So mad at myself(sorry for my vent)....

[loveysbydesign]

Going with my in-laws for their 1st trip ever to WDW in Nov. -Airtran dates were released for our dates but the 12th(the day I wanted to fly down) was $98 and the 13th was $59...since there's 5 of us(plus my in-laws) and we're on a tight budget we booked the 13th. Well now of course 4 days later the 12th is down to $59...I knew I should have waited but my in-laws were chomping at the bit to get our flights & rental place booked!

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Well, think of it this way. You get an extra day at Disney World!

 

[Poohlovr]

Actually, she is getting one less day.

 

[loveysbydesign]

Well, think of it this way. You get an extra day at Disney World!

No...we actually lost a day! I wanted to book the 12th but it was $98 so we booked the 13th which was $59. I am patient and could wait til 2 months beforehand to buy our plane tix as we have 3 airports fairly close to us...but my in-laws wanted to buy them asap...so we did so we could pick our seats together on the place.

 

[Traveliz]

I find with Airtran it really is ok to be patient - especially where I live. I never book far in advance anymore (mostly because I have a daughter living in Orlando and we decide as we go when we will be going) and I can usually get great prices up to a month in advance (but checking each day) and then there is usually a two - three span right before the flights that they are high and then often the day of or day before there are bargains to be had again. Great for last minute decisions!

Liz

 

[jnadelman]

Don't fret. You might actually be able to get those other flights after all, and not pay any change fees. Although I can't be 100% sure because it is a date change. This is what happened to us last year.

We wanted an nice 1pm flight home, but when the flights were released, the 9pm was $59 and the 1pm was like $99. So we booked the 9pm ($40 x 6 people, is a lot of money).
A few months later they changed the time of our 9pm flight to 9:45. We called them, and they have a policy that says if they change the flight, they will let you change without the fee. We said we had time constraints and could not leave that late, and they put us on the 7pm. A bit after that the 7pm became 8pm, so we called again with the same that is now too late for us story. And guess what, the only earlier flight in the day with seats was the 1pm! (which was now $189 to book). So we got our 1pm flight for the $59.

As everyone says about AirTran, they are known for changing their times. So if they change the time of yours, maybe you can explain that this time change is not doable for you, and see if they will let you change to this other date.

 

[loveysbydesign]

Don't fret. You might actually be able to get those other flights after all, and not pay any change fees. Although I can't be 100% sure because it is a date change. This is what happened to us last year.

We wanted an nice 1pm flight home, but when the flights were released, the 9pm was $59 and the 1pm was like $99. So we booked the 9pm ($40 x 6 people, is a lot of money).
A few months later they changed the time of our 9pm flight to 9:45. We called them, and they have a policy that says if they change the flight, they will let you change without the fee. We said we had time constraints and could not leave that late, and they put us on the 7pm. A bit after that the 7pm became 8pm, so we called again with the same that is now too late for us story. And guess what, the only earlier flight in the day with seats was the 1pm! (which was now $189 to book). So we got our 1pm flight for the $59.

As everyone says about AirTran, they are known for changing their times. So if they change the time of yours, maybe you can explain that this time change is not doable for you, and see if they will let you change to this other date.

thanks for that tip!

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Actually, she is getting one less day.

No...we actually lost a day! I wanted to book the 12th but it was $98 so we booked the 13th which was $59. I am patient and could wait til 2 months beforehand to buy our plane tix as we have 3 airports fairly close to us...but my in-laws wanted to buy them asap...so we did so we could pick our seats together on the place.

Oops! Sorry, I thought I read that it was your return flight.

That is just one reason I almost exclusively fly with SWA. No change fees when this happens.

 

[loveysbydesign]

Oops! Sorry, I thought I read that it was your return flight.

That is just one reason I almost exclusively fly with SWA. No change fees when this happens.

We've always flown on SWA or JB but now that AT flies out of LVIA we only have a 20 minute ride to the airport..no more stressful drives down the Blue Rte. to Philly or Rt. 78 to Newark! Plus my in-laws are coming this time and we need to each drive our own vehicle to the airport.

