Do you book your SW flight and wait for cheaper ding rates?

[Suzanne74]

Hello all,

We are going to WDW 8/15 to 8/23. We are purposely going on a Tues and coming back Wed for good fares from SW. Last year we paid $49 each way out of BWI (Baltimore)

Right now the fares are out and they are $79 each way. Not too bad but I know I can get at least $59 with a Ding rate. Problem is, they are far in the future and I am not sure if I should hold out (nothing on either say is unavailable yet) or purchase them now and get SW credit for whatever I save. I also remember last year it was a pain to try and get the Ding rate adjusted when I purchased online only tickets. Don't you have to cancel online and then quickly rebook before someone takes them?

Right now I have the option to get Online Only rates or Promotional Rates as they are both $79. Which is easier to change if I purchase now and change if a good DING rate comes up.


How do you all book SW?

Thanks in advance.....

Suzanne

 

[Carrieannew]

I was wondering the same things. We are about to book at $119 each way and really was hoping to do better. But if we do that will we get any of it back if a ding comes out? even in like a southwest credit.

 

[jjarman]

I am wondering about the procedure too. My budget is $400 for two round trip tickets from Jackson, MS to Orlando. Anything more than that and I'll just drive. Those rates for SW are out there and should be available in March, 2007 when we are flying. What would I do if say in December or whenever the schedule for March comes out, I buy my tickets at say $78 per ticket each way. Then a few weeks later a Ding comes out cheaper. Will SW just give me a credit for the new rate? Do I cancel my old ticket and rebook? Can you cancel a ticket without a penalty? Thanks. It has been a while since I have flown and I am totally clueless.

 

[loveFL]

you would cancel, they'll issue you a ticketless travel voucher for the price that you payed for the canceled tickets. then you'll make a new reservation and apply that ticketless travel voucher (there is a spot on the booking page). you'll then have the remaining amount on the voucher.

 

[princesspumpkin]

Book the seats now, and change later. Most people who do this usually open up their origial reservation in one window and the Ding fare in another window. Take each window to the final step, then cancel the original ressie and book the Ding with the just canceled reservation number. If done just right, there shouldn't be much of a lapse in time for errors. The remaining balance can either be kept as a SWA travel voucher, or you can try to get the $$$ refunded to your credit card. i just did this a couple of weeks ago by calling the customer relations # and telling them that I'd like my travel vouchers returned to my CC. No problem at all!

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

The remaining balance can either be kept as a SWA travel voucher, or you can try to get the $$$ refunded to your credit card. i just did this a couple of weeks ago by calling the customer relations # and telling them that I'd like my travel vouchers returned to my CC. No problem at all!

Watch out about this one! Many of us have called and been told no deal on putting it back on cc. And for us, it was the exact same flights and times -- just a cheaper fare. Was told if original tickets were non-refundable fare (and they weren't cheap, $900+ for 4 people), then you just get a voucher.

Now we've got $300+ vouchers and no need. So try to hold out if you can.

 

[princesspumpkin]

Watch out about this one! Many of us have called and been told no deal on putting it back on cc. And for us, it was the exact same flights and times -- just a cheaper fare. Was told if original tickets were non-refundable fare (and they weren't cheap, $900+ for 4 people), then you just get a voucher.

Now we've got $300+ vouchers and no need. So try to hold out if you can.

I totally agree, which is why I said that you can TRY to get it refunded. I have done this three times, and have never had a problem. But I do realize that others have not been as lucky

 

[dreamsofdisney]

Thanks for posting this topic! I'm sure lots of us are in the same situation.

Our original flight dates were 6/20-7/8 but we changed to 7/7-7/15, keeping our fingers crossed for AP rates.

We're looking for BDL (Hartford) to MCO and the best SW has right now is $132 each way. My DH wants to wait for a DING to come along, and doesn't like the idea of a travel voucher because we won't be flying much more this year. I'm worried about waiting and not having a DING for our days. Due to work schedules, we're flying out on a dreaded Friday and returning on Saturday.

They did release a DING through 6/30 today, but when I checked, there were no available DING fares for 6/30. I'm really leaning towards booking now and keeping my toes crossed for a later DING fare for at least one leg of the trip. (My fingers are already crossed for AP codes!)

I sure miss the days of $198 roundtrip with no DING needed!

 

[bugbugmom]

Kudos to those who were able to get the difference refunded by to their cc. I haven't had much luck. I've tried several different agents and no luck.

