Airtran April flights available!

[Lisa0620]

Just thru April 9 apparently. Prices are terrible, $368 each way. SWA doesn't have theirs posted yet, same Sept. 5 message in travel tools.

 

[Anal Annie]

Holy Smokes! I just looked from BWI and they were $423 EACH WAY!! I had been waiting on SW to release on Monday but then got a fare alert from airfarewatchdog.com yesterday for Jet Blue so I booked it last night for $209 pp roundtrip!! WHEW! If SW's prices are similar on Monday that's pretty scary & I'm glad I booked!!

 

[Lisa0620]

Yes, I was following your earlier thread! Def. made the right call!

I guess they don't have the web deals up. When I check on Orbitz, Travelocity, etc. the same flights are $258 round trip. So how long do I wait for Airtran.com to catch up before I just book with one of the travel sites? It would be nice to just get this sucker booked and move on with the weekend, you know? Ugh.

 

[Lisa0620]

Now the $258 fare on the travel sites has changed to a one-stop and the non-stop is $497-$700+ depending on the site.

 

[Anal Annie]

Guess they're still loading fares. Keep watching. I just checked Kayak.com and the Air Tran fares from BWI are now $199 - $209 so they're in line with my Jet Blue fare. (Much better than what I saw at first this morning with that crazy $423 fare.)

But the advantages with my Jet Blue flights over Air Tran or SW are still an assigned seat and 1 checked bag free for that price. I think I can find cheap parking at a Dulles hotel so I'm good. Hope your fares drop too.

 

[kristenrice]

They should come down. I started looking for my October fares and the day they were released, they were over $300 each way. About a month later, I was able to book for $89 one way and $84 back for a total of $199 r/t.

 

[Lisa0620]

They should come down. I started looking for my October fares and the day they were released, they were over $300 each way. About a month later, I was able to book for $89 one way and $84 back for a total of $199 r/t.

Thanks, Kristen, that gives me hope although I'm not excited about waiting a month. This is our first time flying at spring break and I read several times that you have to book spring break flights as soon as they come out b/c they only go up and I was all psyched to do that... but no way for $736!

 

[kristenrice]

Thanks, Kristen, that gives me hope although I'm not excited about waiting a month. This is our first time flying at spring break and I read several times that you have to book spring break flights as soon as they come out b/c they only go up and I was all psyched to do that... but no way for $736!

Are you planning on flying out of GR? (*I see we are "neighbors")

I wouldn't plan on anything lower than $350 r/t but I'm fairly certain that $700+ will not be the best deal you see. If I were flying next spring break, I would book as soon as I saw the fares at $129 each way. I don't think they will go much lower than that.

 

[Lisa0620]

Are you planning on flying out of GR? (*I see we are "neighbors")

Yup! So spoiled now driving 15 mins to the airport instead of dealing with driving and parking at DTW; I really hope we get to keep that flight post merger! I'd be THRILLED to get $129 each way at this point and even more thrilled to have it booked and DONE.

 

[cathicool]

Holy Smokes! I just looked from BWI and they were $423 EACH WAY!! I had been waiting on SW to release on Monday but then got a fare alert from airfarewatchdog.com yesterday for Jet Blue so I booked it last night for $209 pp roundtrip!! WHEW! If SW's prices are similar on Monday that's pretty scary & I'm glad I booked!!

You DID make the right call! I've been posting on your other thread too. Once everyone sees those crazy prices, they will be jamming jetblue's site to grab the price you have!

We are flying next April as well...flying on April 3 and returning April 14. Our round trip is $225 on Delta. We have a nonstop landing in MCO on 4/3, but a 1-stop from MLB (Melbourne) on April 14. The nonstops on April 4 and April 14were $472 each way! We are a family of 5, NO WAY was I going to spend $4720 on airfare. Last year, we did the same thing- spring break flights on Delta. We booked very early and chose what was the best price vs. schedule scenario. Delta then adjusted their schedule and we were able to change our flights (no charge) to the MCO non-stops- they were the same $400 plus each way this past April as well. So now I know to book what I can accept and if there is a schedule shift, know that I may be able to get what I really wanted but couldn't afford. If the schedule doesn't shift (or shift enough) then I can deal with what I've booked.

