What would you do???

[rabelgirls]

I need some help with my airfare...I have two options. My local airport now does flights into Sanford/Orlando twice a week. Thursdays and Sundays. I can get round trip tickets for all 4 of us for $600.00 including all taxes and service charages. My cruise doesn't leave until Saturday so I would have to stay two nights in a hotel prior to leaving for our cruise and one night after our cruise. Here's where is gets a little tricky...our cruise leaves from Fort Lauderdale so we would have to rent a car in Sanford/Orlando and drive. But what to do with the car? Park it at the dock? Take it to the local drop off center (for whichever car company it is)?

Option #2 - I can fly out of another airport that is about an hour away. Their flights are on Friday's and Monday. I had planned on going down on Friday anyway, less stress. So I will have one night prior to cruise and two nights after cruise in a hotel. Total for 4 round trip tickets for this flight is $800.

Hotel stays are the same with either option. I haven't priced a car yet as I haven't decided what to do with it if I rent one. If I drive to the airport that is an hour away, more than likely I will have to leave my personal car there and pay their storage fees for a week.

Anyone have any suggestions?

[pms4104]

I need some help with my airfare...I have two options. My local airport now does flights into Sanford/Orlando twice a week. Thursdays and Sundays. I can get round trip tickets for all 4 of us for $600.00 including all taxes and service charages. My cruise doesn't leave until Saturday so I would have to stay two nights in a hotel prior to leaving for our cruise and one night after our cruise. Here's where is gets a little tricky...our cruise leaves from Fort Lauderdale so we would have to rent a car in Sanford/Orlando and drive. But what to do with the car? Park it at the dock? Take it to the local drop off center (for whichever car company it is)?

 

Option #2 - I can fly out of another airport that is about an hour away. Their flights are on Friday's and Monday. I had planned on going down on Friday anyway, less stress. So I will have one night prior to cruise and two nights after cruise in a hotel. Total for 4 round trip tickets for this flight is $800.

 

Hotel stays are the same with either option. I haven't priced a car yet as I haven't decided what to do with it if I rent one. If I drive to the airport that is an hour away, more than likely I will have to leave my personal car there and pay their storage fees for a week.

 

Anyone have any suggestions?

Which departure airports are you considering?

 

As to the rental car and paying pier parking for the duration of your cruise ... have you considered two short-term rentals, one pre- and the other post-cruise? Might be cheaper than paying parking for a car you're not using.

[98Charlie]

Frankly, I'd take option 2. I'd much rather have the extra nights in a hotel in Ft. Lauderdale at the end of a cruise to unwind and have the opportunity to use the water taxis there to enjoy the city than fly into Orlando and have the stress of renting a car and driving to the Ft. Lauderdale port prior to the cruise.

 

DH & I sail out of Ft. Lauderdale often and often drie to an airport about 75 miles away to save some important bucks for our cruises. We never mind the drive to the other airport to save the dollars since we know we have Ft. Lauderdale in our future.

 

Don't think we'd feel the same if we were flying into Orlando and then have a drive to Ft. Lauderdale.

 

The extra dollars you might save on the flights will be eaten up by the cost of the rental car, IMHO.

 

Dianne

[lvtotrvl1]

Frankly, I'd take option 2. I'd much rather have the extra nights in a hotel in Ft. Lauderdale at the end of a cruise to unwind and have the opportunity to use the water taxis there to enjoy the city than fly into Orlando and have the stress of renting a car and driving to the Ft. Lauderdale port prior to the cruise.

 

DH & I sail out of Ft. Lauderdale often and often drie to an airport about 75 miles away to save some important bucks for our cruises. We never mind the drive to the other airport to save the dollars since we know we have Ft. Lauderdale in our future.

 

Don't think we'd feel the same if we were flying into Orlando and then have a drive to Ft. Lauderdale.

 

The extra dollars you might save on the flights will be eaten up by the cost of the rental car, IMHO.

 

Dianne

 

I agree..option two sounds much better...you will eat the 200 up in car,gas and parking...may cost you more in the long run. I'm sure one of our local Floridians can really help here, but I drove fll to mco years ago, and if I remember correctly it was about 3 hours.

[98Charlie]

I agree..option two sounds much better...you will eat the 200 up in car,gas and parking...may cost you more in the long run. I'm sure one of our local Floridians can really help here, but I drove fll to mco years ago, and if I remember correctly it was about 3 hours.

 

Yep, and the drive can be quite a hassle according to what time of the year the route is driven.

 

Given the choice of airports, driving time, expenses, etc., I'd take the flight to FLL any day if it was just the matter of $200 in air tickets. $$ saved on air tickets just won't come close to the xtra $$ spent getting to FLL from Orlando.

 

Just my 2 cents from landlocked Ohio where we have to fly anywhere to get to a cruise port. Been there done that.

 

Dianne

[pms4104]

Re-read the OP's scenarios ... and my concern would be flying from either airport on a carrier with such a limited schedule. Don't know the departure airport, but it appears the OP is flying in Decembber ... one burp in the weather, and the OP could be stranded for days at the departure city, particularly if the airlines is one that doesn't play nice with anyone else. Just my opinion, but I'd be looking at fcarriers/departure cities with more lift, even if it meant more $$$$ upfront. Hotels, meals, gas ... it all adds up in a hurry for a family and could well negate the cost savings on the airfares.

[rabelgirls]

Senerio #1 is from Yeager Airport in Charleston. Senario #2 is from Tri State Airport in Huntington. They are smaller planes than that of USAir or Delta or the like. Both airlines fly straight to their destination, no layovers. I agree with the above posters about the car rental and drive time. The extra dollars spent on airfare would be spent on gas, car rental etc. I'll start looking for a hotel close to the airport. Does anyone have any suggestions, as I have never been to Fort Lauderdale before?

[mycruz]

Hate to play devil's advocate, but what happens if your flight is cancelled? Are there alternatives for you to book something as a walk up and get to Florida in time for your cruise? Since this airline doesn't have daily service, wondering if you have to wait for the next day they fly and possibly miss your cruise.

[pms4104]

Hate to play devil's advocate, but what happens if your flight is cancelled? Are there alternatives for you to book something as a walk up and get to Florida in time for your cruise? Since this airline doesn't have daily service, wondering if you have to wait for the next day they fly and possibly miss your cruise.

I guess that was the scenario I was hinting at in my posts above. Perhaps I am spoiled living in Chicago ... yeah, I know, ORD can be a real choker when there's a burp in the air system, but it affords me many options not available to those living in other smaller communities.