Jim Benet

I am going on a cruise with 18 family members from Dec. 28- Jan 3, and of course new years is a big time in Miami and there are college bowl games down there too. So the cheapest flights to Miami/ Ft. Lauderdale are like 550$(from Columbus or Pittsburgh, which are normally 200+) , and the availability is thin. I have noticed that Southwest has some pretty reasonable flights to Fort Lauderdale on a regular basis, but of course they do not have there inventory available yet, and neither does Air Tran.

Sooo, I am trying to figure out how to go about booking flights from here. Does Southwest have a certain (known) time when these flights will be released, because I have a feeling that there will be plenty of customers waiting. I wonder if I would be able to call SW and find out the exact time when they will release these flights (pretty sure they will be less than 550$) It would obviously be hard to get online and book for 18 people, but I am thinking that maybe as soon as they release them I can call a SW agent and might be able to get a bunch of us on one plane.

Any Ideas on This???

toomanybooks

Read here: http://flyerguide.com/wiki/index.php...be_extended.3F

Projected as June 10.

nsx

Do not expect Southwest to beat the legacies on price for peak vacation times. The reverse is much more likely.

I would choose Southwest if the price is no more than 20% higher, because of zero bag fees and the option to re-fare downward or cancel with full re-use. Good luck, but don't expect any miracles!

MoreMilesPlease

I'm with nsx,

SW may not be cheaper, or they may be. One thing to look at is baggage. On SW you get 2 checked bags and a carry-on as part of the ticket price. Also SW will let you reprice a ticket if the ptice drops, but it gives the refund as a voucher that must be used within 1 year of issuance. So make sure and factor in this when comparing prices.

If all 18 are traveling from the same originating airport then you might call the airlines, or get a travel agent, to see about a group rate.

lewisc

Definitely call for a group rate. Call now. Find out when you can make a reservation. I don't know if you can make a group reservation before the schedule is extended.

nsx

I recently saw an example of a high school group trip that the leader booked on a legacy airline. He had to use his personal credit card for over $2k of baggage fees, then ask the parents to reimburse him. I'll bet he chooses Southwest the next time...

ftnoob

Welcome to the Rapid Rewards forum, Jim Benet!

Some group travel information is available on the web site. It won't be possible to actually make a reservation now as the schedules will not be known for quite a few weeks. I would certainly recommend contacting group sales now, however, to inquire about the process. It is possible that the group sales department will at least have some schedule information before the flights are bookable online or through CS&S.

Your dates don't like very promising for SWA bargains, especially if it makes sense to fly on the 27th (to avoid risk of missing your cruise depature). If the dates you posted are the cruise dates rather than the air travel dates, and you are staying in Florida the last night, the return trip might not be too bad.

Also be aware that the legacy carrier fares may drop after SWA extends their booking window.

I've not searched the forum but this makes me wonder: can group tickets be refared for credit the same as way individual fares?

Jim Benet

Thanks for all your insight, I will call the group department for SWA. I forgot about the baggage fees for other airlines, with 18 people, that will definitely add up to the price of another ticket.
I think we will be flying the morning of the 28th, and coming back anytime on the 3rd, so hopefully we don't hit too bad.

toomanybooks

Might be too painful to contemplate, but if the savings justify it, you could fly to West Palm Beach or even Ft. Myers and hire a bus.

Remember that you can fly into one airport and out of another if that works best.

And pay for the tickets with a Southwest Visa card for extra credits.