Best way to find decent airfare from ORD to MIA

[FlyerTalker]

We took off into the wind and I don't know how the pilot could see the runway because it was complete white out from my midplane window. Funny thing is didn't take long after he throttled up to get in the air with the headwind. I bet we used half the runway or less.

Taking off into the wind is the usual/preferred way of doing it in all conditions.

 

As for half the runway....given that the longest runway at ORD is 13000 feet, that's not surprising at all.

[Zach1213]

Taking off into the wind is the usual/preferred way of doing it in all conditions.

 

As for half the runway....given that the longest runway at ORD is 13000 feet, that's not surprising at all.

 

 

Yep airlines takeoff in to the wind because it helps produce lift.

 

You also land in to the wind to help control you - no big gusts pushing you forward when you need to be slowing down.

[Warm-Water Diver]

Those flights are on Spirit and are ORD -FLL. Outbound leaves at 5:30 am, return is at 9:40 pm.

 

Edited to add, I see that this was Spirit was mentioned. It would be crazy to chose Spirit, but then I also think it unwise to fly out of ORD in winter the same day your cruise leaves.

 

I understand the risks of flying out of ORD in the Winter but I have done this many times without incident, knowing weather etc. can definitely come up and impact the plans.

 

Also having said that I have flown Spirit once, and do remember them arguing with me about the size of my personal items and carry-ons etc. (want additional revenue) but other than that what am I missing? Post about health issues a joke? Risk is definitely there but at more than $220 + savings per ticket, it's hard to ignore and they do have direct flights available.

 

Just for sake of argument, if they have mechanical issue on say the outbound flight, do they have alliance with other airlines to get me another direct flight out?

[6rugrats]

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Just for sake of argument, if they have mechanical issue on say the outbound flight, do they have alliance with other airlines to get me another direct flight out?

 

Nope, none. You'd have to wait for space available on another Spirit flight.

[pcur]

Nope, none. You'd have to wait for space available on another Spirit flight.

 

I agree with you. Since your outbound is at 5:30am, if there was a problem you would have other flights to choose from unless the airport was completely closed. In that case you probably have contingency plans to get there, or worst case the first port?

[Warm-Water Diver]

I agree with you. Since your outbound is at 5:30am, if there was a problem you would have other flights to choose from unless the airport was completely closed. In that case you probably have contingency plans to get there, or worst case the first port?

 

Not a good scenario. If the airport closed I doubt I could make the drive from Chicago to Miami within a day.

 

First 2 days of cruise are at sea so I'd have to fly in to St Thomas 2 days later. I'm thinking I might take the same Spirit flight out on Friday (one day earlier) and stay in Miami for 1 night. I've stayed at the Intercontinental Miama pre-cruise before but like everyone has said, the rates are way high because of the proximity to Christmas. I've been checking LMT and the Intercontinental doesn't appear in the list at all on Dec 11. I'm guessing they are booked?

[pcur]

Not a good scenario. If the airport closed I doubt I could make the drive from Chicago to Miami within a day.

 

First 2 days of cruise are at sea so I'd have to fly in to St Thomas 2 days later. I'm thinking I might take the same Spirit flight out on Friday (one day earlier) and stay in Miami for 1 night. I've stayed at the Intercontinental Miama pre-cruise before but like everyone has said, the rates are way high because of the proximity to Christmas. I've been checking LMT and the Intercontinental doesn't appear in the list at all on Dec 11. I'm guessing they are booked?

 

I've been helping my son get hotels, and I've been having some good luck for him and myself on trivago.com.

 

Right now orbitz has a TAKEABREAK promo code going for 15% off. I used that for one of our hotel rooms, and my son used it for one of his.

 

Considering what the weather was like this past winter, I think a day ahead is a good idea, too.

[navybankerteacher]

 

Just for sake of argument, if they have mechanical issue on say the outbound flight, do they have alliance with other airlines to get me another direct flight out?

 

How many alternate airlines do you think there are that have extra seats available for people who (on very busy travel days) have gambled and lost on a particular flight ----- because it was very cheap?

