SWA and unavailable flights

[pinkerbell]

since flights opened for April many said "unavailable" in teh wanna get away (cheap) column. There are still fares in the next two higher columns. If noone buys at the higher prices, might they open up fares in the lower price one?

We purchased our fares for other days on nor direct routes to get a good price ($99). I'm hoping if enough people do this, the other fares might come down.

 

[goofy4tink]

Nope. There are x number of seats available at the 'wanna get away' fare rates. Once they are gone, they're gone. If there are no fares available at that rate, and you want to fly on that particular flight, you have to pay the higher fares.

 

[pinkerbell]

Nope. There are x number of seats available at the 'wanna get away' fare rates. Once they are gone, they're gone. If there are no fares available at that rate, and you want to fly on that particular flight, you have to pay the higher fares.

wow, so they will fly the plane with many empty seats rather than offering a sale or lowering fares?

 

[ccgirl]

wow, so they will fly the plane with many empty seats rather than offering a sale or lowering fares?

Here's the thing...I'm thinking you are talking about APril vacation week?? If so, the plane will not be empty. It's the whole supply and demand. The airline knows what a huge demand it is to fly those weeks. I haven't known anyone to get under $400 a ticket flying the Saturday to Saturday of April vacation.

 

[pinkerbell]

i waited to long to book and the prices kept going up. We had got in less than 12 hrs before from orlando and I was getting kids off to school and a million other things) WHne I logged on first thing monday morning, friday night going down was 99 nonstop and the return sunday night nonstop was 129. I am kicking myself now since I have 99 on thur with a 6 hr flight and 99 coming back on Mon with another 6 hr flight I have the price I want, but not the days or travel time. I am considering myslef lucky I got my price and some extra time but wish I had clicked when I first logged on. I realize I will not get fri or Sunday but wondering if I might get better options for thursday or monday when comparing the prices, you can get a better flight and an assigned seat on some of the other airlines (including bag fees) for less, so not sure y someone whould book SW when the prices r so high the 99 dollar flights I have are also gone

 

[ccgirl]

i waited to long to book and the prices kept going up. We had got in less than 12 hrs before from orlando and I was getting kids off to school and a million other things) WHne I logged on first thing monday morning, friday night going down was 99 nonstop and the return sunday night nonstop was 129. I am kicking myself now since I have 99 on thur with a 6 hr flight and 99 coming back on Mon with another 6 hr flight I have the price I want, but not the days or travel time. I am considering myslef lucky I got my price and some extra time but wish I had clicked when I first logged on. I realize I will not get fri or Sunday but wondering if I might get better options for thursday or monday when comparing the prices, you can get a better flight and an assigned seat on some of the other airlines (including bag fees) for less, so not sure y someone whould book SW when the prices r so high the 99 dollar flights I have are also gone

Same thing happened to me with Jet Blue in February. For Spring Break, the discounted fairs sell out in the blink of an eye. I seriously doubt they will go down.

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Here's the thing...I'm thinking you are talking about APril vacation week?? If so, the plane will not be empty. It's the whole supply and demand. The airline knows what a huge demand it is to fly those weeks. I haven't known anyone to get under $400 a ticket flying the Saturday to Saturday of April vacation.

You know of someone now. We fly out of PVD for April vacation and I know those flights go QUICK and before this yr. I never got a flight for less than $400 r/t. But this yr. we're flying out of Hartford and got $280 r/t!!! I couldn't believe it. That is flying out on Sat. returning Sun. It is totally worth the 2 hr. drive.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Nope. There are x number of seats available at the 'wanna get away' fare rates. Once they are gone, they're gone. If there are no fares available at that rate, and you want to fly on that particular flight, you have to pay the higher fares.

I actually had the wanna get away fares open up for flights.......since south west open up flights for dec 27-dec31. I had been watching the fares from islip to ft myers....when the flights opened they never offered any seats at the wanna get away prices.....I checked daily and finally a few weeks ago they offered wanna get away seats at 140....each way...I jumped on them..lol.....way better than the 339 fares in the other categories they had been offering.....

