Advance purchase no longer required for WGA fares?
Jul 6, 2012, 9:08 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
Advance purchase no longer required for WGA fares?
Did I miss something? Did WN discontinue the advance purchase requirement for WGA fares?
Checking this morning I see flights available for today at regular WGA fare. Some are "unavailable" or "sold out", but the column isn't blocked with the "more advance purchase required" message, and lots of flights are still available. Checking MDW-BOS; MDW-MCO, MDW-STL.
Checking this morning I see flights available for today at regular WGA fare. Some are "unavailable" or "sold out", but the column isn't blocked with the "more advance purchase required" message, and lots of flights are still available. Checking MDW-BOS; MDW-MCO, MDW-STL.
Jul 6, 2012, 9:58 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Programs: WN Nothing and spending the half million points from too many flights, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8,043
Did I miss something? Did WN discontinue the advance purchase requirement for WGA fares?
Checking this morning I see flights available for today at regular WGA fare. Some are "unavailable" or "sold out", but the column isn't blocked with the "more advance purchase required" message, and lots of flights are still available. Checking MDW-BOS; MDW-MCO, MDW-STL.
Checking this morning I see flights available for today at regular WGA fare. Some are "unavailable" or "sold out", but the column isn't blocked with the "more advance purchase required" message, and lots of flights are still available. Checking MDW-BOS; MDW-MCO, MDW-STL.
Jul 6, 2012, 1:35 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,932
Southwest gives the initial appearance of having just 3 fare types, but they actually have oodles of them, with all sorts of little (or sometimes not so little) variations, both in price and in terms. They pigeonhole them into these 3 fare type categories, but that's all that BS, AT, and WGA are: fare type categories, not actual fare buckets.
Jul 6, 2012, 1:51 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Houston (HOU/IAH)
Programs: WN, UA, DL, AA, Chase UR, Amex MR
Posts: 2,267
I seem to recall that back in the early days of the website you were presented with every fare bucket available and that a search would come back with everything from full fare unrestricted on down to the modern equivalent to the bottom level WGA with like 6 to 8 levels in between. I found that to be very odd and am glad they consolidated the less than full fare buckets into just a general WGA umbrella.
Also, if your flight that you booked well in advance happens to be one of the ones with late WGA availability you can probably snag a pretty good fare to reprice at, even if it's only a couple of days out.
Also, if your flight that you booked well in advance happens to be one of the ones with late WGA availability you can probably snag a pretty good fare to reprice at, even if it's only a couple of days out.
Jul 6, 2012, 8:52 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: United Silver
Posts: 129
BS and AT prices are always static, aren't they? So if WN wants to compete on fares with other airlines under two weeks, they have to have a WGA fare, I guess, even if it's more than what it would be more than two weeks out.
A few weeks ago, I was considering booking a last minute earlier flight from LAS-BWI, to try and get home at lunchtime instead of in the middle of the night like I was booked for on AA. I was pricing flights on a Monday evening, and the Tuesday morning 6am flight still had an available WGA fare at $400, while the AT fare was $565.
I just looked now, and that same flight for tomorrow (pushing back in just 10 hours) still has a WGA fare at $390.
A few weeks ago, I was considering booking a last minute earlier flight from LAS-BWI, to try and get home at lunchtime instead of in the middle of the night like I was booked for on AA. I was pricing flights on a Monday evening, and the Tuesday morning 6am flight still had an available WGA fare at $400, while the AT fare was $565.
I just looked now, and that same flight for tomorrow (pushing back in just 10 hours) still has a WGA fare at $390.
Jul 8, 2012, 8:41 am
#6
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: LAS
Programs: WN:No status in 2015; UA:1K long gone (1995-2003).
Posts: 1,595
Same day WGA fares
4 hours 30 minutes before pushback today, the nonstop LAS-TUL is available as a WGA fare at $391. The anytime fare is $523. Everything else (connections via PHX, DEN, ELP or STL) is showing sold out for the rest of the day.
Jul 8, 2012, 12:17 pm
#7
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: SW Rapid Rewards, Hilton Honors, Marriott, Avis First
Posts: 4,831
I just did a quick test on this for a variety of flights for tomorrow, July 9, 2012. Here are the results:
PHX to BUF - WGA fares available for the vast majority of flights.
PHX to BOS - WGA fares available for 7 of 11 flights.
PHX to FLL - WGA fares available for 4 of 8 flights.
PHX to MSY - No WGA fares available.
What is interesting is that on the PHX to MSY screen, the WGA section is faded out with the note that "More Advanced Purchase is required." Ironically, less than 24 hours is apparently enough advanced purchase if I want to fly from PHX to BOS.
PHX to BUF - WGA fares available for the vast majority of flights.
PHX to BOS - WGA fares available for 7 of 11 flights.
PHX to FLL - WGA fares available for 4 of 8 flights.
PHX to MSY - No WGA fares available.
What is interesting is that on the PHX to MSY screen, the WGA section is faded out with the note that "More Advanced Purchase is required." Ironically, less than 24 hours is apparently enough advanced purchase if I want to fly from PHX to BOS.
