Jet Blue and Southwest Airlines

[lexingtonave]

Just an FYI to cruisers. Southwest will extend their schedule on June 30th, and Jet Blue will extend theirs on July 8th. I'm sure there are people waiting to book airlines after these schedules open.

[maryjaden]

Southwest has 10% off through July 1.

[mickeymouse12]

Just an FYI to cruisers. Southwest will extend their schedule on June 30th, and Jet Blue will extend theirs on July 8th. I'm sure there are people waiting to book airlines after these schedules open.

 

Any idea how far out? Thanks, Deb

[Ashland]

I need air from FLL-SJU May 2016...when should I start looking and what airlines fly that route? I know Southwest but any other's?

[FlyerTalker]

I need air from FLL-SJU May 2016...when should I start looking and what airlines fly that route? I know Southwest but any other's?

You should start looking NOW. If you find a price you like, take it.

 

You can always wait and hope that prices will change in the downward direction. Or they may trend upwards. Only by starting the process as soon as possible can you keep a pulse on what the "market" is doing.

 

As for what airlines? Only JetBlue, Southwest and Spirit fly that non-stop. However, you can get a pretty good price today on Delta via ATL -- $164 one way.

[Ashland]

You should start looking NOW. If you find a price you like, take it.

 

You can always wait and hope that prices will change in the downward direction. Or they may trend upwards. Only by starting the process as soon as possible can you keep a pulse on what the "market" is doing.

 

As for what airlines? Only JetBlue, Southwest and Spirit fly that non-stop. However, you can get a pretty good price today on Delta via ATL -- $164 one way.

Thanks so much...I am starting to look...If Jet Blue extends their schedule on July 8th...what month will that go to ?

 

Last year we did LAX-FLL on DL (for some pre cruise days) and a FLL-SJU on Southwest morning of cruise....then SJU-LAX on DL. Thinking about doing the same for next year. We got our Southwest one way flight for approx $100.00pp.

[Riverroad]

I know all about buying when you see a price you can live with on the legacy carriers. However, I am very late in booking tickets to St. Thomas for President's Week and right now, there are no prices I like. What is the experts' advice-wait for Jet Blue to open on July 8 or buy at the sky-high prices now? It's a land not cruise trip and DH doesn't want to cancel. I would if it were up to me. BTW, not looking for cheapest-those are long gone-just something under $900. Leaving from JFK or any other area airport. Some family members could do Hartford or Providence.

[FlyerTalker]

I know all about buying when you see a price you can live with on the legacy carriers. However, I am very late in booking tickets to St. Thomas for President's Week and right now, there are no prices I like. What is the experts' advice-wait for Jet Blue to open on July 8 or buy at the sky-high prices now?

Do you have any reason to believe that JetBlue will come in with prices significantly below current market pricing? Why would they choose to undercut their own profit margin? Remember....it's the market you are working with, not hopes.

BTW, not looking for cheapest-those are long gone-just something under $900. Leaving from JFK or any other area airport. Some family members could do Hartford or Providence.

I have to believe that you are using $900 as a price for multiple tickets. I find it hard to believe that it is $900 per person. Usually prices are quoted per person, so we don't have to magically divine what the actual tickets cost.

 

Remember that President's Week is a high-demand time for flights to/from warm weather vacation locales. Apply Econ 101 and go from there.

[Riverroad]

FlyerTalker, believe it or not, it is at least $900 per person. Some flights are more depending on number of connections, time, etc. Are you saying that once JetBlue opens those dates they will be priced comparable to the legacies?

[kenish]

Not enough detail for an exact answer (and the devil's in the details). Fares on the Saturday before Presidents' Day (Feb 13, 2016) from the NYC area to STT are in the $300 range using connecting flights. Or, you can pay for the convenience of nonstop flights; $564 on AA or $850-950 on UA and DL.

 

Checking +/- a few days shows some significantly cheaper fares.

Edited June 29, 2015 by kenish

[Riverroad]

Where are you seeing the $564 on AA? I would jump on that in a heartbeat.

[fbgd]

I'm going to STT from NYC around Presidents' and paid just over $850 rt in F on AA via MIA (international J seats on those 757s). I bought my tickets several months ago. I was expecting F to run about $1500-$2000 rt so was very happy with that.

[monicajay]

Just an FYI to cruisers. Southwest will extend their schedule on June 30th, and Jet Blue will extend theirs on July 8th. I'm sure there are people waiting to book airlines after these schedules open.

