DTW to MCO... What happened to Airtran?

[Colleen27]

DH asked me to price out some possible options for an anniversary trip for Sept. There are NO Airtran non-stops from Detroit to Orlando any more? None on S/W either - I checked thinking maybe they'd started switching some of their flights over like they have in Flint. So now Delta basically has no competition for non-stops on our route? That doesn't bode well for Orlando being one of my favorite low-fare getaways. I am so disappointed, I had thought the A/T-SW merger would bring a non-stop on SW, not eliminate one of the handful of non-stop options we had.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Why not try different airlines? AirTran and Spirit currently both have non-stop DTW-MCO flights, so Delta does have competition. It does look like there are no non-stop AirTran flights in September.

 

[Colleen27]

Why not try different airlines? AirTran and Spirit currently both have non-stop DTW-MCO flights, so Delta does have competition. It does look like there are no non-stop AirTran flights in September.

Right now, Airtran, Delta, and Spirit are the only non-stops. It has been that way for many years. As of Aug 11 (I googled it) there will be no more nonstop service on Airtran on the DTW/MCO route, and between the add-on fees and lousy service Spirit isn't worth flying. So that leaves Delta with very little competition in any practical sense which I fear will mean much higher fares; the pattern for the last several years has been Delta opens for booking earlier and hovers around $300-350 r/t until Airtran opens their schedule and runs a sale, at which point they'll be neck-and-neck around the $200 price point. Without Airtran, I fear we're going to see those $300+ fares become the best we can hope for.

 

[Buzzsgramma]

Southwest bought Air-Tran..they have been in the process of learning their system...
If you go on SW site..some of the flights are listed as Air-Tran...well there were a week ago..

 

[Fire14]

I saw some nonstop dtw- mco also check flint I saw nonstop there too

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I saw some nonstop dtw- mco also check flint I saw nonstop there too

Nonstop DTW-MCO are available now. They won't be by September, when the OP is traveling.

 

[2009CAN]

I looked at both Metro and Flint for a non-stop in Sept (late) and found both to be available through Southwest and Spirit. It was actually $60+ cheaper on Spirit and that was w/the additional fees of sitting with each other and luggage. I HATE Spirit, but we have six flying so that's what I booked.
Our flights were $112 and now for that exact flight they are $178 and I just booked two weeks ago.

 

[Sandi]

Southwest has big billboards advertising nonstop service from DTW to Orlando on I-275 and I-94. I took DD to DTW for a flight earlier this month and saw those billboards. I thought about maybe doing a quick trip in the coming weeks. Well, there were a few nonstop TO MCO, but none from MCO to DTW. So big deal. I was disappointed. Their advertisements are truthful, but . . . I'll stick with Delta and fly LAN-DTW-MCO.

 

[Colleen27]

I looked at both Metro and Flint for a non-stop in Sept (late) and found both to be available through Southwest and Spirit. It was actually $60+ cheaper on Spirit and that was w/the additional fees of sitting with each other and luggage. I HATE Spirit, but we have six flying so that's what I booked.
Our flights were $112 and now for that exact flight they are $178 and I just booked two weeks ago.

You found nonstops on SW from Detroit to Orlando? Do you happen to remember which dates/days of the week? Their site certainly doesn't make looking for them easy and we're flexible enough on timing that we'd take advantage if we can but I haven't seen any.

I flew Spirit in Mar '11 and it wasn't bad, other than a seating snafu that aggravated me because we paid to be seated together and then got separated anyway, and ended up in the "big front seats" with no underseat area to keep the kids' activity bags. But for that trip, the fare itself was $100pp cheaper r/t so it was still cheaper even after the fees. I haven't found that sort of deal for any of our trips since then.

Southwest has big billboards advertising nonstop service from DTW to Orlando on I-275 and I-94. I took DD to DTW for a flight earlier this month and saw those billboards. I thought about maybe doing a quick trip in the coming weeks. Well, there were a few nonstop TO MCO, but none from MCO to DTW. So big deal. I was disappointed. Their advertisements are truthful, but . . . I'll stick with Delta and fly LAN-DTW-MCO.

Their site says they fly nonstop on that route too, but I've never seen one other than the "operated by Airtran" flights (that are being discontinued in Aug). This may be the nudge I need to fly out of Flint more often, I suppose. Usually that's about $50pp more expensive than going out of Detroit but it is an easier airport to deal with and we're about the same distance from both so if the prices are going to be comparable, SW out of Flint will be the best option.

