SW

[wisblue]

I just sent an e mail message to Southwest complaining about what can only be described as price gouging (if these fares are not a mistake).

I understand that airfares are demand based and that they increase as more seats are booked. But, for fares to start that much higher than for similar dates last year, (and for dates a few days before and after the peak of Easter break) is ridiculous. If anything, with the dramatic reductions in fuel costs over the last year or so, the fares should be lower than they were last year. Unfortunately, when flying from places like Milwaukee, there is no real competition.

 

[basketlacey]

I didn't book when I saw the fares - $289 and $239 respectively for my dates. I'm not flying 5 of us down at over $500 each - we'll drive.

I'll keep watching and hoping they will drop. I hope not too many of you scoop them up at the higher price!

 

[Kidanifan08]

I was able to see the online pricing around 8:20 this AM. We fly from IND. Only the NS Wanna Getaway prices were published. We are flying out on a Wednesday, so our NS to MCO was only $120 PP. When we return from our cruise on the following Saturday the return flight from MCO was $280 PP! When I checked 1 hour later, the same NS return was up to $320 PP!! I am glad I booked when I did.

This is still better SWA pricing than our return flight from RSW last year. We ended up using Allegiant out of Punta Gorda for that return, which saved us $800 over SWA for the 3 of us. Unfortunately, we have limited options from IND. SWA is the only carrier with NS flights to and from MCO for us.

 

[kddlm]

I just sent an e mail message to Southwest complaining about what can only be described as price gouging (if these fares are not a mistake).

I understand that airfares are demand based and that they increase as more seats are booked. But, for fares to start that much higher than for similar dates last year, (and for dates a few days before and after the peak of Easter break) is ridiculous. If anything, with the dramatic reductions in fuel costs over the last year or so, the fares should be lower than they were last year. Unfortunately, when flying from places like Milwaukee, there is no real competition.

For what its worth, I looked on American Airlines as well for my dates. Fares are lower at face value, but by the time I would add in 2 checked bags pp both ways, it ironically comes out to the exact same fee as SW (with their baggage included). I am flying out of Philly 3/25 (good friday) and returning on sun 4/3. Before/after days were no better!

 

[wisblue]

For what its worth, I looked on American Airlines as well for my dates. Fares are lower at face value, but by the time I would add in 2 checked bags pp both ways, it ironically comes out to the exact same fee as SW (with their baggage included). I am flying out of Philly 3/25 (good friday) and returning on sun 4/3. Before/after days were no better!

There is no other nonstop option from Milwaukee. Our other choices are to take a Delta flight and change planes in Atlanta or go to Chicago. In either case, the bag fees plus the time and aggravation (not to mention the cost of getting to and from Chicago) makes SW a better option. But, it still bugs me that the fare opened almost twice as high on Good Friday as it still is 2 days before, and more than $100 more each way than it opened last year. It really looks like they are pulling a test of what the market will bear. I really feel sorry for the families with kids who were waiting for these fares to schedule their family trip for Easter vacation. A lot of them have to be choking on this.

I wonder how many of the seats on these flights were already taken up by school groups (like teams) taking their spring trips, and only the last few high fare seats are left for the masses.

 

[a742246]

Prices are insane! Flying out of Albany on a Friday is $323 one way, flying out on a Wednesday is $89. Guess we are leaving and returning 2 days earlier.

 

[shrinkydinky]

My sisters and i were up at 3am to book our flights for Spring Break 2016. We only chose that time as we invited my husband's son and girlfriend to come and they are in college. My oldest sister has already booked our accommodations through DVC, and paid almost twice the amount of points as normal, due to the timing. And our flights that would normally be approximately $500 rt are now $1,200 EACH rt. We can't afford that. None of our 10 family members going can afford that. Very disappointed and upset! (Pardon me if you read my rant twice. i posted separately before i found this thread.) Does anyone think prices will go down at all?

 

[lovedisney123]

This is our last spring break trip. My twins graduate in May, so hopefully all future trips will be at a less expensive time of year.

 

[Gracie09]

I just sent an e mail message to Southwest complaining about what can only be described as price gouging (if these fares are not a mistake).

I understand that airfares are demand based and that they increase as more seats are booked. But, for fares to start that much higher than for similar dates last year, (and for dates a few days before and after the peak of Easter break) is ridiculous. If anything, with the dramatic reductions in fuel costs over the last year or so, the fares should be lower than they were last year. Unfortunately, when flying from places like Milwaukee, there is no real competition.

responding to demand in a market is not price gouging. While fuel prices may have decreased (at least gas has, I don't know about jet fuel) other costs have increased, health insurance, employee costs, fees for gates etc. Price gouging is what happened when Amtrak went down for several days due to an accident outside of Philly. Within hours, airfare skyrocketed for DC to NY. SW also no longer has the long term fuel contracts they had enjoyed in the past, so they are now in the same boat as other airlines.

