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

[nekonekoneko]

Looks like we'll have to wait another whole month for those November and December flights:
We are currently accepting air reservations through November 4, 2023. On June 8, 2023 we will open our schedule for sale through January 7, 2024. This date is subject to change! Please check back frequently.

Oh come on!

(I'm yelling at SW)

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Oh come on!

(I'm yelling at SW)

I definitely yelled at my computer when I saw that date load, too!

 

[han22735]

Our points price dropped again. We have now gone from 30k per person at 7:15am opening day to 18,500 today.

Edit...Down again...17,500 per person RT now.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Received an email from Southwest today advertising a weekend sale. I don’t normally check my flights on the weekend but am glad I did today as our one flight was decreased by $16. I’ll take it!

If you’re like me and don’t normally check for discounts on the weekend, it might be with popping in and checking your flights.

 

[Mome Rath]

We just nabbed 13 bucks back too, earlier this morn for July flights.

 

[hsmamato2]

Received an email from Southwest today advertising a weekend sale. I don’t normally check my flights on the weekend but am glad I did today as our one flight was decreased by $16. I’ll take it!

If you’re like me and don’t normally check for discounts on the weekend, it might be with popping in and checking your flights.

funny,my habit is to check my flights on a Sunday morning,that's usally when I've found random drops!

 

[Llama mama]

Whoop whoop
Thanks !
Just checked my flights
Changed the leg home because flight had dropped 96 bucks ! So just saved 288.00.
Now let’s hope the flight doesn’t get booted from their schedule.

 

[qv09vvp]

I was double checking the next flight releases this morning for my December flights. I know it previously said the next flights would release May 4th. Now it says this:

We are currently accepting air reservations through November 4, 2023. Please check back frequently for our next schedule extension date.

oh man...i was just prepping to book our flights Thursday & just went to double check the drop... come on Southwest. I wanted to get this done!

 

[tseitel]

oh man...i was just prepping to book our flights Thursday & just went to double check the drop... come on Southwest. I wanted to get this done!

The website is showing the next batch (through Jan 7) will be released on June 8th.

 

[Tink3815]

Yes, you'll earn Southwest points from the credit card purchase. I personally think it's worth it to buy points at 50% off if I have an upcoming trip where I want the flexibility. I've bought them at 45% off before. I've crunched the numbers and found the overall cost is slightly more to buy the points vs buying the flight, but sometimes the flexibility of the points is worth it to me.

I agree, just looked at my numbers. 90.00 in cash- same flight in points 6000 which you can buy with the sale 90.00.
It's a wash, but I like the convenience if I need to cancel or a price reduction. Points just go back on my account.

 

[jkelly86]

New policy for reward travel taxes and fees:

On July 1, 2023, taxes and fees for Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus fares will be converted into a flight credit for future use if the ticket is canceled more than 10 minutes prior to scheduled departure.

 

[Tink3815]

New policy for reward travel taxes and fees:

On July 1, 2023, taxes and fees for Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus fares will be converted into a flight credit for future use if the ticket is canceled more than 10 minutes prior to scheduled departure.

Please advise where you are seeing this information on their web site

 

[jkelly86]

Please advise where you are seeing this information on their web site

It’s in the fine print when searching to “book a flight” on my desktop.

 

[ultimatefans]

New policy for reward travel taxes and fees:

On July 1, 2023, taxes and fees for Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus fares will be converted into a flight credit for future use if the ticket is canceled more than 10 minutes prior to scheduled departure.

Ugh, not a fan of that - especially for international flights. But I suppose since the travel funds never expire it's not a huge deal.

Also thanks for letting us know where you found that, I hadn't seen it before. I copied the full text of the section below, Southwest has advertised the first part well but I don't remember seeing the second part. But my memory has been know to fail me before.

*********

*Starting July 1, 2023 (12:00 a.m. CT), for Wanna Get Away® or Wanna Get Away Plus™ award travel reservations: if you do not cancel your reservation at least 10 minutes before the flight’s original scheduled departure time, any points used for booking will be forfeited, along with any taxes and fees associated with your award travel reservation.

For Anytime or Business Select award travel reservation: the points used for booking will continue to be redeposited to the purchaser's Rapid Rewards account, and any taxes and fees associated with the award travel reservation will be converted into a flight credit for future use.

On July 1, 2023, taxes and fees for Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus fares will be converted into a flight credit for future use if the ticket is canceled more than 10 minutes prior to scheduled departure.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Thanks for the updated information, kinda sucky about the points for taxes (we mostly book WGA) but I agree with the non-expiration date at least that's something, if they didn't have that in place that change would be pretty negative.

I guess I'm trying to think were there really that many people not canceling a reservation 10 mins before a flight in order for SWA to apply a forfeiture of the points? That's a pretty big punitive action, not saying you shouldn't be able to cancel a flight 10 mins before it's supposed to leave as I think that's completely reasonable just that I wonder how many people were not doing this to the point where they decided to make a policy change on points.

 

[EACarlson]

Thanks for the updated information, kinda sucky about the points for taxes (we mostly book WGA) but I agree with the non-expiration date at least that's something, if they didn't have that in place that change would be pretty negative.

I guess I'm trying to think were there really that many people not canceling a reservation 10 mins before a flight in order for SWA to apply a forfeiture of the points? That's a pretty big punitive action, not saying you shouldn't be able to cancel a flight 10 mins before it's supposed to leave as I think that's completely reasonable just that I wonder how many people were not doing this to the point where they decided to make a policy change on points.

Yes. When schedules were tight and cancellations were more frequent. Many travelers would have a SW flight that was scheduled at the same time as a legacy airline flight. If the legacy ran they just let the SW ticket auto cancel for no show with no penalty. I've also heard of people doing this with ULCC's, they keep a SW backup reservation.
With the losses in Q4 and Q1, anything they can do to reduce the liability of outstanding RR points is necessary.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yes. When schedules were tight and cancellations were more frequent. Many travelers would have a SW flight that was scheduled at the same time as a legacy airline flight. If the legacy ran they just let the SW ticket auto cancel for no show with no penalty. I've also heard of people doing this with ULCC's, they keep a SW backup reservation.
With the losses in Q4 and Q1, anything they can do to reduce the liability of outstanding RR points is necessary.

I could see a few people doing that but it must be enough to impact their bottom line in a significant enough way this past year and early this year. Thanks for explaining.

 

[Tink3815]

Will this flight credit be able to be used to pay the taxes on a future flight paid with points. If not , how can an amount that is payed as a tax and is on their books as tax payment, be refunded as something other than a tax payment.

 

[Doug7856]

Looks like there was another $5 increase to the base fares from BWI to MCO. Anyone else seeing price increases from their home airports? Seems like the last time Southwest was approaching the release of new schedules they raised prices too.

 

[ultimatefans]

Will this flight credit be able to be used to pay the taxes on a future flight paid with points. If not , how can an amount that is payed as a tax and is on their books as tax payment, be refunded as something other than a tax payment.

Yes travel funds (which is what is created when canceling a flight) can be used to pay taxes and fees. There are other credits such as vouchers that can’t be used for taxes and fees. Currently when canceling a flight booked with points we’re given the choice of receiving a refund or a travel fund, but it looks like the refund option is going away. Easy to use the travel fund on the next booking though.