please refresh my memory when a ding comes along

[dis2cruise]

but you already have a flight booked how do I get the cheaper price??

 

[JessicaR]

http://www.southwest.com/help/change_itin.html

 

[stopher1]

If a DING comes out and the fare is lower than what you already have, you can't simply change it. You need to cancel and rebook using the DING link. If you try to simply changing your itinerary, you will only see the regular fares displayed on the SW website, not the DING fares.

 

[JessicaR]

stopher1 - yeah thats right! thanks

This may be more helpful - dis2cruise



Southwest: How to cancel a flight and re-book

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1] I found a great DING for the exact flights that I wanted.

2] I picked my flights and went thru the process of 'booking' them right up until the point where it asked for form of payment.

3] In a separate window I opened up my email confirmation from the original [higher priced] flight that I had booked with SW a month or so earlier.

4] I found my confirmation number [which is actually a combination of numbers and letters] on my email and wrote it down.

5] When I clicked on the link in #5 it brought up a page with this information -

If your outbound flight has not departed, you may submit a refund request:
online at southwest.com. To begin this process, you will first need to Cancel your flight Reservation. Southwest Airlines - Cancel Air Reservation

6] They will ask for your original Confirmation Number and the credit card holders name - as it appears on the card. This would be the card that you used for the original reservation.

To save alot of time. Have your confirmation number and credit card holder information in a handy spot at all times. This way you can grab it quickly if you get DINGed.

7] enter the information - and click 'Retrieve Flight Information'. At this point [in the next screen] you will be clicking to cancel your reservation. BUT - before I clicked to cancel - I went back to the DING window and checked to be sure my DING flights were still available.

8] after I was sure they were still available I clicked to cancel my original flight.

9] In the screen to book the DING flight I stated that I wanted to use funds that I had in reserve. [I'm not sure of the exact wording it used]. Here is where I entered the confirmation number from the original flight. It showed my new flight as paid in full and also showed my credit remaining on the original flight.

It sounds complicating but it really only took less than 5 minutes from start to finish.

Warning ~ ~ ~ ~ I guess there is always that small chance that in the seconds it takes to cancel the original flight and book the new one that the DING fares could become booked up and no longer available. If you know without a doubt that you will be flying often within the next year [and you have the extra funds available], a sure fire way would be to book the new flight and pay for it. Then cancel the old flight and have the entire original amount as a credit to be used on an upcoming flight.
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http://www.mousebuzz.com/forum/orlando-transportation/40162-southwest-how-cancel-flight-re-book.html

 

[dis2cruise]

thanks so much!!

 

[pbharris4]

Keep in mind....you might not get a DING. Thankfully, I booked in early Feb. and got a $54 fare from IAD to TPA and a $69 fare from MCO to IAD. I did get a DING for the return trip (from 69to $54..I just called and they did it for me and credited it), but I have been waiting and checking every day for a DING from IAD to MCO (so we don't have to go to TPA) and there hasn't been one.

 

[gortman65]

Keep in mind....you might not get a DING. Thankfully, I booked in early Feb. and got a $54 fare from IAD to TPA and a $69 fare from MCO to IAD. I did get a DING for the return trip (from 69to $54..I just called and they did it for me and credited it), but I have been waiting and checking every day for a DING from IAD to MCO (so we don't have to go to TPA) and there hasn't been one.

So you don't have to go through the two browser windows exercise with the slight accompanying risks described above by a PP? Instead, you can just call Southwest and they will modify your existing reservation to the new DING rate?