[waterbug123]

Nope, none. You'd have to wait for space available on another Spirit flight.

 

And as a caveat to others who might consider Spirit, they have routes that they fly on a limited basis. Sometimes it's a once a day route, and sometimes it's only every 2 or 3 days. So given that they do not have alliances with other airlines to rebook you if there's a problem, once also needs to look at how many additional flights they offer for later that day, as well as during the next day or two.

[CantanaLobo]

...First 2 days of cruise are at sea so I'd have to fly in to St Thomas 2 days later.

So your plan 'B' is to get on the ship in St Thomas, a US port, and disembark in Miami, a different US port. There may be an issue with that - Google Passenger Vessel Services Act. Or PVSA here on CC.

[Twickenham]

So your plan 'B' is to get on the ship in St Thomas, a US port, and disembark in Miami, a different US port. There may be an issue with that - Google Passenger Vessel Services Act. Or PVSA here on CC.

 

Actually, I don't believe the PVSA applies in the case of St. Thomas (or San Juan, for that matter - consider the repo cruises between SJ and NY/NJ).

[Warm-Water Diver]

So your plan 'B' is to get on the ship in St Thomas, a US port, and disembark in Miami, a different US port. There may be an issue with that - Google Passenger Vessel Services Act. Or PVSA here on CC.

 

I googled and searched thread on CC. What a bunch of technical documentation. I couldn't determine whether my situation will be an impact or not. I honestly don't know how they can penalize cruise passengers from missing embarkation for legitimate reasons and not allow them to board at future port? I mean weather, mechanical breakdowns etc. all play a factor and are possible. Also with St Thomas being a USVI I would think that would be better than a foreign port/island?

[navybankerteacher]

I googled and searched thread on CC. What a bunch of technical documentation. I couldn't determine whether my situation will be an impact or not. I honestly don't know how they can penalize cruise passengers from missing embarkation for legitimate reasons and not allow them to board at future port? I mean weather, mechanical breakdowns etc. all play a factor and are possible. Also with St Thomas being a USVI I would think that would be better than a foreign port/island?

 

No one is being "penalized" - regardless of how "legitimate" foolishly not allowing for a flight delay might seem as a reason for missing a flight -- and thereby assuming that all regulations must be waived.

[CantanaLobo]

Actually, I don't believe the PVSA applies in the case of St. Thomas (or San Juan, for that matter - consider the repo cruises between SJ and NY/NJ).

I knew about the Puerto Rico exception. Your right, the Virgin Islands also have an exception as noted here. OP should be okay.

[waterbug123]

Also with St Thomas being a USVI I would think that would be better than a foreign port/island?

 

The USVI islands is part of the US, so it's not considered foreign. No different than Hawaii in that regard.

[Globaliser]

I honestly don't know how they can penalize cruise passengers from missing embarkation for legitimate reasons and not allow them to board at future port?

"They" do apply the rules in these situations. The rules are the trade-off for being allowed to cruise on these itineraries cheaply on foreign ships, when trips like this are arguably reserved for US ships which would be more expensive.

 

There are plenty of discussions about these rules on the various cruise line boards here. AIUI, the only situation in which the rules are routinely waived on a case-by-case basis (which is what you'd be asking for if your own air travel were disrupted by weather or mechanical breakdown) is if someone has to be disembarked for a medical emergency.

[sitraveler]

There was a Vancouver to Alaska cruise where the passenger missed boarding in Canada, They were not allowed to join the cruise as now all ports were US.

FYI.

[Zach1213]

There was a Vancouver to Alaska cruise where the passenger missed boarding in Canada, They were not allowed to join the cruise as now all ports were US.

FYI.

 

Honestly, my guess is that this happens on almost every Alaska cruise out of Vancouver. With thousands of passengers, at least one is going to be late for each cruise because of some kind of flight (or other) delay...just by playing the odds game, I would bet it's safe to say that.

