My Southwest Airlines game I play....

[timmac]

An idea for those willing to do a small amount of effort, is to sell your extra credit on eBay. (If you're fairly sure you'll have no use for it in time) SW credit sells for around 80% of face value or better, so you get most of the value back in cash, and it saves some other budget conscious traveler a few bucks as well

 

[dsmith72]

Soonerlpn-I am flying SW from OKC to MCO in May for $257 RT. You might check again-even though I know travel dates effect the price-just wanted you to know there is hope for a lower fair possibly!

 

[Jakesmom504]

Leaving the time you are, I would wait until you saw the trip for about $160RT(before taxes, fees). Since you are leaving Aug 30th, and that is not a real heavy travel period (school starting) you shouldn't have any problems getting that fare. Given where oil is priced, I really don't think you would see it much cheaper than that on a non ding fare.

Most SWA flights are non stop to Orlando from Philly.

SWA, is only accepting bookings until Aug 22nd. But I would be checking every Wednesday to see if they expanded their schedule as they should be expanding it shortly. (A SWA rep once told me they expand the bookings on a Wednesday. I really don't know if that is accurate or no).

Thanks for that, I will definitely look into it!

 

[Jakesmom504]

just a Good For YOU . Nursing is wonderful....the most difficult 'job' you will love! (most days anyway! )

Thank you! I am so anxious to start, I only have 3 more pre-req's to take before I can start the program. Hopefully I will find out soon if I'm in, the suspense is killing me! Are you a nurse?

Sorry I don't mean to steal the thread!

 

[3 Little Princesses]

I know this was answered but I just wanted to make sure. So say I book as soon as the date is released (looking for the end of September), I keep checking and see the fare drop. I would adjust my reservation on line and receive the credit for the amount I over paid. If I am buying 5 seats do I get one lump sum credit or do they give the credit in the name of the person the seat was first booked for? Sorry if that gets confusing. I would also be flying out of Philly. Right now the cheapest I see is Spirit from Atlantic City, which is still only 1/2 from me in the other direction, for $234 RT with taxes and fees included.

 

[Taylor'sMom]

I know this was answered but I just wanted to make sure. So say I book as soon as the date is released (looking for the end of September), I keep checking and see the fare drop. I would adjust my reservation on line and receive the credit for the amount I over paid. If I am buying 5 seats do I get one lump sum credit or do they give the credit in the name of the person the seat was first booked for? Sorry if that gets confusing. I would also be flying out of Philly. Right now the cheapest I see is Spirit from Atlantic City, which is still only 1/2 from me in the other direction, for $234 RT with taxes and fees included.

1. You book your flight whenerevr you want (its probablly worth watching a few times a day for a week or so and booking when you see it drop a bit, so your INITIAL investment has already been discounted)

2. Check the site every so often or sign-up for "Ding" and when you see the afre has dropped for EITHER leg of your flight, go back to the home page and click on "Change My Itinerary".
You then enter your confirmation # and the name the reservation was reserved under. Pick the leg of your trip that you wnat to change and then when it promts you to select a new flight, pick the same one you just said you'd change. It'll say "doing this my result in an increase in your fare, etc..." but that's only if the new flight is MORE than the original. In this case, the new flight will be LESS.

3. When you're done it'll give you a new confirmation page (same confirmation # but with different dollar amounts.) If you read the text, you'll see that the "credit" is held in that confirmation # for one year, etc. etc.

4. If your entire family is travelling is on one confirmation #, you only need to do this once. If you have multiple confirmation #'s you'll have to do it for each. Thus, your new "credits" will be dsitributed across the different confirmation #'s.

Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions!

 

[Tramp68]

Usually the SWA credits sell for 90% of their value and do not require shipping. So this is a way to get rid of your credit if you do not fly every year....


To take your savings a step FURTHER...
I BOUGHT all of those extra SWA credits off of Ebay for my families trip so I effectively saved ANOTHER 10% off of the price of the flight.

This would make your $100 flights only cost $90!

It really helps for those who can not fly out of a cheap hub like Philly. I would have a 4 hour flight to Philly which is not worth it for me. We fly out of Albany, NY which is 45 minutes...but end up paying in the high $100s. When you do that on a $200 flight you get down to $180.

 

[Taylor'sMom]

It really helps for those who can not fly out of a cheap hub like Philly. I would have a 4 hour flight to Philly which is not worth it for me. We fly out of Albany, NY which is 45 minutes...but end up paying in the high $100s. When you do that on a $200 flight you get down to $180.