I think you are going to be veeerrrrry happy come Monday. We did the same thing last year- waited for southwest to open their schedule. The flights were absolutely outrageous. And I was on the computer (at like 430am) when they opened, so I saw the opening prices. That's what "forced me" into Delta last year. But it worked out even better than I could've imagined with the schedule change!

 

[kristenrice]

Yup! So spoiled now driving 15 mins to the airport instead of dealing with driving and parking at DTW; I really hope we get to keep that flight post merger! I'd be THRILLED to get $129 each way at this point and even more thrilled to have it booked and DONE.

I, too, am 15 minutes from GRR (60th/Hanna Lake area) but I would also gladly make the trek to DTW to use AirTran. Even with a hotel room, it would be cheaper for our family of 4 to fly from DTW. I really hope it stays this way. The fares are comparable from DTW and GRR now, GR's have come down and DTW's have gone up, so now we will fly out of GRR for most of our trips.

Next June, my dad is taking our family of 15 to WDW. We will probably end up flying out of Detroit for that one. Reason? There are several non-stops from Detroit to choose from. Dad has a thing about putting all of us on the same flight. The flights from GR are all layovers (on Delta, don't know about AT yet) and the times are terrible...either 6am departures or arriving in MCO around 7pm. We're flying with children ages 8mos-10 years, most of which have never flown, so flight times are a higher priority than price. We don't want to be at the airport at 4am, we don't want to arrive at our resort at 9pm and we don't want a 3-hour layover. Until we see AirTran's schedule, we're leaning heavily towards flying from Detroit. It's also possible that half of us fly from Detroit and the rest take the one non-stop on AirTran. Who knows....we're just eagerly awaiting AT to release their fares for June, but that probably won't happen until around November.

 

[Anal Annie]

You DID make the right call! I've been posting on your other thread too. Once everyone sees those crazy prices, they will be jamming jetblue's site to grab the price you have!

We are flying next April as well...flying on April 3 and returning April 14. Our round trip is $225 on Delta. We have a nonstop landing in MCO on 4/3, but a 1-stop from MLB (Melbourne) on April 14. The nonstops on April 4 and April 14were $472 each way! We are a family of 5, NO WAY was I going to spend $4720 on airfare. Last year, we did the same thing- spring break flights on Delta. We booked very early and chose what was the best price vs. schedule scenario. Delta then adjusted their schedule and we were able to change our flights (no charge) to the MCO non-stops- they were the same $400 plus each way this past April as well. So now I know to book what I can accept and if there is a schedule shift, know that I may be able to get what I really wanted but couldn't afford. If the schedule doesn't shift (or shift enough) then I can deal with what I've booked.

I think you are going to be veeerrrrry happy come Monday. We did the same thing last year- waited for southwest to open their schedule. The flights were absolutely outrageous. And I was on the computer (at like 430am) when they opened, so I saw the opening prices. That's what "forced me" into Delta last year. But it worked out even better than I could've imagined with the schedule change!

Years ago we used to use Delta to FL but then all of the "big guys" dropped their direct flights to MCO!! Everybody flies thru Atlanta or Cincinnati or Raleigh or someplace. I refuse to take 5 hours to get there. Another 9 and I could drive it. Even tho we live about an hour from BWI, National & Dulles usually the only direct non-stop flights from the DC area are on Air Tran, SW and Jet Blue. I think that is just absurd. Sometimes there may be 1 or 2 on United out of Dulles....but they always have a crappy "on time" history and the times are limited. So I've pretty much decided we'll only fly now on AT, JB or SW. Good luck finding a deal!!

