So upset with southwest!

[Q-man]

SW wasn't paying the same price for oil that other airlines were paying, so they were able to put out those great fares. Now that the contract has ended, they're in the same boat as the other airlines.

I had forgotten that SWA had locked up years of oil futures before the oil price explosion.

 

[Q-man]

I just wish they they went to Jamaica lol

SWA has started construction on an international hub at Hobby airport in Houston. United fought like hell to try to kill it due to how many monopoly routes they fly to Latin America and the Caribbean out of Houston's Bush International.

 

[Disneysnel]

I tried credit card first and that is when I got the error message. I then tried pay pal which I received a confirmation from that it was received. It took me back to southwest again I had the error message again. I never got off of the screen. It turns out that it would only allow 4 total payments (3 credits and one credit card) I have never used a travel credit before so all of this was new to me. It took the lady about ten minutes to figure that out. At that point I deleted one but it said that my session had expired and I had to enter it again unfortunately and the price had gone up. At least I still got a reasonable price for my flight home. I just wish it was nonstop - easier with kids! My total round trip ( I had already booked my flight there. I needed the 8th for return) was about 300 pp which is still much better than what I have been seeing plus my bags are included.

Something similar happened to me yesterday!

I booked my husband's flight for 10/6 (had to do them separately to use up credits) and then did mine immediately afterwards and it went up by 93 dollars! In a matter of 2 minutes. (I had checked the price on both right before to be sure there was 2 available)
I called and the not so pleasant rep told me - "Well, that must have been the last one at that price". Hmmm how convenient for you. I think the computers are getting a little too smart

 

[Tara]

The days of sub $100 tickets are gone. Southwest had a long term contract with jet fuel suppliers tht expired a few years ago. Now they are paying a higher rate for fuel, like all of us, and pass the increase along. Remember 3 or 5 years ago gas over $3 was unheard of and now I regularly see it hit $4z

Exactly. AND as they establish themselves as a carrier of choice in a market, they have less need to discount seats. They might start out with really competitive prices when they enter a market, but it doesn't last. Here in ALB, they're the only carrier that goes to MCO nonstop, so they're almost always more expensive.

 

[EeyoreME]

I got a good deal on my non stop sw tix. They were $122 each way. They were 101 but I didn't have the money then so I had to wait but happy with the cost.

 

[MinnieLee]

I am also disappointed. The cheapest flight is $142 each way from Long Island and the times are not good. We always get the first flight out going down--usually around 7a. Now the first flight is around 11a. Don't like the return flight times either.

We are booked on a 6:50 a.m. non-stop flight going down out of Islip. Also paid $142 going down and $193 coming home. First flight out, last flight in.

 

[Suger Mag]

Wow, so glad I did not wait... in the last 24 hours... the return leg of my March RT SW flight (FLL to BDL) has jumped from the $105 I booked it at to $305 the outgoing (BDL to FLL) nonstops are all sold out. Usually my method with SW is to book, watch and then rebook if the price drops... somehow I don't think that (price dropping) will be happening this time.... but of course I will watch just the same. It is gratifying to see the price climb AFTER you book... be that on SW or DCL.

 

[pooch]

Wow, so glad I did not wait... in the last 24 hours... the return leg of my March RT SW flight (FLL to BDL) has jumped from the $105 I booked it at to $305 the outgoing (BDL to FLL) nonstops are all sold out. Usually my method with SW is to book, watch and then rebook if the price drops... somehow I don't think that (price dropping) will be happening this time.... but of course I will watch just the same. It is gratifying to see the price climb AFTER you book... be that on SW or DCL.

that fares tend to go up Thurs - Sun and back down again Mon-Wed with Wed usually the best day to book. And I have seen "soldout" flights open back up. March is a long way off yet, lots of time for fares to bounce around. I have found that 2-3 months out can be the lowest fares although last year my $73 MCO-BDL return flight dropped to $55 3 weeks out.

