Southwest to begin flying to ATL!

[grafikat.livejournal.com]

For anyone that has to fly to ATL and bring a bunch of bags, the bummer was that Southwest, the only airline to still have free bags doesn't fly to ATL.

But, it has just bought Airtran, which has a baggage check in right off of the MARTA! w00t! My D*C costs just went down $60 :)

http://www.lowfaresfarther.com/what-it-means/

Comments

[alladinsane.livejournal.com]

Thanks for getting this posted up! Very big news not just for D*C but any ATL air travel..

[meowwl.livejournal.com]

I'm still watching it warily...I'm an A+ rewards member, and used to use my points for the business class upgrade. They're not going to have a business class anymore, and I don't make enough points for a free trip.

I'll admit I was jumping up and down cheering the no baggage fee thing!

[extremis.livejournal.com]

I'm an AirTran A+ rewards member and I'm not thrilled with the news. I mean, bag fees suck and I like the no bag fee thing with SW, but I don't want the only cheap choice for where I'm flying to have cattle call seating. Plus, I wouldn't doubt that after the takeover, SW will end up implementing bag fees anyway. But I guess this is good news for those who couldn't get to ATL cheaply before. SW has a much larger fleet than AT ever did.

[benjsisko.livejournal.com]

So, now that SW flies to ATL does that mean I have a choice besides Delta? I'm from CA so I'm just asking....

[keirandyl.livejournal.com]

Maybe the service will improve. Our return trip from ATL this year was a nightmare due to very poor customer service and misinformation. Needless to say for a domestic flight we waited (by the check at the Marta having been advised by another agent it was the only one to check bags) for 45 minutes. Barely made our flight. If Security hadn't been so light we would have missed it. We arrived at the airport 1.5 hours ahead of schedule. It was a little later than I like but with only 20 folks in front of me in line I didn't think much of it. Most of those folks used the online check in option too. Made me rethink my choice of travel.

[rusty_halo.livejournal.com]

JetBlue still lets you check a bag for free.

[ninepointfivemm.livejournal.com]

Jet Blue also does not fly to Atlanta.

[rusty_halo.livejournal.com]

I'm well aware of that. However, the OP called Southwest "the only airline to still have free bags," which is untrue.

[lilithschilde.livejournal.com]

Huh. I think that's pretty cool. I certainly wouldn't mind not paying for my bag and Airtran is what I normally fly. I'm confused about the check-in, though. If you check in online do you then have to wait in line at check-in to give them your bags? It says in the FAQ to just bring your boarding pass to the gate and never mentions your bags. Confusing.

[lyricaldiscord.livejournal.com]

You check-in online, and then when you get to the airport, you go to a terminal to print out your bag tags. They usually have a few stations just for that, away from check-in, and an employee checks to make sure your bag isn't too heavy. Then they put it on the conveyor belt and away it goes as you go to the security checkpoint!

[lilithschilde.livejournal.com]

Huh. That's pretty sweet. I'd have to say that this seems like a good deal, then!

[chibik3r0.livejournal.com]

Awesome! I love flying Southwest~ Thanks :D

[phantomminuet.livejournal.com]

Heh. I read that as FTL, which would have been pretty damn impressive.

[elfgrove.livejournal.com]

WHOO HOO!!

[kurosawa.livejournal.com]

well, hopefully AirTran's prices still stay the same. I always fly them because they're always the cheapest.

[away-fromitall.livejournal.com]

wooot!

[meahtsingan.livejournal.com]

I was quite unhappy when I heard this news earlier today. I stopped flying Southwest years ago because I can't stand their cattle-call approach to seating, and I was underwhelmed by their service and on-time record on the routes I flew. As other have mentioned, as an A+ member, I also enjoy the opportunity to use points for upgrades on occasion. Not sure now what airline I'm going to use to get to Atlanta - I think my options will be down to Delta and US Air, ugh.

[ncb1.livejournal.com]

From RDU Delta, AirTran and JetBlue all had similar prices for ATL this year. And as I only travel with a carry on (I'm not a serious costumer) it was Delta all the way because of the multitude of flight times on both going and return trips. AT and JB both had a total of 2 flights to ATL a day and also the same for a return to RDU. Then I have a 2 hour drive home from the RDU airport to the eastern part of NC ( I could have flown via Greenville, NC -PGV-but it's a regional jet to CLT and then it's US Air to ATL-yuck! and takes twice as long).

I hope that Southwest acquiring AT will at least put some competition on fares and fees out of RDU.

[lethlogica.livejournal.com]

It takes companies time to merge operations - and from what I've read, the deal hasn't yet been closed. It's vaguely possible that complete integration wouldn't have happened by D*C2011.

But if SW has swallowed AT whole by that time, or projects that it will...I'll be taking a different airline. Flying nonstop all the way from Seattle, I do not want my 5'10" frame wedged into one of Southwest's seats, even if I luck out and manage to snag bulkhead aisle. That's fine for a little hop down the coast. That's -=not=- fine for a flight time that's close to four hours.

[davidatn.livejournal.com]

Just heard on the news tonight - the merger won't be complete until 2012, so keep to your plans in the usual method.

[veracity]

On the plus side, I've never done SW and AT is the pits in my world after my trip to NOLA was cut a day because of their shitty operations in Atlanta. (I'm local, for the record.) I guess when I move next spring, I'll have to pay out the wazoo or drive back.

[dark-blade.livejournal.com]

I'm a little wary--there's potential upsides, as well as downsides...

Unfortunately, I'll still have a three hour drive to get to an airport that flies it. South Bend, IN doesn't have much in the way of options--Allegiant Air, United Express, Delta Connection (Delta and Comair, I think?) and Continental Connection. It's never cheap to or from Atlanta. (Though Vegas is, all the damn time. wtf.)

Edited to add: And Delta is the only option for direct flight to Atlanta. In one of the little cram you in there planes. Ghf.