WWYD - Southwest Airlines

[CowboyCO]

We have a trip in about 6 weeks and I booked the airfare about 2 months ago when there was a brief decrease in airfare. The fares had been $430 RT and I got them for about $320 (non-stop) - saving $400.

Yesterday -- I double-checked fares and They've dropped another $95 RT - but with connections. Our existing flights are leaving at 7:30, arriving 12:30 and returning 5:00 pm - getting home about 8:00.

The new flights would put us in Orlando about 3:30 and back around 10:00pm leaving around the same time for both flights.

Would you re-book? We don't have any scheduled vacations in the next year, although I could maybe see using two of the credits to fly to Vegas for a weekend (with another $100-120 additional each). The boys credits would likely go to waste.

 

[Hannathy]

No I wouldn't re-book
I like that getting in around noon time. you can get to your hotel and still have a late afternoon, long evening at a park. If you don't get in till late afternoon you will hit traffic getting to your room, and by the time you would get to a park it would be dinner time and you would only have the evening.

Also any time you add in connections you have added the chance for delays or even cancellations.

I would leave it the way it is.

 

[nilseks]

If you're not going to utilize the credits for your kids--if it were me I would stick with what I had. When traveling with my kids, it's worth it to fly direct.

 

[Disneychix]

If you aren't going to be able to use 1/2 the savings I wouldn't give up direct flights. Keep stalking and see if your direct flight goes down

 

[Disneylvr4]

Nope, keep the flights you've got! Getting in at noon is a plus, you still have 1/2 the day to get settled AND no stop overs is a big plus IMO! You never know what might happen and no one wants to get on and off planes, rushing around etc. that's why they are cheaper!

Have a great vacation!!

 

[CowboyCO]

Thanks for the responses - that's what I've been thinking as well.

 

[kellyg403]

I would not rebook either. Just not having to change planes, risk delays etc is worth the 100.00. Let alone, having more time to be ON vacation. I don't see sitting around an airport as part of vacation!

Sometimes the convenience factor is worth it.

Kelly

 

[pigletto]

Nope. I agree with the others. I already am not a huge fan of flying. Adding in the element of possibly missing a connection and essentially spending an entire day traveling would stress me out.
I like to save money but non-stops really are my first choice when I can get them.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I would. If you can use the credit for another flight then do it. Think of it this way.

You will save $95 per ticket but if you don't do it and you do end up going to Vegas you will have lost out on the $95 credit and you will have to pay $95 more out of your pocket for the Vegas ticket!
So that Vegas ticket could end up costing you $190 because you passed up the chance to bank $95 from the reduced MCO flight and you will have to shell out another $95 because you don't have the $95 credit to use.

Multiply that by 2 for the cost of your ticket and your DH ticket to go to vegas and now you are looking at an additional cost of $380 for the vegas trip.

 

[TandEsMommy]

I would. If you can use the credit for another flight then do it. Think of it this way.

You will save $95 per ticket but if you don't do it and you do end up going to Vegas you will have lost out on the $95 credit and you will have to pay $95 more out of your pocket for the Vegas ticket!
So that Vegas ticket could end up costing you $190 because you passed up the chance to bank $95 from the reduced MCO flight and you will have to shell out another $95 because you don't have the $95 credit to use.

Multiply that by 2 for the cost of your ticket and your DH ticket to go to vegas and now you are looking at an additional cost of $380 for the vegas trip.

This is how I think. Non-stops are nice, yes, but I don't bust my rear couponing, viggling, taking surveys, holding yardsales and the odd babysitting job to save for Disney to kiss $95/pp goodbye. Even if two of the credits expire...it is not only an overall savings to you if you do take the trip, but also an actual cost to you.

I don't know if you're originally from CO, but we are military stuck in WY...we fly home for family emergencies or for quick visits whenever we can catch a really good fare. Having a credit we could apply towards an already good fare would be an option I couldn't pass up. And last-minute fares are notoriously expensive...an extra $95/pp could really make a difference in being able to take a trip and not.

As an aside....I changed our flights from Delta (refundable military fare) in order to get in on the 10 pm return flight in August I was happy with getting to stay a few extra hours, although it did make me contemplate adding another day with the savings. Gotta love mickey math...

 

[ConnieB]

We have a trip in about 6 weeks and I booked the airfare about 2 months ago when there was a brief decrease in airfare. The fares had been $430 RT and I got them for about $320 (non-stop) - saving $400.

