What's the best way to book this trip on southwest?

[disprincessatheart]

I figured the budget board folks might know this best. I have just over 30,000 southwest points right now in my acct. I'm looking to book our spring trip and for our family of 3 today I need 42,000 points. My husband and son each have several thousand points in their accounts. Would the best (only?) way to book using only points be to book my round trip and one way for my husband and son out of my acct, using 28,000 points and then book a one way for each of them back using their own accounts? It seems like a lot of confirmation numbers to keep up with so I'm hoping there's an easier way but I can't think of any.

Thanks!

 

[ancestry]

I would try posting this on the Transportation Board. There are Southwest "experts" who can help you with this, taking into account all possibilities.

 

[Marionnette]

I figured the budget board folks might know this best. I have just over 30,000 southwest points right now in my acct. I'm looking to book our spring trip and for our family of 3 today I need 42,000 points. My husband and son each have several thousand points in their accounts. Would the best (only?) way to book using only points be to book my round trip and one way for my husband and son out of my acct, using 28,000 points and then book a one way for each of them back using their own accounts? It seems like a lot of confirmation numbers to keep up with so I'm hoping there's an easier way but I can't think of any.

Thanks!

If your goal is to use only points, then yes, this is the way that you will have to do it. You can "link" trips on the Southwest.com website when you book your airfare and they will show up on your confirmation emails. They will still have separate confirmation codes, but at least you will see them all together. I did this last fall when I paid for my sister and brother-in-law using points and then paid for my husband and myself with points one way and with leftover credits for the return trip.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I will gladly juggle multiple confirmation #s to have free flights. The alternative to this is to pay cash for them and you'll have one confirmation #. We always buy EBCI for our return flight so we don't have to deal with it while on vacation. Since all the "work" is done while still at home it's really not that difficult to have multiple confirmation #s.

 

[disprincessatheart]

Thanks everyone! I did get a $50 sw gift card with they coke rewards promo in December so maybe I will use that for the return trip check ins to save some hassle! Thanks for the idea! We are normally in a park 24 hours ahead of our return flight,so checking in 3 of us with 3 different confirmation numbers from my phone seems like a really pain! Then again we have a 4 yr old so we would likely be able to do family boarding.. I have about 90 days to mull it over

 

[Marionnette]

Thanks everyone! I did get a $50 sw gift card with they coke rewards promo in December so maybe I will use that for the return trip check ins to save some hassle! Thanks for the idea! We are normally in a park 24 hours ahead of our return flight,so checking in 3 of us with 3 different confirmation numbers from my phone seems like a really pain! Then again we have a 4 yr old so we would likely be able to do family boarding.. I have about 90 days to mull it over

Family boarding is between the A group and the B group. It is also at the discretion of the gate agent, so it may not be offered at all if there are a large number of families with small children.

Only one adult in the party will be permitted to board with the small child. All other family members will have to board according to their boarding pass number. In your case, that would be the other parent who would board separately. If the 4 year-old will be using a carseat on the plane, get him settled into his window seat and then you take the aisle. No one is going to want that middle seat, so the other adult will certainly be able to sit with you when they board.

If checking in right at the 24-hour mark will be difficult for you while vacationing, you might want to have someone at home do it for you.

 

[aribelle]

I figured the budget board folks might know this best. I have just over 30,000 southwest points right now in my acct. I'm looking to book our spring trip and for our family of 3 today I need 42,000 points. My husband and son each have several thousand points in their accounts. Would the best (only?) way to book using only points be to book my round trip and one way for my husband and son out of my acct, using 28,000 points and then book a one way for each of them back using their own accounts? It seems like a lot of confirmation numbers to keep up with so I'm hoping there's an easier way but I can't think of any.

Thanks!

Transferring points costs money, so I would not do it unless you absolutely need to.....you don't get any discount by booking round trips, so just book a ticket from whatever account has enough points. The ticket does not have to be in the name of the person on the account, it just has to be "bought" while logged into that account, but you put the name of the flying passenger on the ticket.


My husband travels and is the collector of points.....for flights, hotels, car rentals and credit card use....and the girls and I use his points almost exclusively, he rarely flies on points. No one cares whose name is on the ticket (but it can't be changed without cancelling and rebooking, thus possibly costing more points). If we cancel a ticket the points go back into his account, not ours.

Book now, but also keep watching...because the points go up and down a lot.....you can change the ticket (but not the person's name) if the points needed go down, the leftover will go back to the original point owner. If you need to change names, cancel and book again in the other person's name.

 

[briand1023]

We just flew and l flights had their own confirmation numbers and I booked round trip

 

[aribelle]

We just flew and l flights had their own confirmation numbers and I booked round trip

Each passenger is going to have their own confirmation number for each flight....so a round trip is 2 confirmations for each passenger.

You don't actually have to keep track the confirmations.....just be sure to put their Southwest rewards membership number when you fill in name/birthdate, etc. Then the confirmation is in their account, log in and check in from their account.

 

[jmsaj]

How much would it cost to transfer the points to your own account and then not have to worry about using 3 different accounts..

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

the cost to transfer point was $10 per 1,000 points.

 

[hsmamato2]

I'd do it OP...in fact I do it all the time.....just keep excellent records,and print out what you have booked,for each person,keep in a file folder IRL,and also in your email folder..... It's not too much extra work, and it's free....so why not? FWIW,if you have a young child,and want to sit together, just get the free tickets,and buy EBCI.... I love SWA< been flying using points for years (=free) and I always book one way flights,separately for each family member......