Best airlines???

[kstorms27]

We are coming down the first week of December for a week and its our first week as DVC members. We are looking to fly from Michigan. It will be our first time flying. It will be me, DW, and our 3yr old DD. I was just wondering if anyone could share with us your experiences and which airlines are the best to fly with and which ones to avoid.

 

[Maleficent53]

We usually fly Delta from MN to WDW. They have the most direct flights and if you purchase wisely, fares are pretty comparable to the other airlines. Air Tran, Sun Country and now Spirit also fly out of MSP but we avoid using them due to limited service. Sisters did try Sun Country several years ago, but had a bad experience with them. Their flight had maintenance and cancelled. Not all airlines will transfer their passengers to another airline if the flight is cancelled, and you might have a substantial delay in departure waiting for an aircraft to be fixed. At least with DL if a flight gets cancelled, there are other options to get us there. January 2011 we were booked to fly nonstop on DL and a huge snowstorm was going to hit that day. DL precancelled all nonstop flights to MCO in preparation. We found out when we got to the airport about the cancellations...thought we were screwed! Nope! We were booked to Atlanta and first class seat there to MCO. Arrived at our resort at 11PM instead of noon, but we were there

Look at who the dominant carrier is going from your local airport. They might be your best bet for flexibility. If you go with another carrier with less service because they have a lower fare, bring a book in case there are delays

 

[CarolMN]

Moved from DVC Boards

 

[kstorms27]

Where did you move it?

 

[DebbieB]

For a first time, I would definitely look for a non-stop. I usually fly Delta, USAirways or Southwest.

 

[siskaren]

Where did you move it?

It's in the Transportation board.

 

[lindsmom]

If this is your first time flying, like, ever, I wouldn't recommend Southwest ONLY because of their boarding system. In the interest of full disclosure, our family flies Southwest ALWAYS. It is our first and almost only choice. But I think you might like the peace of mind of having reserved seats so one less thing to worry about.

I would recommend one of the "majors" but don't know your area so I'll defer to PP who recommends Delta.

Make sure you factor in baggage costs - one more thing I like about Southwest.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

I was just wondering if anyone could share with us your experiences and which airlines are the best to fly with and which ones to avoid.

A good airline is the one that will fly you non-stop for a decent price. An even better one also has multiple flights a day on your route, so if there is an interruption, you have options.

You'll find horror stories and heart-warm-ingly good stories about every airline. It usually comes down to to the employee you encounter when you need some type of assistance, and you just never know who you're going to encounter, and what their mood will be that day.

That being said, I think two airlines stand out for two different reasons: Southwest has the most flexibility...no penalties if you miss a flight or have to make changes...you just have to buy a ticket at the going rate when you make those changes.

The best non-first-class in-flight experience is Jet Blue. Every seat has a TV, they assign seats, and they include one checked bag for free.

 

[cluvsdisney]

JetBlue is by far my favorite airline. The seats are comfy, there's in-flight Direct TV and the first checked bag is included with your fare.

 

[kstorms27]

We are looking to fly out of Grand Rapids, Michigan and we have found that we can get roundtrip, non-stop, for 3 of us with AirTran for $730. Anybody have any experiance with AirTran? Is that a good non-stop, round trip price for 3?

 

[GrnMtnMan]

We are looking to fly out of Grand Rapids, Michigan and we have found that we can get roundtrip, non-stop, for 3 of us with AirTran for $730. Anybody have any experiance with AirTran? Is that a good non-stop, round trip price for 3?

That's a good price from Washington DC, where we have multiple airlines that fly non-stop. Since Grand Rapids is abit further, that sounds like a great price.

AirTran is in the process of being merged in to Southwest. It has its lovers and its haters, like every airline. Unless there's another line with multiple non stops at a comparable price, I'd say its a no-brainer to buy now.

 

[kstorms27]

I did hear that Southwest Airlines was taken over AirTran but won't be switched over for like a year or so. So it will be AirTran when we go to WDW in December. Looks like they are the only airline tht clys non-stop out of GR. I don't really want to go to Detroit to find a different flight. That's like 3hrs from my house. I just was curious about the prices and airlines beings this will be our first time flying. I'm not real familiar with pricing and the reputation of the airlines. Thx everyone.

 

[Checkers]

We used to fly AirTran out of Harrisburg but they discontinued their service and it has been replaced with Frontier. The last time we flew AT we couldn't believe how crowded we felt in our seats, couldn't even read a book in front of us and my DH didn't have room enough to put his tray table down to hold his beverage. Perhaps it was just that particular airplane but I thought we would never get there (it is a 2 hr. flight)!

 

[DebbieB]

If this is your first time flying, like, ever, I wouldn't recommend Southwest ONLY because of their boarding system. In the interest of full disclosure, our family flies Southwest ALWAYS. It is our first and almost only choice. But I think you might like the peace of mind of having reserved seats so one less thing to worry about.

I would recommend one of the "majors" but don't know your area so I'll defer to PP who recommends Delta.

Make sure you factor in baggage costs - one more thing I like about Southwest.

Airlines that reserve seats don't always mean "peace of mind".

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2943089#

 

[CarolMN]

Where did you move it?

It's in the Transportation board.

To see where you are on the boards, look at the top of the page on the left side. You'll see the links - For example, this thread's navigation box looks like this:

The DIS Discussion Forums - Disboard.com > Disney Trip Planning Forums > Transportation > Best Airlines???

I moved your thread because the people who know the most on this subject hang out here and I thought you would get more and better answers.

 

[jennyf2]

We usually fly Delta from MN to WDW. They have the most direct flights and if you purchase wisely, fares are pretty comparable to the other airlines. Air Tran, Sun Country and now Spirit also fly out of MSP but we avoid using them due to limited service. Sisters did try Sun Country several years ago, but had a bad experience with them. Their flight had maintenance and cancelled. Not all airlines will transfer their passengers to another airline if the flight is cancelled, and you might have a substantial delay in departure waiting for an aircraft to be fixed. At least with DL if a flight gets cancelled, there are other options to get us there. January 2011 we were booked to fly nonstop on DL and a huge snowstorm was going to hit that day. DL precancelled all nonstop flights to MCO in preparation. We found out when we got to the airport about the cancellations...thought we were screwed! Nope! We were booked to Atlanta and first class seat there to MCO. Arrived at our resort at 11PM instead of noon, but we were there

Look at who the dominant carrier is going from your local airport. They might be your best bet for flexibility. If you go with another carrier with less service because they have a lower fare, bring a book in case there are delays

OT: What a SMALL world--Just wanted to say HI ! I saw that you are in Maplewood--well I'm right next door in North St Paul

 

[kstorms27]

Thank you!

 

[prekteacher]

We fly Southwest and loved it . We are planing on using them again in 2014 when we go back .

 

[jakeybake]

JetBlue is by far my favorite airline. The seats are comfy, there's in-flight Direct TV and the first checked bag is included with your fare.

Totally agree. We will only fly JetBlue. Great direct flights out of Boston.

J

 

[ceemys]

In the past 3 years it has southwest and Airtran. I really like Airtran. This trip, it is cheaper than Southwest by almost $286 even factoring in the baggage fees and seat assignment cost plust Airtran has nonstop coming and going. Southwest didn't. Southwest is OK. But to me it is the price on who I will fly.