AirTran Airways A+ Rewards - Southwest High price model taking over Airtran

Anyone who thought that WN was going to lower prices in ATL better think again. The weekly FL sales have been steadily increasing in price but this week's list brings some real shockers- a "sale" ATL-DCA for $134 each way about $50 to $60 more than recent history. At least ATL-LAX is pricing only $13 higher @ $147 O/W.

I see where you're coming from and tend to agree.

However, the small part of my brain that is actually logical believes there are a few other circumstances here, such as the cost of oil, reduced competition, and capacity reductions at the legacies.

Even if AirTran were still a standalone entity, their fares might have gone up considerably, too.

Fares have gone up at across the board, at all carriers.

It's not the Southwest effect. It's oil prices, even though they are presently falling.

Anyone who thought that WN was going to lower prices in ATL better think again. The weekly FL sales have been steadily increasing in price but this week's list brings some real shockers- a "sale" ATL-DCA for $134 each way about $50 to $60 more than recent history. At least ATL-LAX is pricing only $13 higher @ $147 O/W.

But bags fly free, oh wait, nevermind...

Interesting, DL and WN must be feeling each other out. DL RM responded with a $111 sale fare ATL-DCA. This is still almost double the price I paid for ATL-DCA last month.

I fly FLL to ATL a couple of times a month and my Oct $$'s are down about 30%, used to be right around $200, both flights were $135 RT

I fly FLL to ATL a couple of times a month and my Oct $$'s are down about 30%, used to be right around $200, both flights were $135 RT

While I don't fly to FLL as frequently as you, I seem to recall always being able to find cheap flights between ATL-FLL for >$150.

Things have changed this week and it is definitely the WN effect and not mere oil prices. As I mentioned in more detail in the 35 dollar sale thread, sale windows are more restrictive and require more advance planning. That makes prices from ATL-Baltimore or PHL more expensive even on off days like Saturdays.

I used to take trips on last minute whims(well, more like two week advance whims) for leisure. Those days are over. Sure, if I can predict what I am doing more thana month from now, i can take advantage of those 65 dollar deals for intermediate routes. Delta's prices are up now that Airtran is not aggressively pricing routes.

MKE-MSP-MKE is pricing out with crazy fares, with several weeks advance booking.

With few, if any seats sold, one-way is pricing @$117 for both lowest Coach and BC. During late Nov, BC fare goes up to $319 each way, with full inventory of BC seats available.

So the new sale has arrived for the week and the great sale offered??? Even a week before Thanksgiving , on a Saturday, the fare from Baltimore to ATL is 125 one way (approx inclusive of tax). Just a week before the Southwest model took effect for pricing, Airtran was offering this same day for half the price. The abosolute cheapest is 99 plus tax for this segment.

PHL-ATL is outrageous. 147 plus tax even on a Saturday.

So the new sale has arrived for the week and the great sale offered??? Even a week before Thanksgiving , on a Saturday, the fare from Baltimore to ATL is 125 one way (approx inclusive of tax). Just a week before the Southwest model took effect for pricing, Airtran was offering this same day for half the price. The abosolute cheapest is 99 plus tax for this segment.

PHL-ATL is outrageous. 147 plus tax even on a Saturday.


"low fares farther" evidently means you have to look farther to find the low fares.

I noticed the low end for Phlly went down to 115 plus tax from Atlanta nd BWi-ATL can be had for 90 plus tax on a few dates. Though no luck for the weekend in questioned. So much for the savings on Southwest. Baltimore is still well above what used to be offered as the cheap sale fare on the Atlanta route. ATL-PBI is up 10-20% on itineraries I traveled for cheap in the past with 2-3 weeks notice.

"low fares farther" evidently means you have to look farther to find the low fares.

No, I think it means that you are farther away from having any chance at a low fare ;)

No, I think it means that you are farther away from having any chance at a low fare ;)

When I see their Fare Saver emails of the last four weeks (bar the huge sale), the prices are just jumping through the roof.

Besides CMH, DAY, STL, MEM and a few others at $59, prices have almost doubled for any other destinations bar for transcons.

Scary indications of times ahead with SWA driving the show. Can't believe the DOT and DOJ gave the green light for this back then.

Minos

Fares have gone up at across the board, at all carriers.

It's not the Southwest effect. It's oil prices, even though they are presently falling.

I dunno. It might be ATL-specific. Here on the West Coast, I have seen $35 and $39 sales over the past 3 weeks. Those prices are the lowest in 2 years. For LAX-LAS the fares have gone even lower.

I would expect higher ATL fares due to the elimination of bag fees and reduced competition. The old Southwest would have set fares according to cost in order to maximize market share. At the new Southwest, the cost is too high for this to succeed. Therefore Southwest can no longer roll into town and oust the incumbent carrier.

I have never seen prices higher in the 16 months I've lived here and I fly and book a LOT on Air Tran. $350 RT ATL-PHL a month in advance?! $255 RT ATL-MDW??!! Those fares were almost half that price 6 months ago.
What a joke. Everything about SWA makes my blood boil.

Oh, and SWA is starting to cut frequency of flights, too.

