The Tykes are on a roll under Flitcroft, who has steered them to six wins, one draw and a single defeat in eight games since replacing Keith Hill as boss at the end of December to give fans genuine hope they can haul themselves clear of the drop.
Two of those victories have come against Championship rivals Burnley and Hull in rounds three and four of the FA Cup respectively and with a money-spinning televised quarter-final awaiting the winners at stadium:mk on Saturday, Flitcroft has incorporated the famous knockout competition into his grand plan.
"I love the tournament, I love the trophy and I can't wait for Saturday's game," the 41-year-old said.
"The semi-finals being at Wembley is a great plus. This whole process is all about going home and making your family proud of you and the FA Cup seems to do that more than ever. It just catches the imagination.
"The players want to win the football match, there's no doubt about that and it gives them a welcome break from the league because it's been relentless since I took over.
"There's been a lot of planning, a lot of things have changed and we've moved quite a long way in a short space of time, which sometimes takes its toll."
Barnsley reached the semi-finals of the competition at Wembley in 2008 - they lost to Cardiff - following famous wins in successive rounds against Liverpool and Chelsea, but Flitcroft insists he is not looking that far ahead.
"I don't work like that, just one day at a time," he said.
"We've had a real planning week and it's been meticulous for this game.
"The players have really bought into how we want to do things and different learning experiences.
"We took the boys to watch MK Dons at Doncaster on Tuesday night, then did a classroom session. I'm just trying to bring as many different types of learning to the players.
"In a group of 20, some learn from feeling it, some learn from seeing it, some from a book, and I'm just trying to make sure every player knows the mission that we're on, and the statement that is MK Dons on Saturday."
Barnsley have yet to climb out of the Championship's bottom three despite dropping only two points from their last five matches, but could do so with victory over the team above them, Wolves, at Oakwell next Tuesday.
And Flitcroft revealed his plans for the cup clash at MK Dons had already served to boost his relegation fight.
"The pitch (at Doncaster) didn't help the game," he added.
"The pitch was poor and the style of play the MK Dons usually play with wasn't evident because they played the conditions, the pitch.
"So it was a different game from what we thought we would go and watch, but the players got a lot out of it.
"What it has probably galvanised is how much they want to stay in the Championship by watching two League One teams compete.
"It's interesting, you go for one reason and yet what we spoke about afterwards was the league campaign.
"It definitely had massive advantages in taking the whole squad to see Tuesday's game."
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