Post all SW questions concerns, etc. here...

[Erica Ladd]

Went to book return flights from MCO last night and all the afternoon and evening times are 1 and 2 stops now . I guess even if I had purchased earlier they would have been changed. Oh well. Makes me think it’s better to save our TF that expire 9/22 than chancing getting flights that we really don’t want. Guess I’ll be shelling out cash for a different carrier. Side note - anyone think prices of all carriers will get better before the holidays or just worse?? (Looking at beginning- mid December)

 

[Avery&Todd]

ARGH! SW just changed our flights for our December trip to WDW - instead of 5:30am direct flights getting us in at 730am we don't get in until 2:30pm! there goes our Epcot day!!

 

[pooch]

I just got a notification today about a November flight change from BDL to MCO. My morning non-stop flight now is a connecting flight with a two hour layover at BWI. I have never changed planes since having kids and I’m dreading doing it with the kids. I’m sure they’ll be fine but the stress of it may make this vacation start off on a sour note. The only non-stop options left are for the afternoon or evening so I am going to cross my fingers that there are no more changes.

Yup me too. I was able to get a non stop afternoon flight the day before. DGS and I will stay at my DD’s that night & she’ll drop us back at the airport for DME the next morning . I am very lucky she lives down there and 10 minutes from MCO (and she loves me!)

 

[Ninjagrrl]

And they just cancelled my return flight 12/5. Thankfully I was able to get another nonstop flight, but it leaves MCO an hour earlier. I don't want to get up at the but crack of dawn for ME, so hopefully this is the last change.
On the bright side, my new gate was significantly cheaper, so I got a nice big travel credit. My new flights are only $118 rt from PHL!!

 

[truetink]

I have not gotten early bird for my two upcoming trips. With only 2/3rds max I don't see the point. I'm taking my wife and two kids to Denver in Nov. We are planning on sitting 2x2. As long as you check in at t24 you should be fine.

Thank you!!!

 

[Crazyhorse]

So....all you SW gurus. Question. We also have early December flights that have recently been changed; received the email late last night. They moved both our departure and return flights by about 2 hours, still non stop. Full disclosure, I just cancelled our December trip, as the BWI hotel still isn't open. My intention is/was to cancel these flights but I'd sure like a refund for our Early Boarding fees.

What's the best way to handle this? My initial thought is to sit tight, hoping THEY end up either cancelling the flights completely or making huge changes, based on what is currently being said about airlines in general. If I end up cancelling, are we back to the old travel fund expiration, a year from purchase or are we into the new 9/2022 expiration of travel funds, if I cancel the flights? At this point, our intention is to try to get back to Disney late in the 3rd quarter or 4th quarter of next year.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Sadly right now if I was booking flights for a future trip I would not try to consider our arrival or departure days as park days as there are just too many changes happening. Our September flights which were originally booked as direct both days and arrival day was to be a park day, both ended up with stops. Adding to that the earlier closing at all parks and our arrival day would have changed 100%.

My advice to those booking flights now for trips in the future, you may wish to reconsider depending on arrival or departure days as park days as you may be disappointed.

Things will change again in the future but that's kinda where we're at right now.

 

[scrappinginontario]

So....all you SW gurus. Question. We also have early December flights that have recently been changed; received the email late last night. They moved both our departure and return flights by about 2 hours, still non stop. Full disclosure, I just cancelled our December trip, as the BWI hotel still isn't open. My intention is/was to cancel these flights but I'd sure like a refund for our Early Boarding fees.

What's the best way to handle this? My initial thought is to sit tight, hoping THEY end up either cancelling the flights completely or making huge changes, based on what is currently being said about airlines in general. If I end up cancelling, are we back to the old travel fund expiration, a year from purchase or are we into the new 9/2022 expiration of travel funds, if I cancel the flights? At this point, our intention is to try to get back to Disney late in the 3rd quarter or 4th quarter of next year.

Personally, I would sit tight. If you cancel your flights now your expiration date will be 1 year from purchase date and you need to complete your travel by then. If you hold off they may introduce a new travel expiration date similar to the one that ended on September 7th.

 

[Crazyhorse]

Personally, I would sit tight. If you cancel your flights now your expiration date will be 1 year from purchase date and you need to complete your travel by then. If you hold off they may introduce a new travel expiration date similar to the one that ended on September 7th.

Thank you!

 

[Mom2Stitch]

Looks like I'm in the same boat as others with flight changes. Flight is from Louisville to MCO, and it went form several each way to just a handful. We booked the earliest non-stop, which now looks cancelled. Luckily, we were moved over to the only other NS, which departs 2 hours later. Same with the return flights, we went from the latest NS back to the only other one they have now and leaving 2 hours earlier.

What are the chances that they change us to connecting flights or change the times again? I know impossible to tell, just wondering how close to the trip do they finalize schedules so I know what to plan for. We do have parks planned for arrival (Epcot) and departure (MK) days, but have other days planned at both parks just in case.

 

[mickeynut1]

I apologize if I missed this in the thread, but for those of you that have traveled recently, did you see any need to add early bird with the middle seats open? We are a family of four and didn't know if we needed it to add it to keep from being too spread out.

