I’m from Atlanta, the mega hub of Delta, and I’m here to tell you, Delta is not worth it, and this is coming from a Skymiles member (I use it exclusively for international flights). Domestically the big 3 just aren’t a good value. It’s considered to be a mediocre airline versus global peers in the ‘higher-end’ tier of airlines yet they charge rates that are quite similar, so the difference between the budget airlines is actually pretty insignificant, and I fly a lot, including on pretty much every US airline, so that’s been my take away over the years.
I mean, you fly JetBlue, Southwest, or especially Spirit/Allegient/Frontier, the cheaper airlines, and they make trips that were a stretch before or out of the budget possible. I think that’s terrific.
If I would’ve flown Delta, my flight to LAX would’ve cost over $550 round-trip versus $140 on Spirit. Both were non-stop. Only noticeable difference is an included checked bag with Delta, but Spirit was still less than half the price of Delta if I chose to add a bag. I just brought a portable charger for my phone and grabbed food before I boarded the plane, and otherwise, the experience was identical to Delta. I mean, literally, identical.
I’m not paying over double (or in my case a quarter since I didn’t get a checked bag) for what’s legitimately the same experience. Planes are not fun whatsoever. The only ‘good experience’ is Delta One on international flights, but then again, that’s 3x+ or more than the regular Delta ticket.
The flights to and from LAX were flawless, with quick boarding, clean planes, orderly passengers, a smooth flight, delayed only minutes even amidst major storms over SoCal at the time, and just an overall perfectly good airline experience. California is only 4 hours away from me, a place like NYC is under 2, so I see no value in paying hundreds more per ticket for a TV screen when I have an iPhone and can download Disney Plus & HBO Max’s movies/shows, for some peanuts and pretzels, and that’s literally the only difference when the leg room is equal (if you get a checked bag).
Unless you’re 6’ 6”, a plane to me gets you from point A to B. I hate to be that guy, but airfare is only pricey to you because you’re not willing to skip brand loyalty in favor of the best deal. I don’t ride Uber BLACK or ‘luxury’ accommodations because it has no tangible benefit to me because I value being efficient. Money and safety are the two things that truly matter. I feel like a lot of vacations for the American middle class are genuinely just about budgeting and priorities, and not necessarily about affordability.
Budget airlines aren’t deceiving anyone either, just simple planning like knowing bag sizes that work and that if you want a checked bag, you should buy it when you book the tickets rather than at the airport itself makes it totally transparent. I’ve had awful experiences and great experiences with pretty much every airline I’ve flown with (including Delta), so the notion that it’s exclusive to the perceived ‘cheaper’ airlines is wildly inaccurate.
In a vacuum, is a flight that’s 50-75% more worth it for equally safe flights? That’s in the eye of the beholder, but I cannot justify it when those hundreds of dollars can be put into savings, buying something I’ll actually use longer than a short flight (AirPods for everyone in the travel party, maybe?), or perhaps splurge on a nice meal on the trip itself. It in of itself makes a random trip possible. To Yellowstone National Park, Disneyland, the Caribbean, without breaking the bank.
I know people say that Spirit and other airlines cancel like crazy. Awesome. Delta does too. As does American, etc. The difference is actually pretty negligible if you compare data and the fact that you can get the same ticket for half as much (in what is already a big purchase) is pretty wild.
Not saying this is the only way to travel, but you did complain about airfare being $500+ to Orlando when checking Google Flights, which you could travel for under $150, and under $250 if you add on a checked bag,
disneyworld.disney.go.com
and hate the reliance WDW puts on the wallet feature. I don't ever use it.
