May 2017 Southwest release dates?

[suebeelin]

Well, I've been checking since 6 am. They finally opened up a few minutes ago. The travel tools page listed them as open well before flights showed as open. Not impressed with the prices at all. Was maybe gonna get our 1 way for the 6th, but I'll be waiting for now.

I'm closely tracking the prices for our July 2017 trip. Prices are the same as American (maybe 10% less). Not sure why prices are so high now.... oh well.

 

[NJ Goofy]

Where did you see July prices ?? I just checked and they only posted rates to May 8th, 2017. I was looking for May 16th-22nd, 2017. Don't understand why they only added a short period of time.

 

[Nermel9]

I was waiting for the first week of May to open up for SW and I checked today...I was hoping to possibly go to Disney from 4/29-5/6 and it says almost every flight on 4/29 is sold out...I don't see how that can be possible if it just opened up today, hoping it's some kind of glitch or they're just changing the prices or something.

 

[Mousemommy1]

Is it super odd that previously, they were supposed to open the schedule through 6/2/17 TODAY, but I went on today and now it says those dates will be open on 12/6/16? I've never seen that happen before.

 

[LisaS]

Is it super odd that previously, they were supposed to open the schedule through 6/2/17 TODAY, but I went on today and now it says those dates will be open on 12/6/16? I've never seen that happen before.

Southwest posts the release date on two pages, the Flight Schedules page and the Travel Tools page. At times I've seen different information on the two pages so you have to keep an eye on both of them just in case they change one and forget to change the other.

I've been monitoring the Flight Schedules page for a few weeks now and during that time I've only see the May 8th date mentioned. I have been lazy about checking the Travel Tools page so I don't know if that page showed the 6/2/17 date. Is that where you saw it?

 

[katriscari]

I feel like the high prices & sold out issue happened when the last round was released as well. I would just keep checking frequently. Clear your search history every now & again as well!

 

[LisaS]

Is it super odd that previously, they were supposed to open the schedule through 6/2/17 TODAY, but I went on today and now it says those dates will be open on 12/6/16? I've never seen that happen before.

Ah! I looked back at the earlier posts in this thread and see that back in August Southwest had posted they would extend the schedule out through June 2nd. Southwest often changes something about the schedule extension after it is first posted so you have to keep checking the Flight Schedules and the Travel Tools pages. I'm not sure when they changed the extension end date from June 2nd to May 8th but it was several weeks ago at least because I started checking a few weeks ago and never saw the June 2nd date. Bottom line: you have to keep checking Southwest's site. A few releases ago, they moved the date UP by a week on fairly short notice and some people missed the opportunity to book that morning.

 

[BlueFairy]

FYI possibly unrelated but there was a pipeline explosion in Alabama yesterday afternoon. NPR reports that gas/oil futures are up 10% this morning. The Colonial line is reportedly a major supplier - 30% of the eastern seaboard supply is now offline. Jet fuel is part of this network. Expect prices to stay up until this is repaired. 1 man lost his life and 6 were severely injured.

 

[Mousemommy1]

Ah! I looked back at the earlier posts in this thread and see that back in August Southwest had posted they would extend the schedule out through June 2nd. Southwest often changes something about the schedule extension after it is first posted so you have to keep checking the Flight Schedules and the Travel Tools pages. I'm not sure when they changed the extension end date from June 2nd to May 8th but it was several weeks ago at least because I started checking a few weeks ago and never saw the June 2nd date. Bottom line: you have to keep checking Southwest's site. A few releases ago, they moved the date UP by a week on fairly short notice and some people missed the opportunity to book that morning.

I check fairly often and never noticed that change. I always mark the date of the next extension on my calendar though. I will have to be a little more diligent I guess. At this point, I won't be booking August airfare until February!

And yes, I typically look at the Travel Tools page.

 

[LisaS]

I check fairly often and never noticed that change. I always mark the date of the next extension on my calendar though. I will have to be a little more diligent I guess. At this point, I won't be booking August airfare until February!

And yes, I typically look at the Travel Tools page.

I wish Southwest would put the schedule extension information on just one webpage and not two. I've seen at least one case where they updated one page and not the other. In that case, the Travel Tools page was correct but the Flight Schedules page was not updated for another couple of days.

 

[markb681]

Well, I've been checking since 6 am. They finally opened up a few minutes ago. The travel tools page listed them as open well before flights showed as open. Not impressed with the prices at all. Was maybe gonna get our 1 way for the 6th, but I'll be waiting for now.

Me either....I can get the same prices on Delta (non-stop) AND not have a 3+ hour layover BOTH ways....to be honest thou...I can't remember the last time I got a GOOD deal from Southwest