WOW - SW - what happened?

2013 lots of SW NS PVD - MCO. 2016 a lot fewer and some odd routes - BWI-PVD-MCO; was a "direct" flight.
we prefer Jet Blue but they have cut their schedule out of PVD as well. BOS-MCO fares are SO high.

NCL cruise out of Boston is looking more and more attractive -no airfare costs

That’s a great cruise. Heck, I’m paying the same to go Bos-Seattle first class for an Alaskan cruise in May as I am to fly PVD to MCO in August. That’s insanity.
 
That’s a great cruise. Heck, I’m paying the same to go Bos-Seattle first class for an Alaskan cruise in May as I am to fly PVD to MCO in August. That’s insanity.

How long is the fight with stopovers? PVD > MCO?
 
Off topic a bit - are there really that many vacation travelers getting to the airport at 4:00 a.m. for flights at 6? What time do they get up and manage to have every last thing packed? Back in the day, I had no choice for work but I was much younger and just stayed up the night before - packing LOL.
 
Off topic a bit - are there really that many vacation travelers getting to the airport at 4:00 a.m. for flights at 6? What time do they get up and manage to have every last thing packed? Back in the day, I had no choice for work but I was much younger and just stayed up the night before - packing LOL.

We always try to book the 6am flight down to Orlando so we can normally arrive around 12:30 at MCO and get us to our resort around 2 pm! We live 25 min from the Portland, ME airport - which isn't a busy airport and normally check in around 4:30 am. We get up around 3:30 am to leave the house by 4 am. We have everything packed the night before and try to be in bed by 9 the night before.

Now for our return flight back we try to get something around 10:30 - 11:30 am as the Magic Express picks u up 3 hours before and if you are doing the airline check in at the resort they won't take your bag if u do the really early flights!
 
Last edited:


Off topic a bit - are there really that many vacation travelers getting to the airport at 4:00 a.m. for flights at 6? What time do they get up and manage to have every last thing packed? Back in the day, I had no choice for work but I was much younger and just stayed up the night before - packing LOL.

We always book the first flight out. Actually my dd is going with her bf to Miami in two weeks and their flight is also at 6 am. My husband just arranged a car to bring them to the airport so they can get there at 4 am.

I love the first flight out. Planes are there from night before and very very rarely do we ever have a delay.
 
Off topic a bit - are there really that many vacation travelers getting to the airport at 4:00 a.m. for flights at 6? What time do they get up and manage to have every last thing packed? Back in the day, I had no choice for work but I was much younger and just stayed up the night before - packing LOL.

We do! First flights are, typically, not delayed. We just sleep on the plane :)
 


Off topic a bit - are there really that many vacation travelers getting to the airport at 4:00 a.m. for flights at 6? What time do they get up and manage to have every last thing packed? Back in the day, I had no choice for work but I was much younger and just stayed up the night before - packing LOL.

We like to get every last minute out of our Disney trip so we have taken 5:45am - 6:15 am flights every year with kids. We have everything packed night before. If we are staying over at an airport hotel night before I pack a separate one night bag so we aren’t even touching our luggage that gets checked. After several years I have this down to a science.
 
Off topic a bit - are there really that many vacation travelers getting to the airport at 4:00 a.m. for flights at 6? What time do they get up and manage to have every last thing packed? Back in the day, I had no choice for work but I was much younger and just stayed up the night before - packing LOL.


We've done it several times, as (to keep on-topic with the original post of this thread) SW had eliminated the preferred late morning flight. So it was either leave for the airport around 3am for that 6am flight, or take a late afternoon or evening flight and lose the entire day. An easy - albeit unfortunate and unwanted - choice to make. When we were online last week to book flights for August as soon as they opened up, we were very pleased to find a 10:40am nonstop flight down (from ISP) and grabbed it. Thank goodness we did, as all 3 non-stop flights from ISP-MCO that day are now sold out of WGA fares.
 
We booked our November trip for only 21k miles. To pay cash was $350. Non stop both ways from CVG. I was pretty happy.

Is this Delta? Can't be Southwest as they haven't released November flights and don't offer nonstops out of CVG to Florida.
 
Frontier is not a good priced airline at all with my airport. It also doesn't fly non-stop to MCO.

For example random checking of 7/31 departure reflects $168 (cheapest option if not with their discount program) however that is over a 10 hr travel time. The other two are nearly 22hrs or nearly 24hrs of travel time :scared1:. To get home on 8/7 it would be $173 (cheapest option) and an over 19hr travel time :scared1:. And then you have to count in baggage fees AND a carry on fee as only personal item is included unless you join their discount program at a cost of $49.99 per year (gives you also a slight discount on airfare) for Frontier. A carry on bag costs $35. 1st checked bag costs $30, 2nd checked bag costs $45.

