Southwest Airlines Question

[KLLund]

Are they home yet?

 

Oops .. sorry .. she said they are using it but that they seemed to do a much better job than SLC did. However that was just from observation since she was on the crew that day and PDX broke the rules and let him go through the crew procedure with her.. she loved PDX !!

[2Oregonians]

June 26th, Southwest will open up reservations through January 9th. I know I'll be on first thing in the morning getting our tickets to Phoenix for Thanksgiving!

[Preds]

June 26th, Southwest will open up reservations through January 9th. I know I'll be on first thing in the morning getting our tickets to Phoenix for Thanksgiving!

Aargh! We'll be arriving in Barcelona on June 26th!

[2Oregonians]

Aargh! We'll be arriving in Barcelona on June 26th!

 

Perhaps give a trusted family member your credit card # and info on the exact date & flight numbers you wish, and have them make your reservation. Just a thought. Or.. if you have access to the internet once you reach your destination in Barcelona, I'm sure you will still be able to get your reservations even if it's the next day or so after they open up.

[Preds]

Perhaps give a trusted family member your credit card # and info on the exact date & flight numbers you wish, and have them make your reservation. Just a thought. Or.. if you have access to the internet once you reach your destination in Barcelona, I'm sure you will still be able to get your reservations even if it's the next day or so after they open up.

Yah, I'll have to try from the hotel in Barcelona. I'm looking for cheaper Thansgiving ressie's than I can currently find!

[FlyerTalker]

Aargh! We'll be arriving in Barcelona on June 26th!

Go to the EasyInternet cafe on Las Ramblas. Consider that you will have a jump on everyone still asleep in the USA.

[oceanseagle12]

June 26th, Southwest will open up reservations through January 9th. I know I'll be on first thing in the morning getting our tickets to Phoenix for Thanksgiving!

 

Grr... Thats really obnoxious. Im planning to cruise on the 10th! So I guess on the 26th, I can book a flight for the 9th, but who knows if I will be able to get back after the cruise?! :cool:

 

Maybe I should just book Delta.

[chrisbd1]

Grr... Thats really obnoxious. I'm planning to cruise on the Th! So I guess on the Th, I can book a flight for the Th, but who knows if I will be able to get back after the cruise?! :cool:

 

Maybe I should just book Delta.

I had the same situation when I booked our tickets to Seattle. The schedule for our return trip wasn't available, only our flight from Love to SeaTac. As it turns out, it worked out. SWA was running a special from Seattle to Dallas, 2 months after I'd booked our first leg. I was kinda sweating it out for a bit, wondering if we were ever going to leave Seattle :) .

[sunlover58]

Anyone have a clue as to when SWA will open up for April? Seems in the past it was November. Hate to wait to book for April cruise but just can't see spending $1000 for 2 to fly to Orlando.

[2Oregonians]

Ok, so they're open now for reservations into January (9th, I think). However, I had my flights all picked out for when we wanted to travel at Thanksgiving, and got up this morning (they opened up the dates just today) bright and early to make my reservations only to find out they changed all the times of the flights AND the low price I had counted on wasn't there anymore. We want to travel from Portland, OR to Phoenix, AZ. I had been looking at the website for a couple months and we could get a 7pm flight Wed night before Thanksgiving, and a return at 8pm on Sunday night. Those times had all changed as of this morning. It was going to cost $119pp outbound, and $177pp return. Total of $592 +taxes for the both of us round trip. NOW it is $230pp outbound and $310pp return. Total of $1080 plus taxes. :eek: <<----That look came with a few choice mumblings under my breath. So.... I looked at United, America West, and Alaska, and we can get Alaska for a grand total, taxes included, of $916. Still not the $625-ish ($592 plus taxes), but I can't decide if we should take it or just skip the trip altogether. That's a thousand bucks for a quick trip to Arizona from Oregon!!! Plus renting a car and any other incidentals. Lodging would be at my parents, but still...

[FlyerTalker]

This one is going to take some detailed disection:

Ok, so they're open now for reservations into January (9th, I think). However, I had my flights all picked out for when we wanted to travel at Thanksgiving, and got up this morning (they opened up the dates just today) bright and early to make my reservations only to find out they changed all the times of the flights AND the low price I had counted on wasn't there anymore.

First off....WN never had any flights at the times you "wanted" for those dates. What there was were flights for OTHER dates operating at specific times. The new schedule is just that - a NEW schedule. With flights, times and pricing COMPLETELY new for the new period.

 

You made an assumption - that things would not change. And that WN would give you that same cheap fare you are seeing for other dates.

We want to travel from Portland, OR to Phoenix, AZ. I had been looking at the website for a couple months and we could get a 7pm flight Wed night before Thanksgiving, and a return at 8pm on Sunday night. Those times had all changed as of this morning. It was going to cost $119pp outbound, and $177pp return. Total of $592 +taxes for the both of us round trip. NOW it is $230pp outbound and $310pp return. Total of $1080 plus taxes. :eek:

Once again....it was never going to cost $592. It couldn't - as there was never a published price for those dates until today. Southwest issues fares at the same time that it releases a schedule, so any projection of a fare for November was done by yourself, at your own risk.

So.... I looked at United, America West, and Alaska, and we can get Alaska for a grand total, taxes included, of $916. Still not the $625-ish ($592 plus taxes), but I can't decide if we should take it or just skip the trip altogether. That's a thousand bucks for a quick trip to Arizona from Oregon!!! Plus renting a car and any other incidentals. Lodging would be at my parents, but still...

Are you just now looking at UA, US and AS? If so, you likely missed out on some lower fares offered in the past. You want to fly at a prime travel period, at prime times (Wednesday and Sunday nights bracketing T'giving)

and gambled that WN would offer current pricing forward into that period.

