Post all SW questions concerns, etc. here...

[nlenguyen]

5:00 am flight from Columbus to MCO and only 67 people on flight. It has been a long time since I had even a couple empty seats on a flight. They are delaying boarding for 10 minutes because there are so few people.

Out of PHX most of the flights are packed, recently a family member traveled and hardly anyone on flight, but that seems to be an anomaly these days

 

[bakerworld]

I will book as soon as the flights are released but then I recheck Sunday AM and during the mid-week sales. Also occasionally SW will send an email with a code. They I go in to 'change' the flight to the lower point total. If I am purchasing with $ I try not to 'change' too often because SW only allows so many $ credits per flight - I think its 3. If I'm paying for the kids, I use the savings to change to a business class flight instead of taking a credit because they don't fly enough to remember to use the credits.

When SW started to restrict their NS out of PHL I started purchasing points. It's just easier to book and 'change' with the points. For every change the points are returned directly to your account where the $ credit needs to be saved so the confirmation code can be entered to get your credit. Sometimes if the credit is only a couple of bucks I don't bother.

For our October flight RT I've already adjusted flights - arriving flight twice and returning flight 3 times. At this point if the flights are reduced any lower I'm gonna wonder if they're actually going to happen.

 

[focusondisney]

5:00 am flight from Columbus to MCO and only 67 people on flight. It has been a long time since I had even a couple empty seats on a flight. They are delaying boarding for 10 minutes because there are so few people.

Wow, we’ve been to Orlando from Buffalo probably 6 or 7 times within the last 2 years. Every flight has been full. Even the 5:30- 6am flights.

 

[focusondisney]

Also occasionally SW will send an email with a code.

I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a code from SW. We did get some kind of email a few months ago with a discount offer if you book a flight within 2 weeks of flying. I don’t know if we’ll ever use that offer because we never book that last minute.

 

[disneylover81]

I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a code from SW. We did get some kind of email a few months ago with a discount offer if you book a flight within 2 weeks of flying. I don’t know if we’ll ever use that offer because we never book that last minute.

I got that code also and thought the same thing and then I actually did end up needing to use it. I don’t book flights last minute either, but this one time I did and was glad to have the discount because last minute flights are expensive as it is.

 

[MinnieMSue]

Wow, we’ve been to Orlando from Buffalo probably 6 or 7 to pines within the last 2 years. Every flight has been full. Even the 5:30- 6am flights.

Same from Columbus. I was shocked. They started boarding 10 minutes later than normal and told people to spread out on the plane. They said everyone can have their own row. It was awesome. My daughter and her boyfriend sat in one row and I sat across the aisle with 2 empty seats beside me. No one in the row in front of me and someone in the window seat behind me. We all could recline with no guilt! There was one family in B boarding group lol. We left early and landed one minute before 7 and my daughter got a tron boarding group at 7! She waited 15 seconds after 7 to try and got 86 because she didn’t want an early one.

 

[SkyGuy]

Same from Columbus. I was shocked. They started boarding 10 minutes later than normal and told people to spread out on the plane. They said everyone can have their own row. It was awesome. My daughter and her boyfriend sat in one row and I sat across the aisle with 2 empty seats beside me. No one in the row in front of me and someone in the window seat behind me. We all could recline with no guilt! There was one family in B boarding group lol. We left early and landed one minute before 7 and my daughter got a tron boarding group at 7! She waited 15 seconds after 7 to try and got 86 because she didn’t want an early one.

The only place this has happened to me in the last few years is a 5:00 am SW flight from MSP to STL. There were no pre-boarders and no family boarders - it was heaven (no shade to those that need that option, but it made boarding seamless). It took a max of 10 minutes for everyone to board and get their own row. We had to sit at the gate for 20 minutes because we had to wait for permission to back away. All my MCO flights have been packed, no matter the time of day.

 

[Guest Mode]

I don't think I've ever been on a Southwest flight where they didn't make the announcement, "This is a full flight and every seat will be taken."

 

[Tink3815]

The Buffalo to MCO route is normally a lot of Canadians. We flew to FL through Covid a lot and the flights were not full at all because the borders were closed. Things picked up again when the borders opened again. .

 

[scrappinginontario]

The Buffalo to MCO route is normally a lot of Canadians. We flew to FL through Covid a lot and the flights were not full at all because the borders were closed. Things picked up again when the borders opened again. .

You’re quite right that many of us choose to fly SW out of US cities. I drive within 200” of the runway of our major international airport on my way to Buffalo but I’ve found I just cannot beat SW prices even with the additional drive to the airport.

(If I factor in how much I spend shopping in my way to/from the airport the savings is far less but, not thinking about that! )

 

[focusondisney]

There were no pre-boarders and no family boarders - it was heaven

That reminded me…. Our flight yesterday had 1 dad with a preteen approach when preboarding was called, the agent had him call his wife & other child. That was it for preboards. Not a single wheelchair passenger. I’ve never seen that before in all our trips. We had Business Select A 1 & 2, so we were right after them. When we deplaned, I guess the flight attendant didn’t realize or forgot no one had gotten on with a wheelchair. She was asking why there were no wheelchairs waiting in the jetway.

