Have you waited anxiously for Southwest flights in Atlanta?
It may be what many Atlanta fliers have been hoping for — Southwest flights into and out of Hartsfield-Jackson.
With the announcement Monday that Southwest Airlines is buying AirTran for about $1.4 billion, the airline world is getting shaken up once again.
For years, AJC airline reporters have heard from local passengers anxious for the day that Southwest enters our market.
With AirTran’s biggest hub in Atlanta, it looks like that day could be arriving. Southwest said the deal includes “significant opportunities to and from Atlanta,” AJC staffers Rhonda Cook and Kelly Yamanouchi report.
Have you been craving for Southwest? Why or why not?
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151 comments Add your comment
Marni
September 27th, 2010
7:56 am
Can’t wait…Can’t wait…Can’t wait…
pharris
September 27th, 2010
7:59 am
Finally, some competition for Delta! YES-YES-YES, I’m waiting
DHD
September 27th, 2010
8:02 am
My first reaction is that I don’t like it. I like AirTran just the way it is and am worried it will move the operation out of Atlanta since Southwest vowed to never be here.
delois
September 27th, 2010
8:05 am
Finally, hopefully a break on the fares to Texas and Colorado. Hallelujah. I got so excited this morning when I heard the news, I almost drove off I85. Just waiting for the Obummer administration to put the screws to the deal somehow.
Get Up Big Bird
September 27th, 2010
8:07 am
Glad to have another airline in Atlanta. They normally support sports and the arts, and I wouldn’t mind a stadium sponsorship deal for the Georgia Dome. Southwest can pick up all the sponsorships that Delta dropped when they dropped the Falcons for the Vikings after they acquired/merged with Northwest.
For Realzies
September 27th, 2010
8:07 am
While I do enjoy the luxuries that Southwest doesn’t offer, I am extremely excited for two reasons. First, Southwest isn’t afraid to go against the grain by letting bags “travel for free”, and undercutting prices. Second, this move will potentially keep all the over-priced, customer serviceless (not a word, I know) goobers in check. The key factor here is whether or not Southwest will re-brand Air Tran, or will the keep the brand in place. If they keep the brand in place, then we may not see many changes. I hope the paint Southwest on the side of everyone of those darn things.
Rustycard
September 27th, 2010
8:08 am
Great news… if the Republicans don’t find a way to derail it so they can make Obama look bad.
Mick Yaeger
September 27th, 2010
8:09 am
Hell, yes! Delta’s worst nightmare is a long-suffering Atlanta traveler’s dream. Actual customer service and low fares… hell, we won’t know how to act. I can’t wait to see the long faces on all the surly Delta gate agent faces…
Miss Q
September 27th, 2010
8:14 am
I can’t wait. What a relief to have some actual CHOICES in Atlanta. I hope they keep their “no baggage fee” policy.
cindy
September 27th, 2010
8:15 am
don’t like southwest. i’ve flown them several times. didn’t care for the cattle call, shorts, dumb jokes and only peanuts. sure, cheap fares, but wow, the jerry springer crowd comes out!!!
Roy Manry
September 27th, 2010
8:17 am
Southwest is a very decent company with great management. Though Airtran has done a great job
of providing an alternative to sometimes high priced travel here in Atlanta, what with other mergers
in the industry I think this is generally a good move. Question; Southwest like to use only 737’s
to cut back on training expenses (i.e. one type aircraft) will they keep the 717’s??
doug
September 27th, 2010
8:17 am
i like delta. they have always been good to me. i know, here comes all the fools who never fly, and they will bash delta. go ahead.. we have heard you all before…. well, i have flown southwest. i don’t like them. now, go ahead, attack!!
Amy
September 27th, 2010
8:19 am
I guessing that everyone commenting how excited they are…has never actually flown Southwest. If you think the jockeying for position on Delta’s flight is bad…practice your cattle call moves. Southwest will happily move you to the front of the line, for a an additional fee, otherwise, get to your gate two hours early and line up!
And embrace your love of flying with children and two stops vs a direct flight to get anywhere.
And you are right, Southwest doesn’t nickle and dime you with additional fees (other than pre-boarding)..they have nothing additional to offer.
I have never flown Air Tran and god willing, I will never have to fly Southwest!
Baroness
September 27th, 2010
8:19 am
Not for me…its like taking the bus.
phil
September 27th, 2010
8:20 am
who cares about 717’s???? you must be an air trash employee. give me a break,…tiny airplanes and trasy people!! nice, bring us more!
Areyoublonde?
September 27th, 2010
8:20 am
I am really glad about the Southwest deal, more options and Delta will have a strong competitor.
Now, to Rustycard, could you explain what Republicans have to do with this? Obama looks bad and would look worse in the days to come and anyway, we are talking AIRLINES.
Brad
September 27th, 2010
8:21 am
Awesome. It will keep Delta a bit more honest. “Doug” and “Cindy”: what problem do you have with choice?
tracy
September 27th, 2010
8:21 am
oh my, here come all the haters!!! get ready,, get set, go!!!! why bash delta? they have always been great and they employ more folks than any ANY company in georgia!!
mellowfella1
September 27th, 2010
8:21 am
YES, YES, YES !!!……now my bags can fly FREE !!!!
Justine
September 27th, 2010
8:21 am
ABSOLUTELY.
gi
September 27th, 2010
8:22 am
I LOVE DELTA, ALWAYS WILL!!!!!
Bobby
September 27th, 2010
8:23 am
Delta Airlines just crapped a brick at Hartsfield. They will actually have to treat passengers like people again. I’m looking forward to not having to drive to Birmingham for decent fares to Oklahoma City. I’ve flown Southwest many times and glad to see them finally coming to Atlanta. Welcome Southwest. I’ll be flying you often.
gary
September 27th, 2010
8:24 am
Love Southwest. Delta did their best to keep them out. Delta is in name only. They are actually Northwest that’s why they moved their sponsorships. We will now have competition in Atlanta.
Justine
September 27th, 2010
8:25 am
ABOSLUTELY. I just posted yesterday a complaint that it costs more to fly directly from Atlanta to NYC on Air Tran than it does to fly them from Chicago to NYC and the plane actually stops in Atlanta. I would have boarded the plane and paid $330 while those on board had paid $65 for the same trip. Plus I am tired of this foolishness about paying for luggage. That is one of the reasons it takes so long to board. Everyone, including myself, is cramming everything into a carry on bag.
