And we have a flight home!!

I HATE having a flight one way and not the other. I'd booked my fly down for my March 2011 trip and held on the return flight. So nerve wracking to not have that flight booked to come home. So when I did that yet again for this upcoming trip, it once again left me antsy.

I checked all the sites. Repeatedly. For like a week. The prices on the flights I wanted weren't moving in the direction I wanted. And paying $160 each for the direct Jetblue flight leaving Orlando at 6:55 pm just wasn't gonna happen. Paying that much was just ridiculous.

So then I started considering Airtran. They had a direct flight for $110 (same as what I paid for our flight down on Southwest) but of course, there would be checked bag fees. $20 each to be exact. And it left at 5:49 pm. In total, it was $120 less than the Jetblue flight. Was it worth it to pay $120 for an extra hour in Disney???

Most Disney fanatics, including myself, would say "Hell yes!!!!" But my thrifty self said no. I needed these flights to be as cheap as possible. And it was only an hour. The difference would be Magical Express picking us up at our resort at 2:30 ish or 3:30 ish. Usually by that time we are pretty tired and one extra hour would't really give us much. But still......an hour in Disney is better than an hour anywhere else on earth.

But I was done waiting and worrying the flight would go up just like all the others had. So I booked. And I felt relieved. :)

How are you struggling with airfare these days? Like me, worrying about the cost? Or are you lucky enough not to have to fret about those kinds of things? :)

Thrifty Tips Tuesday

One thing people need to save money on is travel expenses. The prices of gas have made any option just sickening. Seriously....it hurts my stomach when I look up a quote for round trip tickets for me, hubby, the two kids, and for this upcoming trip, my parents, too. 6 round trip tickets are close to $2000!!! That is insane.

So just how do you save money on travel expenses??

Many people have chosen to drive wherever they go instead of flying. I personally am not a big fan. I get car sick (mainly headaches, if I do too much. I kinda have to just sit there...no reading or games, or anything. Even reading too many roadside signs will make my head hurt, which turns into nausea.)

But anyway, for many, the drive is a fun-filled adventure. They bring games and movies, music...they pack some food..have a picnic or two along the way. All they need to pay for is gas...couple tanks and they're in Florida. It's a really intriguing option if you're within a 10-12 hour drive. But if you live further away, it's a bit more difficult. Many people opt to drive half-way and stop for the night at a hotel. That adds probably about $75-$125 to your cost each way (depending on your hotel preference). But still.....spending $600 on travel expenses is a lot less than $2000.

Unless you're like me and cannot stand to take that long to get there and then come home!! :)

Over the last few years, we have flown only discount airlines: Jetblue, Southwest and Airtran (which has now been bought by SW). These airlines consistently have the lowest fares and least amount of fees. Southwest allows it's travelers two checked bags for free, and Jetblue allows one. Every other major airline will charge you $20 per bag, per way. I watch the websites daily, waiting for the prices to drop so I can take advantage of an awesome deal. Lately, the deals haven't been coming as much as they used to, but still, the prices are better than the major airlines.

Southwest has a program you can download (Ding!) that alerts you when your fares drop. I know there are other services on other websites, too.

Good luck!! I'd love to hear your ways to save money on traveling!