Conversely that same travel dates for SWA is non stop cheapest $142 getting there with a travel time of 2hrs 40 mins (the longest if not taking non-stop is 5hrs) getting home would be also be $142 non-stop same travel time and it's 2 checked bags plus a personal item plus a carry on.

So all in $284 with SWA vs $451 (included airfare,carry on bag and 2 checked bags for a tit for tat situation of SWA perks). Not to mention the immense travel time. *prices are for 1 passenger

You are looking way too far ahead on Frontier. Their prices get lower generally closer to the trip. I booked 4 nonstops from CVG to TPA in December for $180 just 3 weeks before we flew. They also offer lots of promos the closer you are to your departure date.
 
You are looking way too far ahead on Frontier. Their prices get lower generally closer to the trip. I booked 4 nonstops from CVG to TPA in December for $180 just 3 weeks before we flew. They also offer lots of promos the closer you are to your departure date.
They may or may not release a sale sure. I was just picking a random date. I'm not actually looking. It was just an example. But you would still have to include the additional fees for carry on and checked baggage to the price-something SWA does not currently charge for.

But no matter what way you slice it I doubt they'll add more flights if using my example. Would you willing choose to take a 19 hr travel trip home? Or a 22 or 24 hr travel time to get there? Even 10hr is way to long to get there...Or would you take a 2 hr 40min flight that is non-stop or a at most 5 hr 5 min flight that has stops? The travel time is something the other poster mentioned even with a decent enough price the travel time was ridiculous. If I look at Tampa, since you mentioned it, Tampa is a seasonal destination for Frontier at my airport and vice versa my airport is considered seasonal to Tampa. For example if I wanted to come home from Tampa flying Frontier in March my only choices are to fly home on a Monday or a Friday.
 
We always book the first flight out. Actually my dd is going with her bf to Miami in two weeks and their flight is also at 6 am. My husband just arranged a car to bring them to the airport so they can get there at 4 am.

I love the first flight out. Planes are there from night before and very very rarely do we ever have a delay.

I wish I could be an early riser
 
We've done it several times, as (to keep on-topic with the original post of this thread) SW had eliminated the preferred late morning flight. So it was either leave for the airport around 3am for that 6am flight, or take a late afternoon or evening flight and lose the entire day. An easy - albeit unfortunate and unwanted - choice to make. When we were online last week to book flights for August as soon as they opened up, we were very pleased to find a 10:40am nonstop flight down (from ISP) and grabbed it. Thank goodness we did, as all 3 non-stop flights from ISP-MCO that day are now sold out of WGA fares.


Good for you!
 
We like to get every last minute out of our Disney trip so we have taken 5:45am - 6:15 am flights every year with kids. We have everything packed night before. If we are staying over at an airport hotel night before I pack a separate one night bag so we aren’t even touching our luggage that gets checked. After several years I have this down to a science.

The battle rages - I can get a $99 at 6 a.m. and get the whole day but then I would have to take a whole day of vacation time off and when that alarm clock went off, I would be willing to sell my soul to sleep through.
 
They may or may not release a sale sure. I was just picking a random date. I'm not actually looking. It was just an example. But you would still have to include the additional fees for carry on and checked baggage to the price-something SWA does not currently charge for.

But no matter what way you slice it I doubt they'll add more flights if using my example. Would you willing choose to take a 19 hr travel trip home? Or a 22 or 24 hr travel time to get there? Even 10hr is way to long to get there...Or would you take a 2 hr 40min flight that is non-stop or a at most 5 hr 5 min flight that has stops? The travel time is something the other poster mentioned even with a decent enough price the travel time was ridiculous. If I look at Tampa, since you mentioned it, Tampa is a seasonal destination for Frontier at my airport and vice versa my airport is considered seasonal to Tampa. For example if I wanted to come home from Tampa flying Frontier in March my only choices are to fly home on a Monday or a Friday.

I pretty much don't consider anything but nonstop any longer which is one of the reasons we went with Frontier. Southwest out of Louisville only has one nonstop a day to either MCO or TPA, and no nonstop at all out of CVG (drives me bananas that I'd have to fly to BWI to get to MCO). I can do nonstop on Frontier or Allegiant. Luckily, CVG offers at least one nonstop a day. Southwest has pretty much priced us out for a family of 4. It was a tremendous savings on Frontier even with bags (checked 2, no carry-ons) and seat assignments. I love Southwest and am disappointed that we've had to go to another airline. I can definitely understand why you'd not wish to fly with them if they don't offer nonstops and/or only seasonal routes in your area.
 
