Southwest - December Airfare

[tomandrobin]

FYI for anyone booking Southwest for December. Those dates are now available for booking!


We got our airfare for November and our December trips!

 

[LoveMickey]

Me toooooo soooo happy and a good rate for the first day.

 

[Starr W.]

You two might be the only ones other than myself that thought the SWA rates weren't bad. I already have a really good fare booked, so I was just snoopy on SWA.

Must be me but I am if I can get all 4 of us down to WDW on DIRECT FLIGHTS(I'll pay more not to stop somewhere) for $1000 or less, I budget much more for the holidays. I could have gotten SWA for under $1000 for Thanksgiving. We fly out of Detroit. (Plus I budget off the high end, ie legacy carriers).

Front page article in WSJ yesterday, that the competition is catching up to SWA, and what is their strategy going forward.

 

[disneyfan2kids]

If I book SWA for my dates and then (in a few months) they LOWER the price for my SAME dates...will SWA refund me or credit me the difference?

Let me know if any of you have gone through this. I'm not sure if I should just book now, or wait till the rates (possibly) come down. If I get a credit/refund if the fare decreases...I'll just book now!

Thanks for any help!

 

[ADP]

If you're going around the Christmas Holiday you'd better hurry. Those dates are going fast. Dec. 23rd - 31st are almost sold out from IND to MCO.

 

[Starr W.]

I don't think they are sold out, I just think they're blocking the lower fares right now. I am sure they would rather get more of those $338 RT tickets sold vs. $174 for 12/23-12-31.

 

[ADP]

I don't think they are sold out, I just think they're blocking the lower fares right now. I am sure they would rather get more of those $338 RT tickets sold vs. $174 for 12/23-12-31.

You might be right, but that hasn't been my past experience. When those lower fares become unavailable; typically that's it! From IND to MCO there are only 2 nonstop SW flights per day during that time period. Price is driven by supply and demand. With limited discounted seats and everyone off for Winter Break in Central Indiana it makes for a challenging situation.

 

[tomandrobin]

If I book SWA for my dates and then (in a few months) they LOWER the price for my SAME dates...will SWA refund me or credit me the difference?

Let me know if any of you have gone through this. I'm not sure if I should just book now, or wait till the rates (possibly) come down. If I get a credit/refund if the fare decreases...I'll just book now!

SWA will give you a credit. The strategy to use SWA for cheaper airfare is to book one way tickets, and if a ding comes out, change that portion of the airfare. If you book round trip, you have to change the entire reservation.

 

[lsutigerita]

SWA will credit the dollar amount and hold it for future travel unless you purchase a Refundable Anytime ticket. All discounted airfare is considered Non-Refundable. If you have to hold for future travel, when you go to purchase your next flight, you will have the option to apply the travel funds being held. Keep in mind that you have 11 months from the reservation date to use these funds.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

so bummed that it costs more for one-way flights that are booked separately for my dates- I have never had that problem before. It messes up my DING credit strategy.

It is the Internet One-way fares that I like to book and they are absent for my dates

 

[disneyfan2kids]

They're offering the internet one way fares for both segments of my trip. How do I go about purchasing them "separately" as you said?

 

[BroganMc]

Thanks for the tip! I was thinking these wouldn't come out until August. Just booked our flights for our New Year's trip. Got the value rate on the way down but had to pay $30 more on the way back. Still, our flights are booked now. $204.80 per person, round trip from BWI to MCO.

We arrive at 10:30am Dec 30 and leave at 5:55pm Jan 2. So I guess my New Year's celebration at SSR is carved in digital stone now.

Now if I need to cancel it for whatever reason, I can bank the dollars to use for my Vegas trip in May.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

They're offering the internet one way fares for both segments of my trip. How do I go about purchasing them "separately" as you said?

When you go on SWA there is a little One Way button that you have to select when you search for your flight.

I just went ahead and booked as RT- BroganMc- I almost booked the exact same flight as you but I decided to go one hour earlier.

 

[BroganMc]

I just went ahead and booked as RT- BroganMc- I almost booked the exact same flight as you but I decided to go one hour earlier.

I thought about the 7am flight but I know I'll never get up in time. Now I guess you'll get my room choice, eh?

 

[TenThousandVolts]

I thought about the 7am flight but I know I'll never get up in time. Now I guess you'll get my room choice, eh?

I promise if they offer me an HA room in the grandstand I will make them put your name on it! "She will be here in an hour" I'll say.

 

[tomandrobin]

We arrive at 10:30am Dec 30 and leave at 5:55pm Jan 2. So I guess my New Year's celebration at SSR is carved in digital stone now.

We booked the same return flight on the 2nd!

You taking your mohawk sporting dad again?

 

[BroganMc]

We booked the same return flight on the 2nd!

You taking your mohawk sporting dad again?

Absolutely! Not sure how spiffy the mohawk will be though. It's winter time here and he starts wearing knit caps for the football games. But we will be there with bells on. So when does the party start at SSR?

Oh, how many in your group?

 

[tomandrobin]

Absolutely! Not sure how spiffy the mohawk will be though. It's winter time here and he starts wearing knit caps for the football games. But we will be there with bells on. So when does the party start at SSR?

Oh, how many in your group?

There will be 5 of us and the party starts around 11 am on Dec 27th when we arrive at SSR!

 

[disneyfan2kids]

I'll be at SSR 12/28 - 01/05!!! What's NYE like there???

Got SWA for 4 people RT total $715 from Philly! I'm happy (still hoping for a ding and a credit though)... I can dream!

Even if I'm stuck with $715...that's better than alot of the other fares I've seen...so go me! YAY!

 

[tomandrobin]

I'll be at SSR 12/28 - 01/05!!! What's NYE like there???

Got SWA for 4 people RT total $715 from Philly! I'm happy (still hoping for a ding and a credit though)... I can dream!

Even if I'm stuck with $715...that's better than alot of the other fares I've seen...so go me! YAY!

We flew out of Philly last year on Dec 27th, it was nuts at the airport. We had an 8am flight, got to the airport at 5:30am and almost nissed the plane. we were last to board and we had "A" boarding passes.

$715 RT is really good, I wouldn't count on a ding fare for the 28th.

NYE is crazy, crazy, crazy busy and crowded! But Disney goes all out with the decorations and the festivities. This is our third year in a row going, we love it! The firwork shows are a wow!

Tip #1 Book your ADR asap. #2 Go to the parks first thing in the morning before they get too crowded. The parks will close due to capacity. #3 Go slow and enjoy all of the sights of the Holidays. Tip #4 The parks will get considerably less crowded after Jan 2nd.