Air Fare

[FSH 210 Sport]

Ok we used up some AMEX points/miles and threw about $1000 cash into it and have seats on Delta.

There ya go! All set for a great trip to sunny FLA in the dead of winter in MI!

Looks like it may be a cold one this year!

Farmers’ Almanac 2025 - 2026 Winter Weather Forecast

Farmers' Almanac 2025 - 2026 winter forecast calls for dramatic swings and widespread wintry weather! See your region's weather predictions.

www.farmersalmanac.com

 

[HangOutdoors]

Hopefully it will be nice when we go down there.

 

[jocolo21]

www.snaptravel.com

 

[Bluewater272]

FYI, saw an article the other day that airline pricing is expected to be discounted in the fall. If those flights are refundable, keep an eye out.

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

Flew a non airbus Delta 2 weeks ago. Give me Southwest all day. Cheaper and more comfortable. Don't care that they don't have screens in the headrest.

@HangOutdoors You guys seem to travel a lot. You and your wife should both sign up for Southwest cards and get the companion pass bonus. You can transfer your amex credit card points to Southwest account and typically pay half price on tickets ($100 ticket is ~$50 cash out on points usually) then pay your $5 fee on the southwest card and get a second flight for $5. When your companion pass is up after a year, cancel it and switch to next bonus (I.E. chase vs amex). Going this route will get you guys flying 4 for the price of 1. (info needs to be confirmed - but I have a friend that does something to this nature, they go on vacation monthly)

 

[Joatmon]

I fly Allegiant Air. Cheap airline with nice planes. They usually only fly out of non major airports. They fly to Sanford near Orlando. There are several departure city options near Detroit that may be worth the drive to save air fare. If you don't mind taking a chance of not seating together as a family you can skip the cost of selecting seats. They will be assigned. We never pay for seats and 90% of the time we are seated together. Also if you are a veteran you can check two bags for yourself for free. My wife and I fly to Kentucky with the average cost of $150 for both of us.

 

[Beachbummer]

I was a spirit fan because they are CHEAP!

As long as you comply with their crazy luggage requests you would save a lot of cash...

Until they ghosted me after cancelling a flight out of FLL. Last flight out, kept us like idiots waiting since 8pm. We are still going... Until 4am. The spirit counter had at least 2 days worth of line, with 2 attendants and every traveler with a cancelled flight that day, and there were over 20.

Paid double my fare to return to Houston 2 days after on United. Disputed the charge, they never wrote back or acknowledged what happened.

I used to fly AirTran way back when. Never experienced anything like this. Never again.

I hate cattle call so I avoid Southwest.

Best of luck! I wish I had some help. If you are going to fly a cheaper operator maybe get full insurance through someone else so you can cash in if/when they abandon you.

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

I was a spirit fan because they are CHEAP!

As long as you comply with their crazy luggage requests you would save a lot of cash...

Until they ghosted me after cancelling a flight out of FLL. Last flight out, kept us like idiots waiting since 8pm. We are still going... Until 4am. The spirit counter had at least 2 days worth of line, with 2 attendants and every traveler with a cancelled flight that day, and there were over 20.

Paid double my fare to return to Houston 2 days after on United. Disputed the charge, they never wrote back or acknowledged what happened.

I used to fly AirTran way back when. Never experienced anything like this. Never again.

I hate cattle call so I avoid Southwest.

Best of luck! I wish I had some help. If you are going to fly a cheaper operator maybe get full insurance through someone else so you can cash in if/when they abandon you.

Any decent credit card has travel insurance and reimbursements.

 

[Beachbummer]

I must not have decent cards anymore. I don't pay annual fees currently on any cards. None of my free cards have any travel insurance anymore that I could find. Citi double Cash, Citi Costco are what I use normally.

Read the fine print. Both of these used to have it and over the last 20 years the benefit was removed.

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

I must not have decent cards anymore. I don't pay annual fees currently on any cards. None of my free cards have any travel insurance anymore that I could find. Citi double Cash, Citi Costco are what I use normally.

Read the fine print. Both of these used to have it and over the last 20 years the benefit was removed.

