Did anyone fly Southwest from Pgh last Septebmer (06)?

[disneyfan328]

Did anyone fly SW last september and if so, what kind of prices did you pay for flights? I know that every year is different, but how far before september did SW start doing specials? I want to wait awhile longer as all of the airfare is still high right now:mad: . DH is nervous and doesn't want to chance waiting too long. We are flying out of PGH and the only airlines that go NS are USAir, AirTran, and Southwest so we are limited and with 3 kids going, we really want to try and go NS. Any advice on this would be very helpful. If I could get this last part of the trip taken care of it would really take a lot off my mind.:cool:

[King Triton]

You need to be careful here...airline fares, in general, are rising pretty rapidly right now because of the increase in fuel costs. Southwest had purchased a large amount in speculation a few years back, but I understand most if not all of those contracts have expired. I'm sure there will still be some sales, because they do need to fill those seats, but don't wait *too* long (whatever that is).

[mudpuppysmom]

We went last Sept at the end of the month (28 to Oct 2) and I want to say we paid $49 each way, but that was on a sale they had. It seems to me that SW and Airtran have had sales pretty regularly, but as Triton pointed out, with gas prices going up and up and up lately I might be inclined to buy very soon. That said, it looks like right now the flights are $99 each way.....I would wait a little while, but not too long....if you see them come down to 70 or so, I'd buy them then.......one never knows what to do in this area, it's a big gamble!! You might get lucky and get a DING, but never hold your breath on that one either. Just resign yourself to a cut off date and buy them by then.

Again, I want to say we paid $49 each way, but I know for sure it was a special DING they offered, not a regular fare. Plus, you can always cancel and rebook and request a refund....but most of the time they do not refund your entire difference, so you have ticketless travel funds to deal with like me ( $106 to use in a years time).

[disneyfan328]

actuallly is looks like they are about 120.00 each way. I would be happy with even 89 each way, but again it is hard to judge how long to wait. This is truly a dream vacation for us and will be the first time for 2 or our 3 kids so we are trying to do it right and don't want to waste money unneccisarily on airfare. I guess I will hang out a little while longer, Right now the only discounted fares with sw seem to be through June and part of July?? I hope that they do something soon as we rarely fly and don't really want to buy and then end up with a credit for too much since for us it would probably never get used! I would love to go to Disney again next year, but in all reality it probably won't be financially possible. Any other hints and tips???? I am all ears!!! :mickey:

[kakn7294]

I'm having the same problem for August from Pittsburgh. I was lucky enough to snag our tickets to Orlando at $49 each but I don't want to pay $120 each to come home. USAirways prices start out at about the same price. I checked out AirTran and they are only $59 BUT at that price, you are not assigned the seats until check-in leaving us with the very real possibility that we won't have any seats together and the kids could be sitting alone next to complete strangers. I plan to wait it out until mid-July and just see what happens. I might end up losing out and paying more, but it's a chance I'm willing to take. Right now, most of the DING fares have been through the end of May or June. A very few have been through the end July. I'm expecting over the next month or so that July and August will start popping up. I would say that by July, September should start popping up in the DING fares. It's just so hard waiting when you don't know if the price will go down or not.

[mudpuppysmom]

I think Airtran is having a sale right now.....$84 RT, maybe try them (of course that is without taxes, so it'll be a bit more).

As for no assigned seating. SW does not assign seats either, so you have the chance of not all sitting together on their flights too......MOST of the time the flight attendants are pretty helpful trying to get everyone in the same area (row or block).

As for not sitting up front.......if you sit in the back, who is waiting at the bag claim with you get there.......the people from the front of the plane, so does it really mater if you are up front? Not to me, but that is my opinion! I'd rather sit in the back with no one around me and quiet for the flight than up front with the screaming other kids (I have a kid, but he's pretty good on the plane -- so far).

[kakn7294]

As for no assigned seating. SW does not assign seats either, so you have the chance of not all sitting together on their flights too......MOST of the time the flight attendants are pretty helpful trying to get everyone in the same area (row or block).
I have flown SW before and I know that you don't get assigned seats but NOBODYon Southwest gets assigned seats and if you are in boarding groups A or B, you can pretty much be assured that you will get seats together - at least enough so that my kids are with 1 parent. I know that the flight attendants are very good about attempting to keep families together. I don't care where on the plane I sit as long as my kids are not separated from us. With AirTran, at the lower prices you are not assigned a seat until check-in but at the higher prices you are assigned your seat at purchase. That leaves me with the possiblility that my seats will be scattered all over the plane around those who have paid the higher prices and have assigned seats unless I too pay the higher prices, therefore defeating the purpose of choosing that airline in the first place. I'm not willing to take that chance when traveling with my children.

