Schedule opening May 19th Book yay or nay
May 16, 2016, 10:46 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Traveling the World
Posts: 6,075
Schedule opening May 19th Book yay or nay
I got word that the WN schedule will open up until January 4th on May 19th. Should I book my flights from SJC-PHX on May 19th or wait until there is a sale. I know that this is during the holidays and also if the fare goes down I can get refunded as Ticket Funds for another ticket.
I heard that booking on the day the schedule opens up can bring the lower Wanna Get Away Fares as we already know our dates. I just need to know the exact time. Some said Midnight CST some said open of business day on 5/19.
Thanks.
I heard that booking on the day the schedule opens up can bring the lower Wanna Get Away Fares as we already know our dates. I just need to know the exact time. Some said Midnight CST some said open of business day on 5/19.
Thanks.
May 16, 2016, 10:56 pm
#2
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Programs: UA Platinum MM; DL Silver; IHG Diamond Ambassador; Hilton Gold; Marriott Gold
Posts: 24,249
The only downside to booking then and re-faring if you see an airfare drop later is that the residual credit will be in the passenger's name and he or she will only have a year to use it. Not much of a downside the same passenger plans on flying WN again inside of a year.
May 17, 2016, 6:41 am
#3
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 921
There is little benefit to booking the tickets the second the booking window opens, unless you're going for the EBC and want to be pretty much assured of getting A16 & A17. While there's never any guarantee, the ticket prices probably won't be the cheapest the moment the tickets become available.
May 17, 2016, 7:17 am
#5
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 3,975
Schedule opening is typically around 6 a.m. CDT.
Boarding numbers A16-17 would go to the top A-listers on the flight. The first to buy EB could well be in the B group. If you're looking to be first in EB, I think you could book something that's bookable now, then change the booking (keeping the same PNR) to the trip you want to take, when it's bookable.
Boarding numbers A16-17 would go to the top A-listers on the flight. The first to buy EB could well be in the B group. If you're looking to be first in EB, I think you could book something that's bookable now, then change the booking (keeping the same PNR) to the trip you want to take, when it's bookable.
May 17, 2016, 8:55 am
#6
Join Date: May 2007
Location: DFW
Programs: WN A+, AA, HYATT DIAMOND, SPG
Posts: 1,125
There is little benefit to booking the tickets the second the booking window opens, unless you're going for the EBC and want to be pretty much assured of getting A16 & A17. While there's never any guarantee, the ticket prices probably won't be the cheapest the moment the tickets become available.
If you are booking a Friday or Sunday, I would book when they open the schedule. For these days, I have seen the cheapest fares at open and they rarely go on sale and/or down if it's a hot market and especially around a holiday. If you are booking for Christmas or Thanksgiving, I advise you book when it opens and monitor to re-fare, just in case.
May 17, 2016, 9:02 am
#7
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
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May 17, 2016, 12:58 pm
#9
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: ORD/MDW
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May 17, 2016, 2:18 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
As nsx suggested previously, I expect the fares for November and December to be very, very high upon schedule opening. Whether they ever drop into the troposphere or -- more likely -- rise into the mesosphere remains to be seen.
May 17, 2016, 11:30 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Traveling the World
Posts: 6,075
Agree with this if you are booking days that the sales usually apply to, like Tues thru Thurs or Saturday.
If you are booking a Friday or Sunday, I would book when they open the schedule. For these days, I have seen the cheapest fares at open and they rarely go on sale and/or down if it's a hot market and especially around a holiday. If you are booking for Christmas or Thanksgiving, I advise you book when it opens and monitor to re-fare, just in case.
If you are booking a Friday or Sunday, I would book when they open the schedule. For these days, I have seen the cheapest fares at open and they rarely go on sale and/or down if it's a hot market and especially around a holiday. If you are booking for Christmas or Thanksgiving, I advise you book when it opens and monitor to re-fare, just in case.
May 18, 2016, 10:05 am
#13
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: CMH, West Coast
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, oneworld emerald
Posts: 2,741
Yes, exactly - I'm 95% booked through October. Just waiting to see if there's the traditional birthday sale in June.
May 19, 2016, 5:17 am
#14
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 149
My goodness, rates for Thanksgiving are outrageous, I was looking at Wednesday before Thanksgiving to Monday after and it's over $200 each way for MCI-MSP. Usually it's more like $250 or so total.
Christmas at least is a little more reasonable for now...
Edit: Delta for Thanksgiving is asking only $300 for that route minimum for Thanksgiving, WN is asking $500 on that route and days. They're going to have to come down or all the competition will be flocking to DL.
Christmas at least is a little more reasonable for now...
Edit: Delta for Thanksgiving is asking only $300 for that route minimum for Thanksgiving, WN is asking $500 on that route and days. They're going to have to come down or all the competition will be flocking to DL.
May 19, 2016, 6:13 am
#15
Join Date: Jul 2015
Programs: HH Diamond, HGVC, WN RR, National Exec, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,058
I booked 2 December trips this am and found fares using points and CP that I am very happy with. Early Dec RT for two using CP ROC>CLT for 9830 points total. Christmas week booked 12/23 ALB>FLL for 16574 and 12/27 PBI>ALB 6389 points, again using CP.