 

[Lisa0620]

I, too, am 15 minutes from GRR (60th/Hanna Lake area)
Hi, neighbor, we're in Cascade

Next June, my dad is taking our family of 15 to WDW. We will probably end up flying out of Detroit for that one. Reason? There are several non-stops from Detroit to choose from. Dad has a thing about putting all of us on the same flight. The flights from GR are all layovers (on Delta, don't know about AT yet) and the times are terrible...either 6am departures or arriving in MCO around 7pm. We're flying with children ages 8mos-10 years, most of which have never flown, so flight times are a higher priority than price. We don't want to be at the airport at 4am, we don't want to arrive at our resort at 9pm and we don't want a 3-hour layover. Until we see AirTran's schedule, we're leaning heavily towards flying from Detroit. It's also possible that half of us fly from Detroit and the rest take the one non-stop on AirTran. Who knows....we're just eagerly awaiting AT to release their fares for June, but that probably won't happen until around November.

What a fun trip! Hope you find a great flight. That's the thing about Airtran, now that I've waited for their fares to come out I feel like I lost any chance to get a decent fare with Delta from DTW. There's always Allegiant...

 

[snowy76]

AirTran fares typically come down drastically within a few days of appearing on their site. Check back frequently!

 

[NancyIL]

My April trip isn't until the 15th, and AirTran doesn't go that far. However, their current non-sale fares from Bloomington, IL have been $131 + taxes each way. I was able to book my entire April trip on Delta in late July for $134 roundtrip! It helped that the FAA still wasn't collecting some taxes, but the base fare itself was the lowest I've ever paid for a roundtrip ticket to Orlando!

 

[4forMe]

I checked AirTran yesterday for our Spring Break trip in March since Southwest's prices were outrageous. I found one way non-stop for $117. I had to double check with DH to make sure he could get that week off of work. He told me today he can. When I went on the site today, all those prices were gone and the price for my flight is now over $300 (one way!).

There might not be a trip for us next March if prices don't come down.

 

[Inkmahm]

I checked AirTran yesterday for our Spring Break trip in March since Southwest's prices were outrageous. I found one way non-stop for $117. I had to double check with DH to make sure he could get that week off of work. He told me today he can. When I went on the site today, all those prices were gone and the price for my flight is now over $300 (one way!).

There might not be a trip for us next March if prices don't come down.

Don't worry, the Airtran prices go up and down almost as regularly as the sun. March is a long way away.

I just bought our tickets for next March at $134 each way. I fully expect a sale sometime between now and next March which will get my price down from that. But if not, the $134 is not a horrible price. I can live with it. I didn't pay for seats as I plan to use any price reduction towards the cost of reserving seats in advance.

 

[wed100105]

My April trip isn't until the 15th, and AirTran doesn't go that far. However, their current non-sale fares from Bloomington, IL have been $131 + taxes each way. I was able to book my entire April trip on Delta in late July for $134 roundtrip! It helped that the FAA still wasn't collecting some taxes, but the base fare itself was the lowest I've ever paid for a roundtrip ticket to Orlando!

NanCy, where do you fly out of on delta? I am from around Peoria and am thinking about going to Disney again next July.

 

[NancyIL]

NanCy, where do you fly out of on delta? I am from around Peoria and am thinking about going to Disney again next July.

I live in Champaign, but have been flying to Orlando from Bloomington. I prefer AirTran's non-stop flights to Orlando, but it was hard to ignore that great fare on Delta for next April. The Delta fares have since gone up to over $200 RT, so I'm glad I bought when I did.

 

[wed100105]

I live in Champaign, but have been flying to Orlando from Bloomington. I prefer AirTran's non-stop flights to Orlando, but it was hard to ignore that great fare on Delta for next April. The Delta fares have since gone up to over $200 RT, so I'm glad I bought when I did.

I used to watch your threads a lot when I was booking airfare because we fly BMI to MCO nonstop on Airtran. Did you fly this past summer at all? In 2010 I had rates for $200 including taxes per person. I had a baby this July so we didn't fly, but are looking at next July and I'm trying to gauge what to expect for flights. Thanks!