SWA APRIL watch

[challada]

I'll start,now that March fares have made it to online, I now need the RETURN part of my flight (despite not every wanting to go back home from the magic), so I'll start the watch for Southwest April fares....any ideas when?

 

[debden]

We'll be leaving for Orlando on April 5th and we too are waiting for Southwest to open that month.They made it till March 31st....I wonder how much longer it will be before they open April...maybe a couple of weeks? Mmm,guess it's just another wait and see game.
I certainly hope the airfares for April are as good as they are for March! Wow,
I'll take $73 each way.That's a really good airfare from upstate NY.Not great....but good!!
Who's going to be waiting with us??
Debbie

 

[2boyshere]

I am waiting also for April! There are 10 of us doing the 4 night Cruise. It leaves Easter Sunday and we want to go down a couple days early!

 

[katallo]

We are also looking for April. Hope they come out soon.

 

[Emily921]

Last year the schedule was as follows:

Sept 23, 2004 open to March 3, 2005
Oct. 22, 2004 open to April 1, 2005
Dec. 9, 2004 open to June 6, 2005

This year so far:

Sept 26, 2005 open to Feb 3, 2006
Oct 27, 2005 open to March 31, 2006

I checked yesterday around 8:00 am abd of course nothing new and again around 4:40 pm and by then all the discounted fares from MDW to MCO non stop before 6:00 pm were gone. But I had the same problem when I was trying to book my return for Thanksgiving weekend and our flight down Dec. 17. I bit the bullet for Thanksgiving since we are flying down for less than $58 pp and am using RR for Dec. 17.

The system kept saying unavailable try later when I was trying to book our flights to Tampa.

Despite this frustration, I love SWA!!! The Rapid Rewards are usually pretty easy to use with limited blackout dates and I have had some great DING fares.

I too am now waiting for April to open up!

 

[challada]

I am waiting also for April! There are 10 of us doing the 4 night Cruise. It leaves Easter Sunday and we want to go down a couple days early!

You will LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the cruise! We did the first West Coast one and as I tell everyone, "yea, I cried when I first saw the boat, but I cried ALOT more when I had to get OFF the boat!"

We are headed to WDW on March 31st, so was nice to get the going there leg yesterday on SWA...our problem is that we need to come home the next weekend (April)...I've told my DH I'll be fine just staying forever in our rental house, which is nicer than my real home, but he's not going for it!

 

[treloarf]

If I get this Ding thing - does that notify you when the dates open up - for example, April or do you just to keep checking their website.

What does Ding do for me?

I think we may just drive from Pgh. to MCO for Easter, if the fare don't come down!!!! Never have done it, but it kids are now 10 & 13 they should be able to handle it!!!!

 

[tinkerbellmagic]

Hi, Add me to the waiting list. We got our arrival flight for last week of March, but need the April flight in order to get home!

Tink

If I get this Ding thing - does that notify you when the dates open up - for example, April or do you just to keep checking their website.

I was so surprised yesterday when I realized Ding let me know we were able to book thru March 31. I thought I would have to keep checking the SWA site, which I was, but I was even more surprised when I realized I missed their message because I had the sound turned way down on my computer and missed the *DING*! lol.. I lost precious minutes and missed out on the lowest couple fares.

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

Also waiting for April... April 20-23 Buf --> MCO

 

[katallo]

I had to call SW about another flight and asked about dates for April. She told me to check around 11/20. Hope this helps.

 

[challada]

That's a Sunday...I wonder if they do updates on that day...I'll certainly be watching them every day from here to booking!
THANKS
Chris

 

[castlegazer]

I am here waiting with total anxiety after what happened to the March flyers - I am soo freaking out now because I was dedicated to wait for SWA for my flights.

I am flying PVD - MCO April 29th and returning in May so hopefully they open both months at the same time. That would truly stink to have to go through this twice.

OK - subscribing to this thread.

 

[Lives4Disney]

Just wanted to subscribe to this thread incase sombody hears something!

I booked our flight to MCO the end of March and need to get a return flight the first Sunday in April.

Lives4Disney

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

Bump
After reading the Southwest FAQs thread on Flyertalk it looks like the beginning of December is when they historically extend the schedule into April.

 

[The Warden]

We're one of the crazy groups that plans to go during Easter and are hoping for a decent fare from MHT to MCO. Last year we booked the day they came out and still had to pay $260 RT - $300 with fees. Still better than Delta - they were about $800 RT.

 

[castlegazer]

On the last thread, someone mentioned the 11th so I will be checking furiously then, and then will again be dissapointed - but keep an eye out everyone, we're all here for each other and I can't get Ding on my computer here at work.

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

Hello Warden: I too am one of the crazy ones waiting for a cheap flight during the week after Easter. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I passed on $227 rt flights on Air Tran from Buffalo --> MCO hoping I could get a nonstop flight with better times for about the same price on Southwest. I hope I'm not kicking myself later. Because those Airtran flights are gone, and they're getting up to $300 now.

 

[cdpa4d]

Here is a question. What do you do if you are flying into Orlando in late march and returning in early April?

Do you book one way for March and wait for April fares to get posted, or do you book roundtrip when April fares become available?

 

[castlegazer]

You definately book your March fare now! You can always cancel and move the funds to a better fare if it appears later - but SWA books in one-way segments. DO IT NOW!!!!

 

[gazeborob]

I had been watching SWA for weeks looking for flights from Chicago to ORD. For some reason, I missed the day they were announced, and found it the next day. I was booking for 10 people from 3/25 - 3/31. By the time I booked, the fares were at $214 per person. I called SWA and booked them with a hold, and then paid for them on Sat. afternoon. On Sunday morning, I found flights on ATA for $177 per person, and better flight times. I was able to cancel on SWA with a full refund since it had been less than 24 hours, and booked on ATA.

Bottom line, pay close attention daily for the release date of the flights you want. If I was to book now on SWA, I would pay almost $500 per person for the same flights that I had booked. On ATA, it would be just under $400.

Good Luck