Airline Tickets

[J-Man]

Not to be a messenger of doom and gloom, but with the way airlines are raising their prices, I hope everyone has purchased their airline tickets already. If not within the next two weeks you may be in for a huge surprise. I purchased mine in Feburary thru Frontier airlines for $242 round trip from El Paso thru Denver to Atlanta. That same fare today is $482. So unless you have frequent flyer miles or AIRTRAN i would suggest getting them now.

 

[Dolamite S. Biffle]

Thanks for the heads up.

Just checked and tickets for me are the same they were last year about 250.

 

[Ostracised]

I already know my tix will be around $1000, probably more. I hate sitting on a plane for 14 hours, but I'd rather do that then shell out more $$$ for layovers at various places when I can use that for other things while I'm on leave.

 

[jaimek]

I sorely hope this crap is over with and back to normal in about 2.5 years when I go to Australia for a few weeks; it's already about $1700 just to fly there. I got my flight to Portland before it got ugly - they were running about $320, which is pretty good for the west coast when neither cities involve a major destination.

 

[MetalRose]

Thanks for the heads up.

I'll be booking mine when the incentive comes in and also looking at alternate means of transportation. (Bus, train, etc)

-Metal

 

[sh0kr0k]

Looks like it'll be AirTran for me because I will be going to NYC again 2 weeks before PP to see X JAPAN on their only U.S. show. I will be struck down by the gods of music if I miss X Japan and I have no intention of skipping ProgPower, so I guess I better get ready to spend a chunk of $$ or fly low-budget!

 

[kellsco]

Just picked up a flight out on Wed, returning on Sun for $472. Hated to pay that much, but the times worked for me. I suck for waiting so long this year. I knew better.

 

[kellsco]

Looks like it'll be AirTran for me

I checked AirTran for me, the closest I could get for times that worked for me was $455. So I just sucked up the $20 and went with the better times for me on American.



If Southwest would get it together and fly into ATL I would be a much happier camper. Between the SW Visa free flights and my Center Manager bro in law.....would make for a very nice and cheap PP experience.

 

[musicsnob]

Didn't Frontier Airlines fold?

 

[kellsco]

They filed Chapter 11-business reorganization, not a full on gone bust bankruptcy. They are open and fully operational at this time.

 

[Ostracised]

Didn't SW get bought by Delta? If so they'll most likely get an Atl stop, due to that being Delta's hub.

 

[sh0kr0k]

Northwestern got bought by Delta. I don't know if SW did too. Either way, shouldn't be too hard to get out of Dallas and into ATL through them, so I'm looking alright with that trip. If it weren't so expensive I'd just stay in NYC for two weeks and go to PP from there. *keeps dreaming*

 

[Ostracised]

Northwestern got bought by Delta. I don't know if SW did too. Either way, shouldn't be too hard to get out of Dallas and into ATL through them, so I'm looking alright with that trip. If it weren't so expensive I'd just stay in NYC for two weeks and go to PP from there. *keeps dreaming*

I knew it was one of the -Wests. Staying in NYC for 2 weeks? Wouldn't that cost about the same as the plane ticket?

 

[J-Man]

Didn't Frontier Airlines fold?

Nope the just filed for re-organizationund Chapter 11 the banking group that that did their credit purchaces raised the percentage of credit hold back from 50% to 100%, and that just ain't fair. No Frontier is healthy and flying full ON-TIME schedules.

 

[J-Man]

Didn't SW get bought by Delta? If so they'll most likely get an Atl stop, due to that being Delta's hub.

I don't think there is another airline out there that has the money or the courage to go after Southwest, as they have been the only airline that is making a profit.

Northwestern got bought by Delta. I don't know if SW did too.

Delta didn't buy Northwest, Delta and Northwest are going to merge into one big airline, and a become the nation's largest and probably most expensive to fly.

 

[musicsnob]

Nope the just filed for re-organizationund Chapter 11 the banking group that that did their credit purchaces raised the percentage of credit hold back from 50% to 100%, and that just ain't fair. No Frontier is healthy and flying full ON-TIME schedules.

I'd be wary of flying an airline that filed for chapter 11 protection, because they could cease ops at any time and you'd be ass out. We lost money on Aloha Airlines earlier this month.

Kevin

 

[J-Man]

I'd be wary of flying an airline that filed for chapter 11 protection, because they could cease ops at any time and you'd be ass out. We lost money on Aloha Airlines earlier this month.

Kevin

Lots of people were ass out on Aloha, but i think the difference is that Frontier is not in Financial trouble as Aloha was, this is just a reorg to get out of that damn credit hold back. I flew Delta in 2006 when they were in Chapter 11 and had no problems

 

[sh0kr0k]

Delta didn't buy Northwest, Delta and Northwest are going to merge into one big airline, and a become the nation's largest and probably most expensive to fly.

Okay, my bad, I used the wrong term, however the news here kept saying that NW was bought by Delta and would be merged together. So... are you both right?

Staying in NYC for 2 weeks? Wouldn't that cost about the same as the plane ticket?

Mayhaps. I'll have to see if 3 one-way tickets will be cheaper than 2 round-trips. If so, NYC here I come! Either way, I WILL be at the X Japan show so I better figure something out!

All of that aside, I bought a round-trip from Dallas to NYC 2 days before I left last week... $307 total, though the prior day it was $450. Hopefully things wont change too much between now and then! *gulp*

 

[kellsco]

Didn't SW get bought by Delta? If so they'll most likely get an Atl stop, due to that being Delta's hub.

No way. SW stands solidly on it's own today. Just about the only one out there that is. They have a solid customer base, and a VERY loyal employee group.

Not many know that after 9/11 when all the other airlines were struggling with canceled tickets and slow sales, the upper management of SW had a meeting...lots of ideas were tossed around...votes were taken...and they decided that each one of the upper management would voluntarily forgo one day of pay a week all the way thru the end of the year. The main reason that was done? So that SW did not have to lay off ONE SINGLE employee after 9/11 when all the other airlines were. (they have never had a lay off) That money was not a terrible burden to each Manager, Director, etc. but when it was all said and done, it was a huge amount that was funneled directly back into the airline to help maintain the airline until things got better. Also SW's main philosophy is: We manage in the good times so that we can succeed during the bad.

Of course, no one knows what the coming months/year will bring to any business. No matter how strong they are now.

And that...was my rant for today.

 

[J-Man]

Okay, my bad, I used the wrong term, however the news here kept saying that NW was bought by Delta and would be merged together. So... are you both right?

Your weren't wrong, as Delta will pay NW a set amount of $ per controlling share of NW stock, and both will merge their debt into one, so is it a buyout? kinda so the term buy is right as is merge. I am so glad i got rid of my Delta stock a year ago, and invested the returns in a Roth IRA. It is paying off in the long run.