Southwest issues..

[Disneygrl71]

We are flying out at the end of July with Southwest airlines from SDF. I have us on a nonstop at 11:30 am but I’m wondering, with all the issues they’re having, if I should move it to the 5:30 am just in case there’s any issues/cancellations.. that would give us two more nonstops that we could possibly get on.
I didn’t really want to arrive that early since our room probably wouldn’t be ready until later that day, but figured we could always go to Disney Springs and kill some time.
Thoughts on what I should do?

 

[Wandering Oaken]

We are flying out at the end of July with Southwest airlines from SDF. I have us on a nonstop at 11:30 am but I’m wondering, with all the issues they’re having, if I should move it to the 5:30 am just in case there’s any issues/cancellations.. that would give us two more nonstops that we could possibly get on.
I didn’t really want to arrive that early since our room probably wouldn’t be ready until later that day, but figured we could always go to Disney Springs and kill some time.
Thoughts on what I should do?

Go with the earlier flight and head to DS for shopping and stuff.

 

[Disneygrl71]

Go with the earlier flight and head to DS for shopping and stuff.

Thank you! I think I’m going to change it, plus it will credit us back almost 10,000 points.

I realized I should’ve posted this ? In the southwest thread, so I’ve added it there if the moderators want to close this one

 

[Ross Kratter]

The earlier in the day your flight is, the lesser the likelihood that it’s delayed, especially if it’s the first flight of the day, with the plane having been at the gate overnight.

 

[Stacybaeasm]

Fly early! We had so many problems on our return from Disney on Saturday. It was crazy and, unfortunately, we were on the last flight from Chicago to MSP so, when we almost missed it due to Southwest problems, we would have been stranded in Chicago for the night. Luckily, the Southwest problems continued on our next flight so we made it. Hmm..that's a weird sentence to type.

PS - I have NEVER experienced so many problems on a trip before. Southwest seemed to have a huge issue getting luggage loaded on planes on Saturday. It was crazy. Both of our flights were delayed by more than a half hour each due to luggage loading.

 

[FCDub]

I'll play the other side and say there's literally no way I'd choose a 5:30 a.m. flight unless it was my only option. That's 5 a.m. boarding, 4 a.m. at the LATEST arriving at the airport - and wayyyyy too early waking up.

 

[Wandering Oaken]

I'll play the other side and say there's literally no way I'd choose a 5:30 a.m. flight unless it was my only option. That's 5 a.m. boarding, 4 a.m. at the LATEST arriving at the airport - and wayyyyy too early waking up.

I completely understand. And if it were any other vacation then I wouldn't be getting up that early to get on a plane. But I want to get to Disney as early in the day on the first day as possible. The day we leave for Disney we are all up and out of the bed at 3:00 a.m. to get in the car to drive to the airport no later than 3:30 so we can arrive at the airport at around 4:00 a.m. Sometimes I'm not sure why my wife stays married to me.

 

[spiders]

There are a lot of benefits of an earlier flight but I wouldn’t personally worry about potential computer outages at the end of July.

Weather can always be an issue in the summer but the worst happens later in the day. There is never an issue getting into/out of SDF unless it’s 10pm Monday-Friday.

 

[NotUrsula]

I'll play the other side and say there's literally no way I'd choose a 5:30 a.m. flight unless it was my only option. That's 5 a.m. boarding, 4 a.m. at the LATEST arriving at the airport - and wayyyyy too early waking up.

The flaw in your logic is assuming that you are going to wake up to go to the airport, LOL. When the flight is THAT early, I take a nap the previous afternoon and just stay up all night. Once boarded, it's naptime again until the plane lands.

I'm so NOT a morning person, so the only time I'm awake at dawn is when I have an early plane to catch. The two-nap strategy works really well for me, and I essentially get an extra day of vacation out of it.

 

[_19disnA]

I'll play the other side and say there's literally no way I'd choose a 5:30 a.m. flight unless it was my only option. That's 5 a.m. boarding, 4 a.m. at the LATEST arriving at the airport - and wayyyyy too early waking up.

