As I suspected, SWA let me down...
It's just three of us going and I have to book at least one leg of our trip on SWA points because I spent a good chunk of our airfare budget on points to "top-off" what I had already in my account. I was hoping that I could get fares under $200 each....wrong!
GRR-MCO...we want to go on Friday night but we cannot leave before 5pm due to school. SWA has 2 options...one departs at 5:00pm, makes 2 stops and lands at 11:55pm for the bargain price of $305 per person
. The other option is a steal at "only" $254 per person, departing at 6:40pm and only stopping once before landing at 11:55pm.
The return trip is only slightly better...but we have to change our dates. We originally planned to come home on Friday, but not at these prices. The cheapest option is again $254 per person and that would mean a 9am departure and a 4-hour layover in Chicago with a 7-hour total travel time...no thank you! There is only one option on the Friday schedule that is even remotely appealing (departs at 6:40pm and lands at 11:55pm) and it is currently listed at $305 so unless that comes down A LOT, we will not be coming home on Friday.
In case you are keeping track, yes, that is $500-$600 per person, round-trip, from GRR-MCO and nothing is non-stop.
I think my points are going to be used to book our return trip for Saturday morning instead. Right now, there is an EARLY (6:10am!) flight that is only $164 so I can get all three of us on that flight. It's not ideal, and I am hoping that the prices go down for Friday and I can change, but for now, it's the only option. There is no way I am going to fly down on SWA, even if the prices drop. I can book us on a flight on Delta that leaves GRR at 5pm and lands at 10:30pm (an hour and a half earlier than we could arrive on SWA!) for only $167. Since we would only check one bag between the three of us, I could care less about SWA and their "free" checked bags. Their airfare is TRIPLE what Delta's is so their baggage is not "free" as far as I am concerned
.