Southwest or other airline?

[DCLbrideSept2009]

So I'm looking at flights for June.... Southwest USED to always be the cheaper airline, but apparently not anymore!! I do like the ease of changes with SW versus other airlines and the 2 bags "free," but now I'm starting to think you're actually paying for all that convenience built into the price of the tickets.

Right now I can get non-stop flights on AA for about $345/person RT... of course, that's the non-refundable fare, one checked bag, etc. On Southwest, it would be about $500/person RT. (This is total including taxes and fees for both.) They would also have to change planes on the SW flights.

So would you book SW in order to have the easy option of changes if necessary? Or just book the cheaper flight and if plans change, then we're out the money? Plans most likely won't change, but you never know. There's always the possibility that dates may have to change a day or two here or there or ???

We are actually a family of 6 and are driving but oldest dd and her friend are flying, so we just need 2 plane tickets.

When DH and I flew to WDW for our honeymoon in September 2009, we bought the non-refundable tickets (US Airways, I believe?) and then had to change our dates to return home 2 days earlier than originally planned. It was going to cost us MORE to CHANGE the flight than to just eat the money on the original return flight and book a totally new return flight on another airline.

The 2 bags "free" on SW isn't really a big deal, as we can have the girls pack light and they would be able to check a bag and bring a carry-on. But if they *could* bring a second bag "free," then we might send some of our stuff with them so we have more room in the car.

 

[Sheaboys]

Have you signed up for their DING Fares? They are even cheaper.

I love SW for the convenience of you can change your flights without charge, if you need to cancel, you can and they will give you a credit, bags fly free, etc.

I would sign up for DING and go from there. Good luck!

 

[thebeesknees]

I think everyone's prices are creeping up. We've been keeping an eye on tickets up to Hartford this summer, and in the past, we've been able to get tickets for under $250 pp RT if we buy far enough out. This time, nothing is coming up under $300 on any airline, and I've been checking for awhile. There are 5 of us, so even $50 more pp adds up quickly. Southwest was usually a good bet before, but now, going with Continental and paying to check our bags, we still come out under Southwest's price. We are going to keep watching it, but if it doesn't come down before the end of the month, DH said we will just go ahead and book it with Contintental.

 

[DCLbrideSept2009]

Have you signed up for their DING Fares? They are even cheaper.

I love SW for the convenience of you can change your flights without charge, if you need to cancel, you can and they will give you a credit, bags fly free, etc.

I would sign up for DING and go from there. Good luck!

Yes, I have signed up for the DING alerts, but it never shows flights to Orlando, and I checked the flights to Orlando through the SW app on my iPhone and it's about $1000 for 2 RT flights to Orlando.

 

[DCLbrideSept2009]

I think everyone's prices are creeping up. We've been keeping an eye on tickets up to Hartford this summer, and in the past, we've been able to get tickets for under $250 pp RT if we buy far enough out. This time, nothing is coming up under $300 on any airline, and I've been checking for awhile. There are 5 of us, so even $50 more pp adds up quickly. Southwest was usually a good bet before, but now, going with Continental and paying to check our bags, we still come out under Southwest's price. We are going to keep watching it, but if it doesn't come down before the end of the month, DH said we will just go ahead and book it with Contintental.

Yeah, we aren't quite ready to book the flights yet and the longer I wait, the more nervous I get about prices getting outrageous. We just signed our younger kids up for a YES class and bought our park tickets to the tune of almost $1500, so we may have to wait until DH's bonus (beginning of March) before booking flights unless I can squeeze a few hundred dollars out of the budget sooner.

 

[lovesmurfs]

So I'm looking at flights for June.... Southwest USED to always be the cheaper airline, but apparently not anymore!! I do like the ease of changes with SW versus other airlines and the 2 bags "free," but now I'm starting to think you're actually paying for all that convenience built into the price of the tickets.

Right now I can get non-stop flights on AA for about $345/person RT... of course, that's the non-refundable fare, one checked bag, etc. On Southwest, it would be about $500/person RT. (This is total including taxes and fees for both.) They would also have to change planes on the SW flights.

So would you book SW in order to have the easy option of changes if necessary? Or just book the cheaper flight and if plans change, then we're out the money? Plans most likely won't change, but you never know. There's always the possibility that dates may have to change a day or two here or there or ???

We are actually a family of 6 and are driving but oldest dd and her friend are flying, so we just need 2 plane tickets.

When DH and I flew to WDW for our honeymoon in September 2009, we bought the non-refundable tickets (US Airways, I believe?) and then had to change our dates to return home 2 days earlier than originally planned. It was going to cost us MORE to CHANGE the flight than to just eat the money on the original return flight and book a totally new return flight on another airline.

The 2 bags "free" on SW isn't really a big deal, as we can have the girls pack light and they would be able to check a bag and bring a carry-on. But if they *could* bring a second bag "free," then we might send some of our stuff with them so we have more room in the car.

I would go with the cheaper fare and then let it go (pricing can drive you nuts), but we've never had an issue with having to change return dates.

However, double check the rate -- American does not have a free first checked bag any longer -- it's $25. for the first bag, and you have to pay at the time of travel.

 

[NewWorld Traveler]

I share the same concerns as the OP. I could always count on SWA but have found their pricing and/or timing to be spotty as of late. Today, the schedule opened up for our FD trip in late August. The pricing on the flights with connections were low, but the non-stops were all listed at a $57 premium each way. With a family of 5, this adds up very quickly. On the flip side, AirTran had their flights to MCO listed at the same price as the low end of SWA but with non-stops and more departure time options. In the end, I was able to book Airtran with excellent non-stop departure times for $510 less than SWA non-stops ($72 less than SWA with connections) even after paying to select all our seats each way. I know some of this will get eaten up by baggage fees, but we still come out ahead.

 

[SJMomof4]

I was disappointed in SWA's prices for May/June as well. I wish I could have booked a few months back when they were cheaper, but I didn't have the money with Christmas and all.

For a family of 6 (Phila-ORL)Round Trip leaving in late May/ return early June, I found these fares:

UA- $1232
Airtran- 1064
USAirways-1233
SWA- approx 1800

I can't purchase until next week, so I'm hoping the rates for UA stay put