 

[Fire14]

I could swear when I priced out BFF flying from DTW to MCO in Sept I saw nonstop.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

You found nonstops on SW from Detroit to Orlando? Do you happen to remember which dates/days of the week?

The nonstop flights on WN from DTW-MCO appear to stop around August 10 (FLTS #5787 & #5286, operated by AirTran). I couldn't find any for September; perhaps the poster who did was mistaken.

 

[Colleen27]

The nonstop flights on WN from DTW-MCO appear to stop around August 10 (FLTS #5787 & #5286, operated by AirTran). I couldn't find any for September; perhaps the poster who did was mistaken.

That's what I'm seeing too - no actual SW nonstops, just the "operated by Airtran" which is the service that is discontinued as of 8/11/13. I believe that around the holidays SW runs (or used to run - I last checked in '09) nonstops from DTW to MCO, but I hate that they list a nonstop in their route map when it isn't a regular part of their schedule.

 

[kstorms27]

Not sure where you are located but we are planning a trip for September, for our Anniversary as well, and we will be flying out of Grand Rapids nonstop to MCO on Southwest. Right now prices' are hovering around the $120-140. I have seen them drop as low as $90 on certain days. Good luck with your quest for a nonstop flight!

 

[2009CAN]

You found nonstops on SW from Detroit to Orlando? Do you happen to remember which dates/days of the week? Their site certainly doesn't make looking for them easy and we're flexible enough on timing that we'd take advantage if we can but I haven't seen any.

We were looking at dates of either around Sept 19-21 and coming home a week from any of those dates. Every one of those dates had a direct flight. I just plugged the dates in again and here's just ONE example of what I found, hope it helps you!

There is a nonstop our of FNT to MCO for a $148 (Web Only price) at 1:35 pm landing 4:15. The return is Sept. 26 at 7:00 pm and landing back at Flint at 9:40 for the same Web only price

There is a 9:30 am flight on Sat 21 that is NONSTOP fro $148 and coming home on Sept 27 at 7:00 pm that is NONSTOP for the same price

 

[travelcoupons]

yep....why do you think all these airlines (and car rental companies) want to merge?

Eliminate competition so they can charge higher rates and the government is dumb enough to let them keep doing it.

 

[Sandi]

We were looking at dates of either around Sept 19-21 and coming home a week from any of those dates. Every one of those dates had a direct flight. I just plugged the dates in again and here's just ONE example of what I found, hope it helps you!

There is a nonstop our of FNT to MCO for a $148 (Web Only price) at 1:35 pm landing 4:15. The return is Sept. 26 at 7:00 pm and landing back at Flint at 9:40 for the same Web only price

There is a 9:30 am flight on Sat 21 that is NONSTOP fro $148 and coming home on Sept 27 at 7:00 pm that is NONSTOP for the same price

But, as you note, those are flights originating in Flint, not Detroit. For those dates in September, there are no non-stop flights from DTW. Those stop in the middle of August and there aren't any non-stop from MCO to DTW that I can find.

 

[Blessed_wth_Triplets]

What are your travel dates? We are planning on booking SW nonstop from Flint to MCO for our November trip when flights are released. They show one nonstop per day right now.

 

[ain0004]

We too fly out of DTW. Airfare over the last 6 months have gone insane. We are flying into Tampa and having a minivan rental. We saved $812 for a party of 7 to do this vs MCO. Yes I know TPA is 1.5 hours away. But its better than paying the higher cost. Plus we have a better rental rate with TPA vs MCO. I would look into this option. We snagged 233/person direct flights vs 349/person to mco.

 

[epsmith921]

Reasons we're going to fly out of flint as well. Plus we're bringing a 2.5 year old so getting through flint is much less daunting than Detroit. Not loving the one flight per day we're seeing to and from flint though. I like more options.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

We were looking at dates of either around Sept 19-21 and coming home a week from any of those dates. Every one of those dates had a direct flight. I just plugged the dates in again and here's just ONE example of what I found, hope it helps you!

There is a nonstop our of FNT to MCO for a $148 (Web Only price) at 1:35 pm landing 4:15. The return is Sept. 26 at 7:00 pm and landing back at Flint at 9:40 for the same Web only price

There is a 9:30 am flight on Sat 21 that is NONSTOP fro $148 and coming home on Sept 27 at 7:00 pm that is NONSTOP for the same price

Detroit and Flint are two different airports! The OP asked about DTW-MCO nonstop flights.