South West - Releasing Fares Ahead of Their Scheduled Time?

[PSUGuy]

I understand that SW some times 'jumps the gun' and opens new dates in advance of the time they announce. Our window opens 2/18 and I want to book as soon as they make fares available. Any idea as to how early I should start looking? When they do go early is it always first thing in the morning or might they open at any time of day?

Thanks,
Bill From PA

 

[Lynne G]

I think it sometimes starts around 10am Eastern Time, but I start checking around 7am, and book when I see a price I can live with. Then I keep stalking. Waiting patiently for 18 February too.

 

[DisDadDVC]

Southwest never releases fares in advance of the day they are scheduled. They will occasionally change that schedule, but it is well in advance. Fares are usually released between 6:15 and 6:30 AM EST.

 

[LisaS]

Agree with DisDadDVC. If they change the release date they will publish the new date in advance. The change might be posted just a week in advance of the original release date but it will be posted. They don't surprise people and release on a different date than advertised.

On release day the schedule extension usually goes live shortly after 6am eastern time. Things can be a little wonky in those first few minutes with some dates looking like they are sold out when it's more likely that those dates are still loading.

Every once in a while they don't release until mid-morning and it's not fun when it happens to you and you have been sitting in front of your computer since 6am eastern, but it's almost always some time in the 6:00am-6:20am window, eastern time.

 

[PSUGuy]

Thanks for the replies. I'm paranoid about this because for our Oct '15 trip I was on when the window opened, I chose our flight down and back at good prices but by the time I tried to close the deal the Wanna Get Away price for the return was gone so we settled for an earlier flight than we wanted. This time wifey and I will both be online at opening, one of us grabbing the downward flight the other the return and missing the opening is not an option.

Bill From PA

 

[DisDadDVC]

Thanks for the replies. I'm paranoid about this because for our Oct '15 trip I was on when the window opened, I chose our flight down and back at good prices but by the time I tried to close the deal the Wanna Get Away price for the return was gone so we settled for an earlier flight than we wanted. This time wifey and I will both be online at opening, one of us grabbing the downward flight the other the return and missing the opening is not an option.

Bill From PA

Unless you are travelling on a holiday week/day, I wouldn't worry too much. But better safe than sorry....

 

[no one]

I booked our April trip the day the schedule was released. I was on the site by 6am, the schedule was not released until about 6:45. I did book then (school vacation week, so no WGA fares) fares have not gone down since, in fact went up (but not much). Flying from PVD

 

[Mickdeb]

How far out will the dates go on the Feb. 17th release date? I searched on SWA.com but couldn't find the page that gives that info.
Thanks.

 

[DisDadDVC]

How far out will the dates go on the Feb. 17th release date? I searched on SWA.com but couldn't find the page that gives that info.
Thanks.

We are currently accepting air reservations through August 5, 2016. On February 18, 2016 we will open our schedule for sale through November 4, 2016. This date is subject to change! Please check back frequently.

https://www.southwest.com/html/travel-tools/

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Even though it say unavailable keep checking they do reappear. Might not be as low as you once saw it but they do reappear

 

[LisaS]

We are currently accepting air reservations through August 5, 2016. On February 18, 2016 we will open our schedule for sale through November 4, 2016. This date is subject to change! Please check back frequently.

https://www.southwest.com/html/travel-tools/

Another place to find the release date is on the "Flight Schedules" page. On Southwest's home page, near the top of the page and just to the right of the center, click on "FLIGHT". In the menu that comes up, click on "Flight Schedules". That page has the same info as the Travel Tools page. Travel Tools can be hard to find if you don't have DisDadDVC's link handy because Southwest took away the link to it that used to be on their home page, though you can get there by doing a search on their site.

The other problem is that now that they provide this information on two different pages, sometimes the information on the two pages is different! I've sent them email on occasion when I checked both pages and found one had been updated with new information and the other was not. So now I try to remember to check both pages.

 

[Disneyhappy]

Thanks for the replies. I'm paranoid about this because for our Oct '15 trip I was on when the window opened, I chose our flight down and back at good prices but by the time I tried to close the deal the Wanna Get Away price for the return was gone so we settled for an earlier flight than we wanted. This time wifey and I will both be online at opening, one of us grabbing the downward flight the other the return and missing the opening is not an option.

Bill From PA

Why not book roundtrip? The system allows you to make changes to one way if needed. I do it all the time. Makes booking so much easier.

 

[quagmire0]

In my experience, I haven't seen them change the release date. As for time, I ended up getting our tickets at around 6:30am CT and still had my pick of the litter (best prices). I wouldn't take your chances though, because the flights I picked were about 3-4k more points each way a day or two later.

 

[Disneylover99]

Another place to find the release date is on the "Flight Schedules" page. On Southwest's home page, near the top of the page and just to the right of the center, click on "FLIGHT". In the menu that comes up, click on "Flight Schedules". That page has the same info as the Travel Tools page. Travel Tools can be hard to find if you don't have DisDadDVC's link handy because Southwest took away the link to it that used to be on their home page, though you can get there by doing a search on their site.

The other problem is that now that they provide this information on two different pages, sometimes the information on the two pages is different! I've sent them email on occasion when I checked both pages and found one had been updated with new information and the other was not. So now I try to remember to check both pages.

Thanks for posting this. I was going crazy, cause I couldn't find the travel tools link that I was used to.

 

[PSUGuy]

Why not book roundtrip? The system allows you to make changes to one way if needed. I do it all the time. Makes booking so much easier.

I was booking a RT last time, had good rates for both legs, but by the time I got to checkout the Wanna Get Away rate for the return leg was gone, price went way up. So... this time wifey and I are both getting on, separate computers, I'll grab one leg and she'll get the other.

Bill From PA

 

[LisaS]

In my experience, I haven't seen them change the release date.

They don't do it often but it happened recently, two release dates ago or so? A couple of weeks before the original published release date they moved the schedule release forward by one week. Those who weren't checking Southwest's website often or who aren't regulars on the Transportation board here missed the news about the change and were a week late booking their flights.

 

[DisDadDVC]

They don't do it often but it happened recently, two release dates ago or so? A couple of weeks before the original published release date they moved the schedule release forward by one week. Those who weren't checking Southwest's website often or who aren't regulars on the Transportation board here missed the news about the change and were a week late booking their flights.

They had a BIG change one of the times in the last year. They pushed the date out almost 2 months.