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Why Are Southwest's Airfares So High?

Discussion in 'Getting There & Getting Around' started by Connell, Dec 5, 2018.

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  1. Connell

    Connell Tourist

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    I was recently checking Southwest's airfares roundtrip from Chicago(Midway) to Las Vegas for dates in June, and the cheapest price was $336.00! That is so much higher than usual. Does anyone know the reason for the increase? Do you think they will offer a sale soon? I can't remember paying more than $300 for a round-trip fare! I actually thought the low price of oil would translate to cheaper fares! I guess I was wrong!
    Connell
     
  2. DaiLun

    DaiLun R.C., L.C., and A.A.N.G.

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    Supply and demand.

    In my area (SF Bay Area) they have $49.00 airfares to LV.

    Oil and fuel contracts are made several months (perhaps years) in advance, and the price they paid for fuel would be at the last contract price (and who knows what that was).
     
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  3. DDB

    DDB Low-Roller

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    I've been watching SW out of MDW too. My preferred flight started at $295, now it is $335. I'm not gonna panic though, but will keep checking. Earlier this year I snagged round trip to LAS for $80 - just happened to check fares at the right time.

    I also looked at Expedia, they had Frontier and Spirit really cheap but the flight times suck and once you add in all the fees it was approaching the SW fares.
     
  4. nostresshere

    nostresshere Mr. Anti Debit Card

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    The fares will always be as high as they can set them, and still sell out most of the plane.

    Supply and demand, competition, and good business.
     
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  5. grosx2

    grosx2 Have fun storming the castle!

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    No need to wait for a sale with SW, just book once you are fairly certain of your dates, then rebook if the price drops.

    Since SW charges no fees to change or cancel your flight, there is literally no reason not to book as soon as possible. Your price can only go down once you are booked, but if you wait, there's also a chance it will go up.
     
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  6. Eleven99isFine

    Eleven99isFine VIP Whale

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    June is a long way from now.
     
  7. The Rumor

    The Rumor VIP Whale

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    It depends upon the competition they face, but SW is trying to make money on their direct routes with limited competition. They also have quarterly sales where values get better
     
  8. Mudhen

    Mudhen Always in Dutch

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    It's like hotel rooms. One week they're $200/night. A week later, they're $59/night. And the prices are always changing. It just depends on the demand.
     
  9. callahanha

    callahanha Low-Roller

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    I just booked my July 23 -30 trip, Albany NY - Las Vegas for $265 round trip. I just looked today and the same flights are now $345. Since they just ended a sale, wait about 2 weeks and they will have another. I recommend checking a few times a week though
     
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  10. EastCoastVegasFan!

    EastCoastVegasFan! VIP Whale

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    I just booked July 27 - got it with points. The return is expensive, so I will either wait til I accumulate enough points or get lucky for a $150 return to BWI.
     
    July 19th - July 24th
  11. The Rumor

    The Rumor VIP Whale

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    remember you can always rebook if the flight out goes down to recapture the points
     
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  12. Reston

    Reston VIP Whale

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    If they refunded actual money, I would agree with you. But the "refund" is a credit. I imagine millions of dollars worth of credits expire unused each year.
     
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  13. zoobrew

    zoobrew VIP Whale

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    But I still did the SW change when my fare dropped from $109 which I was happy with to $79 which I was very happy with.
     
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  14. Craps all day

    Craps all day Low-Roller

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    Yeah, but you're "forced" to plan another Vegas trip!

    Kind of like making sure you bet a few parlays on your way out of town so you have to come back to redeem them. I suspect there's only a fraction of non-gambling spouces that know you can mail them in.
     
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  15. BTSyndrome

    BTSyndrome Low-Roller

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    Booked (nonstop) March Madness 20-25th as soon as the calendar opened with points but equivalent in $$ = $298, As of today it is now $546.
    I don't expect it to come down anywhere near what I snagged it for before we go. (Maybe close to $360 or so)

    For my city, even looking at the calendar to the end of August the cheapest outbound is 7,095 pts. My outbound was booked at 6,878 pts
    Recent article I read backing what people are seeing.
    https://www.nasdaq.com/article/cost-creep-at-southwest-airlines-will-help-its-rivals-in-2019-cm1063457
     
  16. grosx2

    grosx2 Have fun storming the castle!

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    Yes I suppose my original statement wouldn't apply to folks that don't typically travel at least once per year, as I think that's how long the credit is good for...
     
  17. HoppinHardWays

    HoppinHardWays VIP Whale

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    Play around with days and dates to see if it fluctuates or not. Anymore I consider anything under $400 per person a good price.
     
    Labor Day!
  18. chef

    chef Resident Buffetologist

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    The main reason the fare is so high is to catch suckers who will pay an inflated fare. SWA still has six months to adjust if the suckers aren't lining up for the $336 fare.
    Industry standard for best available fare is about 45 days out. I suggest waiting them out.
     
  19. Vegas28m

    Vegas28m Medium Roller, Chicago

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    you have to use the funds from a SW change ticket within a year from the ORIGINAL date of booking. If booked with points, those go back into your account,
     
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  20. The Rumor

    The Rumor VIP Whale

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    it's also true that people who travel 2-4 times a year for personal reasons may use different airlines to get the best price, lowering that value. I would hold off, personally, for that reason.
     
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