Another waiting for Southwest thread!

[disneydaveb]

Our fares are not released yet but I priced out a similar trip in Sept. Why is it $56/per person cheaper to fly from BWI than PHL? The prices out of BWI are what we have always seen in the past from PHL. I can understand price increases b/c of fuel costs but why is PHL higher than normal and not BWI. And does fuel cost really justify this large increase? The SW fare matches USAir's current fare exactly to the penny. Two weeks ago I could have gotten USAir for $180 round trip but decided to wait for SW b/c I prefer flying them. Now it looks like SW is going to cost us $233. This is the second time I have been burned by waiting for SW. From now on I will just book USAir when it becomes available.

Same here. We are waiting for PHL-MCO from 9/27 - 10/13. I have also noticed that it is a lot cheaper from BWI. I guess SW feels they do not have to compete with USAir in Philly anymore. I know we have not flown USAir since SW arrived in Philly. But if they are not going to continue to raise their fares, I will opt for assigned seats with USAir or Airtran.

 

[ptmmg]

although our trip release dates are all there I only booked arrival. I guess I had sticker shock. I never thought they would release at those prices. I was just going to book with northwest at $1056 for 6 of us (saving us $500) but the travel times were terrible plus they had long stops between flights, that would practically take away 2 whole days. So I booked arrival with a great time and am hoping in a week or so there will be some good departures still available. (A good Arrival time without stops was more important than departure for us).
I hope this strategy doesnt turn out to bite me back LOL

 

[mommykds]

Well after waiting with you nice people the last month or more I am officially finished with this thread. I just couldn't see paying $261 pp for the 5 of us ($1305) just to go with SWA..So I booked the $89 each way with Jet Blue..totat just under $985 for the 5 of us.

Thanks for waiting with me..maybe I'll be back for our 2007 trip to Disney.

Have a great day everyone!!

 

[LoriLea]

Well that was both disappointing and exciting at the same time! I finally got to book flights but was hoping for a better deal.
$1302 from Buffalo for 4 of us RT. Aug26 - Sep3
At least it beats flying out of Toronto - $2700 for similar flights.
I guess I'll just hope for a DING but won't lose sleep over it. We saved $1000 on the dining plan that we were going to pay for so the trip is still coming in under our original budget.

 

[iluvepcot]

I have always paid under $110 round trip PHL to MCO on SW. My strategy is to wait for a ding fair or internet special. I usually don't book until 2 months before. I hold rooms at DW for more dates then I need to adjust the dates around cheaper air.

I was going to change my strategy based on some posts here. This time I was going to book when they came out, and get credit later if a ding comes out. But these rates are so much higher. I think that if we all book now, what incentive does SW have to offer lower ding rates. They see the flight booking and do not need to offer a better rate. So I am not booking. I may book with another airline or book out of Baltimore instead. BWI is much cheaper right now. I don't expect to always pay $110 but I don't want to pay double. So I am sitting tight and urge everyone else to try also.....

 

[bjakmom]

Those east coast prices are high - but I got 2 RT Philly to LA for $572. total - I didn't think that was too bad for non-stop cross country- and the times and days were exactly what we wanted! Of course the fact that I had credits of $519 that they gave me a 6 month extention on so that I could use them made me even happier!!

 

[Janis]

Unfortunately my dates were unflexible and I had to book airfare for 8 people. Airtran wanted 375pp and USAir 393pp for nonstop flights at the same time I got on SWA. So although it's more that I wanted to spend it's better than the alternatives and if I get a Ding I can use it to buy my tics for next March!

 

[disneyobessed]

122 each way OH MY GOD... i wished i had booked jetblue..... oh well its booked and now i can book other things too! plus i got a extra day out of it since it was $50 cheaper to fly in the day before!

 

[lynninpa]

Unfortunately my dates were unflexible and I had to book airfare for 8 people. Airtran wanted 375pp and USAir 393pp for nonstop flights at the same time I got on SWA. So although it's more that I wanted to spend it's better than the alternatives and if I get a Ding I can use it to buy my tics for next March!

Same here, Janis. Our dates are fixed, too, and we had to book for 9 people RT. More than we wanted to spend yet at least everything is all set now: 3 rooms at POP, free dining,tickets with park hoppers and water park, etc. option-and now the airfare is all set. Higher airfares but free dining? It all works out better than our original budget for the trip. Just happy we can sit back and relax now!