[waterbug123]

I honestly don't know how they can penalize cruise passengers from missing embarkation for legitimate reasons and not allow them to board at future port? I mean weather, mechanical breakdowns etc. all play a factor and are possible.

 

So using that logic..... if your car breaks down on the way to the airport, and you are delayed 4 hours, should the airline be required to hold the plane for you since you are late due to a "legitimate" reason? Of course not. Or if they don't hold the plane, and there are no seats on remaining flights that day, should they kick someone off a later flight to accommodate you since you were late due to a "legitimate" reason? Again, of course not.

Yes, the scenarios are slightly different, but the general logic is the same: You are saying exceptions should be made if someone is late but has a legitimate reason. But that's just not how it works.

[Warm-Water Diver]

So using that logic..... if your car breaks down on the way to the airport, and you are delayed 4 hours, should the airline be required to hold the plane for you since you are late due to a "legitimate" reason? Of course not. Or if they don't hold the plane, and there are no seats on remaining flights that day, should they kick someone off a later flight to accommodate you since you were late due to a "legitimate" reason? Again, of course not.

Yes, the scenarios are slightly different, but the general logic is the same: You are saying exceptions should be made if someone is late but has a legitimate reason. But that's just not how it works.

 

No. You've confused the issue. I was referencing breakdowns and delays for the aircraft/airline. Alternatively you hub airport could be shut down due to weather as well. I was referencing what could apply in "THOSE" events, not my own personal delays. Whether you're flying same day, 1 day prior or 2 days prior, you can still possibly miss your cruise departure. Last time that happened to me was hurricane Jean. Ship was sent out to sea as the POM was shut down. We ended up losing 2 days on the original 7 day intinerary

[CantanaLobo]

No. You've confused the issue. I was referencing breakdowns and delays for the aircraft/airline. Alternatively you hub airport could be shut down due to weather as well. I was referencing what could apply in "THOSE" events, not my own personal delays. Whether you're flying same day, 1 day prior or 2 days prior, you can still possibly miss your cruise departure. Last time that happened to me was hurricane Jean. Ship was sent out to sea as the POM was shut down. We ended up losing 2 days on the original 7 day intinerary

The PVSA does not have exceptions for "breakdowns and delays for the aircraft/airline". Nor are the airlines going to do anything special for people that don't get to the airport on time. No matter how "legitimate" the reason a passenger has for not being where they're supposed to be, neither the airlines nor the CBP need to take that reason to consideration for granting an exception to their rules. In that sense, it's the same issue.

 

The airline *may* have a "flat tire rule", or the cruise line *may* try to get a waiver and the CBP *may* decide to grant the waiver for a PVSA violation. But plans depending on those maybes is more of a wish and a prayer than a real plan.

 

In your case, this is a theoretical exercise since there's a genuine exception for the US VI in the law. If your first port was Key West, it would not be theoretical. IMHO it's good to know the PVSA exists, and that it can have an impact on ones travel plans.

Edited March 31, 2015 by CantanaLobo

[waterbug123]

No. You've confused the issue. I was referencing breakdowns and delays for the aircraft/airline. Alternatively you hub airport could be shut down due to weather as well. I was referencing what could apply in "THOSE" events, not my own personal delays. Whether you're flying same day, 1 day prior or 2 days prior, you can still possibly miss your cruise departure. Last time that happened to me was hurricane Jean. Ship was sent out to sea as the POM was shut down. We ended up losing 2 days on the original 7 day intinerary

 

I didn't confuse anything, I just gave you another similar example hoping you could relate to that one and understand better. You couldn't believe that a cruise line would "punish" a passenger who did not make the cruise on time because they had a "legitimate" transportation issue getting to the port (ex. mechanical issue of the flight they were booked on.) I gave you a similar example of a person not making a flight on time because they had a "legitimate" transportation issue getting to the airport (ex. mechanical breakdown of their car they were driving.) Similar issues, and in neither case are you necessarily owed anything simply because your delay was "legitimate" in your eyes.