My husband has been booked for a month on an ATL-RIC flight departing at 2:20 p.m. Earlier this week he got a message from Air Tran saying his flight has been changed to....8:15 a.m. That 2:20 flight? No longer exists.

I dunno. It might be ATL-specific. Here on the West Coast, I have seen $35 and $39 sales over the past 3 weeks. Those prices are the lowest in 2 years. For LAX-LAS the fares have gone even lower.

I would expect higher ATL fares due to the elimination of bag fees and reduced competition. The old Southwest would have set fares according to cost in order to maximize market share. At the new Southwest, the cost is too high for this to succeed. Therefore Southwest can no longer roll into town and oust the incumbent carrier.

But they aren't getting rid of bag fees on Airtran...

It's going to cost you more to fly Southwest than Airtran. Anyone who tells you otherwise is misinformed. Southwest is a higher-fare airline these days. They have to be -- their costs ar higher than Airtran's.

At the same type, you're seeing a general increase in airfares due to the speculation in oil. The average airfare is up 10% from a year ago. So anything above a 10% increase might be "the Southwest effect" (not their famous fare lowering effect, but their new Airtran fare raising effect!).

And there's going to be other bad news for Airtran pax. First, Southwest seems pretty intent on changing the fundamental nature of Airtran's ATL operations. They're going to rely less on connecting traffic, and more on origination/destination traffic. What does that mean in practical terms? They're going to reduce the number of seats in ATL -- which means fewer cheapo connecting fares and fewer frequencies for nonstop travellers.

Finally, from my own experiences last summer flying out of BWI, Airtran would sell me cheapo fares even for the last seat on the plane. Southwest would sometimes match these fares, but only make them available when the plane was almost completely empty: they would prefer to leave the aircraft 1/3 empty to filling it up with the discounted tickets. This means, I believe, that last minute travellers are going to face significantly higher airfares on Southwest than Airtran.

There are multiple factors here.
1) Are you ATL based or non ATL based? (origin or destination)
2) Do you like to checkin bags and you are not elite
3) Do you like to book tickets 10-15 days in advance or you have no problem planning your trips a month in advance.
4) Do you prefer free same day standby or free credit for future flights on a canceled trip.


If you are ATL based, and you are elite, or you are non-elte but not check in bags, and your booking patterns are all over the place, rarely reschedule your trips, then you lose with Southwest. Not only that, you lose because Delta will only go low to match competitor's fares. So say goodbye to cheap fares on Delta too.


I understand oil prices have affected airline prices. And like we said, that 35 dollar fare is bogus for most of us as one had to plan more than a month in advance when those fares were offfered. So what are the weekly fares lke? Not great. I could frequently get at 10 fdays notice 70-90 dollar fares to places like Philly and even Boston. Baltimre was even cheaper. But now, prices have jumped 20% at the very least. Thanksgiving fares are a 100 dollars more than last year for a roundtrip evne if yuo travel on an non-peak day.

And for ATL travelers, get ready for less direct flights. For me, the value of a one stop flight is worth $30-50 in inconvenience and uncertainty.

Not only that, you lose because Delta will only go low to match competitor's fares. So say goodbye to cheap fares on Delta too.


I knew LUV wasn't going to be good for ATL, but I didn't realize just how bad it would be -- the monthly domestic "sale" fares for ATL have doubled in less than months.

GOt this email for sale fares out of atlanta.
Akron/Canton $157
Atlantic City $134
Baltimore $118
Bloomington/Normal $150
Boston $177
Branson $147
Buffalo/Niagara $167
Charlotte $59
Chicago (Midway) $117
Columbus $59
Dayton $59
Denver $132
Des Moines $147
Detroit $173
Flint $141
Ft. Lauderdale $101
Ft. Myers $148
Grand Rapids $164
Houston (Hobby) $131
Indianapolis $59
Jacksonville $59
Kansas City $156
Key West $184
Las Vegas $199
Los Angeles (LAX) $158
Memphis $59
Milwaukee $147
Minneapolis/St. Paul $170
New Orleans $59
New York (LaGuardia) $174
Newport News/Williamsburg $120
Orlando $59
Pensacola/Gulf Coast $59
Philadelphia $163
Phoenix $199
Pittsburgh $160
Portland $156
Raleigh/Durham $59
Richmond $59
Rochester $133
San Antonio $145
San Francisco $199
Sarasota/Bradenton $59
Seattle $149
St. Louis $59
Tampa $59
Washington, D.C. (Dulles) $166
Washington, D.C. (Reagan National) $166
West Palm Beach $101
White Plains $141
Wichita $140



Of interest, are the fares to the cities like Pittsburgh , Philly, BOston, DC. Remember that these fares do not include the tax. Boston and Philly are TWICE what the sale fares used to be.

Of interest, are the fares to the cities like Pittsburgh , Philly, BOston, DC. Remember that these fares do not include the tax. Boston and Philly are TWICE what the sale fares used to be.

I agree. When a low fare airline's "sale" fare from ATL to the Northeast are $400, the legacy carriers are starting to look good!

There's some weird pricing happening lately. On Southwest I have bought intra-California tickets for $35 recently, then Ding had a $39 sale, and this week Ding offered a fare of $71 in the same market over the same time period. It's complete nonsense.

