SW March 13+ release time?

[RoyalCanadian]

I was pleasantly surprised with the BUF to MCO flights ... we got nonstop for $144 each way ... so for seven of us it is costing $2164.40.

Methinks we might be on the same flight to MCO on 13 March -- because those are looking like my exact numbers too. We're doing the layover in BWI on the return trip home on 19 March.

checked with West Jet out of Toronto to Orlando and it would cost us $7809.97 Can you imagine paying that much just to fly??? I can't justify that at all!! So to me we got an AMAZING deal!!!!! Airfare in Canada is awful with all of the taxes and add-ons!!!! CRAZEEEE!!!

I did the same thing -- but didn't look @ Westjet. I used Kayak.com to find the cheapest flights YYZ-MCO on the same days and around the same times. They are showing $549 US for United. That's a savings of $244 for each ticket.

I'm doing a little superiority dance here. The Southwest fares for # 865 on 13 March are up to $291 US. It so pays to be able to watch and wait for the fares on the release date!

 

[jel0511]

I booked 4 tickets PHL to MCO for 79 each way for spring break!!!!! was going to use a free ticket for one of them, but couldn't get the new dates to load when trying to book a free ticket. With all the SW credits we had I'm paying a little over 600 for 4 tickets for spring break!!!!!!!

 

[Bambi222]

Ok, I am over my initial shock and I guess it is not so bad, but it would figure that the day we need to return is the most expensive day of the whole month of march.

We got flights there for 84 each- March 7th, then return is 174 each, plus they have a different flight schedule??? Total roundtrip with taxes.. is 1116.80- not too bad.

I was hoping that I would at least get a $124 flight back ($84 flight return would have been a dream), so I guess it is only about $200 difference from my goal. I think we can live with it, although it really sucks that it is the highest rate of the whole month of March.

Plus, with the new fare schedule, we would need to take a late flight back if we want non-stop at the low rate and get home at 10:50 pm.

I am ok with my DH going to work the next day, he will survive, I am taking the day off and it doesn't matter, I can keep my DD4 home from Preschool, and then my DD7 has the day off, BUT.. it could be a snow make-up day and I am only able to take her out 5 days in a row, so she would definitely be struggling at school IF she had a make up day that day.

Only other alternative is to pay another $130 more to get an earlier flight. (rate is $211)

Decisions decisions, I need to talk to DH tonight before I do anything.

If they lower rates, then I rebook and cancel, I would then have a year from my original book date to use the credits.

A question on using the credits, can we use the credits towards just one ticket, or do I have to use them as they were originally purchased (for each of us?)

 

[brenda1966]

$720 for two to Tampa. First time we're travelling for spring break and now I know why we usually don't. Will be hoping for good beach weather to make the trip worth it. LOL. And will watch for a price drop and a credit to use for later, but not counting on it. My fall tickets to ORlando never did drop.

 

[JasonDVC]

I have to say I am very disappointed in th eprices out of Providence. The cheapest is $99 one way and that is only for one flight, it has one stop and doesn't arrive til almost 11pm in Orlando. The good flights are $149 or more each way. That is a lot. We are used to $89-$99 fares regularly. I'm disappointed but will wait for price drops.

 

[Anal Annie]

Out of curiosity I checked my return date with SW too. Good thing I already grabbed a $59 fare from Air Tran for that one 'cuz the cheapest SW flight for that day is $122!

Our grand total for 3 of us over our spring break is $760 with all the fees & taxes using a combo of SW & Air Tran which works out to be $253 pp. This is about $124 more than what we normally pay for a round trip.

 

[TJA]

BUF-MCO for our April break (April 13-April 22) $62 each way!! And there were several nonstop flights to choose from.

 

[mareed]

They apparently haven't yet released booking award flights (at least online) past March 12. I'm specifically looking to use awards for return flights (from DL not WDW!) and can't do it!

FlyerTalk has confirmed this so at least I know it's not just me with the issue...

 

[wezee]

Boy what a let down. SW has no non-stop flights out of Detroit. The prices and departure times are horrible. Oh well.......for our trip ( last week) we flew down on Spirit and reutrned on Airtran. Our flights were on-time and comfy and our scheduled departures only changed about 20mins. from the original times when I booked 6 months prior.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

They apparently haven't yet released booking award flights (at least online) past March 12. I'm specifically looking to use awards for return flights (from DL not WDW!) and can't do it!

FlyerTalk has confirmed this so at least I know it's not just me with the issue...

Yes, this is driving me crazy! I even tried to change our dates to prior to Mar. 12 and it forces me to keep logging in again even though I'm logged in! I have 2 awards and over $200 in credits that expire in Apr.

I will be very upset if I can't use it! I also just discovered that the date I wanted to use them, Mar 28 is a blackout date! Guess we're not cruising that weekend! arrrgh!

 

[JasonDVC]

BUF-MCO for our April break (April 13-April 22) $62 each way!! And there were several nonstop flights to choose from.

Congratulations!

