Best/cheapest airlines.

[annamorgan]

A trip from Maryland to Ohio (and vice versa) isn't that bad, but I've only had 4 airplane trips in my entire life and they were always Baltimore to Vegas, Vegas to Baltimore. I've only ever flown on Southwest Airlines, but does anyone have any recommended airlines that would be cheap for a flight that is only 8 hours by driving?

[Silviar]

Honestly, if you're going by airlines only, then Southwest. They do that thing where every time you buy a certian number of tickets, you get one free if I recall correctly.

[paulawriteslove]

I haven't flown in such a long time! The last time I went to see my SO was Spring Break and me and my best friend drove But next time I'm flying and I think I want to fly either Southwest or American. My boyfriend always flys American

[Bluestars]

It depends on what you are looking for. Are you looking for the cheapest ticket or the best customer service?

I am a little bit biased since the last Delta flight I went on went horribly wrong, but if I had the money I would prefer getting something non-Delta. However, I usually go with the cheapest flight, so I would probably fly Delta anyway if it was a hundred dollars cheaper than everything else. (That was the only time I ever missed my connecting flight on Delta though, and I have flown them probably six or seven times, so that may not be bad).

The cost will vary not only according to the airline but also your airport, so keep that in mind as well. I usually drive two and a half hours to the airport instead of another one an hour away because their tickets are so much cheaper.

I have flown Airtran, Southwest, and Continental before and they were all fine. But basically, an airline is just an airline, and the name shouldn't make that much of a difference imo. They all get you to where you need to go, and the customer service isn't too bad. Flying nonstop is preferable, but I have only done it once because it is more expensive.

I always check out a site like Orbitz, Expedia, or Cheaptickets to find the best deal on tickets because they will give you an idea of what airline is cheapest for your destination.

[annamorgan]

Yeah, I've been checking Expedia for the best flying rates for Travis because he is going to be flying up for Christmas.

[Tabitha]

I usually use US Airways. My SO and I are both poor college students, and it's usually the cheapest for us.

[1_click_away]

If you go to www.kayak.com you put in your dates and times and it will pull up like 6 different sites and you check check each site for the cheapest tickets.

[squiddie]

I personally like AirTran for cheap flights...but again, going on the travel sites will really help. Too bad Southwest doesn't cover that area.

[Thad]

As you can see by my signature, I fly Southwest. Which by the way, will not show up on kayak.com. You have to check their site directly. Good news is that this great airline will likely get even better when they close on their purchase of AirTran. The Southwest frequent flier program, Rapid Rewards, makes it so easy to get free tickets. You only have to get 16 credits to earn a reward ticket. They give you one credit for each flight, so that's only eight round trips. Also, if you qualify for the Rapid Rewards Visa you can earn credits even quicker. My SO -- who is not in school and works full time -- has the card and she has earned 3 or 4 reward tickets (which are actually good to two separate flights -- they can be used as a round trip or two separate single flights at different times.

I have never had a bad experience with them that was not handled to my satisfaction. Actually only problem I ever had was my bag missing a flight. I got it the next day and got a $50 travel voucher. Their customer service is impeccable. I even wrote them a letter once, and I got a personalized reply back -- no form letter. Never gotten that from any other company ever.

I will not fly Delta, as I have had a terrible experience with them.

I have flown American recently, because I couldn't get Southwest tickets at a good time even though they were cheaper, and I was also very pleased with them.

I've flown U.S. Airways and Continental in the past, but its been several years so can really comment on them.

[DarkSolitary]

My family likes to travel using Alaska. Southwest is good too, Man I haven't flown on Southwest in aaaages. Both are well known for having low fares.