indirect flights

[animal 1970]

some one please sell or not sell to me we have booked disneys pop century for oct 2018 and want to do the cheapest flight option but I don't want a long travel time,we normally do direct but this time we are going half term

[Hil]

No easy answer I'm afraid - you'll need to weigh up the options and decide your 'tipping point' for price / convenience / length of flight etc.

Everyone will have a different threshold when it becomes just too much of a compromise to make the potential financial saving worthwhile for them.

[HenrysDad]

Look at BA on the day return flights are released, you may be pleasantly surprised, but the prices tend to leap very soon after.

[Tinkertangled]

We flew indirect for the first time last year and are again this week.
It was half the price of direct for us so we were willing to give it a try. It wasn't as bad as we thought so when again it was half the price of direct this year we decided we would do it again.
Our kids are 7 and 8 and they managed it ok.
Flight back last year was interesting as there was a bad storm so turbulence on the first flight was awful no one was allowed out of their seats and due to delays we had to run to the gate as soon as we stepped off the flight as the plane was being held as about 60% of the flight were connecting to Heathrow. We weren't stressed though as we had been assured the plane would be held due to the amount of people getting it.
As previous post says everyone is different and some people would find it too much off a faff.
Our friends flew last week indirect - it's their first time to Florida and first time indirect so will be interesting to see what they made of it when we see them once we arrive.
There are huge savings to be had so if you can handle the extra travelling it's worth it.

[Warkman58]

I love indirect, as I can pay half for the same business seats as flying direct in the same aircraft to MCO, or fly to extra airports and sample their lounges, but then again, I love to fly lol.

It depends what you want. Direct usually means queuing at MCO passport control, where indirect from Dublin or Shannon for example, you arrive at MCO as a domestic flight so no mass queues.
Downside is longer flights and possibility of being delayed due to weather, depending on your vacation tine of the year.

[loldis]

I won't be of help but the only time I don't fly direct is if the plane physically can't stay in the air long enough to get me there, e.g. to Sydney.

The only thing that would tempt me to indirect specifically for MCO is the immigration mess at the moment. But that's so dependent on where your plane lands in the queue and could happen at any other airport just as easily, so not enough of a sway.

[Guest]

I have found that my kids also like indirect as it breaks up the flight for them. A bit of a potch, something to eat and a leg stretch really breaks up the journey. 9 out of 10 times it has been really smooth, one was a bit squeaky but all the more memorable for it ( it's certainly the one the kids remember most). We also use the indirect as an opportunity to stop off, last time Dallas this time NYC. Lots of options.

[Puddle5]

We are going half term week on a Saturday. We are flying direct out, so don't have to worry about missing connections, etc. and losing first part of holiday but flying indirect home, don't mind been delayed going home.. only work to worry about We found this saved us a huge amount of money and seems to be the best of both worlds.

[tspill]

Originally Posted by Hil

No easy answer I'm afraid - you'll need to weigh up the options and decide your 'tipping point' for price / convenience / length of flight etc.

Everyone will have a different threshold when it becomes just too much of a compromise to make the potential financial saving worthwhile for them.

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And the other big consideration is "connection risk". Short connection may be convenient, but increases the chance of missing a connection (long lines, delayed incoming flight etc.).

[duchy]

For me it's all about immigration.
Orlando has to be the worst place to enter the US as so many travellers are family group holidaymakers and not familiar with the process or too easily distracted by issues with kids whilst going through the process . It just makes the final time in limbo between getting off the plane that bit longer .

I far prefer to enter the US anywhere else (except Miami) so when I arrive it's grab the bags and go ... and get the holiday started.

The fact it is cheaper is simply an added bonus.