New Schedule for Southwest, fewer non stop flights!

[stitch34]

Love SW out of PHL - but I think it's a done deal for us, no more.

I noticed the previous schedule release that they had done away with a lot of the nonstop flights and had a feeling it would be like this with this current release.

We are going around Thanksgiving - US Air wanted wayyy too much, and didn't want to sit and wait for SW to release their schedule just to find out A. there are no nonstops WHEN we want to fly and B. their prices are high - and yep, both of which proved to be true today.
Granted, looking at Airtran it looks like we could have found great times for $121 each way and had the convenience of flying out of Philly.

That said, back in early April I booked United out of Newark (for $121)... and Jet Blue return for $145 as didn't want to wait and be disappointed with SW's schedule release. Am glad I did and got it over with - but still if waited would have saved a bit if waited for Airtran and then would have been out of PHL - never flew from Newark before and have to familiarize myself where to do parking and all that fun stuff. Newark is probably about 10, 15 minutes further than PHL for us.

 

[Muhlenberg]

I have the same dilemma for December, and will probably have to change dates slightly because of flight schedules out of PHL. We don't do early/late flights, and anything else (non-stop) is very limited. I'd look at other airlines, but DH has $293 in ticketless funds! ATM, I'm looking at flying into MCO, and out of TPA. *sigh*

And SWA no longer flies to MHT out of PHL, so I can't even use credits to see DD and family.

 

[bookwormde]

SW is using up their built up customer loyalty to keep profits up during the integration of Air Tran. I flew them exclusively out of PHL until last fall, now I shop and look at other airports.

 

[maxaroni]

I don't think there will be switches of existing flights on the schedule, it would be too confusing because they operate so differently (assigned seats, business class, etc). I think as the schedules come out, flights will be moved. For example, on the schedule released today, Minneapolis AirTran flights moved to Southwest.

I hope you are right. Last year we dealt with less Air Jamaica planes in general, so there was a problem and what was to be a 6 AM flight out of PHL, turned out to be a 4:30 PM flight out. On our return, the merger took place and we were to fly Caribbean air but due to the transition, Sun Country picked up our flight. The computers were slow and confusing so check in took a very looooong time.

 

[disneymomjcs]

: ( Sad too as we fly exclusive in the USA with SWA. I want to jump on the December flights because I'm worried the direct flights around Christmas will be full! Just like everything else SWA is changing Pricewise no schedule wise hoping they change my luggage to fly. They like flying FREE!

 

[maxaroni]

Love SW out of PHL - but I think it's a done deal for us, no more.

I noticed the previous schedule release that they had done away with a lot of the nonstop flights and had a feeling it would be like this with this current release.

We are going around Thanksgiving - US Air wanted wayyy too much, and didn't want to sit and wait for SW to release their schedule just to find out A. there are no nonstops WHEN we want to fly and B. their prices are high - and yep, both of which proved to be true today.
Granted, looking at Airtran it looks like we could have found great times for $121 each way and had the convenience of flying out of Philly.

That said, back in early April I booked United out of Newark (for $121)... and Jet Blue return for $145 as didn't want to wait and be disappointed with SW's schedule release. Am glad I did and got it over with - but still if waited would have saved a bit if waited for Airtran and then would have been out of PHL - never flew from Newark before and have to familiarize myself where to do parking and all that fun stuff. Newark is probably about 10, 15 minutes further than PHL for us.

It would have been further for us to go to Newark but hadn't thought of it, either. My co-worker is going to WDW in Nov and he just secured his flights...had hoped for SW but a no - go for him. He needs Nonstop with a 4 yr old and 2 yr old.

 

[helenk]

It would have been further for us to go to Newark but hadn't thought of it, either. My co-worker is going to WDW in Nov and he just secured his flights...had hoped for SW but a no - go for him. He needs Nonstop with a 4 yr old and 2 yr old.