I have never understood why Atlanta, who has the #1 airport, and is a major hub, is one of the most expensive airports to fly out of.
My only concern is will they keep the same Frequent Flyer plan of Air Tran.
hdhd
September 27th, 2010
8:26 am
Not only will this bring lower fares and no bag fees to Atlanta, but it will put some competition on Delta to lower rates out of ATL.
Doug
September 27th, 2010
8:26 am
No No No No No!!! Southwest is terrible. I vowed never to fly them again and I never will. Their customer service sucks, their cattle call boarding process sucks, their gate attendants suck. Pretty much everything about Southwest sucks. The only thing that I remotely even thought was good about Southwest is how they let their flight attendents have fun with their safety announcements and greetings upon landing. Other than that, Southwest Sucks!!!
Anna
September 27th, 2010
8:27 am
Am hoping this will derail the proposed expansion of Briscoe Field on Hwy. 316 in Gwinnett County…our county commission is trying to ram this down our throats and not many people are not aware of it. The proposal would have given Southwest an airport in metro Atlanta, and hoping that others, like Delta and AirTran may follow…but this news may shake that up…Hooray! *Gwinnett Citizens…wake up!!!…our county commission is doing it again…grandiose planning that will alter our quality of life!
Passengers = Cattle on Southwest
September 27th, 2010
8:31 am
You may be frustrated with Delta, but trust me, you haven’t experienced arrogant Customer “No-Service” (as Clark Howard calls it) until you are subjected to disdain that Southwest has for their passengers. Southwest will take you to new lows for customer service.
Customers have endured Southwest’s poor treatment because of the airline’s routes to the under-served mid-size and smaller airports.
Let’s see if they will step up customer service when they finally have a little competition in the “Big Boy” market.
ATTENTION SOUTHWEST: Get rid of the “Attitudinal” problem and stop treating your passengers like cattle at your beck and call.
TravelMan
September 27th, 2010
8:31 am
Hallelujuh SOUTHWEST! I’ve waited 20 years for this day. You Delta lovers are killing me. Just keep flying Delta and accumulating those SkyMiles you can never use. When prices start to fall in Atlanta you can thank SOUTHWEST. GLORY BE!!
ken
September 27th, 2010
8:31 am
It’s about time. Look out Delta. I won’t have to drive to B’ham anymore.
PeteyNice
September 27th, 2010
8:31 am
I am surprised people are so excited. It would be one thing if Southwest was coming in to augment AirTran, but to replace it? AirTran already acts as a reasonable check on domestic Delta fares, I don’t see Southwest being any better in that regard.
Then you have to consider that ATL is a big hub for AirTran and Southwest doesn’t really do hubs. Will they keep ATL as a true hub or will they sell off slots in order to recoup some of the $1.4+B they are spending here?
On balance this could very easily be a net negative for Atlanta travelers.
talk2kirb
September 27th, 2010
8:38 am
Yes. I am eagerly awaiting the no-baggage fee airline!
Buck Futt
September 27th, 2010
8:40 am
I love it. Puts pressure on Delta to drop all their B.S. fees and bad customer service. And look out, ASA, your “you can make your flight or drop dead, it’s all the same to us” attitude and inflated fares are about to put you right out of business thanks to Southwest. I will stand up and cheer the day the arrogant jerks at Always Stuck in Atlanta go broke for good.
Extra bonus: finally, cheap fares to Austin!
Kiss Frequent Flyer Rewards B-bye!
September 27th, 2010
8:42 am
Good luck trying to generate any Frequent Flyer Rewards on Southwest Airlines. You must fly a half-dozen times to garner enough FF points to earn a ticket.
Then, SURPRISE!, all of your Southwest FF Rewards EXPIRE each year!!!!
Good luck dealing with those cheese-balls. Don’t let the Southwest chumps beat you down….. unless, of course, you have low self-esteem and enjoy that kind of treatment.
A.S.Mathew
September 27th, 2010
8:47 am
Thank God, Southwest is going to be the new bulldog of the Atlanta arena. This is going to give
a terrible migraine headache to Delta.
Southwest has a loyal base of customers, and they didn’t add any baggage fee like the other
airlines, to rip off the customers.
This also gives a signal that Southwest is going to encroach bigger territories of air travel in the
U.S. This will be total boom for the passengers and for Atlanta. All the best wishes and blessings
from God.
Bus Station Crowd
September 27th, 2010
8:48 am
Visit the Trailways / Greyhound Bus Station and take a good look around. You will be viewing your fellow passengers on Southwest Airlines.
I can’t stand sitting next to some bloke with dirty, hairy feet in flip flops and bad hygiene. If you plan to fly Southwest, do everyone a favor and take a shower and put on some deodorant.
fil
September 27th, 2010
8:48 am
I like AirTran – but I LOVE SOUTHWEST! Welcome to the Southeast Southwest!
Richard
September 27th, 2010
8:49 am
As an Airtran Elite flyer, I hope Airtran stays exactly the same. The fares are reasonable, service is great and the 717’s are not small by any means. airtran has had my business for over 10 years and I hate to see them goaway.
My only 2 experiences on Southwest have been horrible.
SW Rules
September 27th, 2010
8:49 am
This is great news! Lower fees, better deals, better customer service—no more delta for me!!!! keep your ripoff fees!!!!
John Tackett
September 27th, 2010
8:50 am
Oh Hell Yeah!! Great service, low fare, no nickel and dimeing the customers. Can’t wait.
Delta in Dunwoody
September 27th, 2010
8:52 am
Interestingly enough this might be good for Delta.
DAL over the past few years has decided to leave the “Take the family to Disney World Once a Year” market segment to AirTran, instead focusing on high yield Int’l and Domestic business travel. In doing so they have run up against the government on the NYC Slot Swap, and more recently the Joint Venture with Australia’s Virgin Blue, as being to big. The Fed’s won’t be able to block these moves as easily anymore since SW will get lots of access to LGA and BOS via AirTran’s network.
Don’t kid yourself either, SWA will not offer the fair people of ATL fares that are real cheap just because they have “suffered for so long”. They will charge what the market bears, and that will be in line with AirTran’s current pricing!
But take relief in that you, the once a year want it all traveler, will not have to shop Expedia or Travelocity for hours anymore as Southwest only sells tickets on their website.
