How early can one book airfair via SW airlines?

I would love to go ahead and book our airfaire but well can't yet how early does SW open up flights for next year?

approximately six months in advance.

It's now open through 04/09/12.

On 10/03/11 they will open it up through 06/01/12.

i just booked my flights for feb 2012 the end of july :D

It is so worth it to snag a great airfare on the day they are released. We booked on the morning our SW flight dates were released and got $94 pp each way - non-stop from Indy to Tampa. Bags fly free so we are happy campers. We did the same for our cruise last year when flights were a little cheaper, and got them for $79 pp. It pays to mark your calendar with the release date and then wait for SW to release them. Both times they did this around 11am.

Good luck to you. :)

i just booked my flights for feb 2012 the end of july :D

do you buy the EB seats?

keep watching for price drops. We booked flights for January and the price came down already by 70 bucks pp

do you buy the EB seats?

 

 

keep watching for price drops. We booked flights for January and the price came down already by 70 bucks pp

Do they refund for price drops?

When would they open for Nov 23rd 2012

It's now open through 04/09/12.

 

On 10/03/11 they will open it up through 06/01/12.

Good info! thanks.

No refunds for price drops. You would have to cancel and rebook. The price of your ticket goes into a "bank" to apply to the new ticket.

SW does not give a refund if you see a cheaper price for your same flt, but they do give you a credit for a future flight. You must however apply the credit within one year of the booking date not the date of the flight.

SW does not give a refund if you see a cheaper price for your same flt, but they do give you a credit for a future flight. You must however apply the credit within one year of the booking date not the date of the flight.

Oh ok.. I didnt know that....We are trying to get enough points on her bank card to get 3 free flights

Do they refund for price drops?

 

When would they open for Nov 23rd 2012

SW is now accepting reservations through April 9, 2012.

So you have quite a wait.

Use a site like Yapta or kayak to track flights- see whats cheaper.

Read about SW EB seats-- helps for a cruise coz you dont have to check in and will get a early boarding number.

do you buy the EB seats?

 

 

keep watching for price drops. We booked flights for January and the price came down already by 70 bucks pp

we do eb seats comming home so when we are on our cruise we dont have to run to the computer room 24 hours before and check in and get our seating #. when we get a chance to go print out our boarding passes, they we will at our leasure.

yes we already have 2 price drops, about $40.00 pp...it will be used for our next cruise :)

We're doing the EB for the return flt home too. SW will check you in 36 hrs before your flight. You do not even need to bother with printing out your boarding passes while on the cruise ship. You can just pick them up at the airport, when you check in for your flight. If you do not need to check luggage and only have a carry-on, you can use the boarding pass kiosks at the airport. You just type in your reservation # and click on print boarding pass. It takes less than 30 seconds. :)

We're doing the EB for the return flt home too. SW will check you in 36 hrs before your flight. You do not even need to bother with printing out your boarding passes while on the cruise ship. You can just pick them up at the airport, when you check in for your flight. If you do not need to check luggage and only have a carry-on, you can use the boarding pass kiosks at the airport. You just type in your reservation # and click on print boarding pass. It takes less than 30 seconds. :)

Does this cost extra?

I got the SW credit card with 50K free miles, and have to book two flights to and from Tampa for March and april of next year.. Yikes on March 26th.. rates are sky high.

I was on Oasis when the March dates opened up .. so I didnt have a chance to book the day they opened :(

Susie, you might consider getting the SW card? You should be able to get 2 to 3 free flights with the miles unless its the day after Easter or some big holiday. You dont get the free miles until you use the card and the end of the first billing cycle.

Watch the flights you want and check a day or two boefore the date they have on web site I got our last flights booked the day before the web site date..

I book the ES as i don't have to do anything but just show up at the airport... To me it is worth the ten $ each way

Watch the flights you want and check a day or two boefore the date they have on web site I got our last flights booked the day before the web site date..

