Schedule release Southwest-time of day?

[jmcross]

Does anyone know the approximate time of day the Southwest schedule is released? I've read anywhere from 7-10 am. Anyone with recent experience?
Thanks!

 

[LisaS]

It's usually sometime between 6am and 6:20am or so eastern time. I am online and ready to book at 6am and keep refreshing the page every couple of minutes until I am able to book my flights.

 

[jmcross]

Really? That early? Did you buy your tickets on the last release date?
Thanks!

 

[LisaS]

I did not purchase on the most recent release date but the Search function turned up these two discussion threads containing posts by people who did. If you check the timestamps and the messages posted, Southwest released the schedule sometime between 6:15am and 6:20am Eastern time. That is consistent with the release time over the past couple of years.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3321385

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3312503

One of those threads is from Aug 4, the other from Aug 25. It looks like Southwest had two schedule release dates in August and both times people could start booking shortly after 6:15am eastern time.

 

[nkereina]

It's usually sometime between 6am and 6:20am or so eastern time. I am online and ready to book at 6am and keep refreshing the page every couple of minutes until I am able to book my flights.

What's the benefit of this? Do you find fares are their absolute lowest first thing?

 

[LisaS]

What's the benefit of this? Do you find fares are their absolute lowest first thing?

Sometimes but not always. I've snagged fares at that time that turned out to be the best deal I could get. That fare was available first thing when the schedule was released and I never saw anything that low again, in fact the fare went up minutes after I booked it. At other times I've booked something and then the fares went down months later.

 

[davedmaine]

What's the benefit of this? Do you find fares are their absolute lowest first thing?

No benefit at all, really

 

[jmcross]

Thanks for your help, Lisa!!

Joanne

 

[Delphinus317]

They were released at 6:15am when I bought my tickets this past summer. Fares did go up on my flights immediately after I completed my purchase. So, there is some benefit to purchasing as soon as they are released.

I've been watching the rates since then & they have been fluctuating (other flights the same days, not the ones I purchased, they've stayed the same). This week they released a sale that did reduce the price of other flights on the same days, but not my flights.

So, it's really a crap shoot, but for me, there was definitely a benefit to purchasing as soon as they were released (at this point).