Post all SW questions concerns, etc. here...

[Katie1697]

We (family of 4) are planning a trip to WDW late Nov 2018 and plan to fly SW. What credit card to you recommend to earn points for airline tickets- SW Rapid Rewards Card or another? Any advice on saving $$ on flights is appreciated!

 

[2binak]

I think that is correct, but I believe there is a limit on the number of payment methods you can use on one itinerary, and I think it is 3. So you may wind up having to split your tickets into multiple itineraries if you have several vouchers to use.

Thank you. A SW rep told me that I can use 2 vouchers per person on the itinerary. We have 6 vouchers so we’ll be able to use them all.

 

[DrFacilier]

Just thought I would let people know, as I learn so much from these boards. Wish every luck tomorrow on getting the flights they need at a great price .

. Is something going on tomorrow that I should know about? I would love to get a ”great price”. Looking to book with SW for late August but the prices are way to high right now.

EDIT: just saw that’s sw is opening more dates. It won’t help me but good luck to everyone else

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Flights are up...I haven't tracked release "times" recently but they were up and bookable by 6:55am Eastern today.

You can book flights now through November 3rd.

Also - for those looking beyond 11/3...the next release is listed as May 31, 2018 so we have a looooong wait. That's a big release as it will cover Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sometimes they change that release date and you can track that here: https://www.southwest.com/html/travel-tools/index.html

 

[Lori74]

Any idea when the fall sale comes out?

 

[msjprincess]

I need flights 11/20-11/18. I'm not happy with such a long wait. I can't figure them out. The last 2 release dates were only a month apart. Now we have to wait more than 2 1/2 months.

 

[RolloTomasi]

I'm looking for a flight on 11/5, so I juuuuuuuust missed the cutoff this time around lol.

 

[DrFacilier]

I’m watching the departing and returning flights we are planning to book for our (family of 4) 8/19-8/25 trip. I currently have a little over 110,000 RR points and just earned a Companion Pass. The 3 round trip nonstop flights we are looking for are priced over $400 each way while the other less appealing options are between $100-$200. How difficult is it to rebook our flights? Should we book our second choice in case we don’t get a price we can work with on our 1st choice nonstops or should we just wait for our chosen flights price to drop? I don’t want to be stuck with a 3rd or 4th choice and we have never booked with points (and waiting for the prices to drop) before.

 

[DrFacilier]

We (family of 4) are planning a trip to WDW late Nov 2018 and plan to fly SW. What credit card to you recommend to earn points for airline tickets- SW Rapid Rewards Card or another? Any advice on saving $$ on flights is appreciated!

We just did the strategy that is outlined in the link below and ended up with 110,000 points plus a companion pass for the rest of 2018 and 2019. It’s your best bet if you’re flying SW. https://thepointsguy.com/2018/01/southwest-companion-pass-bonuses/

 

[Lvsdisney]

I’m watching the departing and returning flights we are planning to book for our (family of 4) 8/19-8/25 trip. I currently have a little over 110,000 RR points and just earned a Companion Pass. The 3 round trip nonstop flights we are looking for are priced over $400 each way while the other less appealing options are between $100-$200. How difficult is it to rebook our flights? Should we book our second choice in case we don’t get a price we can work with on our 1st choice nonstops or should we just wait for our chosen flights price to drop? I don’t want to be stuck with a 3rd or 4th choice and we have never booked with points (and waiting for the prices to drop) before.

It is super easy to rebook with points. You click on the flight you want to change, select "change flight" and then select the flight you want to change it to. If your current flight has gone down in points, you can select the current flight and rebook at the lesser points. The points are usually returned within 24 hours. I've done this several times since booking my flight originally since I check every once in awhile to see if the points have gone down for the flights I'm on. The fees you paid will transfer to the new flight, as will the EBCI if you purchased it with the original flight.

 

[shoreward]

Just a word of warning, if there is any possibility that your trip might be cancelled, all together.

