SW Prices don't seem to be dropping !

[sydneysmom]

Is it me ? I keep checking the flights for the week we want to go in Sept, and theyre holding firm at the same price they were when they were released. ( sometime the end of March). Does anyone have any experince or guidance ......is there kind of a pattern as to when they might start lowering prices for Sept ?
I keep checking morning, noon and night just by the longshot it changed. Nothing yet. it's kind of a bummer. Now, I probably shouldn't complain though, they're still a TON cheaper than all the other airlines. Unfortunately we can't fly Jet Blue or Air Tran out of our airport. So it's SW or the big ones. Any ideas would be appreciated !! ( I did sign up for DING but it seems that the flights are through May 26 for the DING flights.....)

One other question.....is it better to grab our flight now while the price is pretty decent and if they do lower it, get that price changed and get the credit ? it's not like we wouldn't use the credit, that's for sure. I just don't know which way to go, and I apologize for sounding so dense about it !

 

[backyardponder]

Unfortunately with the reduced flights, aircraft are often operating near capacity...thus, you may not see much movement in the fares...but you may. It's a crap shoot. If you are willing to pay the current fare, and if you are afraid the fare may go up, then I'd book now. With SW, you can use a future credit easily...you just have to fly using the credit within 1 year of the time you purchased your first ticket.

 

[sydneysmom]

that's definately something to think about. If I do book and we're lucky enough to get a credit, can you use the credit anytime or are there blackout dates ? I ask because we know we're flying to Boston at Christmas, so we could use a credit for that flight (if we had one ) and if there's no blackout....

 

[5boyz]

that's definately something to think about. If I do book and we're lucky enough to get a credit, can you use the credit anytime or are there blackout dates ? I ask because we know we're flying to Boston at Christmas, so we could use a credit for that flight (if we had one ) and if there's no blackout....

If you are happy with one of the flights, then book one way and watch the other..if you get a credit for your one way you can use it for the other way. That is what i am going to do WHEN I am happy with my one ways...I am $104 down and $134 ea for 4 people. I am almost better to fly out of TorontoThat is pretty bad...our taxes are more than the flight price.

 

[lllGurulll]

This is just the way SW works at my airport but the lowest price is almost always the day it is released up until the first person purchases tickets for it. Then the price goes up about $50 right off the bat.

 

[pamjb]

I would book now. There are no blackout dates to use the Ticketless Travel Funds. The only limitation is that you must FLY within one year of the date of purchase. For example, I booked my trip for 10/21 on 3/23 when the fares came out. The fares dropped $7 on 4/4. So I rebooked and have a credit to use for a flight before 3/23/11.

I check my fares about once a day after I book. My fares for October haven't dropped since 4/4. They may (or may not) drop as the travel date gets closer.

 

[Luv2Scrap]

I could have sworn the SW flight I've been stalking from MSP to Orlando for Aug/Sept was suddenly about $16 lower yesterday, but now today it's right back to what it was again. WTH!! Did I dream it?

 

[Dotsie]

No. I have been stalking flights from our airport to MCO and I can tell you that I have seen prices fluctuate by about $45. Yesterday the flight was $98 and today it's $115.

 

[lllGurulll]

Just to test some of your theories I checked my current flights for May and they are double what I paid for them originally. Also, when I purchased my flights back in November they immediately jumped in price as soon as I booked mine. They have never even been close to my original price since.

$72 per person each way then.
$147 per person each way now.

 

[sydneysmom]

well, you all have made me ready to just book them tonight. If it goes down then that's great and we'll have a credit to use later. if they go up, then I'll be glad I booked it tonight !

I have another question.....hopefully someone might know this. Right now out of our airport ( Jackson, MS) there's only 2 flights going to Orlando and 2 returning for the days we want to go. Does SW ever open up more flights or is this about it ? ( the flight times stink, but after pricing US Air today, I'll take the stinky times to save $ 600 and bag fees on top of that !!)

 

[drinkme]

Does anyone know when SWA has their cheaper rates? I just can't seem to figure out their pattern! One day the price is $72 one way from Chicago to Orlando. I look a few weeks later, and it's now $102. I'm always pricing tickets to Orlando, and it seems the prices go up and down like crazy. I just can't figure out the pattern.