 

[jnadelman]

We've always flown on SWA or JB but now that AT flies out of LVIA we only have a 20 minute ride to the airport..no more stressful drives down the Blue Rte. to Philly or Rt. 78 to Newark! Plus my in-laws are coming this time and we need to each drive our own vehicle to the airport.

Am I correct in saying that you mean Allentown/Lehigh Vallley when you say LVIA.
We were looking at AT flights from there and were a bit worried since they only have 1 per day. Have you flown it yet?

 

[TaraPA]

jnadelman - I just flew Airtran and Allegiant from ABE to MCO 2 weeks ago. I had no schedule changes with either carrier, everything went smoothly. My in-laws have a condo in FL so they fly down from ABE regularly & always use AT or Allegiant (even when Allegiant flew into Sanford) and they have no complaints.

I watched both AT & Allegiant like a hawk for months. Checked daily, sometimes several times a day. The flights dropped to the lowest price just 3 weeks before travel - my Allegiant flight went down to $19.99!!! Of course I didn't jump quick enough & the next day it was back up to $39.99. I booked immediately & it hung at $39.99 right up til 2 weeks prior, then jumped to $128. The AT leg had been going back & forth between $89 and $98 for months. I got it at $89 2 weeks before traveling. Went up to $169 a few days after that. So I learned that I can wait to book with both airlines!

Just booked October on Airtran at $59!

 

[jnadelman]

Tara - did you take my $59 flight today??
I looked this morning and it was $59. I called my wife to see if I should book it. By the time I reached her, it was up to $89.
I'm hoping it goes back down.

 

[pamjb]

Tara,

Have you heard that AirTran is going to expand their schedule from ABE? One of my neighbors mentioned it this weekend, but I haven't seen or heard anything.

How was ESPN weekend?

 

[TaraPA]

jnadelman - LOL I booked last week - going to MCO on 10/24 for $59...keep watching - they change rates like I change underwear!

PAM! HI!! No I hadn't heard that about AT - I really hope so because in October I need to come home on Thursday - AT has no service to ABE that day. I wonder if they might add Thursdays in? Only time will tell! Allegiant flys into ABE that day, but they leave MCO at 7:50am - no way am I getting on ME at 4:50am my last day! Looks like I will have to pay $$ & fly a carrier with a layover.

ESPN was FREEZING. I'm not into sports so I wasn't impressed at all. I have a trip report going on the Trip Reports thread ("knock it off or you're going back to the hotel for the rest of the day" is the title) - I have pics of the stars we saw. It was raining & 44 degrees - MISERABLE - but the kids had a good time. Parks were empty while we were there though so that was nice.

 

[TaraPA]

Hey Pam, I just read the AT info on their expanded summer service to/from ABE - it doesn't help me in October but it looks like this summer they will fly 7 days a week, 2 flights per day. One non-stop, one connecting. Woo hoo!

 

[jnadelman]

Hey Pam, I just read the AT info on their expanded summer service to/from ABE - it doesn't help me in October but it looks like this summer they will fly 7 days a week, 2 flights per day. One non-stop, one connecting. Woo hoo!

But if the flights fill up and are a success I would image they would continue it after the summer.

 

[TaraPA]

But if the flights fill up and are a success I would image they would continue it after the summer.

My fingers are crossed!

 

[kaytieeldr]

So we got our 1pm flight for the $59.

NOT a reflection on the quoted poster in ANY way, but... and people wonder why airlines aren't making a profit. It's at least in part for reasons like this - i.e. their own fault, in the case of AirTran.

They projected to sell X seats on the 1 PM flight at $189; instead, in addition to any planned $59 seats they sold on that flight, they caused their own projection to drop by $780 with just this one party, in the interest of keeping the customer happy. Not to mention the additional work done by the two different CSRs who should have been selling tickets, but were instead tied up rearranging a family's tickets and issuing credits.

Again, NOTHING against the poster. Seriously.