Southwest is CRAZY

[nmanning19]

I want to book 3 people for a flight from Providence in September, I called and they told me that they would have to give me two different fare. One for $117 one way and two for $128. What the heck is this all about? I asked if they were short on seats and she said NO.

 

[denegate]

Try booking it online and you should pay the same for all.

 

[emmabelle]

They have a certain number of seats at a certain fare. I've had it happen to me and I've actually booked three people on one itinerary and the fourth on a seperate one just to take advantage of a low fare for at least part of our group. For me it was a Ding and I got three seats at $49 and I ended up paying $69 for the fourth seat.

 

[conniehar90]

Try booking it online and you should pay the same for all.

Yes, if you select 3 passengers on-line you will pay the same price, but it will be the $128 or more. They have one seat left at the cheaper price.

 

[ancestry]

This is actually normal. As others have explained, there are only so many seats available at a certain price. So there was one seat left at the lower price when you called and the additional two seats were at the next price up. Hope that makes sense.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Yes, if you select 3 passengers on-line you will pay the same price, but it will be the $128 or more. They have one seat left at the cheaper price.

Ya gotta be QUICK with SW, but a great airline!!

 

[richmo]

Yes, if you select 3 passengers on-line you will pay the same price, but it will be the $128 or more. They have one seat left at the cheaper price.

That is correct. It was actually nice of them to offer you the lower fare on the one ticket. Online they would have charged you the $128 for all of them.

When I look at SW prices, I generally look for one person fares even if more of us are going. Then if a higher rate shows for all of us, I've split the itinerary to get some of the seats at the lower price.

 

[TheWog]

Happened to us on JetBlue. We got two seats at the lower fare and paid $40 more for the remaining seat. They sell so many in each fare class. When sold out you are out of luck.

 

[disneyag]

Actually, many airlines do this--only sell a certain number of seats at the cheapest price.

 

[nmanning19]

Where do you see how many seats are left?

 

[ancestry]

Where do you see how many seats are left?

I don't believe you (as in the public) can see that for southwest flights.

 

[richmo]

Where do you see how many seats are left?

You don't, directly. Start at 1 and keep bumping up the number until they don't give you the lower fare.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

Everybody is right.

Legally the airlines can charge up to 14 different fares for the coach class seats.....and modify the prices up to 3 times a day....and this is for each FLIGHT.

I remember learning this in a life - long ago - when I was a travel agent....I thought it was NUTS back then and still do!

 

[miss missy]

Where do you see how many seats are left?

you dont "see" how many are at what price online. They only way to tell is to put in 1 passenger and see what price comes up, then do it again for 2, and so on, you'll see it change when they run out of that price tier

 

[richmo]

you dont "see" how many are at what price online. They only way to tell is to put in 1 passenger and see what price comes up, then do it again for 2, and so on, you'll see it change when they run out of that price tier

Which is basically what I said, but said a little better.

When you do this, you should be aware that you're going to need to break into at least two itineraries. If you have two flying at rate $x and two at rate $y, you're going to get two itinerary numbers. Thats no problem, except you'll have to remember to check both in the day before your flight. Of course, you'll wind up with two different boarding positions, but they shouild be reasonably close, and I wouldn't think you'd have any problem sitting together on the plane, unless you're buried in the C group, in which case you'd have problems anyway.

Plus, you need to keep in mind your return trip. I don't think you can have two flying an itinerary one way and four on the return. With Southwest, I usually book one way itineraries only, so this isn't an issue.