The Chase Freedom is free and offers travel protection. Sapphire is the king though, $95 annual (includes a $50 travel credit so really $45) and will reimburse for lost or delayed luggage and hotel rooms for cancelled flights. I think if you book through the Chase Portal and a flight gets cancelled, they will re-book your flights at no charge too.

 

[Beachbummer]

That's a very nice benefit.

 

[lazergeek]

It looks like your departure date is still within the holiday raping period which usually ends the 2nd week of January.

My 1 trip experience with Spirit will be my last. Besides the lack of leg room (im 6'3") and hard plastic seats I literally felt like I was on a bus in a 3rd world country. I had to make sure there want sheep and chickens running around as it smelled that bad too. Never Again...

 

[HangOutdoors]

Flew a non airbus Delta 2 weeks ago. Give me Southwest all day. Cheaper and more comfortable. Don't care that they don't have screens in the headrest.

@HangOutdoors You guys seem to travel a lot. You and your wife should both sign up for Southwest cards and get the companion pass bonus. You can transfer your amex credit card points to Southwest account and typically pay half price on tickets ($100 ticket is ~$50 cash out on points usually) then pay your $5 fee on the southwest card and get a second flight for $5. When your companion pass is up after a year, cancel it and switch to next bonus (I.E. chase vs amex). Going this route will get you guys flying 4 for the price of 1. (info needs to be confirmed - but I have a friend that does something to this nature, they go on vacation monthly)

Southwest doesn't have direct routes where we go from Detroit. Unfortunately.

 

[HangOutdoors]

I fly Allegiant Air. Cheap airline with nice planes. They usually only fly out of non major airports. They fly to Sanford near Orlando. There are several departure city options near Detroit that may be worth the drive to save air fare. If you don't mind taking a chance of not seating together as a family you can skip the cost of selecting seats. They will be assigned. We never pay for seats and 90% of the time we are seated together. Also if you are a veteran you can check two bags for yourself for free. My wife and I fly to Kentucky with the average cost of $150 for both of us.

Yes we saw allegiant air. Toledo is about 1:20 from me. Only problem is we needed to back in town on the 1st because the kids had important things going on on the 2nd of Jan. and they didn't have any flights on New Years day coming home. Great suggestion though

 

[HangOutdoors]

It looks like your departure date is still within the holiday raping period which usually ends the 2nd week of January.

My 1 trip experience with Spirit will be my last. Besides the lack of leg room (im 6'3") and hard plastic seats I literally felt like I was on a bus in a 3rd world country. I had to make sure there want sheep and chickens running around as it smelled that bad too. Never Again...

Yes, rough time. But it works on our schedules and after xmas we have that whole week with not much to do.

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

Personally, I wouldn’t fly Spirit.

We just got back from an Alaskan cruise and flew from Baltimore to Vancouver with a return from LA. Didn’t have a clue what pricing would be so went to Expedia to check prices, then made reservations directly with the airline.

Jim

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

It looks like your departure date is still within the holiday raping period which usually ends the 2nd week of January.

My 1 trip experience with Spirit will be my last. Besides the lack of leg room (im 6'3") and hard plastic seats I literally felt like I was on a bus in a 3rd world country. I had to make sure there want sheep and chickens running around as it smelled that bad too. Never Again...

Well that’s enlightening! I don’t fly much anymore at all, last time was 2015 when I went to China, that was on American I think, long but good flight. Flew on Alaska airlines around that time on what looked like a scaled down 737, great aircraft and great service.

 

[BlkGS]

My wife's family flies the cheap guys a lot. They live in a small town and can fly allegiant to another small airport near us/Orlando (Sanford). They kinda suck, not a lot of space and everything is extra. Checked bags, pay for it. Carry on? Pay for it. Her sister will fly down with just a backpack and they don't charge for that, but thats kinda not likely for most people, she can only do it because she has stuff here.

By the time you pay for carry ons and checked bags and all that, a lot of times it ends up being more money than the big guys

 

[HangOutdoors]

Well I am glad we booked when we did, prices have gone up over 30% (+$1000) for that week at a somewhat decent time during the day. Hated paying the premium but at this trend, it was going to be out of budget.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Well I am glad we booked when we did, prices have gone up over 30% (+$1000) for that week at a somewhat decent time during the day. Hated paying the premium but at this trend, it was going to be out of budget.

The main thing is that yiu and yours have a great time !