Nothing is ever truly “free” — right?
We get it — a Disney World vacation isn’t exactly as cheap as a picnic in the park. With a trip setting you back thousands of dollars, you’re likely looking to save anywhere you can. Fortunately, we’re here to help! From finding deals to delivering tips, we’ve got you covered. In fact, we have a few tips that could help you fly FOR FREE!
The saying goes that nothing is ever truly free — and the saying is mostly right. With that said, below, we’ve listed out a few ways to fly to Disney World that really are absolutely free, or are pretty dang close. Let’s take a look!
Gift Cards and Gift Miles
Want to fly absolutely free — no strings attached? To quote the Mandalorian, “This is the way.” Asking for airline gift cards and gift flier miles is the easiest way to achieve free flights. From personal experience, this is a great way to relieve one major piece of stress from a Disney World vacation.
Companion Passes
Companion passes allow you to accompany a frequent flier on a flight itinerary for free (except for taxes and fees). Multiple airlines have programs like this, such as Southwest Airlines. Southwest’s Companion Pass, for example, gives unlimited companion flights whenever you purchase or redeem points for a flight.
To qualify for this pass, a frequent flier has to fly 100 qualifying one-way flights or earn 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. A Companion Pass is then awarded for the following full calendar year, plus the remainder of the year in which they earned it. Southwest also allows Companion Pass Members to change their designated Companion up to three times each calendar year.
This is a pretty good deal and if you haven’t made friends with a frequent flier yet, better get on it!
Frequent Flier Points
We’re now getting into the “you gotta spend money to earn money” territory. Frequent flier miles help you get the most out of your favorite airline. These credits are earned by flying airlines over and over again and will ultimately result in free airfare. Let’s say you fly the same airline to Disney World a few times are year or consistently over the span of a few years. Eventually, those trips will accumulate some usable miles that you can then apply to your next Disney World trip!
Each airline has different policies and quirks regarding its rewards and frequent flier programs, so be sure to do your homework before signing up.
Airline Credit Cards and Flexible Travel Credit
Airlines will often partner with credit card companies to offer loyalty programs. Your real-life purchases could turn into flight credits and, eventually, free flights. Often, airline credit cards will also offer signing bonuses that could jumpstart you on your way to a free flight fairly quickly.
Many non-airline credit cards also offer travel credit cards that offer points you can use in their respective travel portals. These credits can be applied towards flights or lodging and are good to use for trips to Disney World or wherever your heart takes you!
Each card has different parameters and annual fees, so be sure to read the fine print before committing to a new credit card.
Dining Rewards Programs
Did you know that you can be incentivized to dine out? Many airlines offer dining rewards programs, which reward you for eating at certain restaurants with flight miles per dollar spent. If you’re one to dine out frequently, you should look into your favorite airline’s dining rewards program to see which restaurants it covers and the details of the rewards!
And there you have it! Traveling to Disney World can be super overwhelming but stick with us here at DFB for all the latest tips, tricks, and hacks to help make your next Disney World trip the best one yet!
It’s HERE! 2025 Bookings Are Now Available For Disney World
Planning a Trip to Disney World? We’ve Got Everything You Need to Know
Tips, Hints, Lists, and Videos for Planning the BEST Disney World Trip
Join the DFB Newsletter to Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox! Click Here to Subscribe
How do you go about saving on airfare or finding free flights? Share your best tips in the comments below!
Richard Mercer- says
My very limited and not recent experience with Be Our Guest suggests that if you want to be seated in the Grand Ballroom, you should have a party of 4 more. But you can always make (polite) requests!