I'm even going the week prior to Spring Break in New England and the fares are still high. I don't want to fly out of Boston but will have to seriously consider it.

 

[puffkin]

April 16-24 out of PHL for $79 each way. Not the best I have seen, but I am happy as long as we get out under $200 RT. Plus, we got the EXACT times I wanted (late Friday down, late Saturday back).

I also checked BWI and they were about $5 higher each way. Bit further of a drive, so we only fly there if the price is significantly cheaper.

 

[mareed]

Yes, this is driving me crazy! I even tried to change our dates to prior to Mar. 12 and it forces me to keep logging in again even though I'm logged in! I have 2 awards and over $200 in credits that expire in Apr.

I will be very upset if I can't use it! I also just discovered that the date I wanted to use them, Mar 28 is a blackout date! Guess we're not cruising that weekend! arrrgh!

I was able to call in and book my award flights, although I couldn't convince the SW agent that it wasn't possible to book it myself online. We're flying back from DL (Los Angeles area) the weekend of March 21 and the 21st is also blocked out, so I was hoping to use 2 on Saturday and 2 on Monday because DH & oldest really shouldn't miss the extra day of work & school, but there was no award availability on that Saturday either even though it's not blocked out. So, I wouldn't hold out much hope of using an award to/from any popular vacation destination on your weekend (Mar 28) either!

I sure miss the good old days with SW where there were just a handful of blackout dates, and that if there was an available seat, you could book an award for it!

 

[TJA]

Congratulations!

I'm even going the week prior to Spring Break in New England and the fares are still high. I don't want to fly out of Boston but will have to seriously consider it.

Thank you -- I was very surprised to see those fares. I hope your fares go down and something opens up for you.

 

[jazmyin]

OK took about 1 hour to book. For some reason SW site would not let me use one of my credits. I was on hold about 20 minutes and in that time my flight going down to Orlando from Phila. went up 14 dollars. In the end Melissa from SW was able to help me. I stayed on the phone while she made my reservations only because the site would not let me process with using credit from last trip. Before credit, our trip cost was $666.40 for 3 of us. ($222.13 each round trip). After credit was applied it brought our final cost to $148.89 each round trip. Not bad but very frustrating. Thank You Melissa from SWAIR!!!

 

[jimmiej]

Nothing good for me. $350 RT from Austin. San Antonio is worse. Guess I'll be waiting & see what happens. We discussed the possibility of driving. I need to figure that cost plus two nights hotel (going & coming) plus the extra food and see how that compares to flying.

Bummer...

 

[MELSMICE]

They apparently haven't yet released booking award flights (at least online) past March 12. I'm specifically looking to use awards for return flights (from DL not WDW!) and can't do it!

FlyerTalk has confirmed this so at least I know it's not just me with the issue...

They have released them, however, be aware that they only release so many rapid rewards tickets per flight. We were unable to get them for our return flight from MCO - BUF so I had to use them for our departure, which kind of stinks because the return was $183 per ticket & the departure is $62 per ticket. Oh well........................

I could have used them a day earlier, but to be honest, I'd rather pay a little more & be able to enjoy another day in the Florida sunshine than cut my vacation short. Oh, I could have come home Monday also instead of Saturday, but that didn't work great for our "at home" schedule of things here.

 

[chrisxtwo]

The flights from Kansas City to Orlando are going WAY up. I booked around 10:00 this morning and paid $1364 for the 4 of us. The same exact flights are $2000 now! Glad I didn't wait.

Did anyone who was booking out of Kansas City for March 13 this morning get the first nonstop flight? It was showing up with the cheapest fares unavailable less than 30 minutes after they opened up. Just curious if there were just that few seats available or if they know people want that flight so they didn't even offer the "wanna get away" fares for it.

 

[Bambi222]

DH told me to go ahead and book, so I went in and my flight went up from 174 to 192. I went in 2 seconds later and it was back to 174 so I booked it.

I went back in 5 minutes later and now it is back up to 192 and staying. Glad I booked it, but seems like the fares are moving around a bit today.

 

[kytiam]

The flights from Kansas City to Orlando are going WAY up. I booked around 10:00 this morning and paid $1364 for the 4 of us. The same exact flights are $2000 now! Glad I didn't wait.

Did anyone who was booking out of Kansas City for March 13 this morning get the first nonstop flight? It was showing up with the cheapest fares unavailable less than 30 minutes after they opened up. Just curious if there were just that few seats available or if they know people want that flight so they didn't even offer the "wanna get away" fares for it.

I saw that, too! Nothing at all posted for the first 4 or 5 flights in the morning! Weird! So I just booked my return flight back to KC on the 20th (for $59, thank you very much) and figured I'd check back later.
Well, I checked back again after about an hour and they had a full schedule of flights listed. Unfortunately, the early ones were more than I wanted to spend, so I took the 5:15 pm non-stop (also for $59 )
I do plan to keep watching for sales between now and then, because I would prefer to leave KC earlier in the day and to leave Orlando later in the day than what I currently have booke.