Southwest Flight Sold Out in an Hour?

[Mich Mouse]

I find this extremely difficult to believe as we travel in late August every year and the flights aren't ever full!

Yesterday I woke up and purchased our flights for a Wednesday arrival and return in late August and the flights sold out in an hour.

My BIL tried to book them at 7:30 am and was not happy. He said he called and they said there were seats being 'saved' What does that even mean?

Is SW tiering release of these seats for some reason? Is sold out really sold out? I just can't believe it is. Even my Presidents Day tickets took a week to sell out.

 

[kamik86]

My first guess would be some type of big organization wants to fly out and are saving a bunch of seats. For example I once had to be on travel until just before spring breaking flying home the saturday when it started. Even worse my flight was going through BWI. The flight into BWI was maybe 90% school groups flying to BWI to go to DC. So if those school groups had booked early or had a block set up for the 90% of the seats they needed I think the other 10% could easily have sold out very very quickly. (Granted this wasn't the same situation as I definitely didn't book that trip that far in advance... maybe 1 month but not more then that)

 

[3happydancers]

I find this extremely difficult to believe as we travel in late August every year and the flights aren't ever full!

Yesterday I woke up and purchased our flights for a Wednesday arrival and return in late August and the flights sold out in an hour.

My BIL tried to book them at 7:30 am and was not happy. He said he called and they said there were seats being 'saved' What does that even mean?

Is SW tiering release of these seats for some reason? Is sold out really sold out? I just can't believe it is. Even my Presidents Day tickets took a week to sell out.

So glad I am not the only one experiencing this. I managed to get flights for my family but am having a hard time for DSIL! I also called asking about why all the non stop flight were showing sold out within the hour. The rep said they may have not been released yet. I am not sure about that answer. I wonder if they are cutting back on the amount they are offering and trying to push the connecting flights (at least here in Islip). By the way, we also fly out every August!!! and never had this problem!

 

[Mich Mouse]

So glad I am not the only one experiencing this. I managed to get flights for my family but am having a hard time for DSIL! I also called asking about why all the non stop flight were showing sold out within the hour. The rep said they may have not been released yet. I am not sure about that answer. I wonder if they are cutting back on the amount they are offering and trying to push the connecting flights (at least here in Islip). By the way, we also fly out every August!!! and never had this problem!

I am on Long Island as well

I think we will see these flights open up for a high price in the next few weeks. Or flights were sold for 109.00 but we used our SW points for travel this time. Amazing deal for my family but my BIL and is family are now stuck either going to JFK or connecting on SW.

 

[3happydancers]

I am on Long Island as well

I think we will see these flights open up for a high price in the next few weeks. Or flights were sold for 109.00 but we used our SW points for travel this time. Amazing deal for my family but my BIL and is family are now stuck either going to JFK or connecting on SW.

Howdie!!! I sure hope they do open flights. We got our flights for the same price 109.00 (paid with rewards-GOOD MINDS THINK ALIKE). Our return flights are higher; 144.00 but I was happy just to get a flight. But, I am having a problem with DSIL's flight. She is coming home on a different day but I could not get her a flight for that day (a Sunday). I booked a Saturday (1 day early but not happy about that) just to make sure she had transportation home. The offered connecting flights but she if traveling alone and fears those flights (can't blame her). The only non stop never opened up. I was online when flights first opened.

I see your BIL is having the same problem. Very frustrating. We've been flying the same time every year for the last 8 years and never encountered this problem.

I looked into future dates, and it appears SWA is doing the same for many of the non stop Wanna Get Away flights. I wonder what they are up to?

 

[3happydancers]

I am on Long Island as well

I think we will see these flights open up for a high price in the next few weeks. Or flights were sold for 109.00 but we used our SW points for travel this time. Amazing deal for my family but my BIL and is family are now stuck either going to JFK or connecting on SW.

By the way, I see you are a fellow DVC Member. Our home is AKL. How about you?

 

[Disneygirl NY]

I was also looking at the flights out of Islip yesterday. We are going to try and fly into Tampa Aug. 17 to catch a Yankee game, then drive over to WDW that evening for a week. When the flights opened yesterday, there was 1 (!) non stop flight to Tampa on 8/17 and it gets in after the game starts. The flights to Orlando that day only showed 1 "Gotta get away" fare and the other 2 nonstops were "sold out". So frustrating. I love flying out of ISP and I like SW, but between the high fares and the lack of flights, it's getting harder to do.