Noobama
September 27th, 2010
8:52 am
YES, I love Southwest and drive to Birmingham to fly them now.
RK
September 27th, 2010
8:53 am
I’ve never flown them, but at least we there is another Atlanta-Charleston competitor now.
Ugh.... BAD NEWS!
September 27th, 2010
8:56 am
I hate Southwest. The employees must HATE THEIR JOBS, because they certainly take their frustration out on the passengers.
Watch out for their SECRET RULES….. or you will get BUMPED from your flight!
Karl
September 27th, 2010
8:57 am
Delta employees posting about “bus station people” and saying “air trash”. Its sad they haven’t noticed their planes are old and smelly and their own customer service is possibly the worst in the industry. Delta dweebs, figure it out, there’s a reason people are excited about this purchase, its because you and your company have been screwing people for too long. Its coming home to roost jerks.
mike
September 27th, 2010
8:58 am
Bye, bye, Delta! Finally.
BarryATL
September 27th, 2010
8:59 am
I am not surprised but I am dissapointed. The place I go there is a choice between Airtran and Delta. I choose Airtran. I can get an easy upgrade to business class. The Airtran staff know how to take care of someone in a wheelchair (something Delta lacks). I can see Airtran’s fares on the travel sites.
Sith SW I cannot see their fairs on the travel sites. There is no business class. There is no assigned seating. Sometimes, Southwest’s fares are higher than the legacy carrier… just depending on the day.
I am not happy about the change. I see this as a downgrade in services offered and a downgrade in customer service.
Finally
September 27th, 2010
8:59 am
There are many locations that AirTran does not go to that Southwest already does(for ex., BNH – Nashville for those of you that don’t travel much). Reduced fares, friendlier service, no baggage fees…. this is what has been missing from Atlanta for a long time now. Delta will be forced to step up to the plate and perform or I can see a number of people switching airlines.
This also bodes well for all those in Lawrenceville who were worried privatizing Briscoe Field would lead to Southwest jets flying in/out all day long.
Glad to see they are finally coming to Atlanta!!!
The One
September 27th, 2010
9:05 am
Amen Amen Its about time someone with no baggage fees compete with the monopoly Delta had over Hartsfield-Jackson maybe Delta will drop their baggage fee. Me and the Bishop are going to Las Vegas on the first flight with him giving me scriptures from the Book of Luke (Luke Campbell)
delta no service
September 27th, 2010
9:05 am
Delta–rude, unprofessional staff—I’m dumping them for good! I’ll fly southwest 100% now that they have Air Tran’s routes!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PsW
September 27th, 2010
9:06 am
Absolutely, this will be great for the Atlanta market.
X Flyer
September 27th, 2010
9:06 am
I have a Delta mechanic / engineer friend who works for Delta and he tells me NOT to fly Delta. He said even HE will NOT fly his family on plane nowadays and it was only because of the FAA that issues even get resolved at Delta.
He said everything was done just to get by.
I fly others and now drive everywhere unless it is absolutely necessary that I fly. Besides who in wants to put up with the T S A B S nowadays either….
BW
September 27th, 2010
9:07 am
Yes…there truly is a God…been waiting for this forever. Birmingham just became Chattanooga after the GA Aquarium was built….irrevelant. Truly cannot wait for this deal to close so I can hop on the network. Delta just started sweating a little as well.
OlaDad
September 27th, 2010
9:09 am
**It’s your choice** Professionalism and Service found around the world or Domestic (ho-hum) service from agents that wear pullover shirts as uniforms. Remember what everyone thought of JetBlue years ago? Good luck Southwest….Delta is more than willing and waiting for your competition.
John
September 27th, 2010
9:09 am
Now we can actually PURCHASE those Southwest gift cards and be able to use them from our local Publix.
A
September 27th, 2010
9:09 am
More competition (especially for Delta) is never a bad thing. I just hope Southwest keeps the AirTran hub in ATL.
jabbatte
September 27th, 2010
9:10 am
Oh Happy Day!
Now lets see Delta Scamble!
They have been screwing Atlantans for years. Now BAGS FLY FREE!!!!
Flight Jockey
September 27th, 2010
9:10 am
It is so funny in a state where we talk about open and fair market that people here frown upon change. Especially when it comes against the patron saint airline of Georgia. Georgians if Delta could find a larger hub other than Atlanta in the south they would be gone like Nathan Deals credit rating. It is capitalism at its pure and simple if like Southwest fine and if you don’t thats fine too. But competition in a free market is what we pride ourselves on so just be thank that we no longer have a monopoly on the skies over Georgia.
Joe
September 27th, 2010
9:11 am
This will be great for us. Southwest announced that they are going to Charleston and Greenville/Spartanburg earlier in the year, and now with AirTran, they will be able to be in many cities that they are not in now.
Southwest will probably have some Atlanta round trips in the next couple years from Charleston, and that will lower airfares considerably locally, and make Delta work for their customers.
DJ
September 27th, 2010
9:15 am
Best thing to happen to Delta in a long time as far as this airline passenger is concerned! Don’t fly un-American. Don’t fly UScAir. Don’t fly cattle call Southwest. To echo Bortz this morning, Clark shut up! Looks like Delta has a lock on this airline passenger, as long as that unions don’t try to ruin it.
EatItDelta
September 27th, 2010
9:16 am
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Delta for too long monopolized Hartsfield, keeping SWA out. This should keep Delta and everyone else honest. Not to mention the level of superior service SWA brings to Atlanta as well. This is so long overdue! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!
lovelyliz
September 27th, 2010
9:17 am
If I am going to get the Wal-Mart of service when I fly, I would just assume pay Wal-Mart prices.
AmazonRed™
September 27th, 2010
9:22 am
This is excellent news! I’m staying loyal to Delta, as I’m a Gold Medallion member, but I love how Delta will be forced to keep fares low in Airtran and Southwest cities. I also have a lot of friends who can now visit Atlanta via Southwest.
Very happy to hear this news.
Bill
September 27th, 2010
9:24 am
Booooooooooooo,,,,,I love AirTran and am an elite member. I usually get free upgrades and love the perks. Southwest is like a flying bus. You people are crazy if you think this is a good thing. They have a cattle car mentality with no assigned seating. No wifi, no XM…and a zillion stops. I am truly depressed today and will miss Airtran.
Louis The Warrior
September 27th, 2010
9:25 am
Beautiful.
