Southwest for School Vacation Weeks

[Bowen9475]

Who has had luck booking tickets on Southwest out of Providence or Hartford to Orlando for February or April school vacation weeks? When did you buy? What did you pay? What dates are you flying? I am thinking ahead to next year. Thank you!

 

[debster812]

Bowen,

I tried last year, I mean I really tried to book SWA, but I just could not stand the waiting game. I find that what I'm paying for Delta Song is comparable to what a good SWA fare would be, and I know exactly when I can purchase them

With SWA it's almost like a crap shoot, as we never know exactly when they will be releasing their fares.

Sorry to not be of much help.

Debbie

 

[dznyntnh]

To book SWA for just about ANY flight on a school vacation week, you need to really check 2 or 3 times a day until they post those dates and then grab 'em cuz they go fast.

We were looking to get tix from MHT to LAX for this April and when the flights posted in January (or December, can't remember), I grabbed them right away. I went back less than an hour later to try to make a change and the only thing left were the most expensive flights.

Rule of thumb is they post flights about 6 months out, so you need to just keep on checking

 

[DANAW]

I just did exactly this recently. I posted on a newsgroup if anyone knew when SW would release their dates (for our April '05 trip). Someone posted not only the date, but the time frame....That day, I was online, refreshing my Southwest page every few minutes...I must have been one of the first to book, and still ended up paying $312 per person round trip from Hartford to Orlando during Spring Break week. The rate never came down, and in a few weeks, all flights were totally booked. I thought I was going to do better than that price, but the lower rates were not available when they released their newer dates. I started checking rates on Song this past summer for Spring Break, and they were through the roof, and NEVER came down. However, I have learned if you book at midnight with Song the earliest date you can (I think its a year in advance or so), you can get a pretty good rate. People in the past have gotten credits on SW when the rates have come down, but during Spring Break week, the rates never dropped.

 

[Ms. Belle]

I booked for April 16-25 on SWA in November I think. I was checking the SW site several times a day and finally the flights opened up. By the time I got to it though, BDL was pretty much all booked up except for the most expensive flights. I quickly switched to PVD, but I'm leaving on a 6pm flight on the 16th and coming home on a 6am on the 25th. I paid around $170pp round trip. Then I have to drive from Providence to CT and get my son to school in time to complete a half day! But that was the best I could do, everything booked up fast. Song was way too expensive right from the time I started looking, which I think was last September, they wanted over $300pp round trip, no way! I've never flown from PVD or been on SWA before, so this will be a whole new experience for me.

 

[magsmom]

If you can go a couple of days early/late, you can generally do better with flight times and fares. Saturday-Saturday flights go very quickly on SWA in general.

I was really surprised how quickly the week of June 25-July 4 was taken from BDL. Cheap seats were gone within a couple of hours.

 

[yogibigdog]

Southwest tickets for April 16th went on sale appox. noon time on Dec. 9th.
I had been checking 3 or 4 times a day. When I went back on at 12:30 all the low rates were already gone. I had to pay full fare from PVD to MCO flying Sat. the following Sunday. At least I got the flight times I wanted. They had a few fares at lower rates for very early or very late but I have two young child and two grandmothers going so the times were important to me. So they lowest fare flights were booked (or blocked) within minutes of the schedule opening out. It is a waiting game but Delta and others wanted $200 to $300 more for a non-stop flight.

DANAW - What newsgroup did you post your message on?

 

[Kira G.]

I must have gotten lucky.

After Southeast went out of business last year (and I didn't find out until end of December!) I had to scramble to get my Prez week's tix on Dec. 31. I flew out on Airtran for $79 on Sat. 2/19, and flew back on SWA for $119 on Sun 2/27. I had not found ANYTHING like these prices in Sept. when I had originally booked tickets. If fact I saved a big $4 over my Southeast tickets! (and got fully refunded, thank goodness)

 

[DANAW]

Yogibigdog,
Don't feel too bad. The lowest rates must have been blocked for Spring Break week. We are leaving on a Thursday, and coming home Sunday. I booked within minutes of the new dates being released on line, and paid the $312 I posted earlier.
I had posted my question on rec.arts.disney.parks

 

[yogibigdog]

Don't feel too bad. The lowest rates must have been blocked for Spring Break week. We are leaving on a Thursday, and coming home Sunday. I booked within minutes of the new dates being released on line, and paid the $312 I posted earlier.
I had posted my question on rec.arts.disney.parks

When I saw the rates were gone I called to see if I could get the senior rates. They too were already gone. When I spoke to the SW agent she said it had only been about 20 mins. since the new dates were available. I always wondered in the cheaper rates were blocked. I think I paid $385 non-stop with the times I wanted. I don't think that's too bad for spring break. I would have loved to get the lowest rate. Thanks for the info on the rec art website. I will check it out. Have a great vacation!