Post all SW questions concerns, etc. here...

[connie254]

For those with more flying experience than me: I am waiting for flights to be released tomorrow. Are the flights really cheaper when they are first released, or does it just depend? I'm just not sure what to expect. I've never booked right when they were released-this is probably the furthest in advance that I've got my hotel booked. The lowest I usually see flights from my area is right around $115 (one way) and that's during a sale. Do they typically start there and go up as more people book? Thanks!

Most flights are cheapest in the morning. Everything fluctuates after that

 

[andee515]

EEEEK! SW released today and their best offer:

11/20 LBB to MCO

$559.50

Return - Nov. 29

$573.49

Cost Breakdown
Adult $1132.99 x 5
$5664.95

That hurts! I was expecting $2500-3500. What are the chances there will be a sale, for those of you who have gone on Thanksgiving? That seems unlikely to me given the time of the year, but thought I'd ask.

 

[marthachick]

Most flights are cheapest in the morning. Everything fluctuates after that

This usually holds true. However, last year I had booked flights to Las Vegas and from Denver in the morning. I kept checking them throughout the day and on different days. A few weeks later I checked on a Saturday night and they had gone down. So, keep checking up until the last few weeks and you might get points back or a credit on a future flight.

I got up early today and booked our flights for our November trip shortly after they opened. The return flight has already gone up by 1432 points. I'll keep checking to see if they go down any.

 

[sbarisch]

ok - crazy booking question. The four of us are flying into orlando on december 18th. one of us has to fly home from orlando on 12/27. The rest of us will fly home from ft lauderdale on 12/30. How do I book this when the flights open. Do I do one way for the four of us first? Than another transaction for the three of us? and then another one for my husbands flight back? I want to be as fast as possible....but have never had to book like this before

That is exactly what I would do!

 

[chefmb]

Well, I've learned something with SWA's released prices today--Don't fly anywhere Thanksgiving weekend, and expect that Monday to be high too! We didn't do too bad--Our hotel is for Nov. 30 (Mon.) -Dec 5 (Sat). Monday's flight is $215 (cheapest rate for that day-and I booked early this morning). Saturday's are a much more reasonable $115, so overall, not horrible. If we had planned on Sunday, Nov. 29, flights would have been almost $400 for just that part! Yikes! I'm sorry for those of you who have to fly that weekend and are hit with those awful rates! Here's hoping they come down over the next few months!

 

[ABCastillo]

Well, I've learned something with SWA's released prices today--Don't fly anywhere Thanksgiving weekend, and expect that Monday to be high too! We didn't do too bad--Our hotel is for Nov. 30 (Mon.) -Dec 5 (Sat). Monday's flight is $215 (cheapest rate for that day-and I booked early this morning). Saturday's are a much more reasonable $115, so overall, not horrible. If we had planned on Sunday, Nov. 29, flights would have been almost $400 for just that part! Yikes! I'm sorry for those of you who have to fly that weekend and are hit with those awful rates! Here's hoping they come down over the next few months!

I was shocked when I saw the rates for that sunday. Crazy!

 

[beck00]

We fly home that Saturday....hoping rates drop too

 

[pmama]

Moved our return flight up from Sat. after Thanksgiving to Friday because of how much prices jumped over that weekend. Seriously considered flying home on Thanksgiving. Tickets were $45 more pp for Friday instead of Thursday. Saturday is $100 more pp and Sunday is $350 more pp.

 

[MouseTale]

PHL to MCO late October through early November is still high. It's almost $400 roundtrip non-stop. I, too, was hoping for better rates.

 

[12disneybee]

prices dropped nicely for our Pittsburgh to MCO flights in September...I already booked at $123 each way and they dropped Monday to $114 each way, so we now have a nice credit for SW future use, PLUS, I bought the SW gift cards (used them to pay for the airfare) at our giant Eagle grocery store and received $177 in free gasoline!!! And to top it off, we got one free round trip using our SW points.....

 

[FTM22]

I know someone asked this somewhere but I can't find it. SO I am asking again and apologizing in advance.

If the WGA tickets are sold out 5 months in advance, is it likely SW will put more of them on a flight? I TRIED to get the person paying for the tickets to agree to buy them right away but all I heard was "it's 5 months away". Yes, well, anyway the morning flight I'd like is sold out for WGA and the anytime is too much money (as in $350 one way). There is an afternoon which arrives after 5 which basically means no park time the first day. Not my idea of fun.

So please help me out with how I can explain this to the person paying and when I should look for more WGA on that flight I really want. Only SW flies nonstop from my area - everything else is a 6 hour flight vs 2 hours on SW.

Did I mention how much I desperately miss Airtran?!

 

[12disneybee]

The person paying flights, do they know the flights can go up or even sell out? Can you just book the flight you want yourself? If your relying on someone else paying, your gonna have to let them do what they want if they are paying..

 

[FTM22]

This person never heard of flights selling out 5 months ahead on a non-holiday time. We flew Airtran to WDW the past two years without issue and sure didn't have to book flights this early for a good rate. I am the one who actually books the flights, but it's with their credit card since they pay. It's a family thing and if I can make a logical argument I can probably sway them. It's just hard to justify tying up money 5 months out for multiple tickets (5 people) unless you know how the game works.

Basically, we have not used Southwest until now because the nonstop to Orlando was on Airtran. When Southwest bought them, it became a Southwest flight. So my question was whether Southwest is likely to add more WGA seats to that flight since it's 5 months out right now. I understand supply and demand and I get that they don't have to do anything because it's all about profit. I just wondered about the experiences of others since I have not dealt with Southwest in 20 years because they never flew where I was going.

 

[WhitGB]

Can you use a SW gift card to purchase drinks and snacks on board?

 

[12disneybee]

went to Vegas last July, been flying SW for years and years..........I was booking all the flights for 11 of us, boy did SW change gears, I saw flights I liked but like always, I waited for drop in prices, the flight continued to soar, almost selling out and luckily with SW points, we got a couple free round trips and we all divided the air cost or else, we would not of went, I never seen that happen before! I am on SW every day, a few times a day and that flight never dropped, kept creeping up, ugh. For September to Orlando, I found a decent non stop price for $123 and we also got a free round trip and I jumped on it and the price has dropped twice and I have a nice credit for future flying....if the price is good, and the flight is good, jump on it now!!!

 

[12disneybee]

SW sent us 8 free drink coupons, but our flight is 7am, lol

 

[Marshmelo]

Also flying in October from IND and looking at SW...so much stress with the book now or wait for it to go lower dilemma!

 

[FTM22]

Also flying in October from IND and looking at SW...so much stress with the book now or wait for it to go lower dilemma!

I am SERIOUSLY considering alternatives including another airline with a single stop but where I can select my seats at a similar charge. Also looking at the possibility of changing vacation dates if they become available. We have multiple room ressies so that's more complicated.

Agreed on the stress. I really thought this was a bit early for this nonsense but then I am not used to SW.

 

[vanyel]

Also flying in October from IND and looking at SW...so much stress with the book now or wait for it to go lower dilemma!

From Indiana but flying from Chicago mid-December. Went ahead and booked my flights for 285 RT because I was nervous about the flights going up and it was only a bit higher than normal. If they go down, I'll contact them for future credit as I fly SW to Atlanta regularly. Almost have enough for a free flight but not quite.

 

[Disney before Sally]

Today, departing home flight is $17 bucks cheaper, we have four passengers. If I rebook to get points, they will expire in one year from original booking. If I do not rebook, each passenger gets more points for the higher cost flight that will last two years from flight day. I'm thinking, why rebook? Tell me what I'm missing.