 

I book the ES as i don't have to do anything but just show up at the airport... To me it is worth the ten $ each way

I usually use Early Boarding for my return flights as I normally have access to a computer for the beginning, but it is always a pain returning. The person that was asking about changing for cheaper tickets before, keep in mind that the $10 for EB is non refundable and if you change you need to pay it again, we usually wait until 2-3 weeks out when we are pretty sure price won't drop to purchase the EB, won't get us the best position but will still be in group A. Also someone mentioned that to change you need to cancel and rebook, you don't really need to cancel, just go thru their change itinarary option

Does this cost extra?

The EB is $10 pp for each way not RT, but to use the koisk to print your boarding passes is totally free.

I did a SW for mid march yesterday. Remember, after booking keep an eye on the price of your flight (be sure to disable cookies 'cuz if you don't the price rises with your hits) and if it goes down you can cancel and rebook at the new rate and recieve a credit for the difference.

I usually use Early Boarding for my return flights as I normally have access to a computer for the beginning, but it is always a pain returning. The person that was asking about changing for cheaper tickets before, keep in mind that the $10 for EB is non refundable and if you change you need to pay it again, we usually wait until 2-3 weeks out when we are pretty sure price won't drop to purchase the EB, won't get us the best position but will still be in group A. Also someone mentioned that to change you need to cancel and rebook, you don't really need to cancel, just go thru their change itinarary option

mmm...i redo my flights all the time when the price goes lower to get a credit...but i dont remember paying another $10.00 for early booking.

i always do early booking on the return flight as well... dont want to deal with it on the ship when i can be on the lido deck with a dod :D

Teach me. Im new to booking on SW, because up until the last year or two, SW flew out of Love Field here and to keep it private, had to charge you double if you took a flight out of Dallas and flew over a state line.

But now they agreed to let other airlines into Love Field now, so the prices are dropping for a 8 year period.

But now I got the SW credit card and just activated it, for 50K free miles. Bookings came open last week while I was on Oasis. Can anyont tell me if I missed out not being able to book when they opened?

My first date I need for is Love Field in Dallas to Tampa, and its $129 going, but the lowest fare coming home is $310. Only most of the fares are already grayed out. Is that bad news for me, or is there any chance these fares will come available for booking with points?

The earliest fare is like 4:30 pm too at that $310 price, that I would hate to use up so many points to book it in points.

what are my chances of the fares on March 26th, a Monday, dropping and more opening up that are grayed out for points.

Teach me. Im new to booking on SW, because up until the last year or two, SW flew out of Love Field here and to keep it private, had to charge you double if you took a flight out of Dallas and flew over a state line.

 

But now they agreed to let other airlines into Love Field now, so the prices are dropping for a 8 year period.

 

But now I got the SW credit card and just activated it, for 50K free miles. Bookings came open last week while I was on Oasis. Can anyont tell me if I missed out not being able to book when they opened?

 

My first date I need for is Love Field in Dallas to Tampa, and its $129 going, but the lowest fare coming home is $310. Only most of the fares are already grayed out. Is that bad news for me, or is there any chance these fares will come available for booking with points?

 

The earliest fare is like 4:30 pm too at that $310 price, that I would hate to use up so many points to book it in points.

 

what are my chances of the fares on March 26th, a Monday, dropping and more opening up that are grayed out for points.

Booking on SWA with their new points system is the same as paying cash, there are no blackouts or blockouts. Having said that, when new booking dates are released it seems there is such a flurry to book and or block off some of the more desirable flights that they may come open again but you must be vigilant.

I wanted to book our return flight from FLL to PDX on 2/26/2012 and the flights that are late enough to book after disembarkation were all booked, about a month later a couple opened up and I snagged them.

Like you, I opened up a SWA visa to get the 50k points and as soon as the points are deposited into my Rapid Rewards account, which should be in about another week or so, I will book our outbound flights, PDX to FLL.