airplanegod

Yep, no WGA fares from the airports I fly out of down to MCO on 11/29. However last year, about a month and a half before Thanksgiving, I did find a pretty cheap WGA fare down to MCO on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Terrible time, but it was much cheaper than the competition. Hoping WN does the same this year, or I might bite the bullet and fly back on the Saturday, a difference in one day means saving over $150, lol.

traveller001

I found several routes out of my city with WGAs.

traveller001

BOS-MDW is now as low as $212 non-stop

t325

Going to PUJ over the holiday weekend, couldn't get any WGA fares for the return trip on Sunday but there was on Monday. It ended up being cheaper to spend an extra night at the resort and fly back Monday.

Extra day of vacation. Less money spent. If that's not a win-win, then I'm not sure what is

diver858

WN depends on Kool Aid drinkers to believe that it is still a low cost carrier - which is why flights can only be booked on their website. As you have demonstrated, allowing comparison shopping on travel websites would result in lost business.

traveller001

OTOH they could be missing some business with less visibility.

IMO the big problem with opening up GDS bookings...

The system currently isn't run on one huge mainframe.. Nothing is actually real time but if it's listed in your search they continue the process and honor the fare on Southwest.com.

The number of times I've tried to book with OTAs I've been squashed by stale unbookable fares as often as I've succeeded. Even with click throughs to the Airline's website. (If the click through succeeds IMO you're as good as booking direct with the airline itself)

For OTAs to have realtime fares would virtually shut down any reservation system with traffic. In reality they probe the airlines for all fares every few hours. Mind boggling amount of internet traffic and processor time for little reward.

Then there are payment issues caused by OTAs. Sure you got a confirmation code but without payment to the airline from the TA within 24hrs it auto cancels. You have no knowledge of that until you show at airport. (I once sent an Airtran Customer on her way on holiday travel on a buddy pass with advice to her to contact her TA on the issue. She bought a return fare when OTA denied any responsibility. Total cost to her was roughly the same and it was the only seat available for days)

Some OTAs will mix carrier routings with no baggage agreements on impossible connection times re-checking bags. Most major OTA's have banned showing one I've seen a ton of problems with but they advertise using their own website a lot.

So I don't know if Southwest is going to open up GDS with the new reservation system in the future or not... It can create Customer service issues as I mentioned above. But it does open them up to possibly new Customers.

If GDS was available only to say the largest two OTAs and it was only click through that might work.

Bottomline GDS availability is a spider web of issues and possible failures. It might work for you but after checking in probably upward of 10K Customers I've seen probably a couple hundred fails.

jk88usa

Anybody know when and if "reasonable" timed flights/connections become available in WGA for the 29th, if at all?

There's a 5am departure and a 10pm arrival, both non-stop that have WGA fares....but I'm 1.5 Hours from the destination airport (DEN) and I'll be about an hour from MKE, so neither seems very attractive.

I'll certainly book them if it'll save me 200 bucks one-way but I just figured I'd ask for input on when people usually see the day flights open up (if they do), even if ones as early as 6:00-7:00am open up. 5am departure just seems way too early, even for me

steved5480

Most experts on here typically report 60 +/- days-out for the cheaper(est) dip in fares. Having said that, the Sunday after Turkey Day is arguably one of the busiest air travel days of the year. That, combined with what loads have been running for the past 12+ months = zero certainty of the prices dropping much. Or perhaps they will. Or perhaps those flights will sell-out sooner rather than later. Suggest booking with points now/soon, and check to re-fare & retrieve excess points in the coming weeks.

As for the time, you are certainly correct. A 5am departure SEEMS way too early because it IS

lougord99

Don't anchor on Southwest. Both Frontier and United have reasonably inexpensive flights that day from MKE to DEN. Also, you are 'an hour' from MKE. What direction? How far is O'Hare from where you are?

rsteinmetz70112

If you look at Frontier be sure to factor in the fees. Their website is pretty good about making you aware of them. They also have a new far called The Works, which includes a stretch seat and luggage. It can be pretty cost effective.

jk88usa

Frontier is outrageous on MKE-DEN that day. $399 one way last I checked...without the fees...

United is OK but I'd prefer to avoid the RJ200....and frankly it's about $50 bucks less than the one WN connection for $300

You're correct I'm about equidistant from MKE as I am ORD (to the Southwest of MKE) but I've flown ORD on that Sunday and it's an absolute nightmare...last year my friend was at MDW with the security lines that stretched outside the terminal...

That's why I'm trying to do MKE. United has some hidden-city fares to LAR and other cities I might just use to get back at a reasonable time if WN doesn't drop it's prices...I was just curious. Thanks for the advice