Delta, you made your bed with crappy service and all the junk fees. Now you get to lie in it, and I can’t wait to see you rot.
Mark
September 27th, 2010
9:25 am
I cannot believe people are excited about this. It’d be one thing if Southwest announced new service to ATL in addition to AirTran, but they are not. All that is going to happen is that you are getting rid of one LLC (AirTran) with a half-way LLC (SouthWest). Their tickets aren’t really that cheap. They only make sense in rare events that you have to check a bag (which I hate doing) and they have a modest ticket price. This sucks, I will not be looking forward to my 3 stop trips.
Roadgeek
September 27th, 2010
9:26 am
Delta has become overbearing with their ever climbing baggage fees and surly customer service.
Having Airtran was a minor improvement, but with Southwest buying them now, Atlanta fliers now have real choice. All the knocks against the customers of Southwest are irrelevant. I am one of them and I don’t ride Greyhound. Bags fly free on Southwest!
N
September 27th, 2010
9:27 am
AWESOME. The news could not be better. And now we can get Southwest deals to Mexico and the Caribbean. Southwest already was the #1 AIRLINE IN THE U.S. BY NUMBER OF PASSENGERS, this makes them even bigger and hopefully better.
Look out, crooks
September 27th, 2010
9:31 am
Hahahaha…. I can’t wait to see Southwest call out the Hartsfield/city of Atlanta political yahoos when they try to get airport graft. SW won’t bend over and take it like Delta.
Lisa
September 27th, 2010
9:31 am
YAYYYY! Since I moved here six years ago I have been waiting for the day Southwest would come to Atlanta. It will enable me to go back home to Cleveland, Ohio to enjoy Polka music and dancing on the weekends at a cheap rate:)
Thanks Southwest:)
Lisa
Kev
September 27th, 2010
9:31 am
YES!!! NO MORE BAGGAGE FEE$$$
maxrotor
September 27th, 2010
9:32 am
This is a great news for Atlanta! I have been flying Delta for 20 years and I am a Platinum Medallion member. Delta’s service stinks. I can only hope that Delta uses this new competion to improve their service and business practices. If not, they will be out of business soon.
Fatboy14
September 27th, 2010
9:33 am
This is going to be interesting. To those “Delta Haters” out there remember, be careful what you wish for, you just might get it! To those lovers of Southwest, keep in mind that the fundamental difference between Southwest’s business model and that of the legacy airlines as well as beneficial fuel hedge contracts have been the cornerstones of Southwest’s success. Those contracts have (or will shortly) run their course. The nature of the Southwest will likely change. More parts, more people, more maintainence, more of all the little things that conspire to erode profitability. True, Delta will feel significantly increased competitive pressure, but this is not their first rodeo. Delta will compete and hard. The bigger question is, can Southwest compete on “the big stage”? Is Southwest able to operate at little or no profit on these new routes as Delta as taps its’ significant resources? Will the Southwest of 2012 resemble the Southwest we know today? How will Southwest’s shareholders respond to the possibility of a of profit-less quarters (or years)? This will be very interesting indeed!
Bill
September 27th, 2010
9:33 am
If you are an AirTran Elite member you got to hate this. Why do people like Southwest?
Kim
September 27th, 2010
9:34 am
YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
N
September 27th, 2010
9:36 am
Fatboy — Only problem with what you say is BOTH Airtran and Southwest are profitable. And while the hedging may change their profit a bit their core customer is the coach passenger while for Delta it is the business/first class traveler.
Phil
September 27th, 2010
9:39 am
Delta cut routes and flights in SLC when it Southwest acquired Morris Air. Now, Delta, what now? Southwest has finally arrived in ATL. And for those folks who think Southwest is cheaper, over the weekend I priced an airfare from Pittsburgh to Raleigh over Thanksgiving weekend, US Airways and Delta where nearly $200 cheaper than Southwest and that includes bag fees. Cheap, at one time they were, not anymore.
Hilary
September 27th, 2010
9:39 am
I live in a Southwest city, and all my family lives in Atlanta and middle Georgia. I would be absolutely over the moon about being able to afford trips home more often. My fingers are crossed big time!
97 degree yogurt
September 27th, 2010
9:41 am
AirTran was already a low cost carrier, so how is this going to dramatically reduce fares in Atlanta?
Also, I’m sure that Atlanta and Orlando will be losing a significant number of jobs with this merger, so I guess that’s something to get excited about if you live in those two cities.
Tonya
September 27th, 2010
9:41 am
I love Southwest Airlines I am so happy they are finally coming to Atlanta
ejs
September 27th, 2010
9:41 am
They cant get here FAST enough. The day has finally come for the citizens of Atlanta. Delta rule is FINALLY OVER. Delta abused us the customer for way to long. Delta can die as far as I am concerned.
Southwest, thank you, thank you, thank you. You have a 100% loyal flyer waiting to be first in line on you first flight out of Atlanta.
Does anyone want to buy my 300k delta miles????? FU Delta
I am throwing a Southwest party tonight here in Buckhead. You have made my day and week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
W. Woods
September 27th, 2010
9:41 am
NO! This is the worst thing ever. I love, love, love AirTran. They offer great customer service. Nice clean planes. And it’s very easy to purchase business class upgrades. I flew Southwest a few times in the 90s and will NEVER fly them again. Total mayhem.
bigbird
September 27th, 2010
9:42 am
DELTA BLOWS !!!!!!!!! Read these comments Delta management – if you can read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shelly
September 27th, 2010
9:42 am
As long as Southwest gets rid of all the clueless Affirmative-Action employees currently working for AirTran at Hartsfield and stops using Clayton County Thugz as criminal baggage handlers who either steal or destroy every single thing they paw, I believe they will be successful here.
AmazonRed™
September 27th, 2010
9:44 am
@97 degree yogurt – There are several cities that are served by Southwest that are not served by Airtran. Delta will have to lower fares in those cities as well.
AmazonRed™
September 27th, 2010
9:45 am
Another perk, those who don’t travel frequently will be drawn to Southwest. That will leave more room on Delta to the elite fliers and road warriors!
Oh happy day.
MJ
September 27th, 2010
9:48 am
This is good b/c it will keep the Delta prices in check and will probably lower them. I don’t fly SW b/c the few times I have flown them, I think its a garbage, crummy airline but as a loyal gold medallion flyer on Delta, this will only steer passangers away and let me have more upgrades on Delta and lower the prices at the same time. Thanks SW!
