Does SW release add'l nonstop flights?

[disneyfan2kids]

My Spring Break dates are BOOKED for nonstop flights (PHL-MCO) less than 24 hours after release! The only options are late night arrival and early am departure (not options) Will SW release additional flights? If not - I guess I'm flying another airline for the first time ever?

 

[FCDub]

Most likely no.

 

[im4pacers1]

Sometimes they do. If they sold out that quickly, I’d say it’s a possibility.

 

[nkereina]

I'll never say never but in my own experience, flying BUF to MCO nonstop, I've never seen them add more for our route. Our nonstops always sell out quickly because Buffalo is a popular airport for Canadians to travel to WDW from.

 

[kaytieeldr]

You have to consider, where would they get additional planes to create additional flights?

 

[WishICouldSpeakWhale]

This is why we end up flying American. We also fly out of Philly and I have seen all the non-stops "sold out" on the day we want to fly, but only on Southwest. Somehow, on the same day, American has plenty of seats on non-stop flights. I've never quite believed that there were no seats left on Southwest, but if they don't make them available, you can't book them.

 

[DSLRuser]

departure times are bought many months in advance with airlines and the respective airports. Philly only has so many departing flights a day, or else the runways would be eternally stacked. A busy airport like that is doubtful they have any open slots to add.

 

[focusondisney]

Is the whole flight showing sold out, or just the want to get away fares?? There is a big difference. I have not seen whole flights sold out within 24 hours of release ever, even for holiday weeks. WGA fares yes. But that does not mean the whole flight is full. Over the last few years I have see WGA fares listed as sold out & then come back weeks later several times. SW limits how many low fares they offer. They seem to be doing this more lately. They “sell out” of WGA fares on even mundane days. I have had it happen on my flights from Buffalo during at least 3 of our last 4 trips. None of them have been holiday weeks either. When our flights were sold out of WGA fares, so were the WGA fares in several cities. And weeks later, the WGA fares came back in all the cities I had previously checked all on the same day. And my rates were even lower than opening day rates that time.

So personally, I take the immediately sold out WGA rates as a ploy by SW to get people to book the higher rate classes. Again, I have never flown a holiday week before. I booked Easter week yesterday. Almost every flight showed sold out of WGA fares for our dates by yesterday afternoon. And there are a lot of flights. I am thoroughly convinced they will be back. Only question is when. And by the way, every flight has seats at the higher prices, none are truely sold out.

 

[winthropf]

I saw a few days ago that it looks like SW is changing sometime early next year from 5 flights each way PHL-MCO to two flights a day. Could be why they sold out so quickly.

 

[focusondisney]

There is another possibility if those flights are showing totally sold out. Is it possible one or more large groups booked those flights? Are there school groups in your area that take trips that week?

When we were flying home last April, there was a huge group of high school seniors flying back to Philadelphia. They were on the flight that was at our gate before ours. They began boarding just minutes after we got to the gate area. I actually heard the chaperone tell the gate agent that except for 3 other passengers, they had the whole flight. He asked the agent to just let the other 3 women board first. And then the school group just boarded in any order. I remember they were flying to Philadelphia but I don’t remember the school name of course.

 

[DebbieB]

SW made a decision awhile ago to focus on Baltimore rather than PHL for connecting traffic. It’s hard to compete in a major airline’s hub (American in PHL).

 

[Tinknalli]

Unlikely to add flights. However, flights that are shown as sold out may not be. They may block them and show as sold out to push people to other flights.
For my area I often see them do this on flights with a connection to push people to fill up the non stop first.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Once Southwest releases their schedule, that’s it. They do not add flights.

 

[kmermaid]

I agree in the last 3-4 years that I've been traveling PHL - MCO the non-stop flights are sparse. DH is golfing in December and his flight is boarding at 5:30am. When I showed him his choices he was dumbfounded. Of course he doesn't involve himself in the logistics of vacations. I've since opened up an American cc and have limited my spending on my SWA just so the points stay current.

 

[katallo]

I doubt they add too many flights but I do know when they list available seats for a flight that number can change on a daily basis. It's worth it to check often.

 

[Shanti]

My Spring Break dates are BOOKED for nonstop flights (PHL-MCO) less than 24 hours after release! The only options are late night arrival and early am departure (not options) Will SW release additional flights? If not - I guess I'm flying another airline for the first time ever?

No, they probably won't release more flights. Yes, you should open your mind and try another airline. There's a lot of competition out there.

 

[kydisneyfans]

It's been a few years, but SW did add a daily non stop from Louisville to Orlando and back after the original schedule was released for fall break. We switched flights and saved quite a bit. I have not seen additions lately though, once the flights are posted that seems to be it.

 

[PatMcDuck]

SW dropped all nonstops from Newark to Orlando next spring. I am so bummed.....

 

[Lewisc]

Some posters mean sold out at fare buckets they're willing to pay. It's very unlikely Southwest will add an additional flight. It's not likely Southwest will be freeing up many, if any, seats at the lower fare buckets.

It's likely a few seats will open up occasionally. Southwest doesn't charge change fees. Passengers do make changes.

 

[NH-to-FL]

I have not seen SW add non stop flights.

As previous posters have noted, SW non stop flights have decreased recently. At least up here in NH.

And thanks for the warning that flights are filling up. I just checked late April and noticed that non stops have sold out or have limited availability. I guess we need to figure out when we want to fly and get the reservations made.