Flying on a Budget: Our Family Adventure to Fort Myers!

Greetings from sunny Florida! My daughter and I spent some time this afternoon pulling flight prices but couldn’t find anything worth sharing. Instead, I thought I’d share a few pictures and give you a behind-the-scenes look at how we made our trip down to Fort Myers. Hopefully, it gives you some tips and intel if you’re considering booking with a discount carrier in the future!

Discounted Flight Roulette

Flying on Frontier (or any budget airline) always feels like a bit of a gamble—especially when a family of five manages to fly for less than $350 total! Of course, a price like that comes with its trade-offs: no seat selection, no complimentary drinks or snacks, and just one personal item per person—no exceptions.

While it’s not the most luxurious way to travel, a direct flight at a price like this turns it into part of the adventure for our family. Somehow, we always end up seated together, usually split between two rows. It’s also a fun challenge for the kids to strategize what to pack and what to leave behind.

For me, traveling light means finding room in my bag for all my computer gear and clothes. For my daughter, it’s all about deciding which stuffed animals make the cut. This time, she squeezed two into her backpack—which just barely passed the size requirements for a personal item.

This style of travel isn’t for everyone, but it works perfectly for us on a direct flight for a short trip when the price is right. We enjoy embracing the quirks, finding creative ways to make it work and it adds to the memories.

As for the flight itself, it was one of the emptiest I’ve ever seen. It seemed like most people were heading home to family in Michigan, so the return flight into Florida was relatively quiet!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a joyful holiday season! Thank you for making 2024 such an incredible year. I’ve loved hearing about all your adventures, and I can’t wait to see where 2025 takes us.

Adam