I need to get to Washington DC in a few months for my future brother-in-law's bachelor party and I was hoping to snag one of the cheap $79 or $99 fares (each way) that Southwest occasionally has to either Dulles or Baltimore (preferably BWI since they have nonstop STL-BWI, IAD would require a stop out of STL). I'm renting a car so I can also visit a friend who lives out in Virginia, so access to public transportation, or lack thereof, isn't important to me, otherwise, I'd be flying into Reagan on one of the other airlines. Right now the fares are about $129 each way. Does anyone know if they lower the fares as it gets closer to the travel date, or have I missed the boat on the ultra-cheap fare? Thanks
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Southwest airlines fare question
- Thread starter yg17
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I'm flying to san diego from PA on friday, and I got $99 each way like two weeks ago. Just keep checking the website, they change the prices every day
I'm a frequent Southwest flier. You can often find serious differences in their fares just by selecting a different time of day - a flight from Las Vegas - El Paso - Dallas can vary from $139 - $328, for flights on the same day, depending on the time of day you fly. They're even more expensive if you choose a "refundable" or "business select" fare.
Also do everything you can to book at least 21 days in advance. Fares jump up as you get closer to the flight time, they don't get cheaper.
Also do everything you can to book at least 21 days in advance. Fares jump up as you get closer to the flight time, they don't get cheaper.
Slightly off topic but still about Southwest airlines.
My stepmothers grandkids flew on Alaska Airlines for a 2 week visit during christmas. They are aged 5 & 9 and Alaska Airlines charged $75
at each departing airport because they were traveling on their own at a young age. AFAIK Southwest does not charge a fee like that.
My stepmothers grandkids flew on Alaska Airlines for a 2 week visit during christmas. They are aged 5 & 9 and Alaska Airlines charged $75
at each departing airport because they were traveling on their own at a young age. AFAIK Southwest does not charge a fee like that.
Slightly off topic but still about Southwest airlines.
My stepmothers grandkids flew on Alaska Airlines for a 2 week visit during christmas. They are aged 5 & 9 and Alaska Airlines charged $75
You can get a reduced fare for children from Southwest, but you can't get it online.
They also require age verification. Might be worth looking into if you ever need it.
Not sure how true the refund the difference thing is because why would they switch rates everyday then. And under that theory it should mean tickets prices should only go up and never down if they want to prevent pissing off customers who now felt they paid too much. I know a lot of airlines will match or beat discount broker sites but its only for the same day purchase I believe. If someone has a link to a refund the difference document please post it.
The vast majority of airlines offer the lowest possible fares on their website. Third-party sites often add a few dollars in fees and only offer significant discounts when you book a hotel or rental car in addition to a flight.
Fare structures are constantly being changed as are costs at airports, staffing wages, etc. Especially true for international flights, the best deals are to be had a few days before a flight leaves, specifically if the loads are low for a day.
Also check for package deals for flight+hotel. I saved a few hundred when I purchased plane tickets a few weeks ago at last minute. I think I saved around $200-$300 when I booked with a hotel. Never checked in tho.
Kayak isn't a booking agent like Orbitz or anything, they just search all of the airlines websites and the booking agents and show the lowest price and it gives you a ton of options to help you narrow down your search. It's really pretty damn cool, if you've never played with it, I highly recommend you check it out.
And yeah, 99% of the time, the airline website is the cheapest. But Kayak will tell you which airline is cheapest for the route you want.