T
September 27th, 2010
9:48 am
I’m very excited about this – Southwest has a superior rewards program, no bag fees, and they have better flights to ski destinations in Colorado and Utah.
Melvin
September 27th, 2010
9:48 am
I hear Southwest has some of the easiest, naughtiest, most-kinky flight attendants in the entire airline industry with some of the most welcoming “airplane hangars,” so Trojan Man & I are looking VERY forward to those Southwest Hotties landing here.
Low Blow by Both Carriers
September 27th, 2010
9:50 am
So… rather than coming here the legit way and forcing both Delta AND Airtran to have competition… they decide to remove the cheapest carrier out there (Airtran) and replace it with themselves (mid-range prices). So rather than $100 RT to Florida, I’ll be paying more than that. Same for everywhere else. Strike one! And while I’m no fan of Delta, why people say they are “expensive” is beyond me – they specifically price themselves to match Airtran, Jetblue, and Southwest where they carry the same routes. In fact, many times Delta is THE cheapest option… people must not buy when flights are on sale or something?
I’m going to have to use all of my Airtran flight credits asap. I hear Southwest offers a terrible rewards program. Bummer… that’s already two strikes. After the horror stories of former SWA employees, I’d say strike three is a-comin!
Delta Employees Unite
September 27th, 2010
9:51 am
All delta employees need to keep trashing SW and Airtan like 90% of the posts above!!! Unite workers! Get the union involved—trash your competitors to keep your prices high and service bad!
txdawg
September 27th, 2010
9:52 am
I find it funny that people don’t like the way Southwest boards its airplane. I have flown a lot of different airlines United, Luftansa, American, US Air, Delta, Northwest, Frontier just to name a few, and it actually takes less time to board the plane using their system, then other airlines. For years I have been tired of getting screwed by the major airlines, and having lived in Atlanta for 15 year and having to deal with Delta’s lack of customer service, and now living in Houston, where we are about to get totally screwed by United, my fly vs drive decisions for trips rest on whether Southwest flies to my destination or not. Go Southwest!
Bob
September 27th, 2010
9:52 am
I can understand people who have never flown SWA being excited about them coming to Atlanta, but having flown them, I can tell you it isnt the great experience people seem to think it will be. Ok, your bag may fly free, and your flight attendant will make jokes, but you better enjoy “cattle cars”, because that’s what you’re going to experience.(The person that mentioned the “Jerry Springer crowd” hit the nail on the head!) And dont think that SWA is always the cheapest fare, because they aren’t. I think SWA is a great company, but wont fly on them again.
Low Blow by Both Carriers
September 27th, 2010
9:52 am
Also, why are people saying “Finally, competition!” No… it’s not. You’re taking two big carriers (Airtran and Delta) and changing it to two big carriers (SWA and Delta). That’s not adding competition. That’s swapping apples for oranges and still winding up with customers as the real losers.
baby
September 27th, 2010
9:53 am
Bill
September 27th, 2010
9:33 am
If you are an AirTran Elite member you got to hate this. Why do people like Southwest?
Bill, your inability to understand that most people are not “elite” members is apparent, Some just want to go visit family, or take a family vacation without being completely gouged. A family of four could easily spend $200 in bag fees alone with Delta. This isn’t the case with SW
You can’t understand why everyday Joe’s don’t want to be gouged?
JemalKnows
September 27th, 2010
9:57 am
How does everyone think this will affect the Atlanta economy? Airtran’s such a large contributor.
~JemalKnows
https://sites.google.com/site/jemalknows/
97 degree yogurt
September 27th, 2010
10:01 am
@ Amazon-Southwest will not be operating any more gates than AirTran did, leading to a similar number of daily departures from ATL, so all those cities that Southwest files to won’t be served frequently, or non-stop for that matter.
Enjoy flying ATL-BNA-MDW-MHT or ATL-LIT-DEN-BOI
girl
September 27th, 2010
10:01 am
Orbit did not charge me for my bag to Canada because I was leaving the US. Got to the airport of course Delta did. I tried to tell them as far as I was aware the US hadn’t annexed Canada since the last time I saw the news, still had to pay for the bag. And boy was i p’d.
Delta has everyone over a barrel and they’re laughing all the way to the bank about it. I hope they don’t pressure SW to raise fees. I usually feel financially screwed when I fly Delta and it really makes for a miserable experience.
Every year a new fee for this or that garbage. Sick of it! Bring on the competition
PHYLLIS
September 27th, 2010
10:02 am
WHO CARES AIR TRAN SOUTH WEST BLAH BLAH BLAH
JUST BRING JET BLUE TO ATLANTA NOW THAT WOULD BE GOOD NEWS
PHYLLIS
September 27th, 2010
10:03 am
JET BLUE WAS IN ATLANTA AT ONE POINT IN TIME BUT WAS FORCED OUT
BY DELTA. GUESS THE COMPETITION WAS TOO MUCH FOR DELTA.
AmazonRed™
September 27th, 2010
10:05 am
@97 degree yogurt – I don’t plan on ever leaving Delta. Elite traveler on that airline. I just care about competition keeping Delta fares lower, no matter how many stops SW travelers have to take.
Bob
September 27th, 2010
10:07 am
Phyllis…that makes no sense. If Jet Blue left Atlanta, I would say that THEY were the ones that couldnt handle the competition.
PaulieOldSchool
September 27th, 2010
10:08 am
This is a big good news day for me. SW is the cheapest company to fly to the SW and many parts of the West. I’d heard they were going to start flying out of Greenville, but that is two hours away, still longer of a commute than I wanted. This is very good news. Now I just want to know when the deal is finalized.
don t care
September 27th, 2010
10:15 am
I don’t care because I don’t fly. With all the airport airline hassles and T S A junk I can drive quicker to my S E destinations within 400 miles faster than if I flew out of Atlanta….. think about it , 6 hours is 6 hours…
sliderule
September 27th, 2010
10:29 am
I see comments on no assigned seats, cattle car, etc. I have never flown SW. How exactly are flights boarded for a couple.
Bill
September 27th, 2010
10:31 am
@Baby…Airtan already has low fares..has wifi and xm. What is so great about Southwest except for the bags? Sorry you are not elite..but I fly enough to earn this.
Bill
September 27th, 2010
10:31 am
Southwest and Delta suck……Airtran rules!!