Now, of course, I'm kicking myself for not booking. I wanted to make a quick 4 day trip to WDW the day the kids get out of school, and everything would have been so much cheaper if I would have booked it last month!!!

 

[Tara]

Does anyone know when SWA has their cheaper rates? I just can't seem to figure out their pattern! One day the price is $72 one way from Chicago to Orlando. I look a few weeks later, and it's now $102. I'm always pricing tickets to Orlando, and it seems the prices go up and down like crazy. I just can't figure out the pattern.

Now, of course, I'm kicking myself for not booking. I wanted to make a quick 4 day trip to WDW the day the kids get out of school, and everything would have been so much cheaper if I would have booked it last month!!!

The only pattern I've noticed is that the prices are lower when the first first come out, then they jump up.

I priced a trip to Orlando in March 2010 for several months. The flight home sat at $139 virtually the entire time, but one day - ONE DAY ONLY - it dropped to $99 and I snagged it. The flight home sat at $170 but I didn't buy because I was trying to work out a plan to go a day early. The day I decided I which day I was going (about 10 weeks out), it went up to $189! I didn't buy that day and the next day it went to $211! It went as high as $235 before I finally bought it at $211. On 2/25 it dropped to $189 and I got a credit and then on 2/26 it dropped to $170 and I got another credit. After that it went to $235 and basically stayed there until 14 days out.

For our trip in August, we were planning on going in mid-August but I didn't want to stay at SSR or OKW again. I was able to get BCV for the last week in August, but by the time I made this decision, late August fares had been out a little bit, so I missed the initial low, if there even was one. I made a spreadsheet this time and I've been tracking fares every day. The flight down was $170 for a few days and is now $189 and the flight home is $139. (I've already purchased but I'm watching for credit.)

I'd love to be able to discern some pattern in fluctuation, like up on weekends, down on Tuesdays, but mine have not budged in a couple of weeks. I have to figure they will. Right now the RT for me is $349 with tax - it's $317 on any other carrier, but I would pay extra for baggage and there are no nonstops, so I'm willing to pay more for Southwest. Luckily I had some Rapid Rewards and credit from March to use, so I was able to knock 2 of those OW fares off the top of the price, plus another $42. Honestly, it's a hard pill to swallow after they softened me up with $49 Ding fares for a while, but I figure it's all averaging out now - kind of a "fly now, pay later" plan of sorts.

 

[drinkme]

Oh, I miss those $49 DING rates. It's seems that the DINGS rates I've been seeing lately are really high.

So, do you think I missed the good deals for the first week of June?

I'm going to start a spreadsheet for the flights, too. I swear I used to be able to book last minute flights for cheap. There's gotta be some type of pattern we're missing.

We're going to WWOHP in November, I guess I need to start looking for those fares now!

I only fly SWA now. I haven't flown another airline in over 5 years. So, I don't even bother looking at other airline's prices (except for international flights).

 

[DebbieB]

well, you all have made me ready to just book them tonight. If it goes down then that's great and we'll have a credit to use later. if they go up, then I'll be glad I booked it tonight !

I have another question.....hopefully someone might know this. Right now out of our airport ( Jackson, MS) there's only 2 flights going to Orlando and 2 returning for the days we want to go. Does SW ever open up more flights or is this about it ? ( the flight times stink, but after pricing US Air today, I'll take the stinky times to save $ 600 and bag fees on top of that !!)

It's very unlikely they will add flights. Their schedule is pretty much set when it goes out.

Oh, I miss those $49 DING rates. It's seems that the DINGS rates I've been seeing lately are really high.

So, do you think I missed the good deals for the first week of June?

I'm going to start a spreadsheet for the flights, too. I swear I used to be able to book last minute flights for cheap. There's gotta be some type of pattern we're missing.

We're going to WWOHP in November, I guess I need to start looking for those fares now!

I only fly SWA now. I haven't flown another airline in over 5 years. So, I don't even bother looking at other airline's prices (except for international flights).

I went in mid-June last year. When the fares first came out PIT-MCO was $367 roundtrip. I decided to try to hold out. They never went down, ended up close to $400. I ended up turning some hotel points into rapid rewards and got a free ticket for the day before (none available for my original date) and found a good deal for a room that night. Both of my flights ended up soldout so people paid the high fare, probably for the non-stop advantage. Delta had lower fares but were connecting. I think the days of $49 dings are over. They may offer "free" baggage but they are charging higher fares to make up for it.

