Best Time to Buy Southwest tickets

[DisneyLover0610]

Hello!

I seem to have the best luck with finding the best flight deals through Southwest. I know weekends are the "best" times to purchase tickets, but I'm still not liking the prices to MCO from BDL or PVD for October 19th-25th. At what point do I need to suck it up and give up looking for a lower price?
Thanks so much!!

 

[reins317]

I found you have to check SWA site daily. The best deals seem to happen about 60 days out and then 30 days depending on how full the flight is. When you see the price drop you need to book ASAP as they only release so many seats at the sale price.

 

[Mommiesblessings2]

Hello!

I seem to have the best luck with finding the best flight deals through Southwest. I know weekends are the "best" times to purchase tickets, but I'm still not liking the prices to MCO from BDL or PVD for October 19th-25th. At what point do I need to suck it up and give up looking for a lower price?
Thanks so much!!

I'm with you a week later from Prov. $1200 for 3, OUCH! I'm hoping for a sale. I check everyday.

Good luck!

 

[mamahas5]

I bought ours from NH to MCO on SW about 2 months ago for our trip this July 16 and they were $99 each way! After fees it was a bit higher but overall $1300 for 6 tickets. I Googled "best time to buy airline tickets" and the results really were accurate based on SW's fare calendar. I can't quite remember the days out but I'm sure you can find it. Good luck!

 

[AnnaNonamus]

I bought in April for my Oct trip and paid $90 one way and $114 the other way.

 

[AnnaNonamus]

Forgot to add that it was $701 total for 3 from GRR to MCO. First flight out on the way there, and sadly early morning home, too

 

[DisneyLover0610]

I'm with you a week later from Prov. $1200 for 3, OUCH! I'm hoping for a sale. I check everyday.

Good luck!

Would it be possible for you to fly out of Bradley? Out of 5 trips (that I have lived equidistance between BDL and PVD), only 1 time was it less expensive to fly from prov.
I believe parking is also less expensive at Bradley and I think it's easier to navigate.

 

[antree]

Hello!

I seem to have the best luck with finding the best flight deals through Southwest. I know weekends are the "best" times to purchase tickets, but I'm still not liking the prices to MCO from BDL or PVD for October 19th-25th. At what point do I need to suck it up and give up looking for a lower price?
Thanks so much!!

I never heard weekends are the best to buy tickets. I have been flying SW from Philly since they started there. The best time to buy tickets in my opinion and experience is Tues and Wed. Fares will start to creep up on Thursday and by the weekend they are at their highest.
That's how it's been for us.

We need tickets for Nov. and the way they keep going up and down I am giving up and buying the tickets tomorrow. I can't keep doing this and watching them..lol

 

[DisneyLover0610]

I should probably proof read before I submit! I meant weekdays are the best time to buy
I will probably bite the bullet soon too...waiting too long makes me nervous, and I've been spending too much time neurotically checking prices!
Good luck!

 

[mfowler80]

After watching most of the flights I wanted sell out of the "Wanna get away" fares for our October trip, I purchased a few weeks ago. I checked last week, and the nonstop flight that was closest to the same time of departure for our return flight became available again - and was only going to cost an additional $5. So we've got nonstop for both flights.

I'll keep checking every day to see if our flights become cheaper and just bank the cost difference for next year's flights.

 

[chasgoose]

Unless there is a fare sale, SWA fares never go down. They use a less dynamic bucket pricing strategy than most legacy airlines. Once the seats allocated to each fare bucket are sold that fare is gone forever. Whereas on say Delta or United, their pricing systems are more sophisticated and will adjust fares and buckets based on demand and time until the flight. This is why Southwest is almost never the cheapest option for last minute trips.

Also with Southwest not charging change fees, there's no harm in booking early. If the fare goes down (which is unlikely for popular times to MCO) you can change your tickets for no fee to the lower fare. It's basically the same set-up as when Disney offers a discount.

 

[GenieCat]

Are you issued a refund or a credit toward future airfare if the fare drops?

 

[kerplop]

Are you issued a refund or a credit toward future airfare if the fare drops?

You get a credit, they call them "travel funds".

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I never heard weekends are the best to buy tickets. I have been flying SW from Philly since they started there. The best time to buy tickets in my opinion and experience is Tues and Wed. Fares will start to creep up on Thursday and by the weekend they are at their highest.
That's how it's been for us.

We need tickets for Nov. and the way they keep going up and down I am giving up and buying the tickets tomorrow. I can't keep doing this and watching them..lol

I agree. At least for PHL to MCO, Tues & Wed are great then by Fri it's high.

Unless there is a fare sale, SWA fares never go down. They use a less dynamic bucket pricing strategy than most legacy airlines. Once the seats allocated to each fare bucket are sold that fare is gone forever. Whereas on say Delta or United, their pricing systems are more sophisticated and will adjust fares and buckets based on demand and time until the flight. This is why Southwest is almost never the cheapest option for last minute trips.

Also with Southwest not charging change fees, there's no harm in booking early. If the fare goes down (which is unlikely for popular times to MCO) you can change your tickets for no fee to the lower fare. It's basically the same set-up as when Disney offers a discount.

This is not true. We've had entire trips based on using up credits created by price drops. For trips we know for sure we want far in advance, we book the 1st day of release then at some point, unless it's around a holiday or popular travel time, the fares usually drop. It's just a matter of how often you feel like checking. Maybe at some point, it won't go down but usually earlier on, it drops frequently.
I've been watching our Sept flights go up & down many times. The beauty of booking with RR points is that when there's a price drop, instead of being stuck with credits, your points are refunded back to your RR acct. That's nice!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

If you can wait they will be having there annual birthday sale in 2 weeks which are good for airfare from mid Aug to mid Nov.

Unlike the PP SWA fare DO go down. The day before we were suppose to leave our flight went down $60 this past Feb. I check my SWA fares dailey and every trip my fares have gone down and some times mulitple times before our trip. I currently have $405 worth of credit to use!