It's hit or miss, IMO. DH & I just returned from Vegas 2 weeks ago and we had a full plane both ways (middle seats open, but all rows filled). We didn't get EBCI either way and checked in right at the 24 hr mark and got A42 & A43 going out and A51 & A52 on the return. With that said, my cousin and her DH and DD went to California the end of Aug/beginning of Sept and they only had 40 people on their flight going out and around 60 coming back, so there's really no way of knowing just how full (or empty) a flight will be.

Personally, I would sit tight. If you cancel your flights now your expiration date will be 1 year from purchase date and you need to complete your travel by then. If you hold off they may introduce a new travel expiration date similar to the one that ended on September 7th.

I agree that I'd sit tight for now.

 

[LadybugsMum]

These changes are making me worried for our early Jan trip. I was really hoping to fly, but I may end up driving down instead.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Looks like I'm in the same boat as others with flight changes. Flight is from Louisville to MCO, and it went form several each way to just a handful. We booked the earliest non-stop, which now looks cancelled. Luckily, we were moved over to the only other NS, which departs 2 hours later. Same with the return flights, we went from the latest NS back to the only other one they have now and leaving 2 hours earlier.

What are the chances that they change us to connecting flights or change the times again? I know impossible to tell, just wondering how close to the trip do they finalize schedules so I know what to plan for. We do have parks planned for arrival (Epcot) and departure (MK) days, but have other days planned at both parks just in case.

It seems SW is changing flights often and up to very close to departure dates. As people wait to cancel their flights (totally understandable), the occupancy on flights changes. My flights were changed 4 or 5 different times each direction over about a 2 month period. Until you're seated on the plane, I'd consider that changes could be made. It's not the best but reality for most airlines right now.

 

[Mom2Stitch]

It seems SW is changing flights often and up to very close to departure dates. As people wait to cancel their flights (totally understandable), the occupancy on flights changes. My flights were changed 4 or 5 different times each direction over about a 2 month period. Until you're seated on the plane, I'd consider that changes could be made. It's not the best but reality for most airlines right now.

You are completely right. It really is a go with the flow situation I suppose, lol. Thank you for your input.

 

[Leigh L]

Sadly right now if I was booking flights for a future trip I would not try to consider our arrival or departure days as park days as there are just too many changes happening. Our September flights which were originally booked as direct both days and arrival day was to be a park day, both ended up with stops. Adding to that the earlier closing at all parks and our arrival day would have changed 100%.

My advice to those booking flights now for trips in the future, you may wish to reconsider depending on arrival or departure days as park days as you may be disappointed.

Things will change again in the future but that's kinda where we're at right now.

I 100% agree...in August when all was said and done with flight movements, our trip was shifted by 3 days on each end (not SW but I think this stands for all airlines). We ended up stringing together four different hotels for 8 nights just to keep our 3-night price-protected stay at WDW (it would have been so much more expensive had we not done this). Our park days didn't resemble the original plan at all (and we even changed on the fly while there).

DH was supposed to fly JB to Tampa on Saturday and all flights canceled for that day, and he was moved to a Friday 7 am flight, so he had to cancel entirely.
Oldest DD was flying SW to MCO to visit family 11/21-28 and received the notice of departure flight changes and we're still waiting upon her return (it's gone missing from SW's website). Her Thanksgiving trip is likely to change entirely because of this.

I think flexibility is needed right now for any travel. DD and I are flying in earlier November to WDW on United, I'm on pins and needles at this point as to what will happen with our original flights since we have less flexibility on one end of the trip and I don't want to end up at multiple hotels again lol

 

[shoreward]

Drink coupons with 2020 expiration dates will be honored till December 2021, so don’t discard any coupons expiring in 2020.

 

[pooch]

and Hubby and I always got 4 each every year. This year, nothing :-(

 

[shoreward]

and Hubby and I always got 4 each every year. This year, nothing :-(

They used to send drink coupons to holders of Southwest credit cards, but that changed. Lately, drink coupons are sent to customers after they fly 10 revenue flights. Of course, there are always exceptions, but that is the latest "official" policy for the coupons.

 

[MarBee]

And they just cancelled my return flight 12/5. Thankfully I was able to get another nonstop flight, but it leaves MCO an hour earlier. I don't want to get up at the but crack of dawn for ME, so hopefully this is the last change.
On the bright side, my new gate was significantly cheaper, so I got a nice big travel credit. My new flights are only $118 rt from PHL!!

Just a little tip for any of the super early flights. As long as you’re not doing RAC with your luggage, you can tell ME any flight to take you to the airport. We’ve had 6 am departing flights before where they wanted to pick us up at 2:30 am, but we have pre-check and only carry-on luggage. So we’ve given them the flight number of a 7:25 flight instead, and we were picked up at 4:25 am instead. We still had plenty of time and made the flight no problem.

 

[Leigh L]

Just a little tip for any of the super early flights. As long as you’re not doing RAC with your luggage, you can tell ME any flight to take you to the airport. We’ve had 6 am departing flights before where they wanted to pick us up at 2:30 am, but we have pre-check and only carry-on luggage. So we’ve given them the flight number of a 7:25 flight instead, and we were picked up at 4:25 am instead. We still had plenty of time and made the flight no problem.

This is good to know! Last time we had so much time to pass at the airport (we also have pre-check and only use carry-on luggage normally) but we put our flights in as scheduled. Thanks for the tip! Thankfully, it wasn't a 6 am flight but a 9 a.m., but still a lot of time to wait since we had to be at the bus stop somewhere around 5:45 a.m.