Jborodawg
September 27th, 2010
10:33 am
I agree that with SW (and Airtran) you get the “Jerry Springer crowd” (and the former Trailways crowd to boot) a lot more often. SW boarding is indeed akin to a “cattle call”. And their in-flight isn’t a whole lot better.
With Delta one can fly to almost anywhere in the world; and the U.S. and Canada. Delta’s customer service is hands-down better than SW and Airtran.
Having said all that, I agree that competition is good. This deal might make Delta reconsider their bag fees too. But, I’ll remain a Delta fan just for a better overall experience.
faye
September 27th, 2010
10:37 am
I am not sure I can complete understand!! First of all, everyone want cheaper price to fly out. I never flew with Southwest, so I can’t judge them. Air tran was good so was Valujet too!!! I wish that small airline would go to smaller city while big airline should go to big city. Example small city like (Macon, Columbus, Frederick MD and so on) while the big should be like (Chicago, LA, NY and Miama and so Atlanta). stop compare each other and stop hurt each other. I suspect one day it will be one Airline name and everything going to look better than what it is now. Speak of Southwest, I do have to say “Be careful” don’t expect all city will like to fly with you them. Wait and see. I wish Jet blue come back to Atlanta
Ken
September 27th, 2010
10:39 am
I have been a loyal A+ Elite member for years. This program is by far the best domestic business traveler program around. Southwest states loud and clear on their site that multi-class service is not part of the future offering. Real bummer. It’s back to earning status on Delta – awful.
Bill
September 27th, 2010
10:41 am
For all you Southwest lovers….so sad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6DdDlPT4Uc
Praveen
September 27th, 2010
10:48 am
I hate this. First of all, with Airtran, I have been able to fly to Houston or Boston for less than 100 bucks each way. How is Southwest going to do any better than that? Look at their phladephia to Houston fares. It was close to 250 plus when my sis kept checking every week for a few. IN fairness, i have seen some good Southwest fares too, but not any better than the frequent fare sales Airtran offers.
If you don’t check baggage, then southwest is useless compared to Airtran.
Airtran had the best business class upgrade (which gives you free baggage perk) in the business. This sucks for those of us who liked it.
Gettting elite status on Airtran was so easy. With Southwest, your elite status is no longer a perk.
I dont see many more NON STOP destinations added to the atlanta route because of ths merger. So what use is this for me?
baby
September 27th, 2010
10:50 am
Bill
September 27th, 2010
10:31 am
@Baby…Airtan already has low fares..has wifi and xm. What is so great about Southwest except for the bags? Sorry you are not elite..but I fly enough to earn this.
Bill- You’re screw everyone but me me me selfish attitude is everything that is wrong with America. today. Must be nice up there in the top 2%. I’m happy that you are “elite.” Have you considered letting the rest of America know perhaps through a billboard or something?
Hopefully everyday folks will be able to save some money and this is not a bad thing.
Praveen
September 27th, 2010
10:55 am
Don’t believe the hype. Maybe on a regular basis, Southwest has slightly better fares. But AIrtran has a great sale they usually open up once every two weeks, and a lot of the time, every single week(usually from Tues to Thursday). There is no way Southwest is beating those frequent sale fares on comparable routes. Southwest is mainly useful for families with baggage and who plan 21 days ahead with little flexibility. That is when you get the southwest advantage in fares for SOME routes.
If you are a frequent Airtran traveler, this is NOT a good deal unless they plan on keeping the airtran aircrafts separate.
Syphyllis
September 27th, 2010
10:58 am
MAYBE THEY CAN SHOW THE DODOS AT DELTA HOW TO ACTUALLY RUN AN AIRLINE.
OR, I PRAY, JUST TO ADD A DROP OF CUSTOMER SERVICE INTO THEIR BUSINESS.
Praveen
September 27th, 2010
10:59 am
Baby, elite on aritran is not that “elite”. I will be flying only 7000 miles worth (next month is my final elite status quliafying flight) to get my elite status. On Delta, unless you are gold or platinum medallion , you can kiss goodbye to decent perks. ( i hear with Silver, you got little chance of free upgrqades). ANd forget elite status perks, I flew to Boston economy for 85 bucks one way. No way, Southwest will lower that. THat is a sale fare Airtran has been offering 3 out of 4 weeks. So there was enough chances for me to get that fare. So how exactly is southwest going to beat that fare for me?
Why is Bill more selfish than you?
Flying sux!
September 27th, 2010
11:06 am
Flying sux!
Agree?
Praveen
September 27th, 2010
11:10 am
This is what is bothering me so much. Delta fills that consultant traveler niche who fly twice a month or more well. Southwest does a good job with families that have 6 or 7 bags to check in. For those, of us who travel alone or with one person and did it once a month on average, Airtran filled that great niche with just as cheap fares for economy or we could upgrade at a very affordable price or we could use out credits to get easy to attain perks(blackouts on free flights were less than delta). Plus we had free XM.
VA Frequent Flier
September 27th, 2010
11:13 am
This merger could easily be a negative for Atlanta. Southwest may reduce the size of the ATL hub to better fit it’s current route system, Delta will be able to raise prices on routes that Southwest choses to drop, and a few thousand current Airtran jobs will be moved to other cities or eliminated entirely. Southwests prices aren’t as great as they are reputed to be. I live in an area that is served by Delta, Sothwest and Airtran. In my experience, Delta and Airtran usually offer significantly better fares.
Praveen
September 27th, 2010
11:32 am
When Airtran left Newark, Atlanta-Newark prices jumped up and sale fares have been a lot rarer on Delta and Continental. I used to be able to fly to Newark on any of those airlines for anywhere from 70 to 100 one way. Now sale fares seem to be around 125 on Delta and Continental and the frequency of those sales are not as much.
Another group of travelers that Airtran benefited were those like me that traveled often to 500-1000 mile air routes since Airtran used credits instead of miles. Does Southwest even have a frequent flier program? I flew Southwest twice. I don’t get the fuss about it. Now, I would have loved to have seen Southwest enter the Atlanta market, but not at the expense of Airtran.
Phoenix to Atlanta Non-Stop
September 27th, 2010
11:33 am
Living in Phoenix there were few options to Atlanta – non-stop! USAir and Delta (both greed mongers) Several years ago Air-tran. Now Southwest will fly into Atlanta – Brighter days are on the horizon! Delta and USAir will do some considerable shaking in their boots for a while.