Watch Watch Watch!!!

 

[keishashadow]

Something similar happened to me yesterday!

I booked my husband's flight for 10/6 (had to do them separately to use up credits) and then did mine immediately afterwards and it went up by 93 dollars! In a matter of 2 minutes. (I had checked the price on both right before to be sure there was 2 available)
I called and the not so pleasant rep told me - "Well, that must have been the last one at that price". Hmmm how convenient for you. I think the computers are getting a little too smart

keep checking, I've had what u report happen and just keep checking and rebook if the rate adjusts back downwards...which it often does in a day or so.

that fares tend to go up Thurs - Sun and back down again Mon-Wed with Wed usually the best day to book. And I have seen "soldout" flights open back up. March is a long way off yet, lots of time for fares to bounce around. I have found that 2-3 months out can be the lowest fares although last year my $73 MCO-BDL return flight dropped to $55 3 weeks out.

Watch Watch Watch!!!

and have found that rates tend to bounce up on holidays when families/friends are together and decide to book flights. Fine by me, somebody has to pay for the more expensive seats on the plane

 

[kaytieeldr]

Something similar happened to me yesterday!

I booked my husband's flight for 10/6 (had to do them separately to use up credits) and then did mine immediately afterwards and it went up by 93 dollars! In a matter of 2 minutes. (I had checked the price on both right before to be sure there was 2 available)
I called and the not so pleasant rep told me - "Well, that must have been the last one at that price". Hmmm how convenient for you. I think the computers are getting a little too smart

No, there are a limited number of seats available on each flight at a given price. You got your husband the last $X fare which sold out that fare bucket. Your fare was at the next lowest available rate. It's got nothing to do with the computers getting smarter.

While it's financially painful to pay more than one is accustomed for a large-ticket purchase like vacation airfare, it surprises me that so many people seem to begrudge businesses - airlines, in this case - the opportunity to operate profitably.

 

[Srbright]

Now I feel even luckier. We paid all told $744 RT for 4 people on SWA. We have nonstop flights from Flint, MI to MCO.

Stacy


ETA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpUNA2nutbk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

The flying section starts at about minute 4....puts flying into perspective.

 

[Lilo&Stitch]

Now I feel even luckier. We paid all told $744 RT for 4 people on SWA. We have nonstop flights from Flint, MI to MCO.

Stacy


ETA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpUNA2nutbk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

The flying section starts at about minute 4....puts flying into perspective.

Great rate ! I haven't seen anything lower than $99 each way from MDW in a long time ! I'll never forget years ago when I booked 4 of us RT for $402.00 TOTAL to MCO.

 

[Srbright]

Great rate ! I haven't seen anything lower than $99 each way from MDW in a long time ! I'll never forget years ago when I booked 4 of us RT for $402.00 TOTAL to MCO.

When I first moved to Michigan I remember getting RT from DTW to TUL for $104 on TWA. Last time we went the cheapest we could get was $360 each.

We paid $220 rt direct from DTW to MCO last year on Delta for the same time frame. This year the cheapest we found it was $360. That is why we are taking SWA. We found out we can get direct flights out of Flint and it is the same distance away from us as DTW is. The flights are another $75 each and none are direct.

Stacy

 

[pArKsFaN]

Now I feel even luckier. We paid all told $744 RT for 4 people on SWA. We have nonstop flights from Flint, MI to MCO.

Stacy

That is great! We fly out of Flint as well, but didn't get as great of a rate...can I ask how far out you booked? Any tips? I got better fares when it was AirTran, but then there were baggage fees as well...

 

[maxiesmom]

That is great! We fly out of Flint as well, but didn't get as great of a rate...can I ask how far out you booked? Any tips? I got better fares when it was AirTran, but then there were baggage fees as well...

If you are flying out of Michigan, check GRR as well. That is my home airport, and for a while the rates have been cheaper than those from Flint. I've flown out of Flint a time or two or three, it is only a 90 minute drive away.

