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ElisabethWhispers · 03-20-2018, 09:08 AM

Trying to find a cheap plane ticket to Pittsburgh (April/May) and from Dallas, it seems like an expensive flight to and fro.

Are there certain airlines that fly to Pittsburgh more frequently?

Thanks for the help,
Elisabeth

tannana · 03-20-2018, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElisabethWhispers

Trying to find a cheap plane ticket to Pittsburgh (April/May) and from Dallas, it seems like an expensive flight to and fro.

Are there certain airlines that fly to Pittsburgh more frequently?

Thanks for the help,
Elisabeth

So, without knowing your definition of expensive or timeframe (and by this, I mean days of the week) it's difficult to say. If you want to fly nonstop, your choices are American, Southwest from Love, and Spirit. Spirit has flights which are as low as $100 roundtrip (which is really $200 because you'll want a carry-on and a checked bag, presumably). And you might not actually get to either PIT or back to the Metroplex. In general, fares from Dallas and Houston to PIT are expensive these days because the guys flying up here to the gas patch are completely price insensitive. I travel to Houston a lot for work, and the price of that has gone up 4x since the gas boom started. I estimate 2x for dallas.

weenus · 03-20-2018, 11:19 AM

southwest is your best bet

SD78 · 03-20-2018, 11:46 PM

Fly into Latrobe and drive to the city.

ElisabethWhispers · 03-21-2018, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tannana

So, without knowing your definition of expensive or timeframe (and by this, I mean days of the week) it's difficult to say. If you want to fly nonstop, your choices are American, Southwest from Love, and Spirit. Spirit has flights which are as low as $100 roundtrip (which is really $200 because you'll want a carry-on and a checked bag, presumably). And you might not actually get to either PIT or back to the Metroplex. In general, fares from Dallas and Houston to PIT are expensive these days because the guys flying up here to the gas patch are completely price insensitive. I travel to Houston a lot for work, and the price of that has gone up 4x since the gas boom started. I estimate 2x for dallas.

Usually, I fly during the week.

I'm a Southwest gal. Love Southwest.

However, the flights are weird going to Pittsburgh. There is one cheap, non-stop, daily flight to P that arrives at around 11:30 PM. Otherwise, all of them either have a plane change or a long wait after a stop.

Plus, even with the pain of few non-stop flights, the other rates are upwards of $300-500 one way.

So I was asking.

Guess I'm a tad spoiled. With little bother or advanced planning, I can get to Baltimore, or other northern states, for easily around $200 (and sometimes less) round trip. I don't mind spending $300 for a round trip ticket.

Just seems overly expensive to get to Pittsburgh.

And I'm not interested in flying Spirit. Don't think that I'm brave enough to try that for a working trip.

Guess that I could check Delta and a few others. When checking American, the flights were over that of Southwest.

Thank you so much for the assistance!!!

Sincerely,
Elisabeth

ElisabethWhispers · 03-21-2018, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SD78

Fly into Latrobe and drive to the city.

Had not considered Latrobe. Never heard of the place.

About to check that out now.

Thanks!

tannana · 03-21-2018, 10:39 AM

LOL--I know folks who live in Chicago and Houston who are spoiled by having a huge Southwest presence, exactly due to what you just said (they never, EVER, pay more than $200 to go anywhere). We don't have that luxury up here. And we haven't had the nonstop to Love for all that long.... Midweek (no saturday stayover) rountrips are expensive to TX from here..... Good luck!

ElisabethWhispers · 03-21-2018, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tannana

LOL--I know folks who live in Chicago and Houston who are spoiled by having a huge Southwest presence, exactly due to what you just said (they never, EVER, pay more than $200 to go anywhere). We don't have that luxury up here. And we haven't had the nonstop to Love for all that long.... Midweek (no saturday stayover) rountrips are expensive to TX from here..... Good luck!

Thanks. You seem like a sweetheart and I so appreciate the input!!!

