Hawaii from east coast.
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: RNO
Programs: AA/DL/UA
Posts: 10,745
It seems that Southwest is still building their schedules manually. If it says no scheduled flights from BWI to HNL, but you can create one with a multi-city (effectively a one way) with BWI-OAK, OAK-HNL; or BWI-SJC, SJC-HNL, it means someone forgot to figure out the BWI-HNL schedule and store in their system.
The other airlines have been building the itinerary for your desired airports "on the fly" for many years. Rather than storing every possible A-B itinerary in advance, each individual flight is in a database, and when you say you want to go from A to B, the database will look up all possible flight combinations that will take you from A to B.
Back in the 1990's, getting an itinerary on a legacy carrier would take a few seconds, whereas getting an itinerary on Southwest was instant. That alone would suggest they had stored all the A-B itineraries in advance. They had some obscure city pairs that "didn't have scheduled flights" but in reality they did, but you have to buy two tickets (something like MHT to MAF).
Of all the improvements to technology in the last 25 years, Southwest still can't build intineraries on the fly, or operate red-eye flights? Ridiculous.
The other airlines have been building the itinerary for your desired airports "on the fly" for many years. Rather than storing every possible A-B itinerary in advance, each individual flight is in a database, and when you say you want to go from A to B, the database will look up all possible flight combinations that will take you from A to B.
Back in the 1990's, getting an itinerary on a legacy carrier would take a few seconds, whereas getting an itinerary on Southwest was instant. That alone would suggest they had stored all the A-B itineraries in advance. They had some obscure city pairs that "didn't have scheduled flights" but in reality they did, but you have to buy two tickets (something like MHT to MAF).
Of all the improvements to technology in the last 25 years, Southwest still can't build intineraries on the fly, or operate red-eye flights? Ridiculous.
#32
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: West Michigan
Programs: DL, UA, AA, B6, BA (airline status-free leisure traveler), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,962
As a Midwesterner, I sympathize with the OP. The only way that I can put together an itinerary to Hawaii is to use the Multi-city function, but by then, it always prices out higher than what I can get on other carriers.
#33
Join Date: May 2002
Programs: WN F9 HA UA AA IHG HH MR
Posts: 3,305
Gets you another flight credit closer to A-List/A+. Misconnects are very unlikely on an overnight stopover.
#34
Join Date: May 2002
Programs: WN F9 HA UA AA IHG HH MR
Posts: 3,305
It seems that Southwest is still building their schedules manually. If it says no scheduled flights from BWI to HNL, but you can create one with a multi-city (effectively a one way) with BWI-OAK, OAK-HNL; or BWI-SJC, SJC-HNL, it means someone forgot to figure out the BWI-HNL schedule and store in their system.
#35
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
When Southwest started Hawaii service they said connections would be added over time. At this point they are suffering from plane shortages to do that. Some planes are rotating out of the fleet 34 MAXs are grounded and another 40 some cannot be delivered.
I wouldn't expect them to be adding service until the MAX situation is clarified and those planes put in service.
I wouldn't expect them to be adding service until the MAX situation is clarified and those planes put in service.
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: RNO
Programs: AA/DL/UA
Posts: 10,745
If Southwest allowed their tickets to be sold on other platforms, these "no scheduled service" problems would disappear because the computer would piece together an itinerary just like they do for any airline. I've seen domestic AA itineraries that involve overnight 9 hour layovers in places like LAX because one wants to leave in the evening and a red-eye is not available, or there's a sale to and from LAX. The total fare is really two fares because it's >4 hours, but the user doesn't care about that, only the total price.
Southwest has a lot of positive qualities to it, but their insistence on sticking to the old way of not selling tickets on any platforms other than their own makes no sense.
If you fly to 12 airports with two schedules (Saturday and Sunday-Friday), it doesn't take too long to manually build itineraries for all 12*11*2 = 264 possibilities. But when you fly to over 100 destinations and the schedules vary by the day of the week, the number of possible itineraries is many thousands.
Southwest has a lot of positive qualities to it, but their insistence on sticking to the old way of not selling tickets on any platforms other than their own makes no sense.
If you fly to 12 airports with two schedules (Saturday and Sunday-Friday), it doesn't take too long to manually build itineraries for all 12*11*2 = 264 possibilities. But when you fly to over 100 destinations and the schedules vary by the day of the week, the number of possible itineraries is many thousands.
#37
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 438
When Southwest started Hawaii service they said connections would be added over time. At this point they are suffering from plane shortages to do that. Some planes are rotating out of the fleet 34 MAXs are grounded and another 40 some cannot be delivered.
I wouldn't expect them to be adding service until the MAX situation is clarified and those planes put in service.
I wouldn't expect them to be adding service until the MAX situation is clarified and those planes put in service.
On my last HNLPHX flight it was the same airplane that stopped in SJC and terminated in PHX for the night had two distinct flight numbers. I don't know why it wasn't marketed as direct, although at $178 I didn't really care. The cabin crew stayed and pax had to deplane and reboard. Perhaps when the ETOPS portion terminates, they use another flight number to make subs available at the intermediate station.
My best guess is to indeed separate ETOPS flights from non ETOPS flights. Different policies and procedures. I also had the same experience OGG-OAK-DAL. Same plane, different flight number.
It makes even more sense keeping separate when going over. Often the same plane would do DAL-OAK-OGG but in OAK there is like 100+ minutes of ground time for the pre ETOPS departure check done by maintenance.
They are already greatly expanding service in November and January without the MAX.
#38
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
It is to the extent they would have to use aircraft currently in use for other routes. I suggested the plan was to phase in such flights as more aircraft of any type entered the fleet. The only aircraft they have on order are MAXs.
#39
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 438
Also right now they could add 500 planes and still not be able to do redeyes. Planes aren't the constraint.
#43
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
You don't need more planes to do redeyes...they are sitting on the ground doing nothing during that time. Some are in MX sure, but not all 700 airplanes. If WN wanted/could do redeyes now they would with the fleet they have.
Also right now they could add 500 planes and still not be able to do redeyes. Planes aren't the constraint.
Also right now they could add 500 planes and still not be able to do redeyes. Planes aren't the constraint.
#44
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 1,855
Just ran into that 'not programmed' issue with all flights to ITO except from OAK, SJC, and SMF. Plenty of perfectly acceptable routings - two connections, both less than four hours - but nothing is bookable straight through, you have to use multi city. The rep I spoke with was useless, trying to insist that they had not opened any flights to ITO yet. Once I got her head wrapped around the fact that they do indeed fly there, she told me that as a multi city, we'd have to collect our bags in HNL and clear security before continuing. Is that really the case? Y thought they could check them all the way through if you wanted m. It's been a looong while since I traveled with checked bags domestically, so I have no idea if she is right or not...
#45
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
Once I got her head wrapped around the fact that they do indeed fly there, she told me that as a multi city, we'd have to collect our bags in HNL and clear security before continuing. Is that really the case? Y thought they could check them all the way through if you wanted m. It's been a looong while since I traveled with checked bags domestically, so I have no idea if she is right or not...