 

[Suzanne74]

Personally I don't mind the vouchers because we fly a lot since DH does a lot of business nationwide. I can see how this could be an issue with people that do not fly a lot though. I think you can change the credit to someone's name though but I am not absolutely sure about that.

I guess it was the thought of missing the dreaded window of canceling and then rebooking. I like the poster who mentioned the 2 windows on the computer, I never thought of that...

So should I book online rate or promotional rate? What is the difference besides being able to cancel on the phone with promotional?

 

[MEK]

I booked my return flight MCO - BWI on 9/3 at $79 because all the return flights were filling up. I am holding out for my departure date, 8/29 Tues, because it is wide open and I know the fares will eventually drop. Unfortunately, they won't drop until July and it is hard to wait that long. When I start seeing $79 fares filling up, I will book.

What I'm really hoping for is a depature from PHL. It is closer to my house. I can return to BWI, because DH is not going on this trip, so he will drop me off and pick me up.

I'm frustrated with the fares. My last 4 trips to Orlando I scored flights from $160 RT and below. I usually find them within 3 weeks of searching. Not this year. I've come up dry for 6 weeks straight. I have PHL - MCO booked for Thanksgiving at $177 RT non-stop on US Air.

Happy searching to all!

____________________________________________________

Max is my favorite cat!

 

[ktink]

We're holding out for July. The past 2 years it's been in July that the fares have come out for our area. So here's hoping we'll get the same. Although it looks like it will be $49 instead of $39. Can't beat that either.

 

[tmt martins]

Also remember SWA doesn't discount round trip flights .

So book one way it's easier to change the flights and so.This also helps if your return date hasn't been opened and you get a cheaper flight you can use that credit for your return trip.

 

[dreamsofdisney]

Also remember SWA doesn't discount round trip flights .

So book one way it's easier to change the flights and so.This also helps if your return date hasn't been opened and you get a cheaper flight you can use that credit for your return trip.

YIKES! They really don't discount roundtrip flights? I finally convinced my DH that we should go ahead and book our flight for our dates, and that if there was a DING fare, we could have the difference given to us in a credit from SW. When I read the rules for each fare, it said:
"Fare is nonrefundable. Nonrefundable tickets may be used as credit toward the purchase of other tickets."
Now I'm really confused...Either way, our fare was higher than we've ever paid roundtrip from BDL ($264 pp) but lower than any other airline out there.

 

[laurabelle]

dreamsofdisney- You will receive credit for a future flight (must be used within a year of your purchase date, not flight date) beyond that it's possible to get a voucher on an extension, but I've never done that. I did have one flight credited back to my card.

Suzanne- I'm only going to fly if SW has a Ding. Otherwise at those prices, for the four of us, it's much cheaper to drive. Right now our plan is to drive to Hilton Head and hang at the beach on the way down, then stop at a Hampton Inn in Richmond Hills, GA on the way home. We did this last year and it worked out great. Plus I love having the van with us. But I'd ditch my plans for a good Ding fare...I'm waiting it out.

 

[dreamsofdisney]

Thank you, thank you, Laurabelle!
I was starting to panic that I should have just waited it out! There have been regular DINGs from Hartford to Orlando, but our days for flying are a Friday and a Saturday, so I thought it was best to purchase now and get the credit if a better fare comes along. Thanks for putting my mind at ease this morning!

 

[tmt martins]

YIKES! They really don't discount roundtrip flights? I finally convinced my DH that we should go ahead and book our flight for our dates, and that if there was a DING fare, we could have the difference given to us in a credit from SW. When I read the rules for each fare, it said:
"Fare is nonrefundable. Nonrefundable tickets may be used as credit toward the purchase of other tickets."
Now I'm really confused...Either way, our fare was higher than we've ever paid roundtrip from BDL ($264 pp) but lower than any other airline out there.

SWA only does one-way booking allowing you to book then Return flight on the same ressie # ( thats even what it says when choosing this option).

But this is a good thing it does make it easier to move flights and prices around without locking you into the round-trip issuses.

SwA is still the cheapest most of the time we flew for $160 RT last year from BWI to LAX without a Ding and down to MCO in Oct for $170 RT with a oneway Ding.This year it doesn't look like we're going to get that $245 RT thank goodness I have a free flight from Rapid Rewards but $245 really in these days is not that bad .

Don't woory about these things just try to find your cheapest flights and if you have a credit try to extend it .If not it still most likely was cheaper then you could have found it anywhere else that is STABILE enough to not to worry about the flight or airline still being around when it's time to fly.