Southwest schedule question

[NurseJes]

Sorry, I know this has likely been asked, but I have searched for a good hour and still can't find the answer. When will SW release the schedule for June 6-20, 2012? I have heard six months before, I have also heard the October before. Also, when do SW tickets seem to be the cheapest? When they first come out? If I can't get them for less than or about $75 pp each way for my party of 4 adults from Austin, we will drive the 20 hours...and I so do not want to do that.

Thanks!

Oh, now I am going to post this and when I click out, the answer will magically be right before my eyes-in the place I've been searching for an hour. LOL

 

[mlnbabies]

I'm planning a Dec. 2012 trip and I know that the schedule isn't out. I would think about 6 months before. The tickets were $129 from Aus to MCO. I live in Temple so I have been checking. I just found this:
Copied from the TRAVEL TOOLS section of SWA's website:

"We are currently accepting air reservations through November 4, 2011. On May 24, we will open our schedule for sale through January 6, 2012. This date is subject to change! Please check back frequently."

 

[lyonking3]

They only post there schedule about 9 month ahead of time. Just check back. It will alwasy tell you what date their schedule is up thru

 

[DebbieB]

Sorry, I know this has likely been asked, but I have searched for a good hour and still can't find the answer. When will SW release the schedule for June 6-20, 2012? I have heard six months before, I have also heard the October before. Also, when do SW tickets seem to be the cheapest? When they first come out? If I can't get them for less than or about $75 pp each way for my party of 4 adults from Austin, we will drive the 20 hours...and I so do not want to do that.

Thanks!

Oh, now I am going to post this and when I click out, the answer will magically be right before my eyes-in the place I've been searching for an hour. LOL

If $75 is your limit, you will likely be driving.

Using their low fare calculator the lowest prices from Austin currently are:

June-August $109
September-November $129

 

[mdsd8700]

We always fly from Chicago, a bit further than Austin, however airfare has been very high this year and although it has been possible to get some deals we were not fortunate enough to be among them. Our trip in June for the 4 us is the highest we have paid and although it did come down some and we have a credit waiting for our November trip, I am not sure $75 pp each way is possible with the current cost of gas. However you never know. Good luck and I hope you are able to get what you want!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Also, when do SW tickets seem to be the cheapest? When they first come out?

Yes. The cheapest fares sell out quickly.

 

[Jestocost]

Sorry, I know this has likely been asked, but I have searched for a good hour and still can't find the answer. When will SW release the schedule for June 6-20, 2012? I have heard six months before, I have also heard the October before. Also, when do SW tickets seem to be the cheapest? When they first come out? If I can't get them for less than or about $75 pp each way for my party of 4 adults from Austin, we will drive the 20 hours...and I so do not want to do that.

Thanks!

Oh, now I am going to post this and when I click out, the answer will magically be right before my eyes-in the place I've been searching for an hour. LOL

No way to tell for sure. You can make a guess based on Historical Release Dates. The last couple of years June dates have come out in November or December. Prior to that it was later.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

If you go to the SWA website, scroll to the bottom and click on Travel Tools. At the top of the Travel Tools page, it will tell you when SWA will release their next dates.

Here is what is says currently:

We are currently accepting air reservations through November 4, 2011. On May 24, we will open our schedule for sale through January 6, 2012. This date is subject to change! Please check back frequently.

My guess is that June 2012 won't be released until late summer/early fall.

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

Yes. The cheapest fares sell out quickly.

The cheapest fares come out a couple to a few weeks after the schedule has been extended via sales. Sign up for email updates for Tuesday notifications of weekly sale fares, usually good til Thursday of that week.

 

[Jestocost]

The cheapest fares come out a couple to a few weeks after the schedule has been extended via sales. Sign up for email updates for Tuesday notifications of weekly sale fares, usually good til Thursday of that week.

Depends when you are flying. If you are flying at peak times, my experience has been that the lowest fares (certainly not "cheap" in this day and age) are out on the release date and only go up from there. We have flown at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring Break the past few years and fares have only gone up after the release dates for any of our flights. If you are flying at off-peak times and have connecting vs. non-stop flights, the chances are that you will see one or more rounds of fare sales before you travel.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Depends when you are flying. If you are flying at peak times, my experience has been that the lowest fares (certainly not "cheap" in this day and age) are out on the release date and only go up from there. We have flown at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring Break the past few years and fares have only gone up after the release dates for any of our flights.

This has been our experience as well. I bought tickets for our October trip the day they came out and they have done nothing but go up since.

In the past, I have been able to take advantage of price reductions about 60-90 days before our trip. I am not anticipating any such luck for this trip.

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

Depends when you are flying. If you are flying at peak times, my experience has been that the lowest fares (certainly not "cheap" in this day and age) are out on the release date and only go up from there. We have flown at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring Break the past few years and fares have only gone up after the release dates for any of our flights. If you are flying at off-peak times and have connecting vs. non-stop flights, the chances are that you will see one or more rounds of fare sales before you travel.

I fly SWA once or twice a month, and never book on release day and always book cheaper fares than are available on that day. Of course, MCO is not the only destination SWA flies, and even those fares are usually cheaper a few weeks later. I make a point not to travel near holidays. I also check email fare sales every Tuesday, and any other time I get notification from SWA of a sale, including DING! sales. DING! sales have not been all that prolific lately, but there are surprises occasionally.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

I fly SWA once or twice a month, and never book on release day and always book cheaper fares than are available on that day. Of course, MCO is not the only destination SWA flies, and even those fares are usually cheaper a few weeks later. I make a point not to travel near holidays. I also check email fare sales every Tuesday, and any other time I get notification from SWA of a sale, including DING! sales. DING! sales have not been all that prolific lately, but there are surprises occasionally.

It may have something to do with where you fly out of. Flying from PHX, this is not always my experience. I also get SWA emails, sale notifications and DINGS.

 

[Sue (mom of 3 boys!)]

We tend to book the day the fares come out. Where we fly from (Manchester NH), there aren't many non-stop flights in or out of MCO, so we book for the schedule.
Typically, when we book, they never go down, but we usually fly during peak times. For our next trip in January (not peak time) we will book for the schedule again, then take advantage of a fare drop if it comes available.