SWA booking - How far in advance?

[TheMick424]

How far in advance would you recommend booking flights on Southwest? The beginning leg of our trip is available now, but the return is not available for booking. I know that Southwest will issue credits if your fare drops, but do I really need to book this far in advance to get a good deal? My concern also is that we secure direct flights with our two kids in tow.

Just curious about your experience...

 

[disneyfaninaz]

It really depends, I have seen the lowest pricing when the prices first came out and I have seen substantial price drops about 60-90 days before our flight. The great thing with SWA is you can book a one way flight now, and if the fare comes down, you can use the credits to purchase your return flight.

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

How far in advance would you recommend booking flights on Southwest? The beginning leg of our trip is available now, but the return is not available for booking. I know that Southwest will issue credits if your fare drops, but do I really need to book this far in advance to get a good deal? My concern also is that we secure direct flights with our two kids in tow.

Just curious about your experience...

FYI...Direct and nonstop are not the same thing.

As far as booking, because of DING! and other sale fares, it's always wise to book two one ways rather than a round trip. That way, if only one leg of your trip goes down due to a sale/DING! you can take advantage and rebook just that one leg.

 

[jamstew]

I always book as soon as the fares come out even if both legs aren't available so that I can be sure to get a nonstop flight. It's so easy to change if prices drop that I see no reason not to book what I want as soon as I can.

 

[TheMick424]

Thanks for all the advice. Yes, I meant to say, non-stop. So how does applying the credits work? Is it easy to change your reservation online if you don't want to change the specific flight, but just the price?

 

[DVC Grammy]

Thanks for all the advice. Yes, I meant to say, non-stop. So how does applying the credits work? Is it easy to change your reservation online if you don't want to change the specific flight, but just the price?

The nice thing about SW's customer service is that if you call them, the rep will "walk" you through the process while you're online.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Thanks for all the advice. Yes, I meant to say, non-stop. So how does applying the credits work? Is it easy to change your reservation online if you don't want to change the specific flight, but just the price?

Yes, it is very easy to just change the price and not the flight. You simply go to "Change Air Reservation" under Travel Tools. You will automatically be given a credit (ticketless travel funds) tied to the reservation number that will be good 1 year from the date of original purchase.