Southwest odd question....

[MindyMouse76]

So we have flown Southwest before and always been very happy with them. Also love that we get the free checked bags. In the past we have always flown from Philadelphia to Orlando (PHL to MCO). The prices were not what I wanted to spend and kept searching. Flying from PHL to Tampa is the cheapest, but the car rental price didn't make it worth it at all. I then found that Baltimore to Orlando (BWI to MCO) is an acceptable price with lots of direct flight times available!!

Now, this is the odd thing. When I select 3 adults (since a child over 2 is counted as an adult), the return flight is 132 a person. When I go back and only select one adult, the price changes to 115. Ever see this before? Do I call them? Book just one adult and see what happens after that? Any advise would be great. Flight to Orlando is the same price regardless if I pick 1 adult or 3.

Also, never flown out of BWI before. Any advise?

Thanks!!

 

[kamik86]

This is actually a pretty common thing to see.

Flights have a certain number of seats at X price, then some at Y, others higher. As the plane fills the price tends to go up. If they find the plane isn't filling up that is when they lower the price.

So what your seeing is that there is 1 (or possibly 2) seat left at 115. Once that is booked the price will go up to 132. However if you put in multiple people and check prices they will give you the highest price you would pay if you did them all individually for each person, everyone on one confirmation number will pay the same price.

So lets say there is 1 seat at 115, 5 seats at 130, and 6 seats at 145.

If you put in 1 person you see 115 per person.
2-6 people you will see 130 per person.
7 or more and you will see 145 per person.

Now you could book one person for 115 and then book 2 more for 130. That would save you $15. But that would also mean having two different confirmation numbers to keep track of and check in. If you have EBCI to check you anyway or are willing to deal with having two numbers then this may be what you want to do.

 

[kamik86]

So we have flown Southwest before and always been very happy with them. Also love that we get the free checked bags. In the past we have always flown from Philadelphia to Orlando (PHL to MCO). The prices were not what I wanted to spend and kept searching. Flying from PHL to Tampa is the cheapest, but the car rental price didn't make it worth it at all. I then found that Baltimore to Orlando (BWI to MCO) is an acceptable price with lots of direct flight times available!!

Now, this is the odd thing. When I select 3 adults (since a child over 2 is counted as an adult), the return flight is 132 a person. When I go back and only select one adult, the price changes to 115. Ever see this before? Do I call them? Book just one adult and see what happens after that? Any advise would be great. Flight to Orlando is the same price regardless if I pick 1 adult or 3.

Also, never flown out of BWI before. Any advise?

Thanks!!

As for flying out of BWI. If the child you mention is small enought hat you definitely want to sit together this is one of the few times I would say you probably should get EBCI. BWI is a Southwest Hub, which means there is a good chance there will already be people on your flight. Also many of those on your flight will be connecting to your plane from another flight into BWI. When they check in at the 24 hour mark before there first flight they will be checked in to the BWI to MCO flight too. So even if you check in 24 hours before the BWI leg starts you could easily be placed into the high Bs.

 

[MindyMouse76]

What is EBCI? My daughter just turned 10. It will be myself, my husband and 10 year old daughter flying.

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

What is EBCI? My daughter just turned 10. It will be myself, my husband and 10 year old daughter flying.

Early Bird Check In
Pay $12.50 /pp each way and SW will book you in at the 36 hour mark (this gets you a better boarding position to pick your seats than if you go on at the 24 hour mark yourself to get your boarding position). We always pay this because we want to sit together. Some people think it's worth it (like us, especially since SW fares are already decent prices) but others don't (but if you don't book EBCI you shouldn't expect/demand to be sitting together, although still a good chance you can be together). It's a personal preference. I do think that since there are a lot of families flying into MCO for Disney that many of them will book EBCI? But that's just a guess on my part. For us, the $100 total round trip EBCI cost for four people is worth me being anxious about being separated on the plane My DD's are teens and probably don't care if they sit with us, lol, but the flight is part of the vacation experience to me and I'd like our family to be together on the plane HTH

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

........BWI is a Southwest Hub, which means there is a good chance there will already be people on your flight. .....

This isn't correct. Southwest doen't have hubs; they are a point to point airline.

 

[kamik86]

Early Bird Check In
Pay $12.50 /pp each way and SW will book you in at the 36 hour mark (this gets you a better boarding position to pick your seats than if you go on at the 24 hour mark yourself to get your boarding position). We always pay this because we want to sit together. Some people think it's worth it (like us, especially since SW fares are already decent prices) but others don't (but if you don't book EBCI you shouldn't expect/demand to be sitting together, although still a good chance you can be together). It's a personal preference. I do think that since there are a lot of families flying into MCO for Disney that many of them will book EBCI? But that's just a guess on my part. For us, the $100 total round trip EBCI cost for four people is worth me being anxious about being separated on the plane My DD's are teens and probably don't care if they sit with us, lol, but the flight is part of the vacation experience to me and I'd like our family to be together on the plane HTH

Normally I say don't book EBCI unless you won't be able to check in at 24 hours (so when I fly with DH he will generally only get it on the way home because on the way there we can always check in on time). However that is because normally without EBCI you can still get good enough to get a full row, just in the back. However for the reasons I listed above this is less likely at an airport like BWI or Chicago Midway where you have many SW connections. Those airports I would go for EBCI if you would be anxious about being separated.

 

[kamik86]

This isn't correct. Southwest doen't have hubs; they are a point to point airline.

Ok its not TECHNICALLY a hub. However there are ALOT of connections though BWI. Almost everywhere I have flown from my two small airports nearby to me involve going through either BWI or Chicago Midway.

Actually the only places I have gone directly are BWI, Midway and Orlando.

 

[LBIJim]

This isn't correct. Southwest doen't have hubs; they are a point to point airline.

A point to point airline with at least two places that act as de facto hubs, BWI and Chicago Midway.

 

[MommyMK]

As for flying out of BWI. If the child you mention is small enought hat you definitely want to sit together this is one of the few times I would say you probably should get EBCI. BWI is a Southwest Hub, which means there is a good chance there will already be people on your flight. Also many of those on your flight will be connecting to your plane from another flight into BWI. When they check in at the 24 hour mark before there first flight they will be checked in to the BWI to MCO flight too. So even if you check in 24 hours before the BWI leg starts you could easily be placed into the high Bs.

BWI is our home airport and never once have we flow on a flight that has originated anywhere other than BWI. We always fly Southwest.