checking flight capacity?

[MaidMarian]

I'm holding off buying my tickets for STL to MCO December 14th-19th in hopes of a great Ding fare. My question is-Is there a way to check how full a flight is? I'm just a little worried about waiting and the flights selling out. Thanks

 

[ccw]

Most airline websites will show you how full a plan is when you click on the CHOOSE MY SEATS button (or VIEW SEATS,SELECT SEATS, etc.). Not sure SWA has that option.

 

[Lewisc]

Keep checking for 8 seats. When you see some of the discounted fares on the right showing up as unavailable the flight is starting to fill up. As the flights fill up DING fares may be unavailable for those flight.

 

[MaidMarian]

Thanks so much.

 

[momsgoofy]

MaidMarian...not sure where you live, but STL is one of our airports...we live in southern Illinois. For us STL is 2 1/2 hours drive almost, Nashville TN is 3 1/2, Louisville KY, Bloomington IL and Indianapolis IN are each right at 4 hours so I check them all as well as Evansville IN, which is 2 hours, but isn't as big of an airport so fewer options. Of all the airports I've mentioned STL tends to be the most expensive and since we end up staying the night before and after flights I usually go with the cheapest airport, which for our December 18 - 25 trip was Nashville. Originally I got BNA - MCO on SWA for $111 one way before all the taxes, fees and such. However on Friday, I got a DING fare for Nashville for $35 one way and it was for the exact same flights, so I saved a bundle by cancelling and rebooking.

So, my point is if you can fly out of another airport, you might want to look into it. Also, have you checked into the MidAmerica Airport which is on the Illinois side, near Scott Air Force Base? I see signs near there for $79 oneway to Orlando...just don't know anything about the service.

Hope this helps!

 

[MAH4546]

What airlines show on seat maps are seats that are pre-reserved or pre-blocked (like emegerncy exit rows). It does not show you how full a flight is, as some people on a flight don't have pre-reserved seats, and airlines pre-reserve other seats at default, even though they are empty. It is illegal for airline to give out flight loads before midnight of the day the flight departs.

 

[CarolA]

What airlines show on seat maps are seats that are pre-reserved or pre-blocked (like emegerncy exit rows). It does not show you how full a flight is, as some people on a flight don't have pre-reserved seats, and airlines pre-reserve other seats at default, even though they are empty. It is illegal for airline to give out flight loads before midnight of the day the flight departs.

I have gotten airlines to give me load rates much earlier the midnight. (Not to mention that a good TA can see every available fare which is a GREAT indicator of load levels) I can't belive it's illegal.... I mean they tell you wne the flight is sold out..... I think it's more they don't wan to tell you.

There are sites that show you the avaialble seats for each fare class. That is the BEST indicator of load levels, but SW is not on most of them and they are getting harder and harder for the average person to find. You might try doing a search on www.flyertalk.com I have done it when looking for "upgradeable" tickets.. The sites come and go..

 

[MAH4546]

It is against the airline's own rules to give out exact loads. The main reason being is that it could lead to people taking advantage of overbooking compensation. A ticket agent can say "the flight is pretty full", but they can't say "there are XX seats left" without breaking corporate policy. That being said, I'm sure agents break that policy often. Those programs that are available on FlyerTalk that show fare class availability are not meant for public use. They get their info from restrictired-access reservation systems like Amadeus, although the airlines have done nothing to stop it, since it still doesn't give exact loads and isn't heavily used.

 

[CarolA]

It is against the airline's own rules to give out exact loads. .

Well, there is a big difference between airline rules and illegal. Illegal gets you in jail for one....

And getting it from an TA is actually not that hard.... They don't have to tell you... I used to just stand behind my agent as she booked. I can read the screens pretty well.