What I learned About our Last $77 Roundtrip Flight from Chicago to Tampa

If you read my last article about cheap flight on a budget airline, you will know we recently purchased roundtrip tickets from Midway (Chicago) to Tampa for $77. This flight was bare bones as we were traveling on a budget but well worth the cost of the flight. I wanted to recap and update on how the flights went and the tips I learned :

• Manage your expectations : Again, this is a budget airline for a reason. You get cheap flights and none of the frills. You are looking to be transported for a low cost and that does not include ANYTHING else. Please do not be like the lady in front of me that complained about the $3.50 tomato juice, as “it should be free”. That’s not how it works. Know that anything extra other than having a seat will cost more money.

• Seating arrangements: We were very fortunate and were able to have a seating arrangement of 2 seats and 2 seats together which was perfect for our family. You take the gamble as they assign seats at the basic price, however, it seemed to work out for most families on the airplane. But take this into consideration when booking a basic priced fare. On the way home, we were even lucky enough to have an open seat in our row (peep the one sock bandit in the photo below, living his best life with two seats), but that is not guaranteed.
  

• Understand the baggage policy : This was painfully followed and enforced. Being light packers, we each had one backpack with all our belonging in them. We tried to keep our backpacks as minimal as possible but it was hard to pack for a week in one backpack. With that being said, we were right on the maximum dimension requirements. The airline literally has a box for carry-on personal items that you must fit into before they let you board. If it does not fit, you will have to pay up to $70 to include your bags. Every person is required to show their bag fits as they board and you will not get away with having a larger bag. Again, this is painful and annoying but that is how the budget airlines operate. Double check as you wait to board the plane and verify your baggage fits in the requirements.
  

• Strollers and car seats can be gate-checked for free : This is always nice when traveling with kids. Both strollers and car seats can be gate checked and will not count toward your baggage allowance. You can keep them with you until you board the plane, you will just have to drop them off at the bottom of the jet way. Make sure you talk to the gate agent prior to boarding and let them know you are gate checking these items. They will give you a tag to put around your bag that shows the destination and your name. It is very easy. I would also recommend getting a travel bag that keeps your item clean and safe. We have often left extra diapers and/or carriers in the bag so it would not count against our baggage allowance. We have this bag that has worked out great for us :

• Be prepared to board early with kids : This is another perk while flying with kids. Depending on the airline, they usually let people traveling with kids board the plane early. Even though our boarding pass showed Zone 3 to board, we were able to board after Zone 1 which gave us additional time to get on the plane. Be ready when they begin boarding and try to use the family boarding if they offer.
  

• Everything in the air costs money : Be prepared, unlike other flights, you will not be offered complimentary anything. You will pay for drinks, snacks, entertainment, etc. Do yourself a favor and bring snack from the airport or home instead of paying a high price. You can also buy drinks from the airport stores or even fill up your water bottle once past security. Do this to save some money while mid-flight.
  

Overall, if you know what you’re getting into, this is a great deal for short flights. If you are able to pack light and understand the restrictions on baggage, you can fly for unbelievably cheap. This type of travel is not for everyone but I like knowing that our total costs for four people was cheaper than one seat on a competitors flight.