Very confused Southwest flyer

[sersee05]

ok guys..I haven't flown in 12 years or so(i am very afraid of flying)..we are going to disney in November and are going to fly

I had fares on Southwest for 84 dollars down and 59 coming back..but didn't book it yesterday like a dumbo . Anyhow it went up to 99 dollars down and 59 coming back..Does southwest change their pricing here and there? Is it possible I will see the 84 pop back up if I wait?

Also I was reading the small print about children's fares? I have three kids coming with me ages 12, 7 and 5..but you have to verify their ages before I can check them in online..so I am assuming that would mess everything up since they would get a different boarding number and may not be able to sit with my dh and I who can check in online? Has anyone used the child fares? Are they that much cheaper? The whole age verification process seems like a pain with a photo id?


Sorry..I just am a rookie and have no clue on this stuff

 

[Jestocost]

There generally are a limited number of seats available at the lowest sale price point. When those seats are gone, the system then shows the next lowest fare, and so on. New fare sales do come out from time to time, but there's no guarantee. I would be absolutely delighted with a $99 one-way fare to MCO, FWIW.

Kids fares are better than the full-price "Anytime" fare, but generally are not as low as any available Wanna Get Away fares. If all that's left is Anytime fares, you probably will save a little bit by purchasing a kids fare; otherwise you almost certainly are better off with the Wanna Get Away rates.

 

[sersee05]

Thanks that was very helpful..and then I can check all of us online...I just posted in the sw /air tran post since air tran I can get for 59 down and up..but they charge for bags..so I would save 200 flying with air tran..but pay to check bags..and I guess to get an assigned seat..

Oh I am just so confused..

 

[denisegold]

Hi -

I always fly SW. You can watch the fares, and when they drop (and they very well might) you can go to "travel tools" and change your reservation. If you aren't sure how to do this, you can also call the 1800 # and they will help you. Take the $99 fare while it's available! It will go up! (and might NOT go down!) As to the kids fares, I have never used them- I am not sure if they save any $.

 

[sersee05]

ohh Ok thank!! I appreciate that...So if I see the 84 pop back up or even a 59 if they ever do..It is very easy to change without being penalized? Or do they give you a credit?

 

[Stitchnut]

I have also used SW to fly into Orlando. I have not used the child fares and have gotten some really good deals. A few times the fare dropped and we changed it. In doing so, we got credit to be used at a later date with SW. SW also has you line up and board by number, but once on the plane you can pick where you want to sit, unless that has changed.

 

[bumbershoot]

ohh Ok thank!! I appreciate that...So if I see the 84 pop back up or even a 59 if they ever do..It is very easy to change without being penalized? Or do they give you a credit?

They don't penalize you. You do get a credit, which will expire one year from when you originally made the booking.

 

[NCmomof3]

I just booked flights on SW for our family of 5. We are traveling Thanksgiving week and when I originally looked at the prices it was hard to justify since our drive is only about 10 hours and we have managed that fine for most of our trips to the world. (The prices were not that great $92 to MCO and $189 back to RDU.) I even looked at a few of the discount airlines, but those still add up when you add baggage changes, etc...

Then...lo and behold...last Thursday I checked SW just for the heck of it and was able to get our flights for $80 (+tax and fees) each way!!! What had been $189 was now $80! We booked! Family of 5 flying to the World for $900! Well worth trading the stress of a ten hour drive the Sunday after TG especially with getting back to work and school the next day.

So...keep checking! You may get some pixie dust as well!!

 

[sersee05]

Oh that is great!!! Mine will be 896 for a family of five..but I know they had round trip for 118 dollars..so I am just stuck as to grab the 896 ..or keep checking to find that 118 RT fare!!!

 

[TheWog]

Two things. Have you considered Airtran down and SW back to get the most out of the two fares? Just a thought.

The other thing and I haven't flown SW in a while so others help me if I can incorrect, but you might want to book two separate reservations. That way if your flight going down does drop and you need to rebook you don't impact your return flight. Meaning if the return flight has risen in price you sometimes get in a bind with that fare increasing and not worth the change. Does that make sense?

 

[DisTwix]

Two things. Have you considered Airtran down and SW back to get the most out of the two fares? Just a thought.

The other thing and I haven't flown SW in a while so others help me if I can incorrect, but you might want to book two separate reservations. That way if your flight going down does drop and you need to rebook you don't impact your return flight. Meaning if the return flight has risen in price you sometimes get in a bind with that fare increasing and not worth the change. Does that make sense?

