SWA no longer a good deal for us -

[DisFlan]

Wow - I've been watching SW for almost a year and I just checked SW flights from Tulsa to both Tampa and Orlando for July (we don't go until Oct.). I can get MUCH better prices, flight times and layovers on several major airlines out of either Tulsa or NW Arkansas (XNA). SW would have to drop a whole lot by Oct. to even be close. It hasn't done that in quite a while for these routes.

So much for SWA, I guess. They've usually been the best deal pricewise in the past, even though we had to drive farther, but right now we can fly waaay cheaper ($450 less for 4) from NW Arkansas Regional and drive two hours less to get there.

No Ding For Me!

DisFlan

 

[vossjemi]

Hey DisFlan...from Mo Ozarks too. I'm searching for air for sept trip. About a month ago SGF had it for $268 RT which was still too rich for my blood. I've been thinking tul, xna, stl, or mci if I can't get anything decent around here. I did find out about TMA airlines out of stl-midway which typically runs $79 one way but sept air isn't out. Let me know if you find any good deals. I hate to drive 3 hours if I don't have to.

 

[DisFlan]

Hey vossjemi! We're southwest of Springfield in our beautiful Ozark hills. We're blessed with living on a Missouri Scenic Route.

I've been watching fares from SGF and XNA. So far, XNA has the better fares and times. Right now, we can fly from XNA on AA or NWA to Tampa for $242. XNA to MCO is about $280. SGF is higher (as usual). We flew into Tampa the last time and were very pleasantly surprised. We actually prefer it to MCO. Plus, it's cheaper and rental cars are right there at the terminal - no shuttles. Very low hassle.

We're an hour from both XNA and SGF, which isn't bad, but we're REALLY trying to stay away from one of the long drives to St. Louis or KC. Ick. You're tired by the time you get on the plane. And it bugs me to have to drive way far north to fly south.

I noticed the TransMeridian fares from St. Louis. But - it's a 5 hour drive. North. We'd probably have to stay there the night before which would most likely cancel out the savings, and it would eat up a vacation day. I'd rather spend it with Mickey.

I'm still watching fares!

DisFlan

 

[BeckWhy]

SWA goes in weird spirts (spelling). Right now to fly from BUF to MCO, it's a bout $190 (thats how much everywhere else costs). But when I looked for tickets in January it was $120-ish from BUF to MCO. I don't know much about your airport or anything, but sometimes there are just airlines that just aren't cheap at all (for BUF to MCO it's American like $300 or something). Maybe SWA changed a hub or something and thats why their ticket prices went up for you.

 

[DISFANS3]

WE live South of SPFD Mo, I am still waiting for SW air to come to Spfd. We drive to KCI for direct flights to Orlando. I don't even check air out of Spfd anymore.......

 

[vossjemi]

We got lucky enough to get discount e-certs in a ValPak coupon junk mailer for our last trip to miami in jan 05. Reg price was around $400pp out of SGF, but with the e-cert, we got it for 229pp, which was great! We did have probs with the flight though (long story...weather delays/missed connections, etc... and finally got to mia about 12 hours after...luggage in new orleans but did get it the next morning thank goodness!)

From SGF, its about a 3 hour drive for us whether we go to tulsa, mci or stl. I still hate the drive. I'd pay more to fly out of sgf on just dh & I, but this trip includes the kids, so need cheaper rates and may have to do the big city trip. I've noticed TMA's flights tend to be around 1pm, so no overnight stay and parking is free. It also takes you to sanford instead of mco, smaller, so nicer for me anyway. Since we're going on a cruise out of cape canaveral first, I really don't want to be across the state in tampa, but will keep a close eye on xna flights as well.

also, in case any locals didn't know allegiant air is now doing charter deals out of sgf to vegas! check it out. www.allegiantair.com

 

[DisFlan]

Disfans3 - we've been waiting for SWA to fly out of Springfield, MO for 20+ years. Hasn't happened, yet. Tulsa SWA has always had fairly inconvenient/unavailable fight times to Fla., and now they have bad prices, too.