I travel by myself and I don't want to do flights that are not non stop. Airtran's prices are looking pretty good, a bit lower than SW, but then you have to pay for luggage, but they have a few more non stop flights than SW. Usair prices are about the same as Airtran but Usair has a lot of non stop flights....at least from Phila

 

[Disneyhappy]

Another dissappointed SW flyer. I suspect that SW is trying to get folks to book with Airtran in locations where SW and Airtran both fly. Not sure why but that seems to be the case. More Airtran NS flights between PHL and MCO than ever before in the latest schedule released. You may want to look into TPA as an alternative. For both our November and December trips, we are going to fly back to PHL out of TPA. I do this frequently as I have family in TPA. It only adds about an additional 30 minutes of travel time to TPA vs MCO. Of course, ME woudl not be an option.

 

[DCbride]

Add me to the disappointed list. We love SW and have flown them exclusively for the past 5 years. But, with NS gone and flights costing 3x what we were paying we will have to shop around...or drive

 

[helenk]

Add me to the disappointed list. We love SW and have flown them exclusively for the past 5 years. But, with NS gone and flights costing 3x what we were paying we will have to shop around...or drive

When travelling with a family, driving may be the best way to go. I am seriously considering driving next year if I go with my son, DIL and 2 grandchildren. Maybe the schedule will be better next year

 

[Muhlenberg]

By next year SWA and Airtran will probably be completely integrated. Who knows what that may bring...more changes. Maybe there will be more non-stops. We can only hope.

 

[DebbieB]

By next year SWA and Airtran will probably be completely integrated. Who knows what that may bring...more changes. Maybe there will be more non-stops. We can only hope.

From what I've read, not until 2014.

 

[helenk]

Well I bit the bullet today, I got notice that my December vacation was approved, so I booked m flight with Usairways, using my reward points.
This trip is an "extra trip" so I'm booked at OKW from Friday 12/7 and departing Wednesday 12/12 I am going to have to work part of the day Friday 12/7, so I booked the 6:00 pm flight down and I arrive at 8:30 in MCO, this gives me 4 full days in WDW. Going home I leave MCO Wednesday 12/12 at 2:50 pm and arrive in Phila at 5:17 pm. This give me time to get home, and relax since I have to work on Thursday.
Both flights are non stop, I'm happy with the flight times and really happy to be able to sneak in this trip.
I will have to go with just carry on, but I am going solo and travel light so I'm not worried about not checking my luggage.
Hopefully I will be happy with Usairways, I have not flown with them to MCO in years.

 

[zumbergc]

I really hate the new sw flight schedules for nov and dec. they are horrible. U either take off at 7 am or arrive at 5 pm, or later
We fly out of Columbus.
They use to have a ten or one pm flight. Yuck with a child it makes things tough.

Return flights are crap times too

Of course AirTran has a nice flight time on the way out. But u have to pay for bags and it's not free to move your flight times.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I just looked at the extended schedule since my son lives right outside ft Myers so we fly from long island to ft Myers....when he moved there 5!years ago there were 3 or 4 non stop flights a day....over the years they did away with non stops and we usually had 4 or 5 choices with stops ...looking at the new schedule ther are only 2 flights a day...some days only 1 .....ugh....will probably start making the hour drive into JFK or LGA and fly another airline direct at a lower price

 

[KTJAY]

Finding the same issues out of Providence!!! We love SW out Providence but not alot of non-stop for our Aug trip!! Plus they just advertised a 72 hr sale starting yesterday -so my return flight was $99. By the time I got home from work to book it-it was back up to $140. Anyone know if prices might be going down again? So frustrating.

 

[daughtryfan114]

I checked on the phl to mco flights this a.m. When I checked later today, around 6 pm the same flight that was $156 in a.m. was down to $103 and the flight that was $99 in a.m. is up to $143.
We booked the $103 flight that has 1 stop with no plane change. Plan stops in Ft .Myers. I'm keeping an eye on the non stop flight to see if it lowers at all.
It's our first time flying, so hopefully it goes smooth!