 

[3happydancers]

I was also looking at the flights out of Islip yesterday. We are going to try and fly into Tampa Aug. 17 to catch a Yankee game, then drive over to WDW that evening for a week. When the flights opened yesterday, there was 1 (!) non stop flight to Tampa on 8/17 and it gets in after the game starts. The flights to Orlando that day only showed 1 "Gotta get away" fare and the other 2 nonstops were "sold out". So frustrating. I love flying out of ISP and I like SW, but between the high fares and the lack of flights, it's getting harder to do.

This is not a good sign. We also fly out of Islip. I already told DH that we should start considering other alternatives like driving down. I'd rather that then driving into JFK or LGA. Just to far for us!

 

[mikehn]

It is not unusual for 'wanna get away fares' to toggle back and forth from a 'sold out' status. They will probably be available tomorrow.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

It is not unusual for 'wanna get away fares' to toggle back and forth from a 'sold out' status. They will probably be available tomorrow.

OP said the flight was sold out. I assumed that meant every fare class.

 

[3happydancers]

OP said the flight was sold out. I assumed that meant every fare class.

I can only speak for the flights I looked for out of Islip. Just about every
Wanna Get Away Non-Stop flights were listed as sold out yet had seats available in the other classes. Maybe this is what OP meant. Honestly, I find it hard to believe that ALL the Wanna Get Away seats were sold out the minute flights opened (I was online at that time and these flights were never an option-only the connecting flights with the exception of one or two non-stop) I've been flying SWA for about 8 years now at the same time of year and have never encountered this.

 

[NotUrsula]

The flight didn't sell out; the existing WGA fare bucket did. Wanna Get Away seats are offered based on demand; the more demand there is, the fewer of them there will be.

The fare-bucket system adjusts in real-time, so the lowest-fare bucket to/from resort destinations pretty much always sells out the first day of release, because the initial date of release is a day of temporarily-increased purchase traffic.

Unless the flight TOTALLY sells out (no seats available at ANY price, which is quite unusual except on very busy holiday travel days), then WGA fares will become available again as purchasing slows down.

 

[Disneylover99]

The flight didn't sell out; the existing WGA fare bucket did. Wanna Get Away seats are offered based on demand; the more demand there is, the fewer of them there will be.

The fare-bucket system adjusts in real-time, so the lowest-fare bucket to/from resort destinations pretty much always sells out the first day of release, because the initial date of release is a day of temporarily-increased purchase traffic.

Unless the flight TOTALLY sells out (no seats available at ANY price, which is quite unusual except on very busy holiday travel days), then WGA fares will become available again as purchasing slows down.

Thank you for this explanation. It makes total sense. Now I can tell my family why I didn't book our flights......the fare bucket ran out!

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

I was only able to get three of us on the 8am flight in August then it was sold out. I called and had us switched to the 11am flight so we could all fly together and I notice when we canceled the 8am flights they were available on the website. It seems they have very few seats for the wanna get away fare. For the return we paid $165 for 3 of us and the rest had to pay $196. That is really high for the end of August.

 

[Mich Mouse]

I called today to inquire about this and the SW agent told me that only 7 seats on my flight were sold at the Want to Get Away Price of 109.00.

But she couldn't explain why the entire flight was listed as sold out. It's just nonsensical.

 

[Mich Mouse]

By the way, I see you are a fellow DVC Member. Our home is AKL. How about you?

We own at BWV but are staying at BCV this time. Our favorite for summer trips. Love AKV and visit it every time we are in WDW. Sanna is my absolute favorite restaurant.

 

[61292cna]

what time of day are you looking, since I have found that later at night often works better, as if anyone has had to make changes, those seats are now back in the queque & there is little competition for them!!!

 

[hbsprite]

I booked 5 tickets on Southwest on the nonstop from Orlando to San Diego in August as soon as the new fares popped up. As soon as I booked, I checked again and the site listed "wanna get away" as "sold out". Business select and anytime are still available.

This leads me to believe that Southwest only had 5 seats available in wanna get away.

Rest assured assured that as time goes on, more likely than not, wanna get away fares will open up again. It might take a week or so of no one booking business select or anytime fares though.

 

[TamaraQT]

Yes, same thing happened to me last week. My return trip from MCO to PHL for July 26th, the WGA fare was sold out for 3 days then suddenly opened back up. And yes I do think they are starting to limit how many WGA fares they are selling on each flight. Slowly releasing less than 10 seats at a time to try to sell some of the other fares. But the WGA fares did open back up at $3more each. Was $138...then sold out...when opened back up it was $141. I thought maybe they had a sale or something when it happened to me since that has never happened. Looks like they may be the NORM now. Maybe they think we will buy tickets sooner and faster to avoid the possible sold out flights. It may be just intended for that. It's all about the dollar !!!

 

[sammysmom]

I am beside myself for our September trip. Do you think that they will open more? I have no idea what I am going to do.