 

[keishashadow]

used to be that SWA flights from PIT were lowest day of issue

last couple of years they seemed to come out high, then drop within a few days for the 'best non-DING fare'. They've been consistently more expensive than AirTran for same dates i've priced.

beginning of last July I booked midweek flights on SWA for last minute trip end of the month @ approx $60 one way, lowest i've ever seen; hoping to see the same this year...not sure my nerves can take waiting until a few weeks out though.

i booked end of June trip in early March to FLL, those rates have doubled.

 

[sydneysmom]

well, I went onto Delta last night (a little scared to do it actually since they're always SO expensive) I was trying to see if i could get a decent arrival flight that got us there earlier than SW (then we could take SW home) Well, I found a round trip flight for only $150 more than SW for all three of us !! and the good news is, we don't lose our first or last day. the SW flight we could have gotten didn't get us to Disney till about 8 pm. then going home, we'd have to leave for the airport at about 9 am. so that totally stunk....if we're going to be there, I don't want to basically lose 2 days of our trip for traveling! the Delta flight I found gets us there at 12:30 pm our first day, and we don't fly out till 6:30 pm our last day!!! how awesome is that?? so we get to spend our whole last day at a park !! I was flipping out ! SO, we decided on 1 checked bag so we're not slammed w/ bag fees . (it's only $25, so I'm okay with it). Mostly the flight times are fantastic. US AIR was stupidly high....about $600 more. But I think for $150 extra over SW, this it was worth it. I kind of feel a little relieved to have this all done.... and I called Disney and added our flight for Magical Express so that's done too.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

Our flights out of Pittsburgh for our trip in September when they came out last month were $147 one way. So with taxes well over $300.00 round trip. The cost to fly down to MCO actually went up to $162.00, return is still $147.00. There is no way we're paying with taxes probably close to $350.00 a person to Orlando. I remember years ago when Useless Air was the only carrier that flew to Orlando, I never paid that much.

I've set the deadline for June. If the airfare doesn't drop, we will be vacationing someplace other than WDW.

 

[Simba22]

I flew on SW last year because it was significantly cheaper than Delta (especially with their baggage fees!), but this year, I got an alert from Travelocity for low fares, and I actually got a much better rate by going with JetBlue this year. Rather than wait and HOPE that SW dropped their airfare, I went the JetBlue prices AND I got to pick our seats (which is not the case with SW).

 

[DebbieB]

Our flights out of Pittsburgh for our trip in September when they came out last month were $147 one way. So with taxes well over $300.00 round trip. The cost to fly down to MCO actually went up to $162.00, return is still $147.00. There is no way we're paying with taxes probably close to $350.00 a person to Orlando. I remember years ago when Useless Air was the only carrier that flew to Orlando, I never paid that much.

I've set the deadline for June. If the airfare doesn't drop, we will be vacationing someplace other than WDW.

I think SW's fares increased when US dropped their non-stops from PIT. That was the signal to both SW and AirTran that they could get away with charging more.

 

[5boyz]

well, I went onto Delta last night (a little scared to do it actually since they're always SO expensive) I was trying to see if i could get a decent arrival flight that got us there earlier than SW (then we could take SW home) Well, I found a round trip flight for only $150 more than SW for all three of us !! and the good news is, we don't lose our first or last day. the SW flight we could have gotten didn't get us to Disney till about 8 pm. then going home, we'd have to leave for the airport at about 9 am. so that totally stunk....if we're going to be there, I don't want to basically lose 2 days of our trip for traveling! the Delta flight I found gets us there at 12:30 pm our first day, and we don't fly out till 6:30 pm our last day!!! how awesome is that?? so we get to spend our whole last day at a park !! I was flipping out ! SO, we decided on 1 checked bag so we're not slammed w/ bag fees . (it's only $25, so I'm okay with it). Mostly the flight times are fantastic. US AIR was stupidly high....about $600 more. But I think for $150 extra over SW, this it was worth it. I kind of feel a little relieved to have this all done.... and I called Disney and added our flight for Magical Express so that's done too.

Good for you!!!! I am glad you didnt lose 2 days, I am looking for the same thing getting there early and leaving later....nothing worse than having to get up at 4am to go home from vacation!!!!