 

 

Thank-you for the heads up. I've been waiting for the Jet Blue schedule.

[jtdlmc]

Booked with Southwest this morning for Feb 2016. DTW to MCO $358 (with early bird check in), nonstop outbound, one stop homebound. Delta was $764 (plus $50 baggage) nonstop both ways and has been since flights were released. We have always flown Delta for under $400 by booking when flights are first released (even last year) but we would've been driving to Orlando this year at that price! I have never looked at Southwest - very glad I did this time :)

Edited June 30, 2015 by jtdlmc

[danhandiman]

I was checking southwest today and there are no cheap flights from Buffalo to SanJuan, it says the Wanna fly rates are unavailable, we can fly from Toronto too but was hoping to get something cheaper from Buffalo..

[kenish]

Where are you seeing the $564 on AA? I would jump on that in a heartbeat.

 

The fares I listed yesterday are one way, since OP only provided basic info about the trip south, and nothing about a return. Sorry I didn't make that clear.

 

New York (JFK) to St Thomas Island (STT) — Sat, Feb 13

 

American Airlines Inc. 936

Dep: 9:20 am

Arr: 2:19 pm

Economy (B) $561

 

Somewhat lower fares and more airline choices +/- a few days.

[sml3]

Southwest MKE To FLL on February 12 only has 1 Wanna Get Away price showing. For the rest of the flights the WGA price is "unavailable". Does this mean they won't have the WGA fares for those flights?

[PaulMCO]

FLL to MSY week after New Years only $76 wow!!!

[FlyerTalker]

Southwest MKE To FLL on February 12 only has 1 Wanna Get Away price showing. For the rest of the flights the WGA price is "unavailable". Does this mean they won't have the WGA fares for those flights?

Likely yes. It probably means that there were more seats at one time, but they have almost sold out of that "bucket". Just because there is a "fare" for a city pair doesn't mean that an airline has to continually keep restocking that inventory bucket.

 

Now, depending on market conditions, an airline MAY add inventory to lower fare buckets to stimulate demand for that flight. But that is completely a function of the company's yield management computer algorithms - a "black art" that often leaves even experienced flyers scratching their head.

 

To base your travel decisions upon a hope that prices may drop is, IMHO, a losing proposition in the long run. A wise piece of advice is: "Hope is not a strategy".

 

Look for the quote from Gardyloo in my sig - that pretty much sums it up.

[sml3]

Likely yes. It probably means that there were more seats at one time, but they have almost sold out of that "bucket". Just because there is a "fare" for a city pair doesn't mean that an airline has to continually keep restocking that inventory bucket.

 

Now, depending on market conditions, an airline MAY add inventory to lower fare buckets to stimulate demand for that flight. But that is completely a function of the company's yield management computer algorithms - a "black art" that often leaves even experienced flyers scratching their head.

 

To base your travel decisions upon a hope that prices may drop is, IMHO, a losing proposition in the long run. A wise piece of advice is: "Hope is not a strategy".

 

Look for the quote from Gardyloo in my sig - that pretty much sums it up.

Just seems strange to me as they first went on sale yesterday so they must never have planned on having WGA pricing for these flights. I've never seen that before.

[fbgd]

Just seems strange to me as they first went on sale yesterday so they must never have planned on having WGA pricing for these flights. I've never seen that before.

 

If they believe there's plenty of demand at the higher fare prices then there's no reason to release anything in the cheap seats.

 

If you've got a limited amount of widgets you can produce to sell you'd sell them for the highest price you could get for them. No different here.

[FlyerTalker]

Two curiosity questions....were you waiting for Southwest to open up flights in the expectation that they would have low prices available for you? Did you pass up on buying tickets from other carriers in the expectation of a low Southwest price or did you just not look at those other options?

[sml3]

I was waiting for Southwest because they are the only nonstop carrier from Milwaukee to Ft. Lauderdale. I am fortunate because the one WGA price they show is the flight I would have wanted anyway (a bit early in the a.m. but nonstop at least). I was just curious because I've never seen it where there were not WGA prices listed this far in advance. Every return flight has WGA prices.

I'm not complaining about the price I've booked at (booked yesterday as soon as they came out) as it's still way better than any prices on any other carrier out of either Milwaukee or even O'Hare. Especially when factoring in fees for luggage.