Southwest Opening January Schedule - June 22, questions

[anniepoppins]

Hi there. We took our first Southern Caribbean cruise with Disney in Feb of 2016. We were too late to get the Wanna Get Away fares to Puerto Rico so our airfare was expensive. This time around we booked the new itinerary on Jan 28, 2018 including Bonnaire, Aruba and St. Lucia. I'm told the rest of the January schedule will open up for flights on Southwest on June 22. This time we want to be sure to get the lowest fares when they open. Does anyone have experience with Southwest booking on days when the schedule first opens up? Is it at midnight or during the daytime hours, what is the process? Thanks for helping to save $$$.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Hi there. We took our first Southern Caribbean cruise with Disney in Feb of 2016. We were too late to get the Wanna Get Away fares to Puerto Rico so our airfare was expensive. This time around we booked the new itinerary on Jan 28, 2018 including Bonnaire, Aruba and St. Lucia. I'm told the rest of the January schedule will open up for flights on Southwest on June 22. This time we want to be sure to get the lowest fares when they open. Does anyone have experience with Southwest booking on days when the schedule first opens up? Is it at midnight or during the daytime hours, what is the process? Thanks for helping to save $$$.

In my experience, it's usually sometime in the morning. One time I was trying to book on opening day, and it was as late as 11:00am. But I usually see them open by the time I check at 9:00 or 9:30. Unlike DCL, opening day pricing on SW isn't always the cheapest, especially if I'm traveling sometime other than peak times like Christmas or spring break. I usually book on opening day if my vacation plans are set, but then I keep checking the fares. Quite often, I can find a lower fare a few weeks, or even a few months, later. Luckily, I fly often enough that I can use the credits I get when I change my flights to the lower fare.

Good luck!

 

[Kirk]

They opened the December schedule on May 18th and I booked at around 7 AM. I have a confirmation email time-stamped at 7:24 AM CST.

 

[Mark D.]

We've booked opening day on Southwest quite a bit. I'm not sure what time of day they open, but we've never seen much fluctuation on prices during the first couple of days unless it's a high-demand route, like to Nashville to Orlando during fall break. High demand routes you will want to book ASAP. Their fares will fluctuate some -- usually going up as the plane fills, but they will drop quite often too. Only in one case did I see the price drop enough to make it worth rebooking for me. That was something like a $75 per ticket drop -- when you have four tickets, that adds up. If it's just $5-$10 dollars a ticket, I may not bother. Depends on if we are flying again soon.

About rebooking -- if you aren't familiar with Southwest, if the price drops, you can change your reservation with no fees and rebook the exact same flight and get refunded the difference. The type of refund will vary, based on if you used points, a full price fare, or a Wanna Get Away fare. If you book with points, the difference in points is fully refunded to your account. Full fare tickets get a full refund of the price difference. Wanna Get Away refunds are done as credits -- you would get a credit that can be used toward another ticket, but that credit has to be used for travel within one year of the date of purchase of the original ticket. For example, if you bought a ticket on June 22, 2017, then got a refund credit, you would to take (not just book - but take) another flight before June 22, 2018 to use the credit.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

We booked ours on the morning of opening day. I can't say exactly what time it was when I first saw that the fares were available, but something like 8 or 9AM, not midnight the day before.

Just to add our experience to that of others, my flights from Providence to MCO didn't change much for a week, and then crept up some. My sister, from Baltimore to MCO, the time/day she chose was sold out in 24 hours and the second best time doubled in price within 24 hours. So I think shooting for opening day is wise.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

We book often on opening day as our route from a small regional airport in the Northeast to Orlando during school breaks etc. only goes up from the first hour onward. I can tell you from first hand experience the schedule open anytime from 6am to 7 am Eastern Standard time. We have gotten some great rates this way. Later in the morning, the best prices are gone.

 

[taggie4]

Hi! I am on the same cruise out of San Juan on January 28. We also do Southwest and was wondering the same thing about opening day. My thought was it's not worth staying up until midnight since they don't guarantee they are released then. Will probably plan to check for fights opening morning. San Juan has their big holiday early in January and it goes for a while. So glad I'm not cruising then, fares look high for early January. What city are you flying from? We'll be coming from the DC area.