 

And in a PVSA situation (Key West for ex.) if you aren't allowed to join the cruise at that point, it still is not a matter of the cruise line punishing you, as you stated. They are simply following the law as it exists.

Edited March 31, 2015 by waterbug123

[Warm-Water Diver]

update on my search. ADVICE needed PLEASE.......

 

I had been looking to fly out one day earlier to help avoid issues like weather etc. I am targeting non-stop flights since neither of us are particularly fond of flying and the fact that connections have increased risk of delays, lost baggage etc. and we don't want to deal with all that.

 

So for many weeks SPIRIT had an outgoing 7:40am non-stop flight out of O'hare for 108 (plus tax). Gets us in 1 day prior to cruise and we can grab a hotel down in MIA after taking a shuttle from FLL.

 

So Return flight was also priced at 108 (plus tax) and departed at 7:40pm day of cruise arrival. Also works and gives us plenty of time to take shuttle back to FLL. So the tickets were $249 PP (no bags purchased, bare fare).

 

The best price on the FULL SERVICE carriers was about $434 pp (American and United). I have taken Spirit once before and it wasn't a great experience by any means but I was eyeing the itinerary above because it saved us approx. $555. That's significant to me.

 

SOOOOOO, the only direct return flight that we can make on Dec 19th went up to $149 ticket. Not a huge increase but an increase nonetheless and it brings the cost savings down a bit to $432 saved over the BIG CARRIERS.

 

I called Spirit and asked to check availability and inquire why the fare jumped from 108 to 149. The rep told me that the flight availability is still very good but of course couldn't tell me if flight would go back down and it can start to creap up.

 

So any advice welcome. Should I book the SPIRIT flights as is now or pay the extra $500+ to go with the big carriers OR, I could wait it out for the next few months to see if the Spirit price comes back down? Suggestions advice Please....

[mickeysgal]

update on my search. ADVICE needed PLEASE.......

 

I had been looking to fly out one day earlier to help avoid issues like weather etc. I am targeting non-stop flights since neither of us are particularly fond of flying and the fact that connections have increased risk of delays, lost baggage etc. and we don't want to deal with all that.

 

So for many weeks SPIRIT had an outgoing 7:40am non-stop flight out of O'hare for 108 (plus tax). Gets us in 1 day prior to cruise and we can grab a hotel down in MIA after taking a shuttle from FLL.

 

So Return flight was also priced at 108 (plus tax) and departed at 7:40pm day of cruise arrival. Also works and gives us plenty of time to take shuttle back to FLL. So the tickets were $249 PP (no bags purchased, bare fare).

 

The best price on the FULL SERVICE carriers was about $434 pp (American and United). I have taken Spirit once before and it wasn't a great experience by any means but I was eyeing the itinerary above because it saved us approx. $555. That's significant to me.

 

SOOOOOO, the only direct return flight that we can make on Dec 19th went up to $149 ticket. Not a huge increase but an increase nonetheless and it brings the cost savings down a bit to $432 saved over the BIG CARRIERS.

 

I called Spirit and asked to check availability and inquire why the fare jumped from 108 to 149. The rep told me that the flight availability is still very good but of course couldn't tell me if flight would go back down and it can start to creap up.

 

So any advice welcome. Should I book the SPIRIT flights as is now or pay the extra $500+ to go with the big carriers OR, I could wait it out for the next few months to see if the Spirit price comes back down? Suggestions advice Please....

 

Have you checked Southwest...Midway to FLL. There are easy shuttles to take from Miami. Southwest is solid and reliable.

[Warm-Water Diver]

Have you checked Southwest...Midway to FLL. There are easy shuttles to take from Miami. Southwest is solid and reliable.

 

I haven't looked at SW because they haven't released their schedules yet.

 

They also fly out of Midway (South Chicago Burbs) which is farther for us (we are in the NW burbs and close to O'hare) so it increases our LIMO cost to and from the airport.

 

I'd still consider them but as mentioned but they're not in the equation right now due to the schedules issue.