 

[greenclan67]

They are nuts. I think they will go down eventually. But when, who knows. I have been watching Xmas flights and today ( as much as I prefer southwest) allegiant released a new route ROC to sfb and booked DEC 25th to Jan 4 th for $540 return for 4 people.

 

[wisblue]

responding to demand in a market is not price gouging. While fuel prices may have decreased (at least gas has, I don't know about jet fuel) other costs have increased, health insurance, employee costs, fees for gates etc. Price gouging is what happened when Amtrak went down for several days due to an accident outside of Philly. Within hours, airfare skyrocketed for DC to NY. SW also no longer has the long term fuel contracts they had enjoyed in the past, so they are now in the same boat as other airlines.

When a fare OPENS at more than double the fare for the same flight 2 days earlier, and more than $100 more each way than for the same flights one year earlier, IMHO there is something funny going on. At that point the price has little to do with costs and a lot more to do with what they can get away with because of their effective monopoly.

ETA. According to this article, lower fuel prices have helped Southwest, but apparently not consumers.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/southwest-airlines-earnings-up-helped-by-lower-fuel-prices-1437652210

 

[mkla2015]

These prices are insane!! I've checked flying out of Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin TX Thursday March 10- Friday March 18th and they are all over $240 one way on South West. All of the nonstop flights from Dallas and Houston are already sold out... Earlier this year we paid $1200 for four of us on JetBlue and thought that was expensive. Looks like we may be making the 16hr drive to Orlando next year.

 

[wisblue]

My sisters and i were up at 3am to book our flights for Spring Break 2016. We only chose that time as we invited my husband's son and girlfriend to come and they are in college. My oldest sister has already booked our accommodations through DVC, and paid almost twice the amount of points as normal, due to the timing. And our flights that would normally be approximately $500 rt are now $1,200 EACH rt. We can't afford that. None of our 10 family members going can afford that. Very disappointed and upset! (Pardon me if you read my rant twice. i posted separately before i found this thread.) Does anyone think prices will go down at all?

I wouldn't count on them coming down. One of the Milwaukee flights on Good Friday that started at $281 one way has already gone up to $344. The same flight 2 days earlier is $148.

The only way I see them coming down is if enough people refuse to pay the high fares and they can't fill the plane. Unfortunately, I'm guessing that a lot of other people will do what I did: book the flight intending to change if the fare comes down. So, they will sell enough seats to keep them from having to lower the fare. That may work for them this year, but I think some people will have to think twice about planning trips to Florida over Easter break in the future. Even the nonstop flights to LAX on the same dates are $100 less round trip than the ones to MCO, and that is totally unprecedented.

 

[Gracie09]

When a fare OPENS at more than double the fare for the same flight 2 days earlier, and more than $100 more each way than for the same flights one year earlier, IMHO there is something funny going on. At that point the price has little to do with costs and a lot more to do with what they can get away with because of their effective monopoly.

ETA. According to this article, lower fuel prices have helped Southwest, but apparently not consumers.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/southwest-airlines-earnings-up-helped-by-lower-fuel-prices-1437652210

It's a for profit company. They are in business to make money. They have an obligation to their shareholders to maximize profits. If people don't buy the more expensive tickets prices will fall. I'm sure you wouldn't complain then.
If you don't like the price of tickets travel on different days. You are traveling on a holiday weekend. It's expensive

 

[TJA]

Opening prices were crazy high for my city (BUF). So I went ahead and booked JetBlue for one-way, which was over $100 less per person, even with the new luggage cost. It's too bad we can't see the available seats on SW like we can JB. I can always predict if JB will reduce its fares by looking at how full/empty the plane is, but SW is a guessing game. I know SW likely makes out better by not allowing us to know how full/empty the plane is.

Though each year varies, last Easter (2015) I got several credits on SW as the flights kept going down as the trip got closer. Even still, we did not end up having a full plane, so it's obvious the price kept going down cause they were trying to fill the plane. I think when people see the initial high prices, they make other plans, book with a different airline, or decide to drive.

 

[wisblue]

It's a for profit company. They are in business to make money. They have an obligation to their shareholders to maximize profits. If people don't buy the more expensive tickets prices will fall. I'm sure you wouldn't complain then.
If you don't like the price of tickets travel on different days. You are traveling on a holiday weekend. It's expensive

As I said above, because I am travelling with schoolteachers, travelling on different days is not an option. We are bound by their school schedules, as are many other families with teachers and students in the family. I am fortunate enough that I can suck it up and pay the higher fares, even though I am not happy about it. I really wonder how some families who have planned their Florida vacations are going to be able to absorb these increases.