I’ll be flying the LOW Cost Airlines!!
hahaha
September 27th, 2010
11:47 am
2million more passengers? BS. More will come because its cheaper, but SW doesn’t use hubs so HJ will take a hit from losing Air Trans
Silver Lining
September 27th, 2010
12:00 pm
This is excellent! Now with the advent of Southwest, maybe we can get the trailer trash crowd off the Delta flights and on to Southwest where they belong. I’m actually looking forward to taking a flight for once where someone wasn’t attempting to change their babys diaper in the aisle. Southwest has my support all the way!!!
Erica
September 27th, 2010
12:18 pm
Pretty excited about Southwest coming to Atlanta. I’ve flown it out of Nashville a few times and found their fares and customer service to be pretty decent. I am very glad to see Delta have some bonafide competition in the Atlanta market. I can only hope that this translates in Delta revisiting all of its add on charges and the constraints on the use of Sky Miles.
hey melvin
September 27th, 2010
1:43 pm
UM, IDIOT! HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE SOUTHWEST UNIFORMS??? U G L Y!! GROSS!! HOTTIES, THEY ARE NOT! me thinks you need to see it! ew!!
sam
September 27th, 2010
1:45 pm
i love delta. i’m a million miler . i don’t like the southwest way of doing business.
c
September 27th, 2010
1:45 pm
Enter your comments here
Fatboy14
September 27th, 2010
1:53 pm
N, your point is well taken but look at their 2nd quarter earnings. Both are “technically” profitable for the year so far but as the rest of the industry has enjoyed a modest rebound, their relative positions have weakened. Debt may prove to be the “X factor” in this equation. Since emerging from bankruptcy Delta has quietly but aggressively been buying down its debt. The strength Continental/United deal is that they grow without taking on much if any additional debt. Southwest is going to be hard pressed to pay for the increased fixed costs it will incur and remain price competitive without an increased debt load. Timing is a factor as well. The debt they take on now, while business is fairly strong, may prove too much of a burden when the cyclic nature of the airline industry swings the other way.
Joe Baumann
September 27th, 2010
3:00 pm
If Southwest’s acquistion of Air Tran is approved, passengers would no no longer have to pay outrageous baggage fees just for the ” privilege ” of flying the few remaining alleged ” legacy ” airlines , such as Delta and United-Continental, or even Air Tran ! Furthermore, I predict Southwest would eventually build its own new LARGE terminal at ATL ; between runways 9R/ 27L and the ” fifth ” runway ! It’s conceivable that Southwest could build a facilty with double ( or more ! ) the gates that Air Tran presently has at the mid-field terminal. There is space to do so – as confirmed by aerial views or photos ! Furthermore, Southwest has been profitable since YEAR one of its operations – even after ” 9/11″ ! No other US airline can make this claim ! Finally, I hope Southwest would adopt Air Tran’s IFE : Sirius/ XM radio onboard. I enjoy listening to it !
New Day!
September 27th, 2010
3:39 pm
If possible, I will not fly delta airlines again, once SW opens up these new routes!!! No fees, better service!
TnGelding
September 27th, 2010
3:48 pm
Welcome South Brother! Win for everyone….but Delta.
Phil
September 27th, 2010
5:10 pm
As an Airtran Elite member, I am very depressed by this news. I have really enjoyed my Elite perks the last few years and I thought it was the best loyalty status in the airline industry. Now I may have to start from nearly nothing to earn Delta Medallion status. As a frequent business traveler, there is no way I will fly on the Southwest ABC cattle drive. I hope Delta will offer some form of incentive to entice Airtran Elite customers.
Stump Barnes
September 27th, 2010
5:11 pm
As someone who flies both Delta and Southwest on a regular basis, let me assure you that Southwest is FAR, FAR, FAR superior to the arrogant, anti-passenger attitude of Delta.
It always amazes me that Southwest flights on a Boeing 737 have more leg room than Delta’s transcontinental and international flights on Boeing 757’s and 767’s.
Southwest’s cabins are usually much cleaner than Delta’s, and Southwest actually seems to depart on-time.
Finally, Southwest’s employees seem to like working there and don’t act as if they’re unsupervised prison guards with an opportunity to abuse the inmates like Delta’s employees do.
I hope really hope in the Atlanta market that Southwest kicks Delta’s ass six ways to Sunday for all of the abuse that Delta has served up to its customers.
In terms of organizations that deserve to be punished in the bottom rung of hell, Delta ranks up there with the TSA and the local cable company.
Jeff
September 27th, 2010
5:32 pm
Phil, looking at the rate you quoted, you are obviously a legacy airline employee. Lets see see, Pittsburgh to Raleigh over Thanksgiving: $294.80 with no baggage fees. Delta: $319 with baggage fees out the wazoo.
Airline employees do this in the national media all the time. Quote prices that are no where close to being truthful. They obviously are too dumb to realize that most everyone has an internet connection.
Joe Baumann
September 27th, 2010
6:08 pm
Southwest carries more than 100,000,000 million DOMESTIC passengers annually – more than ANY other US carrier ! More than Delta; more than un-American; more than Untied ( aka United ) ; more than US Air ( aka US Scare and Useless Air ) ! So, Southwest MUST be doing something … that attracts so many pax. ! And again, Southwest has been profitable since Year One of operation. Southwest has never furloughed its employees. Southwest has ZERO abominable RJs ( Regional Jets ) in its fleet ! How many of you Delta lovers have been jammed into one of ASA’s tiny CRJs – when expecting to be flying on a REAL airplane ?! Oh, the previous time I flew Delta out of ATL ( this past June ) , on a 763 ( 767-300ER ) up to JFK , I had to rip up the Sky magazine, fold it up and stick it into the window shade so that the shade would remain in the up position !? That airplane was to continue onward to Frankfurt . In addition Southwest, I hope that the highly rated Virgin America eventually enters the ATL market; as it receives more of the NEW mini-Busses ( Airbus A320 & 319 ) it has on order ! I too hope that Jet Blue returns to ATL ! At age 60, I’m old enough to remember when Delta WAS America’s premier airline. Delta apparently has devolved into Northworst !
