Air travel help?

[jay ratkowski]

So the lady and I are getting married Nov 7th in Vegas and maybe 20 people are joining us. We (and many others) were flying out Nov 6, returning Nov 10 from MKE to LAS on Midwest Airlines. Hotels are booked based on those dates.

If you've followed airline news, Midwest is in bad shape. They've already canceled 2 return flights, displacing 6 of our guests. So several people need to find a new flight home. We're also worried about last minute problems with our flights, and want to ditch Midwest (we have refundable seats).

Wondering what you folks suggest. I'm seeing many of the alternative flights during those dates (from MKE or either Chicago airport) are not looking good. They are either $100-200/seat more or have inconvenient flight times (ie - overnight layovers).

I get it, we'll probably have to spend a lot more money if we change now, but is it typically better to just bit the bullet and book now? Since the oil price hikes have somewhat calmed down, should we wait for a last minute deal? I know we can cancel our flights for full refund up until 48 hours prior, but our guests don't have that luxury as they have no flight.

I already looked into train/bus transit and it is not an option.

[jono]

Firstly congrats, Jay

I don't know that much about how it works but these days I've become a frequent flier and the company I work for likes us to book as early as possible with reliable airlines.

It might cost a bit more, but it's a more reliable way than hoping for a last minute deal (especially for something as important as a wedding!) and it also helps folks know where they stand with regards to budgeting ahead.

All the best for the big day

[jim777]

Congrats on the upcoming nuptials Jay!

[jay ratkowski]

Anyone have experience with Airtran and Frontier? Found a potential winner going out AirTran and coming back Frontier. Just curious if anyone thinks they should be avoided for any reason.

And thanks for the support Jono/Jim!