I am going to be flying DFW-EWR every week for the next 6 months. I am looking for the lowest fares as this project isnt expense paid, quickest elite status. Some of the fares I got so far.

Sept 14th to 16th : Continental - $233 RT all incl.
Sept 21st : Airtran - $140 one way (drove back car)
Sept 28th: Continental - $353 RT all incl.
October 5th: Continental - $304 RT all incl (through Orbitz)
October 12th: AA - $301 all incl
October 19th: Airtran - $280 RT all incl.

The above are either completed/ ticketed travel. In my opinion, the best deal was the $233 Continental ticket. I am looking for cheapest fares with a maximum of $300. The CO and AA are direct flights and are now close to $350.00 which forces me to pick the Airtran for $280 with 1 stop in ATL. I signed up for AA Gold challenge and it is my preferred airline.

I need all of your expert advice on how to book the cheapest fares preferably on AA. Airtran is always available at $280. As you can see above, I am willing to book upto a month in advance.

I have been a member for a while but have started flying frequently only now.

Thank you.

nobody?

Personally, I'd spend the extra $70, to get both a nonstop and the miles on my preferred carrier.

I have to agree with swag; $70 is well worth not having to go through ATL; especially when you consider the fact that EWR is one of the most delayed airports in the country. The last thing you want to have happen is your EWR-ATL flight get delayed and miss your ATL-DFW flight. The other factor is that by flying AA and having your status you are much higher on the priority list for rebooking if your flight gets cancelled. I personally am willing to spend extra $ to fly *A airlines because of this priority; I view it as buying insurance.

thanks guys, is $350 a good deal for this sector?

There's something that is not allowed by many airline rules but won't be punished if done rarely. If you do it a lot, the airline can punish you by seizing miles and sending you a bill.

On the return, some other cities are sometimes cheaper.....Houston? San Antonio? Tulsa? Little Rock? If so and you fly on AA, you can get off the plane at DFW and RUN VERY FAST SO THEY WON'T CATCH YOU and never get on the connecting flight to Little Rock or other city.

In air travel, a good deal is the best deal you can get for the dates you need to fly. You can't do it relative to any other date, as it's not like buying sheets, when they are on sale every January and you can expect it.

If it's possible you may want to consider all the NY airports and Philly, it could save you some bucks if money is the driving factor.

Subscribe to the watch sites like farecompare and airfarewatchdog so you can jump on the specials when they become available.