Let me put it this way. I have been buying flights for many years, including many over the Easter holidays while my daughters were in school and now that two of them are teachers. I understand that Southwest is a profit making company, as have been all of the other airlines that I have flown with over the years. My expectation for fares is based on the experience I have developed over the years, including the last couple of years with Southwest.

Last April, we flew from MKE to MCO on the Saturday before Easter, just like we are planning to do next spring. Last year, I was not around to book when the fares were first released in the morning, and I paid $198 one way for the outgoing flight. I expected that I wasn't getting the lowest fare offered that day because I wasn't one of the first to book. For the return flight the next Friday (for which the schedule was released about 2 months later) I was in transit to the airport and couldn't check the fares until about 9 AM. I was able to book a flight for $180, and while I was watching the fare went to $200. My daughters, who were able to book earlier in the day, got their flights for $159.

Based on that experience, I think it was reasonable for me to expect this morning that I would be looking at fares of under $200 each way if I booked as soon as the schedule was released. I also think it was reasonable for me to be surprised, and a little upset, to find that the fares had been increased over 50% from last year with no apparent business justification other than to extract from customers the largest amount of flesh they can get away with.

It's no wonder to me that the Justice Department is investigating the airlines for collusion.

 

[wisblue]

Opening prices were crazy high for my city (BUF). So I went ahead and booked JetBlue for one-way, which was over $100 less per person, even with the new luggage cost. It's too bad we can't see the available seats on SW like we can JB. I can always predict if JB will reduce its fares by looking at how full/empty the plane is, but SW is a guessing game. I know SW likely makes out better by not allowing us to know how full/empty the plane is.

Though each year varies, last Easter (2015) I got several credits on SW as the flights kept going down as the trip got closer. Even still, we did not end up having a full plane, so it's obvious the price kept going down cause they were trying to fill the plane. I think when people see the initial high prices, they make other plans, book with a different airline, or decide to drive.

Time will tell if this year represents a change in strategy for SW on booking for Easter week on some routes. The last couple of times I have travelled over Easter from MKE to MCO, the fares started at a level only slightly higher than a fare for a non holiday period, then quickly went up (presumably as seats were sold) until they eventually sold out. Once I book I always check occasionally to see if fares come down, and for the holidays (Easter or Christmas) they never have. Because SW has an effective monopoly on the MKE-MCO route, they really don't have to worry much about people choosing other airlines unless they are willing to make stops or travel to Chicago, which is a major hassle.

Maybe this year they are starting high to see how many people are willing to book at those fares and then fares will eventually inch down for flights that don't sell out.

 

[TJA]

Time will tell if this year represents a change in strategy for SW on booking for Easter week on some routes. The last couple of times I have travelled over Easter from MKE to MCO, the fares started at a level only slightly higher than a fare for a non holiday period, then quickly went up (presumably as seats were sold) until they eventually sold out. Once I book I always check occasionally to see if fares come down, and for the holidays (Easter or Christmas) they never have. Because SW has an effective monopoly on the MKE-MCO route, they really don't have to worry much about people choosing other airlines unless they are willing to make stops or travel to Chicago, which is a major hassle.

Maybe this year they are starting high to see how many people are willing to book at those fares and then fares will eventually inch down for flights that don't sell out.

It does make sense that your prices may not go down given the SW monopoly on your route. My route (BUF) has lots of competition; therefore, the airlines seem to dip down trying to get the bookings. Being that I haven't booked my flight home yet, I'm not worried because JetBlue shows only 1/4 of the plane as being booked, and I'll check it quite often to keep tabs. I have a gut feeling SW will come lower, though, as that's the normal pattern for BUF. I have fun watching the prices....I check several times a day....it's really quite a game they play!

 

[greenclan67]

We ended flying from Flint, mi last march and buf in Dec. Buffalo never came down for March last year. Paid a $103 from Flint last March on Southwest. Thinking I may have to go back to JetBlue this year.

 

[LOL!]

I just sent an e mail message to Southwest complaining about what can only be described as price gouging (if these fares are not a mistake).

I understand that airfares are demand based and that they increase as more seats are booked. But, for fares to start that much higher than for similar dates last year, (and for dates a few days before and after the peak of Easter break) is ridiculous. If anything, with the dramatic reductions in fuel costs over the last year or so, the fares should be lower than they were last year. Unfortunately, when flying from places like Milwaukee, there is no real competition.

I hear you. Holidays are the only times we can travel as well and it just so happens to be the same time that all the on-site WDW resorts dramatically raise their rates in a very similar manner!