Here is a little background:
...
Another change is one that customers need to be aware of. Previously, a points booking could be "changed," without any financial risk. Since the change to Amadeus, if a points booking is "changed," instead of canceling and re-booking, the tax and fee portion of the ticket will not be refunded back to the original form of payment; the confirmation number must be retained so that that the non-refundable taxes and fees can be applied to the cost of future travel, to be completed within one year from date of original purchase. The one caveat, though, for canceling and re-booking, is that the EBCI fee on a canceled ticket will be lost. It's not lost, however, if the booking is just "changed."
So I had a question for you, if you don't mind. Probably sounds dumb but this change thing confuses me. I have made changes in the last couple years when fares went down, and never noticed anything different, didn't know about their new system.

So, I booked our flights down to WDW a while ago, for July 30th. I always do the booking for my and DD27's disney trips. So, I let it autofill our names. I forgot, and didn't really pay attention to the name on DD27's, but she got married since the last time I booked! Last fall she actually had to do some changing things at the airport as they tried to stop her even though she had called SW to do the name change once she had an official new ID. She thought it was all fixed as they helped her and told her she was all set, name was all changed. Luckily she brought her old ID and new ID with her to the airport. It was kind of mess, lol. Unfortunately, I didn't remember the name change when I was booking our next trip, (keep forgetting she's got a new name now, lol). But now, her ticket is in the wrong name. I was gonna call and try to fix it, but was thinking maybe it'd just be easier to cancel and rebook since its fairly easy to do that with points. I'll have to keep a watch for when the price goes back down, it keeps fluctuating between what I booked at, $108/equivalent points - $138.
With the info you've posted, not sure if I'm best off canceling or changing. Glad I hadn't booked EBCI yet, though we will after we get it all straightened out. TIA!
 
So I had a question for you, if you don't mind. Probably sounds dumb but this change thing confuses me. I have made changes in the last couple years when fares went down, and never noticed anything different, didn't know about their new system.

So, I booked our flights down to WDW a while ago, for July 30th. I always do the booking for my and DD27's disney trips. So, I let it autofill our names. I forgot, and didn't really pay attention to the name on DD27's, but she got married since the last time I booked! Last fall she actually had to do some changing things at the airport as they tried to stop her even though she had called SW to do the name change once she had an official new ID. She thought it was all fixed as they helped her and told her she was all set, name was all changed. Luckily she brought her old ID and new ID with her to the airport. It was kind of mess, lol. Unfortunately, I didn't remember the name change when I was booking our next trip, (keep forgetting she's got a new name now, lol). But now, her ticket is in the wrong name. I was gonna call and try to fix it, but was thinking maybe it'd just be easier to cancel and rebook since its fairly easy to do that with points. I'll have to keep a watch for when the price goes back down, it keeps fluctuating between what I booked at, $108/equivalent points - $138.
With the info you've posted, not sure if I'm best off canceling or changing. Glad I hadn't booked EBCI yet, though we will after we get it all straightened out. TIA!

I have heard of others, under the same circumstances, who just present a valid legal picture I.D., with the name on the reservation matching to the name on the I.D.; or, you can call Southwest Customer Relations - 855-234-4654. Since you had problems with the reservations agent's help, last time, I would call this number, instead, and explain the situation and last experience. The reps at this number are problem-solvers.
 
We always book the first flight out. Actually my dd is going with her bf to Miami in two weeks and their flight is also at 6 am. My husband just arranged a car to bring them to the airport so they can get there at 4 am.

I love the first flight out. Planes are there from night before and very very rarely do we ever have a delay.

We used to until the new norm became 5 am for that 1st NS. Now, I book the 8 or 9 am one happily.

From PIT, same as last year, flights down end of Sept into what little days posted thus far in Oct have been dramatically cut back. Arrrgh!

Was booked on the early one, decided to come down a day early on one leaving @ 12:30 pm the day prior as it was the same price and will allow us to get settled into vacation mode.

Meanwhile, Nov, Dec, Jan & Feb (this year) had nearly double the NS flights than this Sept & last October. No idea why especially October is such a ‘waste-land’, especially returning the Saturday pre Columbus Day when the last NS was 5 pm, knocking off the last 2 NS of the day.

I get they have to fill the plane and will do so however they can, but i don’t have to like it.

Have cancelled SWA flights on points/cash to book on Spirit when i see $19 & $24 fares in my market.

Re cancelling flights booked on points, it’s under $6 pp per flight as to the fee. I’m sure i’ve Left a few stranded, consider it a nuisance fee. Beats paying for luggage!
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top