Southwest Airlines

Does anyone know if there a certain day of the week or month when Southwest posts the next group of available flights? Right now they only allow bookings through April 1. I need April 9, and want to be ready and waiting on the internet site when those flights become available.

 

Thanks

 

Jennifer

Jennifer,

 

They just changed it from March 8th(?) to April 1 about a week ago, so I would check it some time late November or early December. We fly SW all the time and it's a great airline. Having said that, we never use Southwest going to a cruise, if it requires a plane change along the way. The reason being, when you get off your first flight, you may be "bumped" from your second leg. This happens from time to time.

Another tip--book each individual one at a time, this way, you can print boarding passes at home for each person (you will end up in the "A" boarding group). This is done the morning you fly. If more than one persons name is on the booking (ETicket), you can't print out boarding passes, and you take your chances when you check in.

 

Good luck and let me know if you have questions,

Kel

And if you're up late packing the night before, you can print your boarding pass after midnight to guarantee that A boarding group! :)

we never use Southwest going to a cruise, if it requires a plane change along the way. The reason being, when you get off your first flight, you may be "bumped" from your second leg.

If you "check-in" online, wouldn't you get boarding passes for each leg and therefor completely reduce the chance of being bumped? Generally, I would agree that changing planes on Southwest is more of a concern if one needs to check-in at each leg and be subject to getting into the last boarding category. As I understand it, Southwest is considering a move to assigned seats so that this will no longer be an issue. Southwest has a good record on denied boardings. As stated by others, "Southwest Airlines is consistently the airline with the lowest customer complaint rate in the industry (0.14 per 100,000 passengers in 2003 compared to an industry rate of 0.67 per 100,000 passengers". See more at http://www.unomaha.edu/~unoai/aqr/2004%20synopsis.htm

parody,

 

I thought the same thing about online check in, however, a couple of months ago I had a flight and a return flight all in the same day. The computer would only issue the first boarding pass. Maybe it's different with a connecting flight.

Boarding on SW is much better now that they have three boarding lines (A, B, C).

We returned from Tucson tuesday and were sitting in the first row of the airplane. We were the first ones off the airplane and our luggage was already at the carrousel. :D You don't get that with other airlines. A big thumbs up for the ABQ ground crew!! By the way, we were 5 minutes early.

 

Enjoy!

Kel

Thanks for the advice. I've flown SW a number of times and never had a bumping problem, but I think they were all non-stops. Didn't like the ABC boarding thing when I flew with a large group because we ended up in the C group and were scattered all over the plane. And they have great little snack boxes now!

 

Jennifer

I thought the same thing about online check in, however, a couple of months ago I had a flight and a return flight all in the same day. The computer would only issue the first boarding pass. Maybe it's different with a connecting flight.

At first blush, it appears that the availability of boarding passes obtained online is not related to whether it is a same-day return flight or a connection being made on ones outbound flight. The Southwest website gives an example of an outbound flight that involves 2 connections. Boarding passes can be obtained on the initial and first connecting flight but not the second. They state in their example:

Flights not available for Online Checkin will be denoted as "Airport Checkin Required" in red text.

Assuming that one otherwise meets the conditions for obtaining an advanced boarding pass, they do not state why Airport Checkin is Required under some circumstances but not others. Possibly others on this board may know.

Just got a email newsletter from SWA, a couple of days ago, and it indicated you can now have multiple passengers on your e-ticket, and everyone can check in online. Now, the race won't be to the airport, but to your computers, after midnight, for online check in. Getting in the "A" group is going to require some planning.:D

 

They still have the best FF program in the business!

 

Enjoy!

Kel

 

They still have the best FF program in the business!

 

Enjoy!

Kel

 

How can you make that statement? IMHO, a FF program should offer more than a free ticket. I like being able to upgrade (no first class on Southwest), access to the airport lounges, priority boarding lines, priority check in lines, special help desk for elite members, double, triple, and other promotions for more miles, LOTS of partners to accumulate miles, etc., etc., etc.

 

As I asked in the other thread, "Why all the hype about Southwest?". They may have been the cheapest at one time, but not so anymore. And they certainly don't have much for service. The few times (about 10) I have flown Southwest, I have been bumped 40% of the time. Nice for the free ticket they give you, but not nice if you really need to be someplace.

Does anyone know if there a certain day of the week or month when Southwest posts the next group of available flights? Right now they only allow bookings through April 1. I need April 9, and want to be ready and waiting on the internet site when those flights become available.

The following from another BB answers your question:

 

"The schedule is usually extended on a Thursday morning, around 10 AM Central Time. One tipoff is when the current sale is "through the end of the schedule" rather than having a specific ending date.

 

Recent schedule extension history:

Mar 13/03 - sked open to Sep 8/03

May 14/03 - sked open to Oct 24/03

June 26/03 - sked open to Dec 13/03

July 24/03 - sked open to Jan 16/04

Sep 19/03 - sked open to Mar 6/04

Oct 16/03 - sked open to April 2/04

Dec 11/03 - sked open to May 8/04

Jan 13/04 - sked open to Jun 11/04

Feb 13/04 - sked open to Aug 7/04

Mar 25/04 - sked open to Sep 13/04

May 5/04 - sked open to Oct 29/04

July 15/04 - sked open to Dec 11/04

July 29/04 - sked open to Jan 14/05

Sept 23/04 - sked open to Mar 3/05

Oct 22/04 - sked open to April 1/05

 

 

Whenever the open schedule days drops down to to the 112-135 day range, the schedule is then extended to be in the 150-177 day range.

 

In terms of their FF program, it's attractiveness depends on one's situation. On the positive side, one has a good opportunity to obtain "bonus" points; however, on the negative side, one's segments expire after 1 year. Most other airlines use 3 years or the accumulated miles don't expire at all. This can be a major consideration for some people.

How can you make that statement? IMHO, a FF program should offer more than a free ticket.]

 

I like that you can use your free ticket on any flight, as long as any seats are available. Not just a few seats, like the other airlines, but any seat left, at any price level. I accumulate points with the frequent short trips I make, and then use the free tickets on longer, more expensive flights.

 

Enjoy!

Kel

Thanks Parody, that's great info! Of course all the hints I get on this site are great.