Need opinions on PHL->MCO Southwest prices

[Seabean]

Our 7 night trip to WDW is booked for the last week of July (as it has been for the past few years)

Often times in the past we've been able to find our best Southwest price about 10 weeks out (mid May) but one year we waited and it came at about the 6-8 week mark (mid June)

Prices for Southwest PHL->MCO have been going up as of late... but I've read in places that the best prices are at the 6-8 week mark. What's the speculation here as to how the prices for PHL->MCO will be this year about Mid June, 6-8 weeks out?

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[rwdavis2]

There is no way to predict it. It all depends on demand. The higher the demand the higher the prices go. The rates are changed almost continuously by computer.

 

[Seabean]

Thanks. Does anyone have any gut feelings on demand this year?

Or did the United Airlines fiasco (did it affect overbooking rules?) have anything to do with it?

 

[Lynne G]

We fly out of PHL too, and I have to tell ya, the number of direct flights to FLA have been significantly reduced, and not so great times. And higher prices than last year.

I bought my end of August ones a few months ago, and have never seen it lower. Bought early October when first opened, and still not lower than that. The other day, I bought end of December when first offered, and so far, not lower. Last year, December did lower (the one to FLA), but never the one home. October never went lower, and I really don't expect this October or this August either.

Since June is prime summer vacation, I wish you good luck. Sometimes I find SW opens GetAway fares after saying sold out. SW's Anniversary is in June, and sometimes good prices go up then. I would keep checking and checking, and try for a week day for both flights, may get better prices. I also think it stinks that PHL is not a SW Hub. Finally, SW retired its legacy system a month or so ago, so it's pricing is just like the other airlines, as they can change much quicker than they used to. Why they still price only 6 months out is still somewhat annoying as well

 

[Seabean]

SW retired its legacy system a month or so ago, so it's pricing is just like the other airlines, as they can change much quicker than they used to.

Thanks for your great post -could you kindly explain this little bit about the legacy system? Is it affecting prices?

Also we JUST booked our trip for BWI->MCO because it was a much better price and we'll do the drive down i-95. If the PHL->MCO flights get better we'll switch to one of those.

 

[mousestruck]

We flew that route (PHL-MCO) on SWA for many years. Although we live in NJ, SWA did not operate out of EWR until recently and we generally found better fares out of PHL. But as others have said, flights have become more limited and now they offer only a few non-stops a day. Prices have also gone up quite a bit, unless you get lucky -- which does happen from time to time! I generally booked as soon as the schedule opened. Sometimes those fares were lowest (or low enough I was happy); other times they were not.

This November, I changed my flights to leave out of EWR because fares were better. However, the schedule on that route is also very limited and I paid more for my return flights than I have EVER - and got stuck with a flight time I didn't want. I snagged the flights because most WGA fares "sold out" within in minutes and we're travelling during a popular vacation week - so I was afraid to wait. I'll continue checking in case fares drop, or they open up more WGA fares for the flight I really wanted.

All of that being said, there are great sales from time to time. I recently snagged $58 one-way fares from FLL-EWR, and SWA still doesn't charge for luggage or change fees.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

IMO any round trip fare PHL-MCO at $250 or below is great.

 

[Lynne G]

SW retired its legacy system a month or so ago, so it's pricing is just like the other airlines, as they can change much quicker than they used to.

Thanks for your great post -could you kindly explain this little bit about the legacy system? Is it affecting prices?

Also we JUST booked our trip for BWI->MCO because it was a much better price and we'll do the drive down i-95. If the PHL->MCO flights get better we'll switch to one of those.

When SW bought Air Tran, it had much more trouble combining the two airline systems than SW bargained for. With it's old legacy system, SW could not vary flights, so there would be a 6am flight every morning. Now, they can change flights every day, so now, they can do a 6am today, but not tomorrow, or vary flight times dependent on their business interests. I think that's why we've seen so many less direct flights and not as good times from PHL. Since we are not a hub, SW can determine what cost effective way to offer flights. Hence, more stop overs at a HUB. And pricing, well, I think demand drives pricing more now like the other big airlines.

I've found, generally, even with early bird, SW still seems to be cheaper than American. Out of PHL, they are the big two into Orlando. I'm not fond of Allegiant, and I think they go into Sanford, and Spirit and the other carriers, I would not take to Florida. I feel for ya. We live about an hour from PHL, so it's nice to have a convenient, international airport. However, I assume a train or car ride down to BWI is not that bad, particularly if you live south of Philly.

 

[Lynne G]

IMO any round trip fare PHL-MCO at $250 or below is great.

Yes it is, and I'm going in October for a little less than that. Though, I added $30 in early bird, so at $268.

 

[MrsM]

We decided sort of last minute (three weeks ago) to fly for our trip in two weeks. I booked a one way SW rate of $134 pp for my family of 6 and wasn't sure if it would go lower. I check the rates every day and about a week and a half ago, the price dropped to $90 pp so I was able to get the credit for the difference, later that day it was back up to $134 pp and is now around $150 so just keep checking!

 

[TamaraQT]

I also fly out of PHL to MCO. However, I am finding Frontier airlines has better deals than SWA. I don't have my flights going to MCO yet, but I have my return flight on Saturday 9/2 and paid $73. After adding in bag fee and seat selection, I am still paying around $123 one way. However, on SWA it would have been $174 the last time I looked and that didn't include EBCI. I currently have my eye on a Frontier flight from PHL to MCO on 8/18 @ 8pm. The current price on Frontier is $131 but on Southwest it's $224 for non-stop around the same time. I will wait for a fare drop and grab one or the other. Frontier isn't bad at all for Nonstop from PHL to MCO. It is a good alternative to SWA.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I always check PHL with SW, to MCO, but for the last year or so, it has been about $130+ each way. At the lowest. Newark often dips below $90,but after the summer, they are dipping to one flight each day, nonstop, EWR to MCO. And flight times are not great, in some circumstances, if I am traveling with my son.

JetBlue is becoming more of an option for us from Newark. I PREFER SW, because I can switch flights, and get credits if fares drop, and of course Free Bags. I like JB, for the nice planes, comfort, and better selection of nonstop flight times. So I use either SW or JB out of Newark now. Worst part about both, they use Terminal A in Newark, which is just so inadequate for several reasons, but worth a lower fare of course.

People put down PHL, but I like it there. We live in central NJ, Newark is 20-30 minutes closer than PHL, so either works.

 

[beccasmom]

Good fares from PHL are a tough find these days. We are also visiting WDW at the end of July and our fare was $245 round trip each, much better than I expected. We wanted non-stop flights, which weren't plentiful either, but we were able to get pretty good flight times. Luckily, we had gift cards to use for those flights. I don't remember American's fares, but I know they were much higher (they usually are). We also made the decision to travel Thursday-Thursday. We normally leave on Sunday, but we would have been hitting $300 at that point.

We booked on March 17. We could have waited, but we figured the non-stop flights -rare as they've become! - would not last.

 

[dclpluto]

Don't forget to check American Airlines. AA has lots of direct flights to mco from philly. Twice this year I was going to go with Southwest Airlines to mco as I wasn't going on DCL on them trips. American had better rates. I know I have luggage to pay. But it was still better to go with American.

 

[NJ Goofy]

I just got back from a trip to MCO from PHL. When I booked the rates were all over the place, I finally got a direct flight from PHL to MCO for $228 round trip. Since American merged with US Airways and Southwest moved their hub to Baltimore, getting inexpensive flights to MCO has become much more difficult. I found some cheaper flights on American but by the time we added seat selection and bags fees Southwest was cheaper.