We fly out of Albany, NY also (luckily we live only a few minutes away). I was anxious to book to be able to make other arrangements (resort, ADR's, etc.) so I books as soon as the window opened.
I originally paid $99 for the trip down and $110 for the trip back ($209 total per person)
I've since "changed my itinerery" 4 or 5 times and have $177 credit so far! Still hoping it will go down some more...

 

[EverythingDisney]

I am booking our trip for 5 people- 3 people from my family and 2 people from another family. If I book online, am I able to use 2 different credit cards? Or paypal and a credit card?
My thought is when the fares go down, I am able to get credit seperately....
Thanks for any info.

 

[Taylor'sMom]

I am booking our trip for 5 people- 3 people from my family and 2 people from another family. If I book online, am I able to use 2 different credit cards? Or paypal and a credit card?
My thought is when the fares go down, I am able to get credit seperately....
Thanks for any info.

I believe you can use UP TO THREE forms of payment. You should be absolutely fine with 2 credit cards for everyone on 1 itinerary.

 

[Taylor'sMom]

Sorry... I just re-read the last part of your question again. If you book everyone on 1 itinereary, then all the credit will be put back on that 1 confirmation #. If you want the other family to receive their OWN credit, then they should be on a separate itinerary/confirmation #.'

The credit will go to a confirmation #, not a credit card, so there will only be 1 lump sum credit if you're all on the same conf. #.

I suppose if you don't tell them about the credit thing though, then you could make money off them! hahahaha

 

[a1tinkfans]

Showoff

I agree, TOO FUNNY!

I am using SW for April trip and fare is 310 each! OUCH, but one must do what one must do, this is actually for a cruise and no DINGS here, especially with weekend travels. (actually the other half of the family moved a bit slower and are paying over 400 each)... with some being bumped to later flight cause flights literally FLEW out so darn fast when schedule opened.

Still holding for a DISNEY DING in August!!
Good Luck to All!!

 

[skoi]

How can you tell if a credit you buy on ebay is legitimate? And Southwest is okay with using other people's credits? We don't fly much, only if we have to, This year I'll be taking the kids alone to WDW, and we're going to fly because there's no way I'm driving that far (that's dh's look out he loves to drive).

Thanks for this thread. Any info on the above would be appreciated.
Julie

 

[Princess-in-Training]

I love you even more! I just checked again and saved ANOTHER $60 for a total of $120! You are my new best friend.

 

[Taylor'sMom]

For those of you who haven't booked yet... Southwest generally has really low fares flying on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. If you can split your vacation time in that manner (hey, it makes for 2 very short work weeks!) you can save a bundle!

 

[traderneal]

UPDATE: 4/08 (I am the orginal poster)


Southwest just put my fare on a regular (non DING) sale. I am now flying $59 each way for a total of $118 rt/pp before fees. My goal is always $100, but I will declare victory as I really can't see the fare getting any cheaper given where oil is priced. So from $150 to $118 I saved a total of $128 for the four of us, not bad for a few minutes work!

 

[ChrisAlli]

Two ???

1. Do you book each leg seperate, in case one leg goes to a ding and the other doesn't or does that matter. Sorry if I missed if you stated this somewhere.

2. SW is going to be releasing the next schedule (Aug 23- Oct 30) on April 17 Do you think it's wise to book that day and go from there or wait? I'm just wondering what there starting price will be.

 

[accountingbabe08]

I want to play the southwest game also.

 

[traderneal]

Two ???

1. Do you book each leg seperate, in case one leg goes to a ding and the other doesn't or does that matter. Sorry if I missed if you stated this somewhere.

2. SW is going to be releasing the next schedule (Aug 23- Oct 30) on April 17 Do you think it's wise to book that day and go from there or wait? I'm just wondering what there starting price will be.

1. Yes, I always book each leg seperate; I get two reservation numbers.


2. It depends when you are going and how often you fly. If you are going during a light travel period, I would wait until you find a fare that you find cheap and then work from there. I will not book a trip to Disney (from Philly) for anything more than $79 each way.

Just remember you get any difference in the form of a credit, so you can either use it for travel at a later date, or you can sell it on Ebay. (I have never sold any travel credit on ebay, so I can't help you with that.).

 

[PrincessAlways]

UPDATE: 4/08 (I am the orginal poster)


Southwest just put my fare on a regular (non DING) sale. I am now flying $59 each way for a total of $118 rt/pp before fees. My goal is always $100, but I will declare victory as I really can't see the fare getting any cheaper given where oil is priced. So from $150 to $118 I saved a total of $128 for the four of us, not bad for a few minutes work!

That's great!!!