Can someone explain Ding?

[AngieInOH]

I'm not exactly sure what it is , other than it's great deals on airfare.

Once a week I get an e-mail from southwest (? I think it's from them), showing one way rates. Is this what the Ding is?

Just a "Ding-a-Ling" wondering what the Ding is!

 

[cropper]

I want to know also!!

 

[mking624]

Ding is a program that you download from the Southwest website (it's not an email). Throughout the day, you can receive anywhere from 1-3 Dings that show all the special deals only available to Ding users. The deals are only available for a few hours...they never go past that specific day. Ding fares are only good for certain dates, and they will tell you when you need to trtavel by (right now it's Juune 15th-October 28th). Go to www.iflyswa.com and you'll see a "DING" logo that you can click on so you can download it.

 

[BahamaPapa]

To add to the above, Ding offers a specific percentage off the base fare on a given route. Usually this is from 10% to 60% off the LOWEST fare. For example, on Sunday, you could book flights from Indy (where I live) to Phoenix for $108/RT (including all fees and taxes) and to Tampa for $83. The Ding schedule is open to the end of the SW schedule (currently the end of October), so you can do some advance planning as well. The discounts tend to be the best--e.g., 50-60%--for vacation desinations and very competitive markets (Chicago, DC, LA) and less for other places. Finally, as those of us who are "Dingbats" know, some destinations come up with regularity. In Indy at least, MCO and TPA come up every ten days or two weeks like clockwork. Of course, you want to book when you get the chance, but you often get a second or third chance as well.