Lots of newbie SW ?s

[dbal]

I've never flown SW before, and they are fairly new to Philly. We are looking at the 1st wk. in Dec. (like alot of you out there)

What do rapid rewards give you? And how do you book your flight? Thru the website? Also it sounds by some of your threads, that you can rebook if the price goes down and then you can use the credit for another flight for up to a year. Do I have this right?

Sooo- do you book right away when the flight opens up - or wait a little. Is this something where I need to sit at the comp. with my cc at midnight to snag a good flight?


Thanks to all you SWA experts out there!

 

[bjakmom]

I'm also waiting to book my first SW flight and have a question (we're going the same week, dbal!) - if they open dates for my departing flight, but not for returning flight, should I book as a one way to go down and then wait for the return dates to open and book again as a one way?

Also wondering - is it often cheaper to book one way for each leg rather than round trip? Should I be checking that option first when pricing - and what are the chances that I would get my one way down flight on line and then not get my return flight? - I'm obsessing way too much about SW booking - I know it will be fine, but seems so 'new' and 'different' when reading about them .

I'm definitely sold on their flexibility in changing passenger names and/or crediting you for cancelled flights without charging a 'fee' - I've been waiting for an airline that would do this forever !!

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by dbal
I've never flown SW before, and they are fairly new to Philly. We are looking at the 1st wk. in Dec. (like alot of you out there)

What do rapid rewards give you? And how do you book your flight? Thru the website? Also it sounds by some of your threads, that you can rebook if the price goes down and then you can use the credit for another flight for up to a year. Do I have this right?

Sooo- do you book right away when the flight opens up - or wait a little. Is this something where I need to sit at the comp. with my cc at midnight to snag a good flight?


Thanks to all you SWA experts out there!

Information on the Rapid Rewards program is on the website.
http://www.southwest.com/rapid_rewards/
Too much info to retype.
Most of us book on the website. Yes, you can rebook if the flights go down in price, or if you change your plans without penalty. However, if the there is a change of plans and you rebook and the fare is higher, you pay the difference.
If you rebook because of a lower fare, they will hold this difference in a credit that must be used (travel completed) within one year of the date of purchase for the first reservation. IE: Make a reservation on May 1, see that the fare has dropped on June 15, you cancel the first reservation, rebook on June 15, end up with a credit, you must complete travel with the credit by May 1 the following year.
I book the minute there is a decent fare out there.
sign up for the email updates here: http://www.southwest.com/email/emailSubscribe.html

No, you don't need to sit at your computer at midnight. There is no set time for them to release their special fares, which come out on Tuesday.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by bjakmom
I'm also waiting to book my first SW flight and have a question (we're going the same week, dbal!) - if they open dates for my departing flight, but not for returning flight, should I book as a one way to go down and then wait for the return dates to open and book again as a one way?

Also wondering - is it often cheaper to book one way for each leg rather than round trip? Should I be checking that option first when pricing - and what are the chances that I would get my one way down flight on line and then not get my return flight? - I'm obsessing way too much about SW booking - I know it will be fine, but seems so 'new' and 'different' when reading about them .

I'm definitely sold on their flexibility in changing passenger names and/or crediting you for cancelled flights without charging a 'fee' - I've been waiting for an airline that would do this forever !!

If the one way price is good and the return date is not posted, by all means book it.
With SWA, the price everything out based on one way fares, so, it is not necessarily less expensive to book r/t.
What are the chances of not getting a flight back? No one can answer that.

In order to change a pax name you have to cancel the original reservation and then rebook.

 

[bjakmom]

Thanks, Gail ! - I do realize that I will have to cancel the reservation in one name and rebook it with another, paying a higher rate if it has increased, but I still like the option - my 'cast of characters' is always changing at the last minute!!

Also just read the suggestion to book one-way if those are the only dates available and then I could cancel it and apply to r/t if the rates are better when my return date opens.

Here's another question regarding changing reservations with SW - if you make any changes or cancel/rebook a flight over the phone, do you loose the option to print your boarding pass online the night before?

 

[antkim]

I don't know the answer about being able to print your boarding pass the night before if you make ressie's over the phone but I just wanted to make sure you know that you can't get boarding passes on the computer if there is more than 1 person booked under your name-I just read this on SW's site.

Kim

 

[dkrause716]

We are new to SW too! (Out of Philly) and will fly with them the first time in 2 weeks. You can absolutely switch toa lower fare if it offered--and no penalty fee like USAir!

Here is what I did:

In March I booked 4 tickets to MCO at $158 each (plus taxes, etc)

A few weeks later I got an e-mail about an internet only special. Checked it out immediately and found that our same excat flights were now $98 round trip! Wahoo! Nothing I like better than saving money. I called SW to confirm that this could be done and a very nice lady walked me through the whole thing--cancelling the old ressie and making the new.

End result-- We had a $240.00 credit with SW. DD and I are flying out to California later this summer to visit my sister-in-law.
I only paid an additional $100 more for these tickets.

So far I am very impressed with SW!

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by bjakmom
Thanks, Gail ! - I do realize that I will have to cancel the reservation in one name and rebook it with another, paying a higher rate if it has increased, but I still like the option - my 'cast of characters' is always changing at the last minute!!

Also just read the suggestion to book one-way if those are the only dates available and then I could cancel it and apply to r/t if the rates are better when my return date opens.

Here's another question regarding changing reservations with SW - if you make any changes or cancel/rebook a flight over the phone, do you loose the option to print your boarding pass online the night before?

If it is an eticket, then yes, you can check in via the internet, and it is not the night before, it is after 12:01 am on the day of your departure.

http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/retrieveCheckinDoc.html

 

[bjakmom]

If it is an eticket, then yes, you can check in via the internet, and it is not the night before, it is after 12:01 am on the day of your departure.

Thanks again, Gail !!! Reading all the SW posts has helped me sooo much - I would never have understood their 'system' on my first flight like I do - takes away any anxiety !

Now all I need is for my dates to open up !!!!

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by bjakmom
Thanks again, Gail !!! Reading all the SW posts has helped me sooo much - I would never have understood their 'system' on my first flight like I do - takes away any anxiety !

Now all I need is for my dates to open up !!!!

You are most welcome. I do like to help and am happy to hear that your reading the SW posts have helped take away your anxiety.
You are going to love SWA, they are great!!!!