DFW to FLL...

[JettaGirl]

I am currently looking for airfare flying from DFW to FLL. I have been checking prices the past month or so. We are leaving in August so I am wanting to book flights soon.

 

I found an AA flight roundtrip for $239 a person. We are wanting to fly non-stop with American Airlines.

 

I RARELY fly, so I do not know how this price compares? Do you think that if I wait a couple of more week, this price will rise or fall? Or, do you think this price is average and I should purchase?

 

Thanks for any advice you can give me!

[Kellie in Texas]

I am not a recent flier, but like you I've been researching airfare for our cruise in October (Austin to FLL). The $239 round-trip sounds like a great price, especially for a nonstop. The flights from Austin all include at least one change of plane and are running around $320-350. Considering I'm only 200 miles down the road from you, your $239 nonstop seems like a great deal. Have you tried to download the DING program from Southwest (www.southwest.com)? You can search back through the Cruise Air thread a couple of months ago and there was a pretty long discussion about DING. It had some really good fares and they would only be good for maybe 10 hours or 6 hours or 12 hours; you had to buy them within that time period. They were really cheap. The other thing I'd suggest is go on Southwest's web site and sign up for the free email notifications; these have good prices too and you've got a little bit of time left. My problem is we really want to go Southwest, but their flight schedule currently only goes through October 28 . . . and we'll come back to Austin on the 29th! :rolleyes: So we're trying to be patient. Good luck. Kellie

[JettaGirl]

Hey Kellie. It may be a good price?! I am not sure. About Southwest, I do not think I can fly out of Dallas and go to Fort Lauderdale. I keep looking on the website, and you cannoy fly to FLL from here?! I don't know why that is?... do you know why?

[Kellie in Texas]

I don't know either (why Southwest doesn't fly from Dallas to FLL) but you can bet it has something to do with the Wright Amendment restrictions. Good luck with your travels. Kellie

[jdc]

JettaGirl:

 

I checked Orbitz and Travelocity and it looks like American is the only way to go if you want non-stop.....the price you listed is what's being offered. You can get lower, but it would required connections and lower would be about $10/passenger. Prices change constantly, but I'd be surprised if it goes a lot lower....I grab it and consider it one more check-off on my "to do list".

[JettaGirl]

Thanks for looking also JDC. I think that price is as good as it gets. Thanks for the help and advice.

[LoneStar72]

I don't know either (why Southwest doesn't fly from Dallas to FLL) but you can bet it has something to do with the Wright Amendment restrictions. Good luck with your travels. Kellie

You got it! One of the deals made to get the original funding for DFW airport was negotiated by then Speaker of the House Jim Wright -- it was meant to protect the fledgling new airport by restricting competition at Dallas Love Field. What it says is that any plane having more than 85 (I think) seats can fly into or out of Love Field only from a state adjoining Texas (New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana.) Since Southwest flies only out of Love Field (and not DFW), and their planes have more than 85 seats, they are restricted by the "Wright Amendment". So if you check for flights on Southwest from Love, you'll only see destinations in Texas and the 4 adjoining states. To get to FLL from Love, you'd have to make at least one connection to do so.

 

On a related topic, now that DFW is well established (sometimes challenging Chicago O'Hare for the title of world's busiest), Southwest has finally decided to get involved in the effort to repeal the Wright Amendment. Unfortunately, the major tenant at DFW, American Airlines, doesn't want the competition, and has had great support in Congress for many years, which means it will take something just short of a miracle to get the Wright Amendment repealed.

 

On the original topic, the fare you quoted from DFW roundtrip to FLL on American sounds like a really good one -- book it, Danno!

 

John

[Kellie in Texas]

JettaGirl, your post didn't say where you're from in the Dallas area, but I grew up in Lewisville and my parents still live there. When I was a kid, DFW wasn't built yet and my grandparents used to take me and my brother to Love Field and we'd walk around and stand on the map of the world on the floor in the main lobby and walk past all the gates and see where people were going and coming from. I thought air travel was one of the most romantic things ever (of course, I hadn't done it yet at that point!!). The very first flight I was ever on was an American Airlines sightseeing flight, if you can imagine such a thing nowadays. My grandparents took us on American for about a 30-minute sightseeing flight around the Dallas area. It was a regular size plane, with flight attendants and everything. We took off and flew around the Dallas area and the captain would point out various sights such as the Cotton Bowl, etc. Then we landed (all at Love Field) and that was it. Pretty big change since the late 1960's, isn't it?

[JettaGirl]

Kellie... Lewisville is right down the street from me. I live in Plano... about 20 minutes away from Lewisville. It is amazing how Love Field has grown so much. I couldn't imagine doing a "sightseeing" fligh on a real plane! Nowadays you just hop in a helicopter and off you go. What a memorable experience though!