Nick G
September 27th, 2010
6:22 pm
I’m glad Southwest is coming to Atlanta, but I have always liked AirTran. By the way Southwest’s three part rules of successful operation are: (1) Use the same equipment, so say goodbye to the 717s, (2) Turn the planes around fast and (3) No frequent flyer programs. So if you have any AirTran frequent flyer credits I’d use them in the next year before the merger is complete.
Terri
September 27th, 2010
6:54 pm
If Southwest is the “Trailer Trash” airline, which one is the “Ghetto Trash” airline?
I find the “Trailer Trash” crowd annoying but relatively safe, and they tend to smell better, listen to quieter music, use their inside voices and have consideration for others unlike “THOSE PEOPLE.”
J.B. STONER
September 27th, 2010
7:42 pm
The seats stink, smell like fartknockers had sat there.
Rampman19
September 27th, 2010
8:14 pm
Several facts for the readers. Southwest WILL keep the 717’s. Southwest likes the aircraft for some of the smaller markets. Southwest will have access to 32 gates on C and D concourse’s. Airtran just signed a lease to be in control of 10 extra gates on D concourse. Past business models for Southwest is 10 flights per each gate they have control of. 32 gates, 10 flights = a start of 320 flights in and out of ATL. With ATL having longer window of operating hours these flights might increase. I bet within 5 yrs Southwest will be up to 450+ flights with the possibilities of their own concourse by the 5th runway. Welcome to ATL Southwest.
chas
September 27th, 2010
8:39 pm
If you think bags fly free, I’ve got ocean front property in Snellville. That is simply a marketing scheme. The fees are built into the ticket prices. Check for yourselves. Compare Air Tran, Delta and Southwest. Southwest will be higher by $20. Tell them it is gold and they will all buy it. I am an Elite on Air Tran and Medallion level on Delta. I will miss Airtran. The free business upgrades were great.
It is simple economics. Southwest doubles their debt load with this acquisition. They care their existing debt, incurred additional debt to finance the purchase and inherit Air Tran’s debt. The only way to pay for this is to raise cash. How do you raise cash? Raise prices! Doing away with the free baggage is the easiest way to generate revenue streams. Just wait and see. This may be a wolf in sheep’s clothing deal. Looks great at first sight, but soon shows it’s ugly head.
chas
September 27th, 2010
8:46 pm
Joe Baumann – If you are 60, you will be retired before you see any of the construction of new terminals just for Southwest that you rave about. Won’t happen anytime soon.
ChasZee
September 27th, 2010
9:15 pm
Been waiting for Southwest since we moved here more than 10 years ago. Essential for decent prices westward.
Joe Baumann
September 27th, 2010
9:34 pm
Chas , if you re-read my earlier FIRST post … you will read that I write that I predict that Southwest will EVENTUALLY build a seperate terminal . How long was it that Concourse E had four additional gates added to it’s South side ? How long after that was it before the new ( still under contruction ) International Terminal was started? That’s right, only a few years ! But if Southwest expands its ATL operations to as many as 450 flights, as another blogger suggests, can the Sixth Runway be next ? There are already times when ATL arrivals ” hold ” even AFTER the opening of Runway 10/28 ! ( I listen to ATC communications ). It wasn’t too many years ago when Delta operated around 450 daily flights at ATL and Eastern operatted around 300 daily flights ! Not to mention that the Fourth Runway was added around the same time . Do you remember those develpments, Chas ??? However, if the national economy continues tanking none of this will happen any time soon ! BTW, Chas, I’m quite vibrant for my age !
David
September 28th, 2010
1:37 am
Yes, finally, Now watch Richard Andersen move Delta HQ to Minneapolis, and we can thank Kasim Reed for that. AT and Delta have been colluding as of late – evidenced by fares, but that is what happens when an airline or AOC runs an airport. Passengers suffer. August, flight to Boston, 14 day advance was 698.00 – took JET BLUE from Charlotte – 153 RT and $4.00 per day for parking. Well worth the 3 hour drive, shorter lines, and the opportunity to have some legroom.
BTW, the Briscoe field babies? These are the same people that cost us the outer perimeter. Talk with the people in the audience – NONE of THEM are more than casual travelers. NONE of them were daily commuters in the Atlanta mess. Just ask them what they are going to do as 2014 comes and truck traffic (due to the port expansion) quadruples.
Tom
September 28th, 2010
8:51 am
This is good for Atlanta travelers. Perhaps it will make Delta finally realize they need to offer more competitive fares and maybe, just maybe, make a push for on-time flights and better customer service. Lord knows that has been missing from Delta for years.
Travel Guru
September 28th, 2010
9:18 am
This is fantastic news. No more trips to Birmingham to get the SW flights!!! Much better airline—no tricky fees, best service.
idiota
September 28th, 2010
11:53 am
guess the competition was too much for jet blue!!! you are dumb phyllis… also, delta will be a dream when you fly swa. swa stinks!
Cal
September 29th, 2010
7:38 am
Enter your comments here
Bags fly FREE… get the message Delta!!!
Cal
September 29th, 2010
7:42 am
Welcome Southwest Airlines to Atlanta. Bags fly FREE… get the message Delta!!!
David
September 30th, 2010
10:38 am
As a former Delta employee and a current employee of Southwest, just let me say: Atlanta, you have a sweet deal ahead. I really don’t understand the bashing of Delta or Southwest here! If you want to fly first class and eat a prepackaged warmed up meal and fly trans oceanic, then fly Delta! If you want to fly anywhere domestic, get there quickly, and if you book a few days in advance, very inexpensively, and eat peanuts, then fly Southwest! After reading all the comments above, I think the people who kept mentioning Jerry Springer are the true fans of that show and are probably that way themselves! Happy travels to ANYWHERE in the world Atlanta and I will assure you that any domestic trips you make will be less expensive and more convenient! PS, all you haters of any particular airline whether it is Delta or Southwest, get your facts right before making an idiot out of yourself! You sound so…….Jerry Springer show material…LOL
Zay_J
October 2nd, 2010
10:53 am
Oh please southwest will never be Delta. First, they don’t have business class seating and you can’t pick your own seat. Yes, they don’t have baggage fees but that will change eventually if they want to stay afloat. They don’t go 3/4 of the places that delta goes. You really think Delta is going to allow Southwest to take over…NOT. Delta is not making money off their domestic fares they are Internationally known and are continuing growing everyday. They will only have to compete w/ a few cities not that many. But, in due time we will see I’m not going to front I love Delta but I may take a flight or two w/ Southwest depending on where and how much.