 

[cepmom]

122 each way OH MY GOD... i wished i had booked jetblue..... oh well its booked and now i can book other things too! plus i got a extra day out of it since it was $50 cheaper to fly in the day before!

I hear ya! I could have booked Jet Blue a few weeks ago for less than what I paid today on SW . Of course, now JB is much higher so that's why I went with SW today. I am not much of a gambler I'm afraid. We're going on a cruise, so our dates are firm and I did not want to watch the fares keep going up especially for our return home on Sunday of Labor Day weekend.

I swore up and down I would not do this again for our January trip, but if SW offers a Ding! or systemwide sale and I get some credit for these tickets, I guess I'll be doing this all over again this fall.

 

[disneyobessed]

If a ding rate comes out do we get reimbursed for the difference or credit towards a future flight?

 

[Alicnwondrln]

im glad w are going thru jetblue
they are 89 each way
southwest cheapest flight was 122

 

[cepmom]

If a ding rate comes out do we get reimbursed for the difference or credit towards a future flight?

you will get a credit to be used within one year on another flight...but I think you will need to cancel the original reservation, get a credit then rebook a new flight using your credit as the form of payment. I may be wrong about that though....I'm sure some other SW veterens on this thread will confirm or deny....

 

[cepmom]

im glad w are going thru jetblue
they are 89 each way
southwest cheapest flight was 122

only one of my flights was $89 on JB....the return flight home (Labor Day weekend) was $129 at first, then $149 now it's $179 and even higher! Really wishing I booked it at $129 though

 

[pooch]

Well that was both disappointing and exciting at the same time! I finally got to book flights but was hoping for a better deal.
$1302 from Buffalo for 4 of us RT. Aug26 - Sep3
At least it beats flying out of Toronto - $2700 for similar flights.
I guess I'll just hope for a DING but won't lose sleep over it. We saved $1000 on the dining plan that we were going to pay for so the trip is still coming in under our original budget.

Just got home from work and found our dates open!!! We're BDL(CT) to MCO for $1132 4 roundtrips, more than I was hoping for but at least the times were what I wanted and I FINALLY HAVE A FLIGHT!!! This was killing me!!

See you at the Lodge! I'll be the one eating all that free food

Pooch

 

[kritter]

I am still waiting for Oct...any guesses as to when it might be??????

 

[Corryn]

I am still waiting for Oct...any guesses as to when it might be??????

I am guessing the middle of May - that's when I got my early October tickets the last time we went down.
But it is good just to keep looking.
Also, one of the DIS'ers posted a link to URLywarning.com
I took his advice and downloaded it. At 10:08 this morning, the alarm went off, signaling a change to the URL that I had entered, which is the SW reservations page. They were doing some minor changes this afternoon and the alarm went off a couple of other times during the afternoon, but at least I know it works now!
I wasn't home to get the alarm, but when I returned home, it was there alerting me.

As for the 11:00 am release of new fares, are you talking about Central time? Like I said, the alarm went off at 10:08 which indicated the change in the website (indicating the change in schedule).

 

[pamjb]

If a ding rate comes out do we get reimbursed for the difference or credit towards a future flight?

You do have to cancel and rebook. What I do is bring up 2 Southwest windows. On the 1st window I have my Ding! fare booked all the way to the page where you enter payment. On the second window I go to "Cancel Air Reservation" in the Southwest Travel Center. I cancel that and then use the confirmation number/letters for "ticketless travel funds" on my Ding! fare.

It really makes more sense when you do it. And I have done it a lot. I am hoping to do it again with my August $101 each way tickets.
But I will probably have to wait until late June or August for that.

The ticketless travel funds (the credit) can be used by anyone, not just the person who purchased the initial ticket.

Pam in PA

 

[Corryn]

Pam,
I did not know you could do that. I thought that once you purchased your tickets at a certain price that was it. I usually go for the cheapest fare. Can you do what you have described with the cheapest fares like the Internet or the Fun Fares or do you need to use the Refundable Anytime or the Advance Purchase fares?
Thanks

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

Corryn,
You can do it with any SWA fare. With refundable anytime fares, you get your money back instead of a credit.