 

[pinkerbell]

I actually had the wanna get away fares open up for flights.......since south west open up flights for dec 27-dec31. I had been watching the fares from islip to ft myers....when the flights opened they never offered any seats at the wanna get away prices.....I checked daily and finally a few weeks ago they offered wanna get away seats at 140....each way...I jumped on them..lol.....way better than the 339 fares in the other categories they had been offering.....

Good to Know! Thanks
I'll keep watching

 

[Lewisc]

I've seen additional seats released at lower fare buckets. Peak flights on vacation weeks are likely to sell out at high fares. People who only have one week for vacation are willing to pay a premium in order to take advantage of their entire week.

 

[CarrieR]

We've been watching flights for Christmas week, and not only have WGA flights gone from "unavailable" to available, some have popped up for surprisingly reasonable fares. Keep an eye out, you never know what you might find!

 

[pinkerbell]

We've been watching flights for Christmas week, and not only have WGA flights gone from "unavailable" to available, some have popped up for surprisingly reasonable fares. Keep an eye out, you never know what you might find!

Ahh so very good no know!!! thanks a bunch!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

wow, so they will fly the plane with many empty seats rather than offering a sale or lowering fares?

There aren't many flights with a lot of empty seats these days.

The airlines have become very sophisticated with their computer modeling to know how many seats will sell at what prices and how far in advance. For example, for a given flight on a given date, an airline may have determined that it can sell 65 seats at an unrestricted fare during the final two weeks before the travel date -- and that other demand will be high enough that there's no need to offer any seats at the lowest fare.

Just because there are now available seats at a high, unrestricted fare -- especially for a flight that's a half year away -- does not mean "they will fly the plane with many empty seats."

Airlines can and do move seats between inventory buckets because the computer models compare predicted demand to actual demand. But if the actual demand tracks to the predicted demand, there's no need to do so.

 

[pinkerbell]

WOW, I can't believe it! I never thought it would happen this fast even if at all! but a more desireable flight (leaving MCO 4 hrs later and cutting out a stop and reducing flight time by an hour) That was previously "unavailable" became available at a $99 fare!!!!

so don't give up people!!!

 

[MistressMerryweather]

That's awesome! I was just about to come on and say, prices usually do drop. I don't know why there are so many nay sayers. We never fly for over $200 round trip from pit. Seats that are unavailable usually come available and prices sometimes change 4 or 5 times a day. If you watch like a crazy person, you will usually find what you need.

 

[pinkerbell]

That's awesome! I was just about to come on and say, prices usually do drop. I don't know why there are so many nay sayers. We never fly for over $200 round trip from pit. Seats that are unavailable usually come available and prices sometimes change 4 or 5 times a day. If you watch like a crazy person, you will usually find what you need.

it's a balancing act for both the travelers and the airlines. Sure they don't have to release the lower fares, but the plane will fly with or w/out passengers. So it's best to put people in those seats. The other categories are so high that people can book on other airlines, with reserved seating and even paying for bags get a comperable or lower fare. I would think the smart move would be to fill the plane sooner (but not at a loss) than later as to not lose the customer to another airline.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

WOW, I can't believe it! I never thought it would happen this fast even if at all! but a more desireable flight (leaving MCO 4 hrs later and cutting out a stop and reducing flight time by an hour) That was previously "unavailable" became available at a $99 fare!!!!

so don't give up people!!!

Congrats so glad you got the flights you wanted

 

[pinkerbell]

Congrats so glad you got the flights you wanted

thanks for your encouraging words earlier in the thread!! I still am in shock!

 

[CarrieR]

Yay! Now, can you make mine come down? I have one but would like to change to a better time, LOL.

 

[pinkerbell]

Yay! Now, can you make mine come down? I have one but would like to change to a better time, LOL.

sending pixie dust your way!! If mine could go from unavailable to WGA @ $99 anything is possible...just keep (swimming) checking