Question about buying Southwest Airlines flights

[MsPeggySue911]

I just wanted to ask you all...is there any way to know if there is going to be an UPCOMING sale on Southwest flights?

When I bought our flights for our last October trip I just happen to read a message on a Disney message board where someone mentioned some type of 40th Anniversary sale or 40th Birthday sale, something like that. I was able to get our flights for almost half off during that sale.

I was wondering if there is any sales coming up or if they have certain times of the year they discount flights?

I need to buy flights for our November trip.

[Drince88]

I fly Southwest pretty exclusively now -- they fly non stop to WDW and one-stop to DL and my parents -- and that's about the extent of my non-work flying! (And most of my work flying the past year has been to a city served by SW as well)

I wouldn't wait for a sale - you don't know if YOUR dates and YOUR flights are going to be a part of it or not.

Just book your flights as soon as you know your dates (and the price is reasonable)
If a sale comes out, you can change your flights to the lower fares without a change fee.
You will get the difference as a credit, and have to use it within a year (I think it's a year of the original booking) - but if you're doing annual (or close to it) trips, that sholdn't be a problem.

I already have a credit built for my 4th of July flight next year, when the November prices for WDW dropped a bit a week or so ago and I rebooked that flight. (I already have my Christmas flights booked, otherwise my credit would be going towards them.)

[candles71]

Sign up for ding. You get sales to your inbox. I got a coupon code the other day, but didn't look as I have no travel plans needing flights currently.

[tomorrowlandtrips]

I have read a number of articles that suggest Tuesdays are the best day and about 4 months out (so right about now or in the next few weeks for your November trip) are the best times to buy airfare.

Also, I sometimes check the prices online and then call Southwest to see if they have a better discount available. Sometimes I am able to find a lower military fare by calling to book via phone and other times the internet rate is the lowest.

As Cathy pointed out, if you continue to monitor the price on your flights as you get closer and closer to your travel dates, Southwest is very good about adjusting your fare and giving you a credit for the difference.

Sometimes I think booking airfare is the hardest part of the WDW travel planning process! Good Luck!

[stan4d_steph]

If you have a smartphone, install the Southwest airlines app and sign up for ding. Enter the airports you are interested in (Orlando, your home airport, and any others), then authorize push notifications. That is the best way to be the first one notified of flash sales. You can also sign up for their emails for other longer-duration sales.

I agree with what was said above: buy the ticket then try to switch if a price drop happens. If you fly SWA enough, you will use any credits within the one year window.

[candles71]

Gas prices are way down right now, it is a good time to buy. SWA has some of the best customer service as far as crediting you for lower fares later.

[LacyBelle]

The issue is if you've purchased the $10 early bird boarding passes in advance. If you find a lower fare later, that $10 per leg per person is not refunded or transferred, as Southwest is making a new reservation for you...not just adjusting your fare. At least that's how it was explained to us by Southwest earlier this year.

[MammaSilva]

What a CS person told me was to not purchase the early check in until 3 days out from your flight. They check the early bird people in at 26 hours 'out' and everyone else gets checked in whenever they check in.
then if you need to adjust flights you're not losing the early bird fee.

[Dallasgirl]

The ding is the way to go otherwise the flight is sold out by the time you hear or read about the sale.

[MsPeggySue911]

The ding is the way to go otherwise the flight is sold out by the time you hear or read about the sale.

I found a Southwest app for my IPhone that is suppose to have DING but for some reason it is not giving me any fare alerts. Maybe I haven't set it right or maybe there aren't any fare alerts yet for my airport.

I think we are going to end up driving anyway now that DH and I have discussed it. But it is not set in stone yet. I would rather fly. He would rather rent a mini van and drive (12 HOURS!!)

[bennette]

I found a Southwest app for my IPhone that is suppose to have DING but for some reason it is not giving me any fare alerts. <snip> maybe there aren't any fare alerts yet for my airport.

I'm going with number two.

[codewoman]

I think we are going to end up driving anyway now that DH and I have discussed it. But it is not set in stone yet. I would rather fly. He would rather rent a mini van and drive (12 HOURS!!)

My DH is the same. He loves to drive. More than he likes where we're going. Plus, he never wants to stop anywhere decent to eat. We seldom do car trips.

[candles71]

My DH loves to fly as much as I do, but it is cheaper to drive when it is all 6 of us. (8 hours to Disneyland for us) Just the 2 of us and we fly.

[TinaMouse]

Sometimes I think booking airfare is the hardest part of the WDW travel planning process!!

I heartily concur

[Barberella]

Sometimes I think booking airfare is the hardest part of the WDW travel planning process!!

I heartily concur

Me too! Probably because it can be a spot in your vacation where you can save a significant amount of money - especially if it's a family that's travelling.

[tappenfeat]

Tuesdays are a good day to check for cheap airfares. We booked for the first time with Southwest for August. We usually book with Spirit or Airtran, but their prices were higher than Southwest.

And agreed with what was said above, gas prices are lower right now...keep checking and this may be a good time to book! Good luck!

[Barberella]

I have been test-driving ITA Software by Google - it looks very promising, and it has gotten me one phenomenal airfare already. I haven't used it enough to actually recommend it yet, but it seems very promising. It may be helpful to some, especially those that are open to using more than one carrier: http://www.itasoftware.com/

Here is the direct link to the matrix to search for airfares: http://matrix.itasoftware.com/

[prekmom]

Southwest was having some great deals, but you can't fly out on a Sunday. Which is the day we depart/return also. We were flying in November; but the price for 4 of us is $1680, so now we have decided to drive the 10 hours. Should be fun with 2 kids

[GusMan]

...so now we have decided to drive the 10 hours. Should be fun with 2 kids

Not to derail, but you might be interested in a Parenting in the Parks thread and article from March that goes along with driving down. Linky.

[prekmom]

Thanks Gusman!!

[stan4d_steph]

I you have a flight booked with Southwest, double check the prices of those same flights. They're running a sale that ends today for flights into December and I was able to save almost $200 on flights in September and November.

[prekmom]

Every sale that Southwest has posted excludes flying on Sundays...which of course is the day I am flying in and out on.

[rph13]

Prekmom-some times the savings is enough that it warrants leaving a day earlier and staying in a cheaper hotel offsite or maybe one you may have built up points at. We did this for our summer trip to California to get direct flights. Doesn't always work out, but worth looking into. And of course DH travels so much for work that he has a gazillion hotel points.

[candles71]

We had the same situation when we went to NY and DC. To come home on monday instead of sunday night dropped the price like $400 for the 7 of us. The room was around $80.

[TinaMouse]

You know, this is an excellent point. I need to remember that when I travel--look at the flight difference vs. extra hotel night. It is usually a vacation day issue that determines when I leave/come back.