Checking for #of sold seats

[hockey mom]

Is it possible to check on SW how many seats are still available for certain flights?

We have 8 going in May and I am getting nervous about the plane filling up as I wait for a "Ding" rate.

Is my best bet to book while I can and if a sale comes out have it adjusted if possibe?

 

[CarolA]

I think the only way to know on SW is to call and ask. Maybe they will tell you, maybe they won't.. just depends.

 

[hockey mom]

Thanks Carol.

I just booked the first leg- I was getting nervous.

 

[liveforthemagic]

If you are getting nervous, its best to go ahead and book.

We booked our flights for our May 05 trip and then like 2 days later got a DING. They won't make a price adjustment, but they gave us a vouchure. So we cancelled the first set of reservations and got vouchures to fly somewhere else later and then we made new reservations with the DING rate. It worked out fine, cause we fly home to Pittsburgh all the time and we never get a DING for those flights cuase its always holiday travel.

 

[gw_lit]

Is it possible to check on SW how many seats are still available for certain flights?

We have 8 going in May and I am getting nervous about the plane filling up as I wait for a "Ding" rate.

Is my best bet to book while I can and if a sale comes out have it adjusted if possibe?

Pretty much no airline will tell you now many seats have been sold, or are left to sell, since they consider this confidential information. Its all about revenue and yield management.

The easiest way to get an idea on Southwest is to look at the fares that are available. If there aren't many discounted fares for a flight, then chances are there aren't many seats left, or they've been selling like hotcakes and they're trying to squeeze a little more money. But there's really no way to tell how many seats are left at a particular fare on Southwest. I always take the approach, if there's a fare that you can live with, book it. At least on Southwest you can get a credit if the fare goes down from there.

 

[lawgs]

just wanted to add a note here

was trying to purchase NS to las vegas from buffalo yesterday, was able to get ONE and then it shut me out on the other purchase ....said it was unavailable and it jumped up to a FUN FARE....

just checking now, the flights have reappeared at the internet special rates

moral....just because it says "unavailable" one day, does not mean it is actually all sold out at the internet fare, it may just be waiting for them to update their "load factors", keep checking but have contingency plans also just in case they do not appear

the fare non stop ( travelling off peak tues/wednes was 137.10 )

 

[HLAuburn]

One way to check the availability of a certain fare, you can go to SW's website and try to book a particular fare for 8 people (that's the max online, I guess). If it allows it, you know there are at least that many seats at that fare. For instance, I went on yesterday to book a "Fun Fare" and for 8 people, it wouldn't give me the Fan Fare option, but if I decreased down to 3, it came open. So I booked my 2 seats right then. Now today, the Fun Fares are sold out and the only available seat is $45 more.

Doesn't really tell you how full the flight is, but it gives you an idea of what's available fare-wise.