Since Southwest's reservation system changed in May 2017, any flight "changed," instead of "cancelled," will hold fees and taxes paid. The "change" method of refaring will not refund those taxes and fees, but will retain them, under the original confirmation number; those funds must be applied toward the cost of future travel on Southwest within one year from original booking date, and must be used by the same person listed on that ticket. If you cancel and rebook, the taxes and fees can be refunded, except for Early Bird fee, which will be forfeited. If "changed," EBCI will carry over to new flight.

 

[suzydisney971]

Long story short, I changed my flights going down to MCO in July (purchased with points) to last weekend. However, I purchased my return flights instead of changing the July flights. (I was on my phone in middle of a nor'easter trying to find a flight out to make it for a wedding so I wasn't thinking clearly). I had already planned on moving our vacation to November but that may not seem possible anymore. So my question is, if I cancel those returning flights, will Southwest refund me the cost? My expiration date is 12/5/18 and I don't think I'll be able to travel before that. Can you change a flight before expiration for travel after the expiration date?

Any help would be appreciated. This is what happens when you plan early but life gets in the way lol

Thanks
Suzy

 

[shoreward]

Long story short, I changed my flights going down to MCO in July (purchased with points) to last weekend. However, I purchased my return flights instead of changing the July flights. (I was on my phone in middle of a nor'easter trying to find a flight out to make it for a wedding so I wasn't thinking clearly). I had already planned on moving our vacation to November but that may not seem possible anymore. So my question is, if I cancel those returning flights, will Southwest refund me the cost? My expiration date is 12/5/18 and I don't think I'll be able to travel before that. Can you change a flight before expiration for travel after the expiration date?

Any help would be appreciated. This is what happens when you plan early but life gets in the way lol

Thanks
Suzy

Southwest's policy on paid flights (not points booking) is that any unused funds from the cancelled flight(s) must be used for travel completed by the fund's expiration date (one year from date original travel was booked). Those funds must be used by the person named on the ticket.

If you think that you won't be able to make another trip to Orlando before the expiration date, what about using the funds for a short trip someplace else? That way, you will at least be getting use out of the funds and will also earn some RR points.

There is a way of extending the expiration date, but it's usually on a case by case basis.

After the funds expire, call Customer Relations at 855-234-4654 and ask for the expired travel funds to be reissued as a LUV Voucher. There is a $100 fee to do this, which will be deducted from the travel funds balance. You will have six months from the expiration date to make the request, and the voucher will be valid for use by anyone, not just the original ticketed passenger, for six months, from the date of issue.

This is not an official policy, and it's provided on a case by case basis, subject to change, at any time.

 

[eeyoreland]

If the plane still has a lot of available capacity as you get closer, you'll see some more lower fare buckets opened up. When the next big sale happens in June, that would be a good time to check. If you already have it booked by then, if the fare drops you can get the points difference refunded back.

Hi! Just curious. Really not trying to start something . In an earlier post you referenced a big sale coming up in March. In this post you mention a big sale in June. I'm just trying to get the lowest fare possible like everyone else so I'm wondering if I should still be looking for something this month, or wait until June???

 

[richmo]

Hi! Just curious. Really not trying to start something . In an earlier post you referenced a big sale coming up in March. In this post you mention a big sale in June. I'm just trying to get the lowest fare possible like everyone else so I'm wondering if I should still be looking for something this month, or wait until June???

Sales seem to be pretty random these days and Southwest, along with everyone else, is careful about what they put on sale. My advice would be to book when you see fares that you can live with. Yes, its possible there might be a price drop (not sure what your time frame is), but its at least equally likely the fare may go up or go to sold out status. Recently (February) I booked flights at $100 that went to $176 later that day, then to I think $256 a couple days later and is sold out now. At least with Southwest you can take a credit for future use if the fare does go down. My observations, in general, is that waiting for price drops is pretty risky.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Ugg, between last night and now, our SW MCO to Philadelphia went up over 1000 points!!