Yes. I've gotten used to finding $49, one-way, flights off of Southwest and the occasional $89, one-way, rate to Chicago from here.

Shame on me!!! We are spoiled!!!

Before responding to your thoughts presented, I actually went back and rechecked rates. Not sure why I thought that they would have changed from when starting the topic.

Several flights, if not most of them, were upwards of $500+ one way from Dallas which also included plane changes and long lay-overs. Simply do NOT wish to be on an all day flight, or even a 6 plus hour flight, to get from Point A to B.

Prefer to just have a non-stop flight or at the very least, one in which there is no plane change.

I just find it really odd that Pittsburgh seems rather unique with regard to flights arriving from Dallas.

There are similar issues with flights to Idaho but heck, it's Idaho. lol

Thanks again,
Elisabeth

Submissive Angel · 03-21-2018, 12:07 PM

I fly United from Okc to Pittsburgh.. I spend around 250$ if I book in advance and $400 if I book the day before i leave.. The route is usually fly from Okc to Dc, and then to Pittsburgh..

$250-400 round trip is not bad for Oklahoma.. I have been able to book for $178 round trip with some super planning!!

I usually do not have long layovers, unless I volunteer to get bumped.. which I have done a couple times..

Looker151 · 03-21-2018, 01:36 PM

Latrobe is located approx. 45 mi east of Pitts., major highway(Rt. 30) to the burgh, lots of traffic lights. Seems more and more people who fly, prefer to fly out of Latrobe. This may or may not work for ya, check it out.

PhilLanders · 03-21-2018, 03:45 PM

Spirit Airlines flies into Akron/Canton/Youngstown (about an hour's drive) or Latrobe,PA (about 45 minutes drive). Substantial savings are available if you fly on Spirit, but they hack you to death on extra charges---early boarding, reserved seat, checked baggage, snack, etc.

the1999person · 03-22-2018, 10:45 PM

I may be wrong but from what I've heard is PITT overcharges the airlines compared to similar airports across the country and that's why there's more limited and more costly flights. The airport was designed as a destination in itself, to basically be a shopping mall. It was a niche idea, with the "street pricing" available to entice people to shop and eat at Pittsburgh International Airport. Then when 9/11 happened the airside terminal was in lock-down to ticketed passengers only. I flew last summer out of PITT and it had that empty mall feel to it and there are actually two extensions of of the X terminal design that are closed off, drywalled over. You can peek through the cracks and see empty store fronts.

tannana · 03-23-2018, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the1999person

I may be wrong but from what I've heard is PITT overcharges the airlines compared to similar airports across the country and that's why there's more limited and more costly flights.

You heard wrong.

the1999person · 03-23-2018, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tannana

You heard wrong.

http://www.post-gazette.com/business...s/201710200211

tannana · 03-23-2018, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the1999person

http://www.post-gazette.com/business...s/201710200211

So, the following airports have higher costs than Pittsburgh. Today: EWR JFK IAD MIA LGA SFO LAX PHL CLE SMF ORD and several others. Here's what happened: USAir said "build us this 2 billion dollar terminal in 1992." The county did. USAir declared bankruptcy and fucked the airport authority by abrogating its' gate leases in bankrupty. Then then dumped the hub. This drove up costs for everyone else (fewer passengers over the same fixed operating costs). These costs were (and are) still lower than a bunch of other hubs and big city airports. However, those places are profitable at higher costs because they are big city airports. You will note that most "midsize market" airline hub have been closed or re-trenched since 2001. CLE, PIT, CVG, MEM, the Delta hub at DFW, STL, SJU, MKE, CMH. The only remainders are MSP and DET and those are significantly smaller than the Delta hub at ATL. The airmall has zero to do with why PIT is expensive on a per passenger basis. It's the massive number of (now empty) gates and 4 real runways and enough airfield support crap to support a 500-flight a day hub which no longer exists.