 

[scrappinginontario]

All the chatter of multiple price reductions has me thin ink. Does anyone have any suggestions for combining multiple flight credits? Our flight prices have gone down so many times that I now have $85 each in travel credits for both my DD me but, currently they’re in 8 different transactions each. Does anyone know how I could possibly combine these as I know I can only use 2/flight when booking. Possibly find a really cheap flight and use the 2 highest velour ones snd pay a small amount of cash for the balance and then cancel?

Is this possible? Any other suggestions?

TIA!

 

[LadybugsMum]

All the chatter of multiple price reductions has me thin ink. Does anyone have any suggestions for combining multiple flight credits? Our flight prices have gone down so many times that I now have $85 each in travel credits for both my DD me but, currently they’re in 8 different transactions each. Does anyone know how I could possibly combine these as I know I can only use 2/flight when booking. Possibly find a really cheap flight and use the 2 highest velour ones snd pay a small amount of cash for the balance and then cancel?

Is this possible? Any other suggestions?

TIA!

I usually book my round trips as 2 one way trips so I can use 3 per flight or use RR points for one way and flight credits/credit card for the return trip.

 

[bakerworld]

I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a code from SW. We did get some kind of email a few months ago with a discount offer if you book a flight within 2 weeks of flying. I don’t know if we’ll ever use that offer because we never book that last minute.

I think I've only received a 'code' SW email a few times and usually it's associated with SWVacations but last time it worked.

 

[ultimatefans]

All the chatter of multiple price reductions has me thin ink. Does anyone have any suggestions for combining multiple flight credits? Our flight prices have gone down so many times that I now have $85 each in travel credits for both my DD me but, currently they’re in 8 different transactions each. Does anyone know how I could possibly combine these as I know I can only use 2/flight when booking. Possibly find a really cheap flight and use the 2 highest velour ones snd pay a small amount of cash for the balance and then cancel?

Is this possible? Any other suggestions?

TIA!

Yes, your suggestion is possible - I did that recently.

 

[georgina]

All the chatter of multiple price reductions has me thin ink. Does anyone have any suggestions for combining multiple flight credits? Our flight prices have gone down so many times that I now have $85 each in travel credits for both my DD me but, currently they’re in 8 different transactions each. Does anyone know how I could possibly combine these as I know I can only use 2/flight when booking. Possibly find a really cheap flight and use the 2 highest velour ones snd pay a small amount of cash for the balance and then cancel?

Is this possible? Any other suggestions?

TIA!

That's what I have done. Flights between California cities tend to be cheap - like San Jose to LAX for $60 (My last dummy booking there was $50) I see LAX to SFO for $54 in Oct.

 

[MinnieMSue]

The only place this has happened to me in the last few years is a 5:00 am SW flight from MSP to STL. There were no pre-boarders and no family boarders - it was heaven (no shade to those that need that option, but it made boarding seamless). It took a max of 10 minutes for everyone to board and get their own row. We had to sit at the gate for 20 minutes because we had to wait for permission to back away. All my MCO flights have been packed, no matter the time of day.

We had one preboard on our oddly empty flight - a family with one in a wheelchair. They let the whole family board because - why not with so few people. They didn’t have family boarding since only one family was in b group. We took a first time flyer (age 21) and I told him he has been super lucky cause this is not at all normal. Only time I experienced this was right after things reopened after the first Covid wave. I think even the flight crew was surprised by it. I should also add we have always gotten seats on the Disney busses with no wait the last 2 days. This kid is our good luck charm honestly.

 

[Peaseblossom36]

I know this is a silly question but does a toddler also get a carry on bag and a personal item?

 

[kristenrice]

I know this is a silly question but does a toddler also get a carry on bag and a personal item?

I believe the carry on and personal items include all ticketed passengers. If your toddler has their own seat, then yes, they do. I flew when my daughters were 2 and 4 and they both had backpacks and rolling bags that they brought on board since we did not want to check any bags.

 

[EACarlson]

All the chatter of multiple price reductions has me thin ink. Does anyone have any suggestions for combining multiple flight credits? Our flight prices have gone down so many times that I now have $85 each in travel credits for both my DD me but, currently they’re in 8 different transactions each. Does anyone know how I could possibly combine these as I know I can only use 2/flight when booking. Possibly find a really cheap flight and use the 2 highest velour ones snd pay a small amount of cash for the balance and then cancel?

Is this possible? Any other suggestions?

TIA!

All of the price drops for a single flight should be in a single TF since it gets called up by the confirmation number. But yes, you can combine exactly like you describe, I've posted detailed instructions a couple of times in this thread. Be sure to wait two days to cancel the consolidation flight, just to be sure they don't refund it back to the original TF.