 

The lesson is being well demonstrated today - don't pass up the bird in hand for the Southwest flights waiting down the road.

[2Oregonians]

This one is going to take some detailed disection:

 

First off....WN never had any flights at the times you "wanted" for those dates. What there was were flights for OTHER dates operating at specific times. The new schedule is just that - a NEW schedule. With flights, times and pricing COMPLETELY new for the new period.

 

You made an assumption - that things would not change. And that WN would give you that same cheap fare you are seeing for other dates.

Once again....it was never going to cost $592. It couldn't - as there was never a published price for those dates until today. Southwest issues fares at the same time that it releases a schedule, so any projection of a fare for November was done by yourself, at your own risk.

Are you just now looking at UA, US and AS? If so, you likely missed out on some lower fares offered in the past. You want to fly at a prime travel period, at prime times (Wednesday and Sunday nights bracketing T'giving)

and gambled that WN would offer current pricing forward into that period.

 

The lesson is being well demonstrated today - don't pass up the bird in hand for the Southwest flights waiting down the road.

 

 

Whatever.... Sheesh. My goodness, you'd think you were the CC correction police. Speaking of the bird.... nevermind. Have a nice day.

[greatam]

Whatever.... Sheesh. My goodness, you'd think you were the CC correction police. Speaking of the bird.... nevermind. Have a nice day.

 

Why the attitude???? Someone trying to help and trying to explain why WN may NOT have the same prices/schedule in the future and you cop an attitude???

 

You ASSUMED that WN would have low prices and the same schedule. You gambled and lost. It has been posted over and over on these boards that by the time WN posts schedules and prices, the CHEAPEST fare may be gone.Do

 

Just an aside-you didn't believe anyone about the price to ship fish from Alaska either. I ship fish out of Alaska all summer long. I do it for a living. You think airfare is high, wait until you see your FedEx bill for shipping fish.

[FlyerTalker]

Whatever.... Sheesh. My goodness, you'd think you were the CC correction police. Speaking of the bird.... nevermind. Have a nice day.

I try to correct misinformation and bad assumptions -- on the theory that it will save someone (the OP or others) from a bad experience down the road. If your pure intent was to rant and complain, so be it. I just want to help others to not have the same experience you did. And education is often the best way to accomplish that.

[vjmatty]

Ok, so they're open now for reservations into January (9th, I think). However, I had my flights all picked out for when we wanted to travel at Thanksgiving, and got up this morning (they opened up the dates just today) bright and early to make my reservations only to find out they changed all the times of the flights AND the low price I had counted on wasn't there anymore. We want to travel from Portland, OR to Phoenix, AZ. I had been looking at the website for a couple months and we could get a 7pm flight Wed night before Thanksgiving, and a return at 8pm on Sunday night. Those times had all changed as of this morning. It was going to cost $119pp outbound, and $177pp return. Total of $592 +taxes for the both of us round trip. NOW it is $230pp outbound and $310pp return. Total of $1080 plus taxes. :eek: <<----That look came with a few choice mumblings under my breath. So.... I looked at United, America West, and Alaska, and we can get Alaska for a grand total, taxes included, of $916. Still not the $625-ish ($592 plus taxes), but I can't decide if we should take it or just skip the trip altogether. That's a thousand bucks for a quick trip to Arizona from Oregon!!! Plus renting a car and any other incidentals. Lodging would be at my parents, but still...

 

Ok I am totally confused now.... Southwest prepublishes their schedules and fares prior to being available for booking? Or am I totally misreading something here?

[2Oregonians]

The following is all said with a smile on my face, and in my voice.

 

Ok, I'm not going to get into verbal wars. This was taken way more seriously than it needed to be. My "darn Southwest" was tongue-in-cheek. Yes, in retrospect I know I didn't make it sound that way, but it was. I know that you can't count on a price or time staying the same after the new dates are posted. I was just bummed because I didn't want to have to pay almost $1000.

 

The fish thing - I'm not sure how you got that I "didn't believe anyone" about the prices. The first couple responses seemed like they weren't sure. Like "it was a long time ago, but I THINK I paid...." I'm baffled why you think I was distrusting on that one.

 

Look, I'm a nice, grown woman and I normally don't argue with people, so let's just drop it, ok?

 

The above was all said with a smile on my face, and in my voice.

[nho9504]

Ok I am totally confused now.... Southwest prepublishes their schedules and fares prior to being available for booking? Or am I totally misreading something here?

 

No. The OP made an assumption based on flight prices she saw on the same routes BUT, this is a big BUT, different date - that such Fare and Schedule HAVE NOT YET published when she made those assumptions.

 

Needless to say, when Southwest finally published its eagerly awaited schedule and fares, many are very disappointed when they face with the REALITY - that Southwest fares also shot up A LOT. At the same time, the previously available lower-priced seats on other airlines were long gone - snapped up by people who know better what a reasonable fare is, and do not wait for Southwest's new schedule.

 

It really is just common sense - WHY, as Greatam has pointed out umpteen times, would Southwest sell cheap seats when it sees other airlines all depleted their low-priced inventories and only have higher-priced seats to sell? Why not jack up the prices and pocket more profit, if you are running Southwest, which I think is still a business, not a charity. It does a business should do, in this scenario.

 

I also would like to add, many are warned about such happenings, but alas, all the good intentions were falling to deaf ears and some are met with rude awakening. Yet, they cannot help but still rant. They also have hard time to accept Flyertalk's plain, logical arguments of simply laying out the FACTs. Poor Flyertalk, he tries to do the public good by patiently putting down the analysis, like a good teacher in school would, but, people tend to become really emotional, especially when being told WHY they have made a mistake.