SW - Anyone EXTEND & change flights while at Disney

[Dizz42]

Maybe Southwest experts can help me. Has anyone ever decided while at Disney to extend their vacation, got the room and everything then changed flights home? If so, how did you do it?

We usually drive and have some flexibility if we decide to stay a day or two. This is the first time we are flying (SW) and I wonder how close to your travel date you can make changes. I did book our departing and return flights separately.

 

[krismas29]

I always fly Southwest and you can change your flight anytime provided that they have availability. If you are travelling with a large group, you may not want to wait until the last minute to make the change though, lost of SW flights sell out. If you are within 7-days of your flight, you will have to pay full fare. (This can really hurt if you have gotten a $39 ding fare and need to upgrade to a $213 ticket each for 4 people .. happened to me in May 2005, ugh.)

Looking at your dates, if you are intending to fly home near Thanksgiving or New Years, you may have trouble with availabilty ... those flights sell out fast!

I have actually changed my flight after the flight I was supposed to be on had already taken off! I got stuck in traffic with a dead cell phone, so no way to call, I just didn't show up for the flight ... it was absolutely no problem, I was booked on the next available flight and paid for a full price ticket.

Gotta love SW's customer service!

 

[Dizz42]

Thanks much for your insight! As you surmised, we are scheduled to depart Disney after Thanksgiving, Tuesday, 11/28 but we have off work Wednesday. See where my devious Disney mind is headed? The $79 flights for Wednesday are wide open right now but I realize that may not be the case later on. If they still were available, would I be able to change to one of them or is it the policy that, within 7 days of travel, you have to pay full fare? It's only DH and myself. Just trying to be a good Girl Scout...you know, "Be Prepared".

 

[krismas29]

Well, if you are over 50% sure you will stay through Wednesday, I would book the tickets now. SW only sells a certain number of seats at each price point and so the less expensive seats can vanish well before the 7-day window begins.

What you can do is see what the most expensive ticket is right now (the fully refundable option) and figure out the difference between that and the $79 fare you currently have .. that will be your maximum change fee. It could be less if there are still lower priced seats available when you do change the flight.

I won't swear that this is always 100% true, but whenever I have been forced to buy the Refundable Anytime fare and have needed to change my flight (keeping the same itinerary) the new flight was never any more than I had already paid and sometimes I got some money refunded.

Hope this make sense. SW is the easiest airline to use imo ... and any money spent on a ticket is never "lost". If you find a cheaper flight, just rebook and the airline will hold the excess $$ for you to apply to your next ticket.

 

[Dizz42]

Thanks, again, Krismas29! I can't say for sure we'll extend so I wouldn't want to go with the refundable (higher) fare. Guess I will "wing it" and if all things fall into place to extend (mood, money, room, flight) we'll go with it. Just wasn't sure what SW's policy was about changing at the last minute.

I totally agree and was pleasantly surprised that SW doesn't whack you with a $50 change fee as other airlines do. Yes, they hold your funds but for us Disney-ites, there's always another trip in the planning stages.

Again, thanks for sharing.