Booking AirTran vs. Southwest???

[blue gatorade]

What's the deal with booking AirTran through the Southwest website? I've been looking at flights for about a month now and the SW rates keep going up (The 10:30am flight went from $143-$325 overnight... YIKES!). The AirTran flights are cheaper, and can get us a few extra hours in WDW, but is it really worth all the "hassle" that I'm hearing about? I have a few questions:

1) If I book AT through SW, bags still "fly free", right?
2) Is there a really a chance we'll get bumped for our flight and have to take another flight? There's no way I'm going to risk booking a 6am flight to only get bumped!
3) I've realized AT has seating assignments... are parties normally seated together? It's just my aunt and I, so we don't NEED to sit together, but of course we'd prefer that.
4) I know there's no real answer to this, but is there a best time to book? I've been checking Tuesdays at 3pm, but still haven't seen a drop in rates. Now I'm regretting not booking a month ago when it was $136 each way!

Btw, we're flying from PGH - MCO 11/11-11/17.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[elric186]

need to be looking 3am not pm that's what I have heard. the times we used AT was before they joined up with SW so I'm no help with the other.

 

[ArmyVet80]

We booked AirTran through Southwest. It's actually a Southwest flight operated by Airtran. When you book your Magic Express you have to give them the Southwest flight # not the Airtran flight #.

1. I called Southwest and they said the bags still fly free even though Airtran is the flight operator. This is from our confirmation e-mail also..

"Carry-on Items: 1 Bag + small personal item are free see full details. Checked Items: First and second bags are free, size and weight limits apply. "

2. I'm not sure about being bumped from the flight but I can't see how they would do that. Since Southwest and Airtran merged about a year ago I figure they wouldn't bump you because you booked through Southwest but Airtran is the flights operator. It's pretty much the same company now.

3. This is what we got with our confirmation e-mail..
"What you need to know to travel:
Don't forget to check in for your flight(s) 24 hours in advance on southwest.com, your mobile device, at the AirTran Ticket Counter, or Airport Kiosk.
AirTran has assigned seating. Advanced seat assignments are not available. Customers who purchase an AirTran segment on Southwest channels will be assigned a seat at the time of check in.
Once you check in, you will not be able to change your seat until arrival at the airport. "

I'm not sure if that helps with your question for #3.

4. We booked on a Thursday around 5 pm. We are flying from Indianapolis, IN to MCO non-stop and it cost us $569.00 round trip for my wife and I. So around $142.25 per flight per person. We booked in May for our 8 November to 14 November 2013 trip. A few days later though Southwest was having a special where tickets had dropped for the flight home to like $92 per person. I really just think you have to get lucky.

We had compared Airtran and Southwest and the Southwest tickets were always about $20-$40 cheaper. Not entirely sure if that is the case with your tickets or not.

 

[ArmyVet80]

Don't mean to double post but I'm looking at Southwest right now and there is a flight out of Pittsburgh for 6 am for $143. It's a non-stop flight. The flight home on the other hand is a bit more expensive at $157 per person. The flight home cost is for a 9 am flight and an 8:30 pm flight.

Most (all of the early flights) of the non-stop flights seem to be operated by Airtran just like our flights out of Indianapolis.