 

[pArKsFaN]

If you are flying out of Michigan, check GRR as well. That is my home airport, and for a while the rates have been cheaper than those from Flint. I've flown out of Flint a time or two or three, it is only a 90 minute drive away.

Thanks for the tip! Flint is super convenient for us though - I'm less than a 10 minute drive from the airport. It's easiest for us because family can drop us off and pick us up after we land. If we lived in another town I would certainly consider it but it's beyond convenient!

 

[mickeynut1]

So yes there are still some great deals out there.

I agree. I was able to get $99/pp for our family of 4 one way on SWA flying MDW to MCO for December (started out at $166/pp). Our return is still high ($166/pp), but I am watching that daily hoping it will come down.

 

[TamieH]

It's so irritating to see so many of you getting such great rates on Day 1 from your location that are farther away than my KC/MCI to MCO. (Congrats to you!) I bought at 7am CST on 8/26 and paid $211 for 3 tickets and $245 for 2 tickets n/s one way and am taking the late 7:25 pm evening flight home for $211 for all 5. Once you add the $12.50 for early bird which we need after a DCL cruise, they sure add up. All but a couple flights are now sold out for the cheapest rate and the ones left are $395 oneway! It's not like KC is a small market. There were well over a dozen flights both ways and yet its cheaper to fly from IL, MI, TX or anywhere NE than the 3 hour flight from MCI which is close and less fuel. Just not right. I don't expect the < $100 rates of years past, but minimum of $422 r/t from the midwest I think is really high. It's also not like they were escalated due to spring break. $211 is their lowest price one-way except in the rare instances they offer a sale of $176 (not Spring Break....). Just venting. Tickets are purchased and out of the way. I don't expect a sale for mid-March. I swear I will NEVER fly to MCO in March again. It couldn't be helped this trip due to school activities, but will stick with late May or October which are our preferred times to cruise if at all possible.

 

[DebbieB]

It's so irritating to see so many of you getting such great rates on Day 1 from your location that are farther away than my KC/MCI to MCO. (Congrats to you!) I bought at 7am CST on 8/26 and paid $211 for 3 tickets and $245 for 2 tickets n/s one way and am taking the late 7:25 pm evening flight home for $211 for all 5. Once you add the $12.50 for early bird which we need after a DCL cruise, they sure add up. All but a couple flights are now sold out for the cheapest rate and the ones left are $395 oneway! It's not like KC is a small market. There were well over a dozen flights both ways and yet its cheaper to fly from IL, MI, TX or anywhere NE than the 3 hour flight from MCI which is close and less fuel. Just not right. I don't expect the < $100 rates of years past, but minimum of $422 r/t from the midwest I think is really high. It's also not like they were escalated due to spring break. $211 is their lowest price one-way except in the rare instances they offer a sale of $176 (not Spring Break....). Just venting. Tickets are purchased and out of the way. I don't expect a sale for mid-March. I swear I will NEVER fly to MCO in March again. It couldn't be helped this trip due to school activities, but will stick with late May or October which are our preferred times to cruise if at all possible.

Airfare really isn't based on distance. It's based on supply and demand. If you have 2 or 3 airlines competing on the route, fares will be lower. Only 1 airline, they can name their price. I used to travel a lot for work and when my department leads got together for a conference each year, it was cheaper to go out to Los Angeles because fares were cheaper from the east coast than to have it in a Midwest city that was central to everyone. Airlines competed for Los Angeles flights but not for Midwest cities.

 

[greenclan67]

I was lucky and got Southwest from Flint, Mi, to Tampa, for $102 each way Dec 23rd return Jan 3rd. Never flown Southwest or from Flint. We are 7 hours to Buffalo, or 7 hours to Flint. In March I am flying JetBlue from Buffalo, March 7th return the 15th. For $125 each way!! I lucked out.