SW Strategy Question....

[2mickeys1minnie]

I have already booked one way tickets - $99 pp going down on 8/25. I didn't book return tickets because the best one way fares available coming home (on 9/2) are $158 pp one way. ARRRGGHH. I've decided to wait it out for a sale....someone PLEASE tell me I'm not crazy to wait and we will be able to get a flight coming home on 9/2??? DH thinks I'm crazy for waiting but I just can't see spending that much per person -especially when there are 5 of us. Has anyone done this before? Any idea when they may release cheaper fares....uggh I'm getting nervous

 

[ptmmg]

I did the same thing last year. Booked my fllight going but did not book coming home. A ding came out for both ways so the extra money used to pay the 1st part of the flight covered coming home with the ding! (plus I still had extra)
This year we are leaving 8/28 out of PVD I have not bought our tickets yet I am tempted to just buy the flight down for $99 and wait for a ding again.
So no your not crazy!

 

[spectrum-turbo]

If I buy o/w tickets (waiting for a better return fare) several months out will this impact the odds of getting an extra search from TSA?


Thanks

 

[scammermom]

We did this last year. I booked our late September flights down but was holding off for a good DING to come home in early October. Finally booked about 2 weeks before we had to leave. Almost thought we'd have to stay!

 

[dsnymomof4]

For our April trips, I was able to get a $49 return flight on SW, but couldn't get a reasonably-priced flight down, so I waited and waited until one day in March, Airtran (who previously had flights down at $258/person) put their Easter week flights on sale for $49! I was so excited! You have time. I would wait until it gets closer.

 

[pamjb]

If I buy o/w tickets (waiting for a better return fare) several months out will this impact the odds of getting an extra search from TSA?


Thanks

I have bought one-way tickets for my last 6 trips. Haven't been extra searched once.

 

[gw_lit]

...someone PLEASE tell me I'm not crazy to wait and we will be able to get a flight coming home on 9/2???

My only concern would be that 9/2 is over Labor Day weekend and a lot of people travel over the holidays. But since you are flying on Sunday instead of the last day of the holiday weekend -- Monday -- you have a better chance of getting a sale. If you see a price you like, I'd grab it. You may not get $99, but hopefully you can do better than $158.

 

[judykay53]

We have had this dilema on our trip this month. We are leaving thre Friday before Memorial Day and returning June 2. We have had $59 fare for our return flight for some time but SW has been real stingy on the Friday. We finally broke down and booked the higher rate last week and then this week we have gotten $59 fare over a 3 day period (there are 6 of us). The first day 4 of our rates were lowered, the next day one more and then the next day the last one. We usually always wait til 30 days or less to get our flights. Your're not crazy and patience will pay off.

 

[Rpsemont]

In all likelihood you can still wait for awhile, but it depends on how flexible you want to be with your return flights. If you preferred flight is suddenly unavailable, thenyou may want to book your second choice. If the fare drop, as said, you can get a credit. I try to watch availability by putting in a passenger count of 8. I also check all flights the day before and the day after so I get some idea of what's booking up and what's not.

 

[DebbieB]

If I buy o/w tickets (waiting for a better return fare) several months out will this impact the odds of getting an extra search from TSA?

Thanks

I flew 2 one ways last week with no problem, purchased in January. It's the last minute one ways that draw attention.

 

[2mickeys1minnie]

Yikes! What is extra searched..???

 

[gw_lit]

Yikes! What is extra searched..???

Passengers can be selected at "random" for extra security screening, which means even if you make it through the metal detector without it beeping, you'll likely get "patted down" and "wanded". They may also "swab" all of your bags for security as well.

Rumor has it that buying a ticket at the last minute, buying a ticket with cash or buying one-way tickets can increase your odds of being selected for this "random" search. If you see a series of S's on the bottom of your boarding pass ("SSSSSSSSSSSS"), you've been selected. It's really nothing to worry about and will only take a couple of minutes

 

[judykay53]

My daughter was flying out of Houston a while back and on her way to the airport she found out they had cancelled her Northwest flight only a couple hours before. When she got to the ticket counter, they had already put her on a Continental. I think the NW had mechanical problems. Needless to say, she got the full "security treatment" - pat down and everything swabbed.