[crazeedizneefinatic]

We flew from Pittsburgh International last September using Southwest. We purchased the tickets in July and they were on sale for $59 each way. Now this year we are leaving on a Friday (9-21). I was more anxious because of the business people flying. We always fly non stop. We would not have it any other way especailly with a 6 year old. We already purchased our airfare for the way down. It was $120 plus. I figure at least we got what we wanted for the way down. Now if we happen to get lucky and they go on sale sometime in July again we can use the refund and purchase our return flight. Either way we secured what we needed for the way down. I also have the DING software installed, so maybe just maybe we will get super lucky. You just never know.

[JWB3]

From Albany, NY we (DW, DS & I) booked the cheapest non-refundable flights (Internet One-way) last Sept. for Jan. 20 - 26 departure / return. The price went down 3 times over the intervening months. Each time I called the SW Refund line and asked to credit the balance to my Disney Visa, and each time they did so without a problem. We saved over half the original cost - from $989 down to $397! I would imagine the SW policy would be the same regardless of where you fly from.

Also, you can get your e-boarding passes 24 hrs before your departure. Doing so will get you in the "A" queue and will ensure seats together.

Have a great trip!

[KarenP]

I just booked my September air on Airtran for $128.80 rt.

[What-r-ya, Goofy?]

From Albany, NY we (DW, DS & I) booked the cheapest non-refundable flights (Internet One-way) last Sept. for Jan. 20 - 26 departure / return. The price went down 3 times over the intervening months. Each time I called the SW Refund line and asked to credit the balance to my Disney Visa, and each time they did so without a problem.

Wow, you are one sweet talker! I did not think they would refund "non-refundable" tickets. How on earth were you able to do that?

[sleepingbooty]

Well, I didn't fly out of Pgh (is that Pittsburgh?), but I did fly Southwest last September (23rd). We had 3 free rewards seats so we only had to buy one, and I remember watching and waiting. It was early June when the September prices came down (to about 89 each way) so thats when I got it. They also had some dings come out in July or August for 69 each way, but I didn't think about getting a refund - not that it would have been much for one ticket, but now I know.

[disneyfan328]

I just booked my September air on Airtran for $128.80 rt.


Wow thats great, what kind of flight times did you get, and is that non stop? I did see a few 59$ each way, but the flight times are late afternoon and then the flight home is 1pm we didn't really want to travel those hours as we will lose almost 2 days of our trip. We are trying to make the most of the days that we have there as we have no idea when and if we will get back to Disney - At least as a whole family since DD17 is off to college and who knows what life will hold for her. I think at this point I will keep watching, but thanks for all of the great tips. I guess just watch and wait until June/July and hope that the fares come down some.:) I would be :cloud9: if I could get them for 79 or 89 each way.

[KarenP]

My flights are 10:30 am departing PIT and 1:25 pm out of MCO. Both are non-stop.

[TiggeRia]

I flew AirTran my last trip home for $59...and I can safely say that is probably the last time I will fly them. The price was great, but I got stuck in the last seat all the way in the corner--there was no window, no reclining seats, and even less leg room than you normally get. Thank goodness the flight was only two hours or I would have gone stir crazy. It is definitely not a seat for someone who may be claustrophobic. I just purchased seats for my October trip from JetBlue for $180 round trip, but it is at least straight through to MCO, they have comfortable seats, and DirectTV. Plus I got to choose my seats when I booked. For me it was worth the extra few $$.

[kakn7294]

I flew AirTran my last trip home for $59...and I can safely say that is probably the last time I will fly them. The price was great, but I got stuck in the last seat all the way in the corner--there was no window, no reclining seats, and even less leg room than you normally get. Thank goodness the flight was only two hours or I would have gone stir crazy. It is definitely not a seat for someone who may be claustrophobic. I just purchased seats for my October trip from JetBlue for $180 round trip, but it is at least straight through to MCO, they have comfortable seats, and DirectTV. Plus I got to choose my seats when I booked. For me it was worth the extra few $$.
Thanks! You just confirmed my fears. This and being separated from my DDs is the reason it's not worth the $244 savings to fly AirTran. If it were just adults, I could deal with it, but not when my girls are involved!

[disneyfan328]

I did some more checking and although air tran does have the best price right now I am VERY leary of booking it. The reason being is the tiered pricing. I appears that the web specials (59-99 roughly) each way, you don't pick your seats until you check in at the airport. With the higher prices you pick your seat at the time of booking which to me means that those people paying the higher price are picking there seats months before I would get to. This being said I have a family of 5 and with no way of knowing how many actual seats have been assigned, the likleyhood of us all being able to sit together is what scares me. Those people that paid the higher fees to pick their seats are probably not going to want to move so my family that paid way less can sit together. At least with Southwest no one has assigned seats. What to do what to do?????

[JWB3]

Wow, you are one sweet talker! I did not think they would refund "non-refundable" tickets. How on earth were you able to do that?

Actually I was kind of surprised myself. I just figured it couldn't hurt to ask - so I did. And each time the SW agent said to be sure and call back if the price dropped again. They credited my Visa account and we saved a good deal of $$. Just goes to show that SW is truly customer oriented (and I don't work there either! :mickey: )