I agree, even if you live very close to the airport, you are talking about having to get up at some ridiculous time. I think you need to consider that when you first purchase your ticket. Getting up at 2-3 am isn't my idea of how to start off a vacation and then you are already exhausted by the time you reach your destination. Some people who take very early flights spend the night at the airport hotel. Extra expense, but then at least you are already there for those early flights.

Any flight can be delayed for one of several reasons (i.e. bad weather, congestion, maintenance, etc.) The fact you have an early vs late flight isn't going to prevent any of those random things from happening.

 

[FCDub]

The flaw in your logic is assuming that you are going to wake up to go to the airport, LOL. When the flight is THAT early, I take a nap the previous afternoon and just stay up all night. Once boarded, it's naptime again until the plane lands.

I'm so NOT a morning person, so the only time I'm awake at dawn is when I have an early plane to catch. The two-nap strategy works really well for me, and I essentially get an extra day of vacation out of it.

Staying up all night sounds even worse to me! But to each their own.

 

[DL1WDW2]

I’ll give you even more crazy advice… recent mid-day SW Tuesday July 6 from DAL to MCO… only 1 person behind me still to board and phone conversation She was offered $900 and free flight later to give up her seat… I thought to myself I wouldn’t volunteer to sit in this airport for any amount of future credit! Plus I had A-18 boarding on Thursday before July 4 trip and now I am A-listed at B-58! I also overheard 6 flight crew members hoping to get on this flight when I was sitting by the check in counter….

So in future I would fly out early to avoid the current problems with air transport including everything delay you can imagine for all reasons .

Plus I was so worried I booked a just in case flight later that night at 9 p.m. And another first flight out next morn at 6 a.m. using my SW points for quick book & cancel guarantee.
I usually fly out first flight and will from now on..
Plus I like your suggestion to nap.

 

[HeartOfTeFiti]

The flaw in your logic is assuming that you are going to wake up to go to the airport, LOL. When the flight is THAT early, I take a nap the previous afternoon and just stay up all night. Once boarded, it's naptime again until the plane lands.

I'm so NOT a morning person, so the only time I'm awake at dawn is when I have an early plane to catch. The two-nap strategy works really well for me, and I essentially get an extra day of vacation out of it.

I love this idea! Totally stealing it!

 

[spiders]

I agree, even if you live very close to the airport, you are talking about having to get up at some ridiculous time. I think you need to consider that when you first purchase your ticket. Getting up at 2-3 am isn't my idea of how to start off a vacation and then you are already exhausted by the time you reach your destination. Some people who take very early flights spend the night at the airport hotel. Extra expense, but then at least you are already there for those early flights.

Any flight can be delayed for one of several reasons (i.e. bad weather, congestion, maintenance, etc.) The fact you have an early vs late flight isn't going to prevent any of those random things from happening.

Getting out early does help avoid weather, congestion, and maintenance. Severe weather over the actual airport will obviously have a negative impact regardless of the time but it's the weather that's further away that causes the issues along with congestion. If there's no weather than the airspace may be able to accommodate more airplanes than the airport's runways can ever handle but if there is severe weather 50 miles south then instead of taking 2-4 airplanes out through the south they're going to have to only take 1 or reroute them entirely to the east/west . Minor maintenance issues from the night before can also be handled on the ground overnight.

 

[disny_luvr]

I think generally earlier in the day the better, but my sister did just fly to Denver this morning and both her nonstop flight and the earlier nonstop flight (6:40) were both delayed.

 

[ttfn3]

I would say yes. My Husband would say no. He would not be a happy person to have to get up that early for an early flight to Orlando.

 

[DL1WDW2]

I hope these comments are updated with most recent examples… knowing the origin of your flight is important. Currently Las Vegas extreme heat and wind is causing weekend delays. The airplanes cannot take off safely.
FAA is recommending you keep updated with your current airline announcement