Southwest...when is enough, enough?

[DanenRox]

I'm wondering...is there a point when a travel date is approaching that Southwest will no longer reduce or Ding down rates? How close to a flight will SWA continue to cut costs? At what point do I resign myself to a price and no longer need to check rates?

 

[beccasmom]

Personally, I have found the best fares during times of relatively slower travel - mid-January to mid-February (except for the MLK holiday and Presidents' Day holiday), May, most of June, mid-September to mid-November. Fewer people travel during these times because of school schedules. It would be rare to get a DING! fare during Spring Break, IMHO. We try to visit in mid-June and are usually successful in booking a good fare. We've also taken trips in Early February and early November because we saw a great DING! fare. Conversely, we booked a 2-for-1 fare on Amtrak about 5 years ago during Spring Break (our only visit by train). Not surprisingly, the train was mobbed.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

DEC trip about 30 days out and haven't seen anything cheaper.$122 Rt total

Oct trip was 12 days before leaving and got a small reduction.$112 RT total.

I only watch for Dings and the E-mail sales so I don't check every day unless my fares are over $150 One-way .

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I've noticed that about 2-3 weeks prior to our flights that there's no change in prices at all. I still keep checking just in case though; I can't help it!

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

In watching the DING fares for our last trip to MCO...the 7 day mark was when I saw nothing lower offered. Sometimes you see travel days that still includes travel less than 7 days, but usually when you actually try to check the fare is will show it's not available and offer flights in the higher priced tiers.

 

[DVC Grammy]

Our Dings for Jan 16th and 31st ($44/ow) came during the Thanksgiving weekend. Since then, the lowest I've seen for our flights are $59/ow, and that was for SW's internet special. Although I'm still hoping for a "surprise Ding" (last year we got $24/ow for our Jan trip! ), it's getting close: 38 more days!

 

[DonnaL]

I also got our Ding's for our mid January trip about a month ago at $44 ow from PHL and same for return MCO to PHL. Total is $110 rd trp. There's a Ding up right now PHL/MCO and MCO/PHL but I think it's either $84 or $89.....far cry from $44......for the same flights we're on. I've found in the past the best prices I get are about six weeks to two months out. I book pretty much as soon as my dates are released and then just keep checking for Sales and Dings and get the ticketless travel funds for the next trip. However, this time I didn't do that because I was already sitting on almost $700 in credits that needed to be used by end of March, 2007 and I knew we would only be taking one trip before then and not travelling much for the rest of 2007.

 

[vacation dreamer]

I'm wondering...is there a point when a travel date is approaching that Southwest will no longer reduce or Ding down rates? How close to a flight will SWA continue to cut costs? At what point do I resign myself to a price and no longer need to check rates?

I booked a flight for the last weekend in October and it went from $180.00 r/t to $118.00 6 days before our departure.

 

[vacation dreamer]

In watching the DING fares for our last trip to MCO...the 7 day mark was when I saw nothing lower offered. Sometimes you see travel days that still includes travel less than 7 days, but usually when you actually try to check the fare is will show it's not available and offer flights in the higher priced tiers.

My suggestion to all is not to always depend on a Ding........check the flight schedules for your flights regulary

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I also got our Ding's for our mid January trip about a month ago at $44 ow from PHL and same for return MCO to PHL. Total is $110 rd trp. There's a Ding up right now PHL/MCO and MCO/PHL but I think it's either $84 or $89.....far cry from $44......for the same flights we're on. I've found in the past the best prices I get are about six weeks to two months out. I book pretty much as soon as my dates are released and then just keep checking for Sales and Dings and get the ticketless travel funds for the next trip. However, this time I didn't do that because I was already sitting on almost $700 in credits that needed to be used by end of March, 2007 and I knew we would only be taking one trip before then and not travelling much for the rest of 2007.

Donna, You can call SWA and get a 6 mo. extension on your credits. Here is their customer service ph. #214-792-4223. The only difference is that extended credits can't be booked online. You have to buy tix, take the flight then mail in your extended credits with your itinerary to prove that you flew. They will mail you a check I believe. I've never done this but I've learned this here on the DIS. I will be doing it for credits that exp. in Jan and we're flying in Feb.
Good excuse to book a fall trip!

 

[Mickdeb]

Actually, you can now use the 6 month extension SW Luv travel vouchers to book online. I just received my vouchers(ticketless travel funds were expiring) and used them to book online for a trip in April. It is best to request them fairly close to your ticketless travel fund expiration, so you can get a full six months to use them. I requested my extension on November 15, 2006 and they will expire May 31,2007.

So glad you can use them instead of waiting and wondering when you will get reimbursed.

Hope this helps.
Deb

 

[DanenRox]

It's just under 4 weeks before travel and the fares FINALLY reduced..not a ding, but a drop in fare...$59.00 now each way. Very, very nice. Now I can stop checking SWA three times a day.

 

[WDWCPAlumni]

You know what I did??
I purchased our seats the day they became available, the cheapest I could. We were buying for 6 of us. Then when the price got cheaper I changed my flight from the original price to the new price. It didnt cost me anything to change,,,,,,,,,,,,,now by doing that I have a $630 credit with them. So I ended up pretty much paying for two trips at once, we will just use the credit next year to go back, and we got annual passes. You are sure to get the cheapest rate that way.......if you keep waiting you could end up paying much more then saving anything.
Be careful.