 

[britt54311]

I know prices can be different when released but looking at the Sunday dates from MCO to MDW in Oct. I am not liking the prices for the flights to come home. So now we are thinking on coming home on a saturday, late night flight. My question now is, do we purchase EBCI seeing how its 5 days out since tickets have been released or take our chances and check in 24 hrs ahead of time? We will have 2 moms using family check in, in our group. We will be at Magic Kingdom the night of checking in. What would you do?
Thank you

 

[DrFacilier]

Hi! Just curious. Really not trying to start something . In an earlier post you referenced a big sale coming up in March. In this post you mention a big sale in June. I'm just trying to get the lowest fare possible like everyone else so I'm wondering if I should still be looking for something this month, or wait until June???

I'm also trying to figure this out. I've gotten some good information so far on this thread but I need to clarify before I buy the cheap tickets I don't really want. Any insight from people who have experience would be greatly appreciated.

Flights I want for our August 19th-25th trip:
Departing non-stop 7am-9:50 PVD to MCO
Returning non-stop 7:25-10:05 MCO to PVD
They are each almost $500 per person. The Wanna Get Away price recently has been $412 while other less-desirable flights (with anytime fares that are also $500) are as low as $152. I know no one has a crystal ball but is it safe to assume that most people are not buying these tickets between $400-$500 and I will have a chance to book at a lower price before the flights are sold out? IMO they are likely not dropping the price much right now for these flights because they are much more desirable for most people going to Disney and they are trying to get the most money out of as many people as they can.

The flights I can afford with our 110,000 RR points right now are
Departing 1 stop 6:30am-1:10pm
Returning 1 stop 11:30am-5:05pm

If I understand this SW booking thing correctly, I can book the flights I can afford (but really don't want) right now and if (hopefully WHEN) the price drops on the flights I really want we can rebook from the flights I don't want to the flights I do want.

Is this right? Sorry to sound redundant but I want to make sure we still have a shot at the non stop flights if I purchase something completely different right now. This is my first time using points and I don't want to screw this up!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I'm also trying to figure this out. I've gotten some good information so far on this thread but I need to clarify before I buy the cheap tickets I don't really want. Any insight from people who have experience would be greatly appreciated.

Flights I want for our August 19th-25th trip:
Departing non-stop 7am-9:50 PVD to MCO
Returning non-stop 7:25-10:05 MCO to PVD
They are each almost $500 per person. The Wanna Get Away price recently has been $412 while other less-desirable flights (with anytime fares that are also $500) are as low as $152. I know no one has a crystal ball but is it safe to assume that most people are not buying these tickets between $400-$500 and I will have a chance to book at a lower price before the flights are sold out? IMO they are likely not dropping the price much right now for these flights because they are much more desirable for most people going to Disney and they are trying to get the most money out of as many people as they can.

The flights I can afford with our 110,000 RR points right now are
Departing 1 stop 6:30am-1:10pm
Returning 1 stop 11:30am-5:05pm

If I understand this SW booking thing correctly, I can book the flights I can afford (but really don't want) right now and if (hopefully WHEN) the price drops on the flights I really want we can rebook from the flights I don't want to the flights I do want.

Is this right? Sorry to sound redundant but I want to make sure we still have a shot at the non stop flights if I purchase something completely different right now. This is my first time using points and I don't want to screw this up!

Yes you can book the flights you don't want because they are cheaper and wait and see if the flights you do want happen to drop in price. I have done this before with no issues. But I did look and the $412 flight is the non stop so the likelihood of it dropping in price is very very slim. It is priced at $412 because it is popular and the more people book it the higher the price becomes. And I just looked and both the Aug 19 the Aug 25 flight you want are now sold out if you need to book more that one ticket for those flights.

 

[DrFacilier]

So I ended up booking roundtrip flights that I'm not psyched about for about 70,000 points with the hopes that I will be able to book the flights I really want later. The good news is I've talked my wife into possibly adding a room only night at the end of our trip so we get one more full park day! It actually wasn't that hard lol. Still keeping my eye on that 7am nonstop for our arrival day but we will probably keep the return flight I booked since the nonstops for that day are either pretty early or late. At least we have something booked now!