When airlines release dates

[petunia]

Does anyone know if there is a standard time when airlines release their dates, or can I find that on each individual lines site? I tend to see ads days or weeks after they are released (looking for Toronto/Hamilton/Buffalo), I assume the best prices are typically right away..

 

[scorpsfan]

We're waiting for Southwest. Flying from Buffalo (hopefully) We've flown with them last time and have no complaints, plus free bags. Oct 30th is when they're releasing their flight schedule until June 2020 I believe. JetBlue's is out already for Spring 2020. Usually airlines release flight schedules around 6 months before. I've heard the best prices are around two months before your trip, but who really knows. ? We're also wondering about Swoop from Hamilton. I've read some bad things about them though, so it makes me nervous! Might be better to go with a bigger airline.

I guess just keep checking individual airline sites to see when they're released.

 

[Starwind]

Westjet releases dates for sale approximately 330/331 days before [not longer than that, but sometimes a day or two closer in]. However, peak season flights can be delayed in appearing for sale [we have experienced this for example with December flights, and not just Christmas week; the delay was upto a couple weeks from the 331d timeframe].

In our experience with Westjet, both purchasing tickets and watching fares, their fares are cheapest when they first become available and only increase in price. HOWEVER, if you can get a sale later on you can sometimes get a cheaper price -- but not guaranteed. For example, we purchased our tickets for our upcoming trip when they first became available. They have since increased in price for the RT by about $500 each [we got Premium tickets]. We have checked the sales that came out, but they were all after the price increases started and only one would have saved us anything and that was about $20 RT. All the others it would have still been more $ than what we had already paid. For us, with the limited # of premium seats on each flight it is worth it to get the seats we want on the flights we want. We realize our flights will get rescheduled when they announce the proper winter schedule in the summer, but we have learned to live with that. Ths year the change was minor -- just a few minutes -- compared to our last trip, where they got rid of a direct flight and changed us onto a connecting flight that left 8 hours earlier. And then didn't tell us about it within their own policy-required timeframe.

SW

 

[scrappinginontario]

You can use this link to see the next time SW will release flights. Just a heads up though that the release date can change so you want to keep an eye on it.

https://www.southwest.com/air/flight-schedules/

 

[petunia]

We're waiting for Southwest. Flying from Buffalo (hopefully) We've flown with them last time and have no complaints, plus free bags. Oct 30th is when they're releasing their flight schedule until June 2020 I believe. JetBlue's is out already for Spring 2020. Usually airlines release flight schedules around 6 months before. I've heard the best prices are around two months before your trip, but who really knows. ? We're also wondering about Swoop from Hamilton. I've read some bad things about them though, so it makes me nervous! Might be better to go with a bigger airline.

I guess just keep checking individual airline sites to see when they're released.

We have flown swoop twice now (once within Canada and once to FL) with no issues both times, just know what you're buying in advance regarding bags etc

 

[Frank4202]

Delta is a year in advance if that helps.

 

[ellbell]

We have flown swoop twice now (once within Canada and once to FL) with no issues both times, just know what you're buying in advance regarding bags etc

I've also used swoop a couple times with no issues. Once to Orlando and back from Fort Lauderdale and another time round trip from Abbotsford. I've never had an issue and have flights booked with them again in December. I'll use them each time because 1. all airlines have issues the bigger ones just have a big enough fleet and flights often enough that the can rebook easier (get insurance and it isn't an issue) 2. I live in Hamilton so it's an easy flight to get too and 3. The price is decent even if I check a bag I usually don't pay more the 250 round trip.

I'm actually waiting for them to release their summer flights. I have credits with Southwest right now but if the prices are right I'll still fly swoop.