I've hoped maybe they'd start service at NW Arkansas (also known locally as WalMart International), but I'm not holding my breath.

vossjemi - if you fly TransMeridian, please let me know how you like it. It sounds like it might be worth the drive.

DisFlan

 

[kim35]

Hi...

I live in St. Louis and am trying to get airfare for 4 people around $500 (flew to wdw in '02 for less than that), but am having heck of a time finding it. Could you give me some insight on how you find about about all the airines within 4 hours drive from your area? I only know to check STL.

Any info would be great!!

 

[DisFlan]

Hi, Kim!

Allegiant Air just announced this week that it's now flying from Springfield, MO to Orlando Sanford Airport (SFB) nonstop! Right now there's an introductory fare of $59 each way. And kids fly free.

Other than that, I check Orbitz for flights out of Springfield (SGF), KC (MCI), Tulsa (TUL) and Fayetteville, Ark. (XNA).

Up until the Allegiant announcement, we'd been getting the best deals out of XNA, and it's only an hour from us.

I'd think you could find some good deals out of St. L. on Southwest or Transmeridian. You flew to Florida in 2002 for so little because it was post-911 and airlines were practically giving away seats. That's not the rule anymore. Cheap airfare is very hard to come by today, including SW and the other discount carriers. That's why we were so excited about the Allegiant announcement.

For the absolute cheapest, go to the SW site (iflyswa.com) and download DING. It'll get you their best fares. Some of them have been pretty amazing, but you'll have to grab them quick when they show up.

DisFlan

 

[mareed]

I booked a Ding special last night from Orlando to Tulsa one-way for $81.45. I thought this was a great price, that I think would be tough to beat from Tulsa!

 

[gw_lit]

Hi...

I live in St. Louis and am trying to get airfare for 4 people around $500 (flew to wdw in '02 for less than that), but am having heck of a time finding it. Could you give me some insight on how you find about about all the airines within 4 hours drive from your area? I only know to check STL.

Any info would be great!!

Hi Kim...

You may want to check out AirTran flying out of Bloomington, Illinois. They have flights to Orlando with a change of planes in Atlanta. Good luck finding airfare from the Midwest to Orlando for $125 a ticket nowadays. The airlines are continually trying to bump up their prices since many are losing billions of dollars a year, so I think you'll be extremely lucky to find a comparable fare to the one you got in 2002.

Other airports around St. Louis (within 4 hours) would all most likely be more expensive since they are pretty much smaller airports with limited service. You could try Springfield, IL or Columbia, MO but I don't think you'll get a better price than flying out of STL.

I'd just download Ding from Southwest if you haven't already, and make sure to subscribe to the fare sale emails from American, Delta, Northwest and hope to find a sale.

Good luck!

 

[MAH4546]

Hi Kim...

You may want to check out AirTran flying out of Bloomington, Illinois. They have flights to Orlando with a change of planes in Atlanta. Good luck finding airfare from the Midwest to Orlando for $125 a ticket nowadays. The airlines are continually trying to bump up their prices since many are losing billions of dollars a year, so I think you'll be extremely lucky to find a comparable fare to the one you got in 2002.

Other airports around St. Louis (within 4 hours) would all most likely be more expensive since they are pretty much smaller airports with limited service. You could try Springfield, IL or Columbia, MO but I don't think you'll get a better price than flying out of STL.

Good luck!

airTran offers Bloomington-Orlando non-stop.

Another airport to check out is Peoria. Allegiant flies to Orlando from there, and they have a kids fly free promotion (though I don't know the details; it may be part of a vacation package).

 

[gw_lit]

Good point, AirTran has one daily non-stop from Bloomington to Orlando and back. The rest of the flights to/from Bloomington have a change of planes in Atlanta.

 

[kim35]

Thanks for the advise....

I will continue to be hopeful that a miracle will happen, but in case it doesn't we'll just continue the plan to drive 16 hours. YIKES!!!