Which of these flights should I book, please?

[Nick6300]

We live in Peoria, IL (PIA) which essentially only has American. We're about 50 min. from BMI (Central IL airport) and 3-3.5hrs to Ohare Chicago (ORD). Have 114k American miles, so been biased towards AA. ORD in the early am will likely require a fly and stay, which runs from $130, about what parking would be for a week (free parking at PIA and BMI). We have 7 day PH from Sat 11/6 to Fri 11/12. Some options I'm considering:

American
Peoria (PIA)
1) 39k miles Fri Nov 5th 6:05pm to MCO 8:38am, 2 stops, 13h 33m. 9:45pm from MCO to 11:05am PIA, 2 stops 14h 20m.
2) 65k miles Sat Nov 6th 6:19am to MCO 12:47pm, 1 stop 5h 28m. 9:27pm from MCO to 11:05am PIA, 2 stops 14h 20m.
3) 70k miles Fri Nov 5th 3:45pm to MCO 10:12pm, 1 stop. 9:45p to 11:05am PIA, 2 stops (1 stop return trip increases cost to 102k)
4) 87k miles Sat Nov 6th 6:19am to MCO 12:47pm, 1 stop 5h 28m. 4:33pm to 9:42pm PIA 6h 9m.

Bloomington (BMI)
5) 37k miles Fri Nov 5th 4:29pm to MCO 8:38am 2 stops, 15h 9m. 9:45pm from MCO to 9:37am BMI, 2 stops, 12h 52m. Or depart 7:15pm from MCO to 11:05 pm BMI, 1 stop for 56k miles.
6) 67k miles Fri Nov 5t 4:29pm to MCO 10:54pm, 1 stop in ORD. Depart 7:15pm from MCO to 11:05pm BMI, 1 stop.
7) 70k miles Sat 6:10am to MCO 12:47pm, 1stop. 7:15pm from MCO to 11:05pm BMI, 1 stop.

Chicago (ORD)
8) 37k miles Fri Nov 5th 10:03pm to MCO 8:38am, 1 stop 9h 35m. Depart 9:27pm to 7:45am ORD, 1 stop 11h 18m.
9) Spirit Air for Sat Nov 6th 7:22am, arrive MCO 11:05am nonstop. Depart 5:58pm from MCO to 8:13pm ORD nonstop. $310 out of pocket + $66 for 1 of us to have a bag+pick seat, or $132 for both of us.

We sometimes fly Southwest from MDW (doesn't have our dates yet). Would have to pay for gas/parking, like ORD. Don't have many SWA pts. The 2 connections, overnight both ways, sound extreme, but we don't sleep much 1st night anyhow, value max park time, hate ORD... essentially #1 and #8 are similar because the 1st connection is ORD anyhow, just replacing the time you'd drive for a connection at airport. Prices have continued to increase, and I hear that will continue this yr. Any opinions?

 

[Gr8t Fan]

SWA is flying out of ORD now too, so maybe that's an option when their schedule opens up.

When we fly, we usually fly out of MDW because we live 15 minutes away, but we have flown out of BMI before and that was a really great experience. We parked the car (free), crossed the road and entered the airport. It was so different than ANY trip we'd ever experienced before and reminded us of the way MDW used to be before the big expansion.

Based on all your choices, I'd pick BMI Option 7).

 

[Nick6300]

SWA is flying out of ORD now too, so maybe that's an option when their schedule opens up.

When we fly, we usually fly out of MDW because we live 15 minutes away, but we have flown out of BMI before and that was a really great experience. We parked the car (free), crossed the road and entered the airport. It was so different than ANY trip we'd ever experienced before and reminded us of the way MDW used to be before the big expansion.

Based on all your choices, I'd pick BMI Option 7).

Thanks for reading through all of that mess! I actually almost booked #1 because of the convenience from my little local airport, the lower cost. But I started to worry about the increased risk of delays with the 2 stops, the headache. Wish we had better options. Chicago is nearly as far as STL and IND for us, which also has SWA... just so far away. BMI and PIA are very similar, tiny airports with "free parking" that makes it a breeze.

