2 air tran questions???

[Anal Annie]

I am still waffling.

I am a BIG luggage girl. We check between 4-6 pieces when we go to WDW, and I am kind of high strung about my luggage.

I am REALLY high strung about non-stop flights. I don't mind landing and staying on the plane so much because that's what we have to do on SW, but I will NOT switch planes.

Airtran only runs ONE non-stop flight per day out of DFW, so if they decide to cancel it our travel time will double or triple. That will irritate me. Coming back we HAVE TO get home on time so DH can work on Sunday. He gets up at midnight on Saturdays, so if we end up with a flight change on that end it could be a BIG problem. Right now the ONE morning non-stop out of MCO on Airtran would be fine, although it is SUPER early. ALL of the connecting flights get into Dallas at 5 PM or after - and the travel time on most of them is UGLY! That won't work for us.

So I will keep watching and waffling.

I used to bring a lot of luggage but have since learned to pack less and more efficiently by using packing cubes and packing folders. Now we can almost fly in carry-ons for most trips. If you think you NEED that much luggage and you don't want to PAY for it then you need to fly SW. If you don't like their flight options (including the lack of seat assignments which is why I don't like them) then you either need to learn to pack less or accept that you have to pay for the bags. OH, and SW currently does not participate in RAC which I find INVALUABLE whenever we DO check luggage. Gosh that was the best invention!!!

Air Tran is now our airline of choice. Their fares are almost always the BEST available, if you book using the kayak.com website you can select your seats and never actually PAY for them and after only 4 flights (2 round trips) you're eligible for a free upgrade to Business Class on their Rewards program! LOVE that one!!! I have grown used to checking our flight status often to watch for any changes to their schedule.

We have never experienced a filthy airplane with less than average room or falling apart seat cushions with Air Tran.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I don't know about your airport but for ours they run practically empty BECAUSE they need to get back to the smaller airport to fly back the next day. My daughter works/lives in Orlando and only flies Airtran to come home. Her flights home are often not at all full but when the plane lands here there is a entire waiting area of people waiting for that plane to take them to Orlando. I worry less about the nonstops that the other flights since generally the plane is needed where its going.

Liz

That's a good point. If they bring a plane into Dallas every night at 10 PM with the intention of flying it back to Orlando at 8 AM the next day, they probably don't mess with that schedule unless they absolutely have to. Of course I have no way of knowing if they really do park that plane overnight and take it back the next day, but it sounds good!