Southwest..book now or hope for price drop?

[treynolds]

We are planning to fly out on March 11 out of New Orleans. Prices have already gone up in the past week. Do they go down the closer to flight time or up? Don't want to end up paying way more than I could have!

 

[dburg30]

Usually once they get within 14 days they will start going up for sure or they will take off the cheaper rates. It's up to you but if you missed cheaper rates before, and you are 'satisfied' with the rates now, grab them.

 

[patink]

We are planning to fly out on March 11 out of New Orleans. Prices have already gone up in the past week. Do they go down the closer to flight time or up? Don't want to end up paying way more than I could have!

I don't know if they will go up or down, but did you know with Southwest if the price changes you can rebook with no fees?
You don't get cash back... you get Southwest credit that is good for a year.

There are a few things you want to do to make it easier...
1. Don't book round-trip - book as one way going and one way coming back. (If one leg of the trip gets cheaper you just rebook that part. If it was originally booked as round trip the whole trip would have to be rebooked and sometimes both legs don't go down. Or one goes down and the other goes up)
2. Watch the Southwest webpage... Thursdays are frequently good.
3. As soon as you see a better price REBOOK IT! If it goes down again you can rebook it again. If it goes back up you did not lose out.

HTH PM me if you have questions. I will try to help.

 

[maurene]

My recent experience with SW....I booked in early Jan. for a mid Feb. flight. For at least one flight (of the round-trip) I didn't get the cheapest rates (web special fare) but the next cheapest, I think. I've been watching the fares since, and they haven't gone down and one leg of my trip has actually gone up.

So my advice, is if you're getting the special "web fare" for any part of your trip, book it now. I'd probably even book now for a "wanna get away" fare. Assuming your set on flying SW -- if not, that might change things.

 

[Glencora]

1. Don't book round-trip - book as one way going and one way coming back. (If one leg of the trip gets cheaper you just rebook that part. If it was originally booked as round trip the whole trip would have to be rebooked and sometimes both legs don't go down. Or one goes down and the other goes up)

Is this still true? I booked round trip on SW, and needed to change the date of my return. It was very easy to just select the leg I wanted to change, and only change that flight. I didn't have to do anything to the first flight. I think it's okay to book roundtrip, even if you'll need to make changes. If someone knows differently, please correct me.

 

[MSMomTJ]

I've only flown Southwest once, but my experience is that the closer you get, the higher the price is. I waited until about a month before to book our flights from Jackson, MS, to St. Louis, and the cost had gone up from when I'd looked just a few weeks before that.

We're flying out of Jackson again to go to WDW, and there are no more tickets available. Granted, we only had two flights out of Jackson and one flight in, but I'm glad I didn't wait!

 

[fireman17]

We are returning to our DVC Saratoga Springs in June and as of now still have nothing booked with SW and my DW is waiting to see if prices will drop.
At this point we're thinking of flying into either Sanford or Ft. Lauderdale instead of Orlando.

 

[Virtucomp]

I've always flown SW from the New England area. We always watch for the window to open for the week of our trip and book the Web only or cheapest rate immediatly. I have always seen the rates only go up from there since the web only rates fill fast and then you left with the other catagories.

Like a PP said you can always get credit if it ever does drop.

 

[dburg30]

Is this still true? I booked round trip on SW, and needed to change the date of my return. It was very easy to just select the leg I wanted to change, and only change that flight. I didn't have to do anything to the first flight. I think it's okay to book roundtrip, even if you'll need to make changes. If someone knows differently, please correct me.

With a standard drop in pricing, wont be an issue, if a DING! fare comes out and you want to, unless they have changed it you have to 'cancel' the one reservation and rebook and use the credits from the cancellation. Again, I'm reading conflicting reports on how changing a ding fare works now.

 

[Glencora]

With a standard drop in pricing, wont be an issue, if a DING! fare comes out and you want to, unless they have changed it you have to 'cancel' the one reservation and rebook and use the credits from the cancellation. Again, I'm reading conflicting reports on how changing a ding fare works now.

Thanks for the clarification?

 

[patink]

Is this still true? I booked round trip on SW, and needed to change the date of my return. It was very easy to just select the leg I wanted to change, and only change that flight. I didn't have to do anything to the first flight. I think it's okay to book roundtrip, even if you'll need to make changes. If someone knows differently, please correct me.

Don't remember if mine was a DING fare or not as one of the PP brought up. I just remember it was asking me to rebook both parts and one leg had gone up so it would have canceled any savings I would have gotten from rebooking the other part. I have gotten into the habit of booking 2 one way tickets now so it is possible things may have changed.

FWIW - My Southwest flights March 12 going to MCO and March 21 coming back to MCI (Kansas City, MO) have only gone UP UP UP since I booked in November. My round trip was about $220 and now each way is up to $401 HTH

 

[MinnieVanMom]

The day we started to look it was at $99 each way. By the time we were sure of the time and date and went back, just 4 hours later, it was $169! We booked but then two weeks ago all the prices went down for only a few days. We got our flights for $99

Now we want to fly in two day early but can't get the $99 fare. I am watching but not hopeful.

Book now and then watch several times a day. Sign up for farewatcher and a few travel sites for their weekly newsletter. That is how we found out SW lower the price.

Our flights are late April

 

[treynolds]

Just wanted to let you know that I gambled a bit and waited a couple of days.....It paid off!!! Got a Ding for my parents flight....2 tickets round trip for $368!!!!! Our Family of 3 (1 lap baby) saved $175!! I prayed really hard before and it worked!!

 

[ClanHarrison]

Wow, that's wonderful news!

When I came across your thread I looked like this because I thought you had cut it pretty close booking so close to your trip. Now that I see you scored a good rate @ 30 dys. out (or did that prayer just come through for ya ), I'm trying to calm myself down, still being over 4 mths. out from our travel date, because I've been going crazy with worry because my rates have not moved since being released in Dec.

Glad it worked out for you. Now. Will you send one of those prayers up for me too (just joking).