Advice for Southwest tickets?

[laprana]

We have a trip planned for next May, and right now we're hoping to fly Southwest from St. Louis to MCO. With Southwest (hopefully!) opening up their booking through June on Dec. 9, we'd like to get our tickets booked as soon as possible. I've read several other posts talking about getting a credit if you book a SW flight and then the price goes down later. I've never flown SW before, so I'm not really sure how this works. Could someone explain what we would have to do if we book our flights around Dec. 9 and then find the same flights for cheaper later on? Also, is it better to book one-way tickets or round trip tickets in order to get the credit?

We're planning a second trip next year in December, so if that does pan out, we should be able to use any SW credits within the year time limit. I know May is still quite a bit off, but I'm a big time planner and just want to get all of our ducks in a row early! Thanks for any help you can provide! :mickey:

[jonsmom]

Hi

I am also a big planner as well.

I am going to WDW on 12/18. I purchased my tickets on 9/18. Since then the price has dropped several times & I have a $186 credit.

You keep checking Southwest's flights after you book, if the price is lower than you pay, you go to Travel Tools and click on change reservation. Pick the flights over again and it will tally your credits.

What I will need to know is how to use those credits once I need to.

Credits are also transferrable. My brother has $135 in credits, which will also be transferred to me. Its $$ in the bank!

[Strmchsr]

Basically, you book your trip now (it doesn't matter if it's round trip or you book each way seperately) and if you find a lower fare you call SW and they will credit you the difference. You already know that the credit must be used within 1 year, so it's really a pretty simple process. Another reason I love SW.

[Tick-Tock]

It's really easy to change online. As for using the credits, jonsmom, when you changed your reservations SW probably sent you a new confirmation. In the middle there's a note:

Current payment(s)
Tktls funds remaining in conf#____ for future travel $____CR

When you book your next flight, in payment options there's a section where you can apply credits. You type in the conf# and SW will apply the credits.

[jonsmom]

Tick-Tock

So all I do is place the confirmation# in the credits box?

It was the first time I ever booked on SW myself so I didnt look around the website at other things.

Cool. Thanks.

[cer]

Someone verify, please, but I heard that if you are going to do this you need to book one way each way instead of round trip - That way you will have two confirmation #'s and won't be releasing both flights for a deal on one, and possibly higher prices on the other...

Am I making sense - at all?

[cer]

Ok Strmchsr says is doesn't matter round trip or one way - Is the difference calling vs. making the change on the computer?

I've never done it, clearly.

[faline]

Sometimes only leg of the trip will be on sale or different legs of the trip will be on sale at different times. With a round-trip ticket, it's possible you will be unable to get the credit you want as rebooking the entire round-trip for the credit on one leg may possibly increase the overall cost of the trip.

If you have it booked as one-one trips, you can apply credits to either leg of the trip if they come up.

[laprana]

Thanks so much for the great info, everyone! Sounds like it will be pretty easy! :thumbsup: :rocks:

[TinkerbellT421]

Just remember that credits are only valid from date of purchase of the original ticket. HENCE you have to use the credit AND FLY by the date of the original purchase date. So i.e. if you bought that ticket on 8/8/08...and credit it...you need to use the credit and complete flight by 8/8/09.

[Tick-Tock]

Tick-Tock

So all I do is place the confirmation# in the credits box?

It was the first time I ever booked on SW myself so I didnt look around the website at other things.

Cool. Thanks.

Yes, conf# (for the prior ticket where the credits are from) in the credits area. It's pretty easy. It even lets you apply more than one conf# (though it might be two max, I can't remember).

I'm not sure about the whole one-way/round-trip thing. All my tickets have been round-trip and 3 times now in the last couple of months I've been able to get on my computer and adjust one flight leg without affecting the other or increasing the price for the other. So it seems to me that you can change one leg without changing the other.

[jonsmom]

Yes, conf# (for the prior ticket where the credits are from) in the credits area. It's pretty easy. It even lets you apply more than one conf# (though it might be two max, I can't remember).

I'm not sure about the whole one-way/round-trip thing. All my tickets have been round-trip and 3 times now in the last couple of months I've been able to get on my computer and adjust one flight leg without affecting the other or increasing the price for the other. So it seems to me that you can change one leg without changing the other.

Yes, you can definitely change one leg without affecting the other.

[ThanxForNoticin]

Just remember that credits are only valid from date of purchase of the original ticket. HENCE you have to use the credit AND FLY by the date of the original purchase date. So i.e. if you bought that ticket on 8/8/08...and credit it...you need to use the credit and complete flight by 8/8/09.

I think you do have the concept, but TinkerbellT421 has a very important point above. You said you are looking to purchase on 12/9 of this year for a May flight, and then might be doing another trip next December. If you buy your tickets on 12/9/08 and then later get a credit, you will have to complete your future flight by 12/9/09 if you want to use the credit. Have you planned far enough to know if your 'next' trip will be before 12/9/09?

This is really getting detailed, but even if you will complete the first leg of your December 2009 trip, you'll be able to buy a one-way ticket for use prior to 12/9/09 and use the credit - then buy the return leg separately.

It is a big plus for purchasing tickets with Southwest, and your chances of saving some money between December and May are probably pretty good. You just want to make sure you can somehow take advantage of those credits. Good luck and have a great trip!

[PetefromRI]

I've never done it but I heard that SW will give you an extension of up to 6 months past the 12 month mark.Like I said ,I heard it on the boards but have never tried it.

[laprana]

I think you do have the concept, but TinkerbellT421 has a very important point above. You said you are looking to purchase on 12/9 of this year for a May flight, and then might be doing another trip next December. If you buy your tickets on 12/9/08 and then later get a credit, you will have to complete your future flight by 12/9/09 if you want to use the credit. Have you planned far enough to know if your 'next' trip will be before 12/9/09?

This is excellent advice! I will definitely keep this in mind. We're hoping to go the first or second week of December 2009, so I think we'd better hold off until at least the middle or end of this December to book the tickets for May - just in case! Better to be safe than sorry! Thanks so much for the tip! :thumbsup:

[justice11]

hi laprana we are flying out of st. louis in may,too. we leave on the 24th, i have been trying to get tickets for then but they don't let you go into june yet. i keep checking. i am more calm once i know i have my plane tickets.:plane::blush:

[thumperbug]

I pretty much only fly southwest for many reasons (not just the price). Keep in mind...that the lowering of prices will generally happen on flights that are not filling up which tend to be on off times of year. Since my son is now in school...we take out trips during school breaks and those flights sell out in a day or 2 so I have not been lucky enough to see the cost of my flight go down. Just keep that in the back of your mind. With SW...its always better to book and if prices go down you get a credit rather then hold off booking hoping prices go down.

[jonsmom]

hi laprana we are flying out of st. louis in may,too. we leave on the 24th, i have been trying to get tickets for then but they don't let you go into june yet. i keep checking. i am more calm once i know i have my plane tickets.:plane::blush:

Dec 9th is when sales open throught June.