 

[FCDub]

#7 has an overnight layover, is that right? Cross that off immediately.

 

[Nick6300]

#7 has an overnight layover, is that right? Cross that off immediately.

No, no overnight on #7, it's actually 11:05pm not am, I had wrote that wrong and fixed it.

 

[FCDub]

No, no overnight on #7, it's actually 11:05pm not am, I had wrote that wrong and fixed it.

Phew. That would have been brutal!

 

[unrequited23]

We are spoiled to live 20 mins from an airport and have only done 2.5 hr direct flights to MCO. Some of those flight lengths would have me considering driving and saving the airmiles.

 

[Nick6300]

We are spoiled to live 20 mins from an airport and have only done 2.5 hr direct flights to MCO. Some of those flight lengths would have me considering driving and saving the airmiles.

Us too on the spoiled, until now in Peoria for the past 4 yrs. In the past, we had airports that were under 10 mi away that had direct flights with good times (SWA). There is only American, JetBlue, Allegient, and maybe United here at PIA. Delta bailed out due to COVID stricken demand last Fall (they canceled our flight without telling us). I've never actually been to BMI, but hear it's real similar to PIA... it has Frontier and Delta, American, and few others. An hr. drive ea way isn't terrific, but willing to try it once.

We flew out of PIA last Fall for only $320 w/ not as many people flying. The 1 stop ones out of PIA now are about $1,000. They are usually about $700 with poor arrival/departure times... but they've been gradually increasing and experts say it won't stop with the rising oil/pent up demand. We've been mostly flying out of MDW, SWA, for around $400, direct, better times (don't lose a half day ea. way). However, 3+ hrs of driving, sometimes traffic, paying a bunch to park ($12-15/day), dealing with shuttles that never come isn't that fun. Especially when you return from your WDW trip super tired, and then you still have that long drive home. If we do end up waiting on SWA again, we may try STL, which actually has an economy lot for something like $7/day, cheaper/better times than MDW for the week before our stay.

We've also actually driven down once recently. It's pretty tough to convince me to do that 20 hr drive though, even for someone sort of used to it (we moved up to Peoria from Tampa, and also used to drive down from Flint, MI to camp at Ft. Wilderness).

 

[Nick6300]

Phew. That would have been brutal!

Does that mean you like #7 now? It’s obviously a bit more pricey, and not the best arrival time, but sort of a middle ground vs the direct flights from a big airport far away.

 

[GoofyCoaster]

I’d eliminate options #5 and #8 because they are both overnight flights with connections, similar to option #1. But #1 has the advantage of no driving and no parking fees

#9 is compelling for the nonstop. I also wouldn’t be surprised if you could do even better on the fare if you stalk the spirit site and take advantage of a price drop, which could help offset parking and preflight hotel expenses. Then save your AA miles for a trip with better redemption options

#6 is also a contender. The flight times are decent, 1 hour of driving is not much, and I’d rather have an extra night in Orlando followed by a full day at Disney than pay for a preflight airport hotel or fly overnight.

ETA: would #7 require a preflight hotel? Or would you be on the road by 4am for the 6am flight? If it’s the former, hotel in Orlando plus more park time bests hotel in Bloomington, with no disrepect to Bloomington, of course.

 

[Nick6300]

I’d eliminate options #5 and #8 because they are both overnight flights with connections, similar to option #1. But #1 has the advantage of no driving and no parking fees

#9 is compelling for the nonstop. I also wouldn’t be surprised if you could do even better on the fare if you stalk the spirit site and take advantage of a price drop, which could help offset parking and preflight hotel expenses. Then save your AA miles for a trip with better redemption options

#6 is also a contender. The flight times are decent, 1 hour of driving is not much, and I’d rather have an extra night in Orlando followed by a full day at Disney than pay for a preflight airport hotel or fly overnight.

ETA: would #7 require a preflight hotel? Or would you be on the road by 4am for the 6am flight? If it’s the former, hotel in Orlando plus more park time bests hotel in Bloomington, with no disrepect to Bloomington, of course.

