Would you fly from ATL to TPA day of cruise in Feb?

[kelbell]

Will be in Atlanta for our Feb 18th cruise out of Tampa, would you risk

flying in non stop 6:30am flight? I know Atlanta could a dusting of snow,

just not sure if it has ever effected the airport.

[Orlando Vic]

 

Absolutely not! A little bad weather or mechanical issues and your flight could get delayed for hours. 

[d9704011]

Sure, I'd be willing to do it.

[Charles4515]

15 minutes ago, kelbell said:

Will be in Atlanta for our Feb 18th cruise out of Tampa, would you risk

flying in non stop 6:30am flight? I know Atlanta could a dusting of snow,

just not sure if it has ever effected the airport.

 

Not a good risk. Two things to consider. There are thousands of flights being canceled every day.  every. The air system is a mess.  Maybe that will be fixed by February but maybe not. Second flights out of Atlanta may be connecting from somewhere else. So a snowstorm in the midwest could affect your flight. 

Edited August 7, 2022 by Charles4515

[Ilovesailaway]

I try to get to my cruise port city a day early but sometimes its not doable.

If circumstances dictate you travel day of then the earliest direct flight is where to start. An early direct flight can be relied on more than a later with a connection. I would also feel better if that same carrier had more ATL to TPA flights after yours that would still get you there on time should your original flight cancel or delay. If you're flying Delta you would prob have several backup flights.

[PacnGoNow]

26 minutes ago, kelbell said:

Will be in Atlanta for our Feb 18th cruise out of Tampa, would you risk

flying in non stop 6:30am flight? I know Atlanta could a dusting of snow,

just not sure if it has ever effected the airport.

No way!  If the plane doesn’t make it in the night before to ATL, your flight would be cancelled.  Or, it could originate in ATL, you don’t know.  Their second largest hub is Minneapolis and if the flight originated there…well we know about that Feb Weather.  Don’t take a chance.

Also, that is winter break for many Georgia schools and the flights will be heavy.

I got caught up in a cancellation in Feb and couldn’t get seat for two days. Didn’t matter that they had flights every hour. No availability.  If you can, take an earlier

flight the day before.

Not fun.

 

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

I would do it if I was flying Delta. A flight at 6:30am likely originates in Atlanta or arrived over night from the west coast.  Even if there is a delay or mechanical, Delta has close to a dozen flights that day to be rebooked on. If you were planning on flying Frontier or Spirit, no way. Even Southwest doesn't have another flight until the afternoon so it's riskier.

[PACD_JG]

No...because I would just drive.  It's only 7 hours.

[capriccio]

One other thing to consider:  Tampa experiences morning fog more often in February that can prevent flights from landing (and cruise ships from disembarking on time).  It less frequently happens in Fort Lauderdale, but it did this past February and more than 30 inbound flights were impacted.

[kelbell]

Thank you all a lot to consider, we are flying Southwest second flight out

direct.  I am going to change it to day before. I know if I don't I will be wondering

and yes driving is an option. Only if I really have too.

[Corby114]

Under the current circumstances regarding canceled flights and overbooked planes I would fly in at least a day or two early. Relax at a Tampa area hotel for a night or two before your sailing. Wake up on embarkation morning relaxed and ready for your cruise.

[capriccio]

2 hours ago, kelbell said:

Thank you all a lot to consider, we are flying Southwest second flight out

direct.  I am going to change it to day before. I know if I don't I will be wondering

and yes driving is an option. Only if I really have too.

Sounds like a good, more cautious plan.  Now you won't need to be worrying so much for the next 6 months.

[rkacruiser]

14 hours ago, PACD_JG said:

No...because I would just drive.  It's only 7 hours.

 

That would be my suggestion for the OP.  The drive is not a difficult one, arrive in Tampa the afternoon before the cruise, and have a pleasant dinner and evening while you anticipate the cruise.  

[lx200gps]

14 hours ago, PACD_JG said:

No...because I would just drive.  It's only 7 hours.

 

17 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

That would be my suggestion for the OP.  The drive is not a difficult one, arrive in Tampa the afternoon before the cruise, and have a pleasant dinner and evening while you anticipate the cruise.  

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that way. Given the hell that is flying right now, not to mention the total time and complex logistics involved in flying any distance, a simple 6 or 7 hour drive would be a no-brainer for us. We recently did our very first "drive to  ship", six hours down to Manhattan, and it was absolutely wonderful to not have to worry about airports. We loved the simplicity so much, we're doing another cruise drive, this time to Brooklyn, in mid-September. I would really recommend that the OP sit down and think about every step in the process, timing, transportation issues etc, potential for delays etc, comparing flying this distance vs driving.  You may find, as we have, that driving down has  more benefits and is "easier" than flying.

[CineGraphic]

I've flown out of ATL to Florida on the day of cruise many times.

My two "musts" are, it must be non-stop, and it must be the 1st or 2nd flight of the day.

Hell, last April we flew to SFO on the day of and were at the port just as they were allowing passengers to board.

[bajathree]

My daughter just flew NY to Dallas a couple days ago. She had an 8am flight......morning of she gets a text that her 8am has now been changed to 11am.....then her 11am ended up delayed to noon.....flights are a mess right now. Week before her quick DC to NY flight was cancelled....she quickly booked with another airlines going out a couple hours later....after waiting for that flight it also got cancelled....ended up taking the train back to NY.

[Cienfuegos]

Airline crew availability can be a major headache. With flight delays,etc even well staffed airlines find pilots and flight attendants running into maximum hours of service rules.

 

Extra / reserve board staffing is very thin at many airlines, so extra staff may not be easily inserted.

 

 

[PACD_JG]

On 8/8/2022 at 3:18 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

That would be my suggestion for the OP.  The drive is not a difficult one, arrive in Tampa the afternoon before the cruise, and have a pleasant dinner and evening while you anticipate the cruise.  

Just to be clear, I would make a 7 hour drive the morning of the cruise (I view a hotel the night prior as a waste of money).  Leave early enough to beat the morning rush hour in Atlanta.  I know, YMMV (literally), but I find driving 12 hour days easy.  Now being a passenger for 12 hours...a different story.

[GTO-Girl]

Again this past weekend Atlanta had another 1500 flights delayed or cancelled.  It is a regular weekend news story now….😢😢

 

There is no way I would fly the day of!!  Heck the way airlines are now I am not sure coming two days early would even help!!!

[GTO-Girl]

6 hours ago, PACD_JG said:

Just to be clear, I would make a 7 hour drive the morning of the cruise (I view a hotel the night prior as a waste of money).  Leave early enough to beat the morning rush hour in Atlanta.  I know, YMMV (literally), but I find driving 12 hour days easy.  Now being a passenger for 12 hours...a different story.

I live 30 miles from Atlanta……unless you are planning on traveling through there in the middle of the night you can expect rush hour all the time!!!!  🥺🥺

[Cienfuegos]

Weekends seem to see a lot of airline cancellations.  Here in West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, you can expect a substantial number of changes.

 

My understanding is airline pilots and flight attendants are limited to a certain number of flight hours each month, and in any 24 hour period. Bad weather, tarmac delays, etc may eat into available time, so even a well staffed airline may find itself lacking legally qualified bodies.

[Orlando Vic]

The bottom line is that you are betting the entire cost of your cruise against saving a night in a hotel. That is not a good bet in my opinion.

[BoozinCroozin]

I would not fly anywhere day of anymore. Airlines cannot be trusted and even 1-day before is not guaranteed. Its a 6-hour drive, so no real way to recover if your flight is delayed or canceled.