Southwest newbie...help!!

[Wdw1015]

We rarely fly anywhere so I'm not very versed on booking flights. I've heard a lot of people say they fly Southwest but I'm confused when I look at their prices. What does "Anytime" and "Wanna get away" mean? What's the difference between them?

 

[whitney250]

"Wanna get Away" is a set number of seats at a cheaper price, these usually sell out, but they will not be refunded if you have to cancel your flight. "Anytime" is a regular ticket, and "Business Class" gets priority boarding, the availability to change flights with no consequence and a free drink on the flight. You can purchase "Early Bird Check In" for "Anytime" and "Wanna Get Away" tickets and this will get you a higher boarding number, this way you have a better choice of seats and higher chance of getting seats together if you're flying as a family.

 

[Belle0101]

If you click on the blue "Wanna Get Away", or any of the other fare types, a comparison chart of the 3 different fares will open up. I can't get it to copy and paste in a nice format here otherwise I would do that.

Basically, the "Wanna Get Away" fare, the cheapest fare, has fewer perks or benefits. It's the only one I've ever booked.

 

[Wdw1015]

So it sounds like "wanna get away" is the way to go. From what I can tell, the major downsides are no refund if cancelled and the potential for our family not to sit together (if we don't get early bird). Am I correct?

 

[goofy4tink]

Basically, yes. If you pay full fare, or business, you usually get very good boarding position. But not many people pay full fare.
You should be able to get seats together depending on what boarding slot you each get. As long as you are in the A or B group you should be okay. Even those in the early C group find seats together.....maybe not 5 or 6, but some.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

So it sounds like "wanna get away" is the way to go. From what I can tell, the major downsides are no refund if cancelled and the potential for our family not to sit together (if we don't get early bird). Am I correct?

If you cancel your trip, you can get a credit. Even if you get EBCI, you might not all get seats together. I suggest that you go to Southwest's website and start reading; all their polices are clearly explained there.

 

[Wdw1015]

My only hesitation is not sitting together, my boys are 5 & 9 and I'd like all four of us to sit together. Is this a legit concern or am I over thinking it?

 

[stormer]

My only hesitation is not sitting together, my boys are 5 & 9 and I'd like all four of us to sit together. Is this a legit concern or am I over thinking it?

If you get EBCI you should be able to all sit together. My family of four gets it every time. We fly to Orlando twice a year - once in August and once during Presidents week, which is a very busy time to fly to Disney from NY - and we have always been able to sit together with EBCI. We have always gotten A's, with the exception of one time. That time we got B1,2,3,4. A huge amount of people boarded before us that time for family boarding and we still got seats together. We also usually go to the back of the plane to get seats.

 

[PatMcDuck]

Personally, I would save the $$ and not buy the EBCI. Check in at exactly 24 hours, and you can sit together, even if you are in the middle of the Bs. WORST case, you would split up, 2-2. I think you would even be able to board with family boarding, depending if they do it for your flights.

Others feel differently, it is a matter of opinion.

Head for the back of the plane, of course.

One interesting thing, is how fast the boarding is, when people are choosing seats. It seems to motivate people to move faster down the aisles.