Southwest Airlines

[becka]

I posted this on the Transporation board but it doesn't look like it gets much traffic and I thought some of you here might fly Southwest pretty regularly so I might try my luck here and see if you could help answer my questions about how Southwest works.

In the past we have always flown Delta or American. The fares for those are decent but there do not appear to be any non-stop flights from Kansas City anymore since they discontinued Delta Express. With an 18 month old I think the non-stop would be worth even paying a little extra for. It seems that Southwest has some good non-stop flight times for us so I thought I might check them out.

The promotional fares look pretty good (actually quite good) but when I put in our dates (Dec 6 arrival; Dec 13 departure) it looks like the promotional fare is only available on the 6th - it says unavailable for all flights on the 13th. Does this mean that the flight on the 13th is sold out of promotional seats, promotional fare are not available for that date yet, etc?

Also it mentions they have an infant fare but when I do the pricing there is no place for me specify the infant rate. If I do decide to book on-line can I get the infant fare or will that require a phone call? Are the promotional fares only available by purchasing on their site?

Sorry that I have so many questions but I am really unfamiliar with how Southwest works. Thanks!!!!

 

[debster812]

Ok--I'll give it a whirl, but bear in mind I am working on less than 4 hours sleep, so if I get a little incoherent, bear with me.

I did a quick check on SWA to see about your flights both into MCO and TPA (a quick 1hour or so drive). What it looks like is that your outbound flight (Kansas City to FL) does have the promotional fares still available, but the inbound one (coming home) does not. My theory is that because the day you are coming home December 13th is the last day currently available on SOuthwest's schedule. (They only publish schedules, and you can only book between 5-7 months in advance). My guess is that all the people who were waiting for this date jumped on the promotional fare.

You have a couple of options:

Wait it out, and see if they open up a different promotional fare (very possible)

See if you can come home a day earlier

Wait out the next round of them releasing their schedule, and see if you can come home a day later.

Book at the 2 different price points to lock in your flights, and then if they open up more promotional fares, you can get the lower fare, and they will give you credit for a future SWA flight.

I'm sure some of the Transpo folks will be answering as well, once they are up and at 'em.

 

[nuke]

If the promotional fares are not available to click on, then they are probably sold out. That doesn't mean that they are sold out forever. Sometimes the lower fares will open up at a later time.

For an infant fare you have to call. They don't have that on the website yet.

Good Luck!

 

[FANTASMIC]

regarding the infant fare: I know that when I book flights here for work that any senior citizen fare requires me calling so I would assume its the same for the infant fare, there isn't anywhere on the web when booking to indicate these things.

 

[antkim]

I always fly Southwest. Like the previous posters said if the promotional fare is unavailable it is sold out. They could release a different promotional fare for those dates at a later time BUT they may not. It's always a gamble with Southwest. If you book the fare they have available now and something cheaper comes up they will give you credit towards another flight to use within 1 year of the original booking date. If you don't book it now you may end up paying even more later. Also if your child is under 2 (I believe) you don't HAVE to buy them a seat. They can sit on your lap. Also if there are open seats the day of the flight(which could happen that time of year) you can just put the child in a seat. We took this chance when my DS was 14 months. We brought the car seat with us to the terminal. When we got to the terminal we asked the agent to check to see if there was open seats. We were lucky both times because the flights weren't booked. Had they been booked they would have just checked the car seat in along with the stoller at the end of the boarding ramp. It was worth saving 200.00 for us. It really depends on the child though and if you think they will be O.K. on your laps if no seat is available.
Kim

 

[LoriKay]

becka, it looks as if your questions have been answered for the most part but I wanted to say that we've flown out of KCI using Southwest the last two times we went to WDW and it was wonderful. We also previously used Delta Express but I still want nonstop flights. When we went in May I got tickets for $165 each and for our upcoming October trip they were $156 each. Good luck with your trip planning!

 

[CarolA]

No you don't have to buy a child under two a seat. However, if it is at ALL possible, please do. Turbulence can RIP your child right out of your arms. If you ask flight attendants and pilots what they do you will discover that most of them would never fly with a child in arms. The safest place for your infant is strapped into their child seat on the plane, not in your arms.

Lately flights have been running FULL! The airlines have cut back on the number of flights as Becka has noticed which means those flights that are out there are much fuller.