Southwest Flights Released for XMAS today

[4luv2cdisney]

I booked three tickets yesterday using points. More points than usual but I expected that with traveling in December closer to Christmas. I always book one way tickets with points so if I see a lower fare I can cancel whatever one way flight to get the points refunded. I got really lucky with southwest for our last trip in February from Chicago. It was only $100 round trip and I had never had that happen before.

Same! We must be running on the same schedule!

We flew super cheap from MDW early Feb and now for Dec 15-21 we're looking at triple the points in total!

 

[icc2515]

I can't get over how many sold out flights there are for Jan 4th and 5th. I think we can forget about the prices going down with all the sold out flights.

 

[cel_disney]

I booked Delta for 11/5-11/12 from BOS to MCO a few weeks ago because I was happy enough with the prices and flight times. It was about $280 RT.

I logged into SW today and similar flights (from MHT instead of BOS) would be almost $700/person RT! Crazy town!

 

[disfanforlife]

I booked direct from Albany to MCO 12/16-12/22 on points which was about $275 round trip. Not bad price from our area.

 

[Whositsgalore]

I fly my bonus kiddos from DEN and they need to fly nonstop. I got them $940.00 RT from DEN to MCO for 11/27-11/23. That sounds crazy and I could have used points but just went with it considering 2 years ago that what I would have paid just for the day after Thanksgiving one way.

 

[dgaston]

I'm paying $288 for roundtrip from PVD to MCO Nov 4 to 10. Not great -- not terrible.

 

[Ecstatic Eeyore]

Same! We must be running on the same schedule!

We flew super cheap from MDW early Feb and now for Dec 15-21 we're looking at triple the points in total!

Our schedules are really close. We will be there the 16th-21st.

 

[jazzinator]

So I am checking SW flights today from BWI to MCO for December 2018 - most seats are listed as sold out or priced about 4x what I've paid historically. Primarily the Wanna Get Away seats. What is the likelihood these seats are actually sold out already vs being held back?

 

[icc2515]

I don't believe southwest holds back seats. They might add some flights or change to a larger plane. The odd thing is I keep reading about how Southwest bookings are way down. You would never know it by looking at their December flights

 

[nordkin]

So I am checking SW flights today from BWI to MCO for December 2018 - most seats are listed as sold out or priced about 4x what I've paid historically. Primarily the Wanna Get Away seats. What is the likelihood these seats are actually sold out already vs being held back?

They hold back the Wanna Get Away seats. Keep watching, they will be released.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

They hold back the Wanna Get Away seats. Keep watching, they will be released.

So are you saying that if it says Sold Out or 2 Seats Left that really there are more that will be released at a later date? I have to wait until June 15 or later to use some vouchers. I am hoping the prices go down, so I'm willing to wait even longer. But I'm afraid to wait too long for fear they will sell out. I've already bought my returning tickets, so I'm a little nervous about missing out on our departing tickets.

 

[nordkin]

Just keep checking. I have the app which makes it easier to check. If you are nervous, you can always book at the higher fare and still watch for it to go down and get a credit. I am waiting, but checking often. They slowly release inventory.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

Just keep checking. I have the app which makes it easier to check. If you are nervous, you can always book at the higher fare and still watch for it to go down and get a credit. I am waiting, but checking often. They slowly release inventory.

Thanks for the info. It makes me feel better. I will try to stay patient, but I will keep checking. The problem with getting the credit is that we don't fly often. In fact, there are no plans to fly again until July 2020, so any credit we would receive would expire. We already had a credit expire in March of this year without using it.

 

[nordkin]

Thanks for the info. It makes me feel better. I will try to stay patient, but I will keep checking. The problem with getting the credit is that we don't fly often. In fact, there are no plans to fly again until July 2020, so any credit we would receive would expire. We already had a credit expire in March of this year without using it.

I just looked and I booked our flights on July 10 last year and ended up with two credits on each ticket totaling $139 per ticket.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I just looked and I booked our flights on July 10 last year and ended up with two credits on each ticket totaling $139 per ticket.

I have two $100 vouchers that we received for a 3-hour flight delay last October. They expire this October, but Southwest has told me that I can extend them but only for 6 months from the time I call. Since I need December 15, I'll call on June 15 to get them extended. Then as soon as they go down, I'll book. I went ahead and booked the returning flight because it was the last nonstop of the night and it was only $133. Of course, I would have been better booking the departing flight as soon as they came out. It was $113 then and $253 now (and has gotten to $299). $113 would have been better than the $253 with the $100 voucher. Now if they would just go back down to $113, I'll be all set.

 

[pixiegoose]

I booked our December flights on opening day last week, from PVD to MCO for $112/person nonstop each way. Checked yesterday and the flights had gone DOWN to $99, so I was able to “change” my flights and get a $103 credit! It’s the first time I’ve ever seen one of our Southwest flights go down, regardless of destination or time of year. I was so surprised since everyone keeps talking about how theirs have gone up.

 

[DenLo]

I can't get over how many sold out flights there are for Jan 4th and 5th. I think we can forget about the prices going down with all the sold out flights.

Plus the airlines are probably going to raise prices as the gas price increases are lowering profits. Although I thought they contracted for gas prices to prevent getting hit with fluctuating increases, maybe it is contract renewal time.

 

[kniquy]

I happened to get on right at 8am soon after the flights were released and was psyched that i got from BDL to MCO for $109 each way x 3 of us so $654 total. I was really on the fence on whether or not to jump on the flights as soon as they came out, but so glad that i did. I checked this weekend ( so just under 2 weeks from the flights being released) and our same exact flights for all 3 of us is now just over $1200. I'll keep watching, but can't imagine that the prices will go down from where I bought.

 

[jazzinator]

I think they are going with high prices early and may release more seats later, change to larger planes or add flights. I can't believe that every seat from Baltimore to Orlando for a December Saturday is sold out within the first week of June. Especially when you consider they've had allegedly reduced seat sales due to the tragedy earlier this year.

Also, with regard to fuel prices, Southwest has a very healthy fuel hedge against fuel price increases in 2018. https://seekingalpha.com/article/4179604-fuel-hedging-help-southwest-peers

I will keep checking!

 

[ErinC]

Any news on when the Hawaii flights will start?