It is possible to change just one leg of a two leg (down and back) flight. When you go in to the travel tools, and put in your confirmation number, both flights will be pulled up - a radial button is there to select which ones you'd like to change.

I try to ALWAYS fly Southwest. I live in Columbus, OH, and have options when it comes to flying, but it seems that Southwest has the best times, prices and (*so important*) SERVICE. You can cancel with no penalty (you get travel funds, not cash back). You can change your flights, if necessary. You can get that lower cost flight that might come out after you book. They don't charge for luggage, and everyone from the counter folks to the flying staff are always fantastic.

For the flight down I am taking Friday, I was able to apply $75 in travel funds that I had left over from constantly watching a previous flight's prices drop.

I know folks who've flown Airtran and have been very happy with them... I just haven't been able to justify the additional cost of checking my bags vs cheaper cost of flight - the difference hasn't been enough for the flights I've taken.

Also - I've travelled in parties as large as 6 + infant in arms and even getting the "B" section, have had no trouble sitting together.

And - from someone who has literally looked at a flight every single day for 3 weeks, I can say that the flights even sometimes change price WITHIN A DAY. I can't quite figure out what the algorithm is, because sometimes it's up, sometimes it's down, but they can and will change.

 

[sersee05]

ok that is where I get confused. I understand if I cancelled I would get the credit to use again .Let's say I book a 99 dollar flight down...But the 59 dollar rate pops up the next day...Would I get a travel credit for the difference? Or would I actually be able to re book at that rate? It was just there yesterday and it would save me 200 dollars.

Since we don't fly a lot ..I am assuming you have to use the travel credit within a year..I am afraid we won't use it ... Well maybe it would force me to go back down to disney earlier than planned...

 

[DisTwix]

ok that is where I get confused. I understand if I cancelled I would get the credit to use again .Let's say I book a 99 dollar flight down...But the 59 dollar rate pops up the next day...Would I get a travel credit for the difference? Or would I actually be able to re book at that rate? It was just there yesterday and it would save me 200 dollars.

Since we don't fly a lot ..I am assuming you have to use the travel credit within a year..I am afraid we won't use it ... Well maybe it would force me to go back down to disney earlier than planned...

Anything you do to your flight - cancelling/rebooking/etc - where your second flight is cheaper than your first will result in what Southwest refers to as Travel Funds.

So, let's say you book the $99 flight, because it's still the best deal out there, and you keep checking it, and low and behold, one day it's $79 (there are obviously, no guarantees of this). You can then go out, and change the flight to the most current version, at the newer/cheaper price. Southwest will then hold that difference in travel funds. (Tied to the original booking number - so you MUST keep track of that!)

Now, like you said - you don't travel that much, and may not have need of these funds.... BUT, you might be able to use them.

Either way, it's an option you don't have with any other airline - for the others, what you paid on the day you booked is the price and they'll charge you a fee to do anything regarding that flight.

To not book what is still a good price seems risky to me... I know you experienced the lower prices yesterday, but you honestly may not see those lower prices again.... you might book the $99 and not see THAT again. You really can't tell.


OH - and as for them asking for children's ages, I believe it has to do with weight, and for further identification, since kids don't have ID. I've never experienced the kid's rates --- I always use the Wanna Get Away rates or DING! rates.

 

[DisTwix]

Oooops! Double Post!

 

[DisTwix]

Ooops! Double Post!.... Oh! For heaven's sake!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA....

 

[DisTwix]

HEY! Something I just thought of... You are looking to book for 5 people, correct? Have you by any chance tried just putting in the request for 2 or 3 people? You would have to split up your booking (multiple confirmations), but you might be able to get a better price for at least part of the flights.... my girlfriend with a billion kids did this, and she ended up booking them all individually (SIX SEPERATE BOOKINGS!) because she could get the price that way!

Might be worth a shot!

 

[TheWog]

Either way, it's an option you don't have with any other airline - for the others, what you paid on the day you booked is the price and they'll charge you a fee to do anything regarding that flight.

.

JetBlue doesn't charge for fare adjustments and they are similar in the sense that you can use them for up to one year.

Thanks for clarifying the SW fare change process, as mentioned it had been a while since I had flown SW.

 

[DisTwix]

JetBlue doesn't charge for fare adjustments and they are similar in the sense that you can use them for up to one year.

Thanks for clarifying the SW fare change process, as mentioned it had been a while since I had flown SW.

Oh - hey - thanks for the JetBlue update. Since they left Columbus (WAH! - they were here for about a MINUTE!), I haven't kept up on what they do. However, it's excellent info.