So, because of the 737MAX issues, Southwest has to change their schedule every month or so. There is currently a "loophole" where you can book the cheapest flight you can find between your two cities that falls between April 14 to June 6. You can then change to it any day/time within 14 days of the flight you just booked for no cost. Example:
Let's say the flight you want from Chicago to St Louis on 4/4 is $300. But the flight on the 17th (13 days from 4/4) is $100. You book the $100 flight on the 17th. As soon as you book, click change and change to the date/time you want for free. That $300 flight now only cost you $100.
Note: this loophole will only last a few days.
@chukdotcom Is this something that can be done every quarter of the year? if so, just check flight fee 14 or less from day of flight?
So, because of the 737MAX issues, Southwest has to change their schedule every month or so. There is currently a "loophole" where you can book the cheapest flight you can find between your two cities that falls between April 14 to June 6. You can then change to it any day/time within 14 days of the flight you just booked for no cost. Example:
Let's say the flight you want from Chicago to St Louis on 4/4 is $300. But the flight on the 17th (13 days from 4/4) is $100. You book the $100 flight on the 17th. As soon as you book, click change and change to the date/time you want for free. That $300 flight now only cost you $100.
Note: this loophole will only last a few days.
@chukdotcom Is this something that can be done every quarter of the year? if so, just check flight fee 14 or less from day of flight?
Read thru this thread and you'll see the timing/frequency/window information so far. And folks are somewhat expecting Southwest to eventually close the loophole, with or without the 737MAX becoming available:
This totally worked for me as of Friday night. I saved about $700 flying from DC on a Saturday to Saturday during spring break but booking the loophole flight for weekday flights after spring break. Crazy! Thank you, OP and my friend rustneversleeps for walking me through it over the phone.
Over as in just this time is over, or over as in it wont happen again? The OP said this loophole comes up every several weeks.
If the 737max grounding creates more delays, it may happen again. Southwest will have to announce that it is extending the grounding through the summer. Good Luck
Over as in just this time is over, or over as in it wont happen again? The OP said this loophole comes up every several weeks.
If the 737max grounding creates more delays, it may happen again. Southwest will have to announce that it is extending the grounding through the summer. Good Luck
The change window covering PJ Leg 1 isn't likely to open again. Each time SW would push back dates where they're grounding the 737 Max, you then had a window of time (something like a week) between the prior estimate of 737 Max re-start date and the new 737 Max re-start date to re-book without penalty so long as your flight was within 14 days of the original travel date (either direction before/after). So in January, the window opened for April 16 to June 6 for about a week due to the schedule change taking 737 Max out of the schedule. If SW pushes back start of 737 Max in June to some other date, they'll probably open another window for between June 7 and the new outside target for restarting the 737 Max. So there's a chance of doing this again in the fall if PJ tours in the fall and SW doesn't start flying the 737 Max in June as currently contemplated.
We previously revised our flight schedule by removing the Boeing 737 MAX through June 6, 2020 to offer reliability to our operation and stability for our Customers. With the timing of the MAX’s return to service still uncertain, we are again revising our plans to remove the MAX through Aug. 10, 2020. You can learn more here: https://swa.is/2uI6SLU
We previously revised our flight schedule by removing the Boeing 737 MAX through June 6, 2020 to offer reliability to our operation and stability for our Customers. With the timing of the MAX’s return to service still uncertain, we are again revising our plans to remove the MAX through Aug. 10, 2020. You can learn more here: https://swa.is/2uI6SLU
Will it work again?
One would think so....No US shows during those dates though!
And looks like they've gotten a handle on it. There are no cheap fares during the current window, so you can't buy a cheap fare and then change to a more desirable/expensive fare. That seems to be their solution to their IT issue; raise all fares while the window is open.
Comments
I just saved at least 600 coming to Nashville!
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/southwest-airlines-rapid-rewards/1967030-alive-free-changes-april-14-june-6-more-max8-rescheduling.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/southwest-airlines-rapid-rewards/1967030-dead-free-changes-april-14-june-6-more-max8-rescheduling.html
The thread title updates by the author when the deal is active or dead, so the promo period is over.
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