So the new sale has arrived for the week and the great sale offered??? Even a week before Thanksgiving , on a Saturday, the fare from Baltimore to ATL is 125 one way (approx inclusive of tax). Just a week before the Southwest model took effect for pricing, Airtran was offering this same day for half the price. The abosolute cheapest is 99 plus tax for this segment.

PHL-ATL is outrageous. 147 plus tax even on a Saturday.

Im paying $130 one way to fly PHL-ATL on Christmas eve on USAir and I thought it was very reasonable..Im taking USAir because they are STAR Alliance and want to earn United miles :)

Their cyber Monday sale is an absolute joke. An example is the one way from atl to buf. AirTran usually had this for $64-$89 one way on sale. For this sale, it is $132 OW. Cancun and Ft Lauderdale is not even on the sale list. :td:

Their cyber Monday sale is an absolute joke. An example is the one way from atl to buf. AirTran usually had this for $64-$89 one way on sale. For this sale, it is $132 OW. Cancun and Ft Lauderdale is not even on the sale list. :td:

+1. Almost all of the sale fares from MKE are over $100 each way. It was only a month or so ago they had a number of destinations starting at $35 each way.

Their cyber Monday sale is an absolute joke. An example is the one way from atl to buf. AirTran usually had this for $64-$89 one way on sale. For this sale, it is $132 OW. Cancun and Ft Lauderdale is not even on the sale list. :td:

FWIW I have never seen Southwest run an extra-special sale on Cyber Monday. Some years they run a special for travel on Thanksgiving day or on the following Saturday a couple days before Thanksgiving.

Yeah, Cyber sale. Ha ha. The only reasonable fare is 139 + tax to Seattle and it is not even non stop at this time of the year. When Clark Howard hyped lower prices, I tried to comment on his blog about how stupid he sounded.

Yeah, Cyber sale. Ha ha. The only reasonable fare is 139 + tax to Seattle and it is not even non stop at this time of the year. When Clark Howard hyped lower prices, I tried to comment on his blog about how stupid he sounded.

Here's a reminder for everyone of Clark Howard's expertise on good deals:

“I am just ecstatic,” Howard said. “It’s like my birthday and my wedding day, the whole thing at once. This is really big. Southwest is the most important player in the airline industry and Atlanta is the biggest airport operation in the country. It’s been so weird that Southwest flies to LaGuardia, but not Atlanta.”

“The difference in fares is just shocking,” Howard said. “There are a lot of places where you will get a better deal.”

Southwest has ruined all the northeastern route fares from Atlanta. And the new pricing for BMI seems to be a way to wean that population off of Airtran before their discontinue service. Might as well raise fares high enough that taking a direct flight won't be as desirable.
The latest Atlanta "sale":
Sale fares* between Atlanta and:
Akron/Canton $151
Baltimore $79
Bloomington/Normal $174
Boston $199
Branson $167
Buffalo/Niagara $199
Cancun $123
Charlotte $59
Chicago (Midway) $105
Columbus $59
Dayton $59
Denver $99
Des Moines $147
Detroit $199
Flint $166
Ft. Lauderdale $101
Ft. Myers $143
Grand Rapids $157
Houston (Hobby) $99
Indianapolis $59
Jacksonville $59
Kansas City $163
Key West $128
Las Vegas $109
Los Angeles (LAX) $158
Memphis $59
Milwaukee $150
Minneapolis/St. Paul $199
Montego Bay $142
Nassau $94
New Orleans $59
New York (LaGuardia) $199
Newport News/Williamsburg $95
Orlando $59
Pensacola/Gulf Coast $59
Philadelphia $165
Phoenix $109
Pittsburgh $161
Portland $162
Raleigh/Durham $59
Richmond $59
Rochester $146
San Antonio $163
San Francisco $199
Sarasota/Bradenton $59
Seattle $155
St. Louis $59
Tampa $59
Washington, D.C. (Dulles) $165
Washington, D.C. (Reagan National) $165
West Palm Beach $101
White Plains $138
Wichita $168

Yeah, a $398 sale fare. What a joke.

Last November I paid $79 each way ATL-BKG (Branson, MO). This latest "sale" has bumped that fare up to $167 each way. I'd really like to kick Clark Howard's a** right about now for spreading such low-fare propaganda about WN. The man's an idiot.

Last November I paid $79 each way ATL-BKG (Branson, MO). This latest "sale" has bumped that fare up to $167 each way. I'd really like to kick Clark Howard's a** right about now for spreading such low-fare propaganda about WN. The man's an idiot.

What's even funnier is that the structure weekend fare is $151, so the sale for weekday travel is actually a price increase... I also noticed that while the "sale" fare advertised for MEMCLT is $152, when you go to airtran.com to book, the fare that pops up is $114 every day of the week. Not sure what all this noise is about but it doesn't make any sense... Why advertise a price that's higher than what you actually charge? You'd never see a sign for gas saying $3 when the pump price is $2.70.

WN sale fares are often Tue, Wed, Thurs and Sat.

They almost never cover Sunday.