Taking Discount Airlines to Disney World
I have had a few people ask about those discount airlines (Allegiant, Frontier, Spirit) as an option for their flights to Disney. Here’s what I tell them each time…
So here are my thoughts about those airlines, because I’ve considered them too! If you are going to use an airline like Spirit, Frontier, or Allegiant when going to Disney, Spirit or Frontier is the way to go since they typically take you to MCO where which is closer to Disney World, and therefore has more affordable airport transportation options.
Although I check these smaller airlines every time, I have never actually ended up using them (even though they have flights from my local airport!) Instead I always end up going with the big ones, like American Airlines since it’s hub is an hour and a half south of us in Charlotte; or I end up booking with Southwest, since it’s hub is an hour and a half east of us in Raleigh/Durham.
Here’s why I don’t usually fly those smaller airlines
ALL OF THE HIDDEN FEES
Most times when I am considering booking Spirit or Frontier, I go through the booking process and my excitement grows until I see the the hidden fees, like paying to pick your seat or the carry-on luggage fees. Both Spirit and Frontier charge $30+ for a carry-on.
I’m not sure about you, but I’ve found that packing light for Disney is a large feat!
If you want to be guaranteed to sit with your family, there will be a price for that too. This is from Spirit’s website:
Don’t care where you sit? Spirit will randomly assign you a seat at check-in for free, but we can’t guarantee that you’ll get to sit with your friends or family. You can purchase a seat assignment and choose the seat you really want.
Maybe you find that it actually is cheaper for you, even after all the hidden fees are discovered! Then I would just caution you of a few more things…
THE LOW PROBABILITY OF HAVING A FLIGHT WHEN YOU NEED IT
These airlines typically only fly a few days of the week with very limited flight times. At our local airport, Spirit only offers one departing flight to MCO and one returning flight on about 3 days per week 😬 so not much flexibility.
THE RISK OF A CANCELLED FLIGHT WITH NO BACKUP
Finally, my google research has revealed many unhappy customers from those flights. Supposedly, and this is not statistical data, but supposedly these flights are more often delayed or cancelled, and they don’t have the infrastructure (jets, personnel, sister airline companies) to quickly get you booked on a new flight.
They can try to book you for their next available flight, but if your airline is only offering one flight per day already, that would be so upsetting to have that flight cancelled, and they can’t even get you to your destination 😭. Whereas with American Airlines or other big names, they typically have multiple flights a day to MCO, more personnel available and more planes available, and if something were to happen to your flight, you would have more and better options of getting to Disney ASAP.
So, yes, those discount airlines may seem (or actually be) cheaper, or they may leave from an airport super close to you, but don’t forget to take into consideration the hidden baggage fees, the departure and arrival limitations, the seat assignments, and the risk you take with your flight being delayed or cancelled.
In the end, you may find that these discount airlines work better for you! Let us know below!
*Shout out to Southwest and their free bags! Don’t forget to take baggage costs into consideration when planning 😉
Happy planning!