also, Airtran runs many specials which can be found by clicking here and then clicking on the "specials" tab in the upper right hand corner. When I booked our trip last May, I played a sort of waiting game with Airtran. Every month, they have specials for a time period so many months in advance. So I waited until the exact right time and booked when the time we needed to travel was the lowest, if you start planning well in advance you should be able to do this too! Don't quote me on this but I "think" I paid under $200 for each ticket last spring, round trip! Also, it seems that traveling midweek is cheaper, I attribute this to the business people who most likely fly home on Friday and back to work on Monday. So if your not getting a price you like, switch up your days a little. Also, Disney rewards you for staying longer; I will discuss this more in a future post on lodging. The only down fall that I can think of, is to make sure you inspect your checked luggage well when you receive it back. If you notice something when you get home, you will have to take it back to Akron/Canton to file the claim! I hope this is helpful for someone and if your going on vacation, have a great time and I am soooo jealous! Happy Flying.