Thanks for your input! No, #7 wouldn’t require a hotel. And honesty, I’m not sure #6 would either. I’ve taken a late flight into MCO before, taken a nap at MCO for a few hrs before getting to WDW hotel like at 4am to see if a room was available early for a nap, and then get to 1st park early.

I would pay a bit more for PIA over BMI for the 10min drive vs 50, but the last flight from MCO to PIA is 4:33pm vs 7:15pm for BMI. ME bus pickup at 4pm sounds better than 1:30pm for last park day.

I hear a lot of bad experiences from friends regarding Spirit, but it seems like it’s more to do with the add on costs. I have a BOA premium which we could book one person with a $66 checked bag/pick seat after initial flight booking for a credit back. Could do both of us and then only pay $32 net out of pocket. We’d only need one checked bag but idk if we’d be sitting next to each other if only one of us can pick a seat. Maybe we just deal with that. SWA would have better times than the spirit, and MDW is easier (smaller) than ORD and closer, and better times than Spirit... just can’t expect better than $400. It’s currently $650 for non stops the week before. Frontier is still only out to early Sept. Allegient doesn’t have our flight week days plus we’d be going to Sanford instead of MCO and have to Uber/rent. Delta and United were not as competitive as even American. Maybe I should call SWA and ask how long before they have our week available.

 

[Nick6300]

Called Southwest and they said that they won’t be expanding past 11/05 until 6/10. That seems abnormal to me, waiting until under 5 mo out. Not sure I want to wait to see what they offer. Right now I’m kind of thinking #6 vs Spirit. I think American might be refunding miles even for the lowest economy but maybe I should call on that before deciding to book.

 

[davper]

If you are even considering a 13.5 hour travel time flight with stops, I would just drive. It is only a few hours more and and you would spend that time getting to the airport and security and then waiting for luggage.
Then you can leave when you want and save the money on flights and transportation to from resorts., minus the cost of fuel and wear and tear on vehicle.
Plus you can bring whatever you want.

 

[Nick6300]

If you are even considering a 13.5 hour travel time flight with stops, I would just drive. It is only a few hours more and and you would spend that time getting to the airport and security and then waiting for luggage.
Then you can leave when you want and save the money on flights and transportation to from resorts., minus the cost of fuel and wear and tear on vehicle.
Plus you can bring whatever you want.

I agree with you, thank you. I don’t want to drive this year, in part to do ME one final time, because we have the miles, and really dislike long drives. But I’ll eliminate the 2 connect options. I think it’s mainly looking like a BMI option. Either with a split booking using a small expiring Delta credit for way down from BMI and AA miles for the one way return from MCO, and comparing that to AA and Chase UR. The delta from BMI gives us an hr later flight Fri 5th, meaning we save that hr we both have to take off. But the trade off is we’d have free checked bags with AA (AA card) and would either have to pay or do 2 carryons for the delta flight. We were sort of thinking about carrying on anyhow, because the late night flight to MCO would make us retrieve at bag check at MCO and I believe WDW hotels are still not doing the airport bag service (easier with smaller bags).
The Spirit option is up $60 to $369 before bag fees. And a nonstop ORD is still sort of an option with UR being 41k instead of 66k with AA. But I currently like the idea of using those delta credits (9/2022)... in case we do something else next yr.

 

[spiders]

If I were you, I would try to avoid a connection at ORD in November. Weather is not friendly to ORD and the ground delay programs can be severe and the short flights always bear the brunt of those delays.

 

[Nick6300]

If I were you, I would try to avoid a connection at ORD in November. Weather is not friendly to ORD and the ground delay programs can be severe and the short flights always bear the brunt of those delays.

thanks for the suggestion

 

[Chickinvic]

We are spoiled to live 20 mins from an airport and have only done 2.5 hr direct flights to MCO. Some of those flight lengths would have me considering driving and saving the airmiles.

These all sounded pretty terrible to me. Even when I lived in Ottawa, Canada we had direct flights (about 2.5 hrs) to Orlando.