Yesterday -- I double-checked fares and They've dropped another $95 RT - but with connections. Our existing flights are leaving at 7:30, arriving 12:30 and returning 5:00 pm - getting home about 8:00.

The new flights would put us in Orlando about 3:30 and back around 10:00pm leaving around the same time for both flights.

Would you re-book? We don't have any scheduled vacations in the next year, although I could maybe see using two of the credits to fly to Vegas for a weekend (with another $100-120 additional each). The boys credits would likely go to waste.

No I wouldn't rebook it......because you'd be "saving money" but not actually getting that money back, so is it really saving? And to not save the money but have worse flights, with kids.....nope not worth it if you can't use the money saved.

 

[robinb]

I would change to save $95 each on (I assume) 2 tickets, even if you allow the other 2 to go to waste. It puts you in a whopping 3 hours later which is really not a big deal because you are a frequent WDW guest. You would also spend another 5 hours getting home which I think is a bigger PITB, but one I would still do it. Did you book 2 one-ways on your original reservation? How much do you save by changing just the 1st flight?

 

[disny_luvr]

Nope, I wouldn't change for a credit. To me, the credit isn't worth the hassle of having connections, especially with kids.

 

[CowboyCO]

This is how I think. Non-stops are nice, yes, but I don't bust my rear couponing, viggling, taking surveys, holding yardsales and the odd babysitting job to save for Disney to kiss $95/pp goodbye. Even if two of the credits expire...it is not only an overall savings to you if you do take the trip, but also an actual cost to you.

I don't know if you're originally from CO, but we are military stuck in WY...we fly home for family emergencies or for quick visits whenever we can catch a really good fare. Having a credit we could apply towards an already good fare would be an option I couldn't pass up. And last-minute fares are notoriously expensive...an extra $95/pp could really make a difference in being able to take a trip and not.

As an aside....I changed our flights from Delta (refundable military fare) in order to get in on the 10 pm return flight in August I was happy with getting to stay a few extra hours, although it did make me contemplate adding another day with the savings. Gotta love mickey math...

I think we're going to stick with the non-stops and monitor in case there is a drop in those fares. Our only possible trip would be the Vegas jaunt, but I don't see that being in the budget.

BTW - thanks for your service. I'm assuming you are Air Force and stationed at Warren. My DW and I are from Wyoming (Cheyenne for DW) You'll probably love the summer there if you take the chance to go to the Snowy Range. PM if you want tips on how to have fun in Wyo!

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

If you aren't going to be able to use 1/2 the savings I wouldn't give up direct flights. Keep stalking and see if your direct flight goes down

Direct and non stop are not the same thing.

 

[extremesoccermom]

Personally I would not rebook. Last year I booked our trip with one stop on the way home because it was cheaper. I hated it! I will never book anything other than direct from then on. Even if it is a little more. The extra time and the fact that I hate riding in a plane ended up giving me a major headache before we were even half way home. And I ended up spending a small fortune on lunch at the airport so I doubt we ended up ahead in the end.

 

[kelleigh1]

I play the Southwest credit game all the time...but in my opinion, don't change it.

If you knew for certain that you'd use the credits, then yes, it might be worth it to rebook. But you're not certain you'll use them, so you're not really saving anything. It's a "maybe" trip to Vegas.

I have a flight to Chicago in a week and a half, then a flight from St. Louis home a week later (going to niece's graduation). Then we have a flight to Orlando in October and I still need to book a flight back for November. And we know that we are flying to Chicago/St. Louis again next June (my nephew's graduation). I booked the flight to Chicago first and I've watched it go down a couple times. I banked those credits. Used some for the flight home from St. Louis and some for the flight to Orlando. I just rebooked again last week when they had a big one-day sale and now those credits will go toward the flight home from Orlando. And thankfully, SW hasn't opened fares for the day we are flying home from Orlando yet because I want to wait until mid-June before I book so that if those fares go down between now and then, I'll have those credits banked and can put them toward the flights to Chicago/St. Louis next June. (I meant it when I said that I "play the game".)

 

[a1tinkfans]

agree with the choice op, Id not change either

By the way my sil came from fla a few weeks ago, flight was delayed due to rain in fla...then due to rain up north (not in fla) she missed her next leg and had to wait 4 hours or book another more expensive flight (with another carrier) at that point she had been "in travel mode" for so many more hours than necessary...
....she chose to pay more and changed airport and still got home much later...

We only fly non stop.......

someone mentioned direct versus non stop, very different...
direct means no PLANE change but you can still be up and down more than once...non stop means.....you Dont stop and go straight thru..