joan

I have "ding" downloaded to my desktop. I've been watching for a low fare Tampa to Philly, sometime in October. Well, I saw my first October Ding fares on Friday, but I was not ready to book. When I went back, the message was gone. So I went to southwest website, and the $39 fare doesn't seem to be offered.

My question is, can I only get these fares by clicking through from the Ding message? I see "low internet fares from $59-89", but can't find the $39 no matter which dates I put in.

bhsnyder

Yes, Ding fares are only out for a short time (a few hours at most) and can only be accessed by clicking through the Ding application.

joan

Thanks, bhsnyder. That makes it a little difficult to make a few phone calls, plan the dates, then go back and book. Just gotta go for it I guess!

Keith

The same applies for any low fare that you will find - it may be avialable for a brief time.

If you are wanting to get the lowest fares, it is best to decide which flights and dates you hope to get. That way when you see a great deal, you can pull the triger right away.

Keith

bhsnyder

The good news about Southwest is that there are no change fees. So yes, if you see something you like, you should just jump on it. If you end up not being able to take the flights, you can use the full amount as a credit toward another flight and not be penalized. So if you bought the $39 fare and then needed to change to another flight with the $59 fare. You'd only have to pay an extra $20 or so each way. (That's still a phenomenal price.)

diann

Is that so? I recently purchased 2 rd trip tickets to JAX in Sept. for myself and my husband. He is not a "flyer" and EVERY day the news is bombarding us with mishaps. (well of course the Delta one was more than a minor mishap.) Point is he is thinking he of recanting. Can I just use his ticket elsewhere? This was a $59 each way ticket. ($138 total) That would be great as I go to florida often.

BeachBoi

Diann....You may cancel his ticket with Southwest and they will hold the "credit" for one year from date of original issue.Anyone can use the credit.When you call to use the credit, you will need the confirmation number AND the name of the credit card holder.This is a little know fact regarding Southwest's ticketing policies, but not a "secret".It's helped out more than one of my deadbeat buds.

diann

Thanks Beachboi, great info. I will keep this in mind.

Jayneann

I just learned something new about the "Ding" fares and thought I would share it!

I was trying to figure out which date I wanted to book and admit I clicked on a lot of different dates (approx 10-15), but when I was ready to book, a message popped up, stating that my number of attempts had succeeded the limit and I would now have to book through the regular site!!! No where on Southwest.com could I locate this information. I definitely would have counted my clicks had I known previously as I really was serious about booking!

joan

Thanks for all the tips!
Jayneann, I just booked a Ding fare, but was careful - I opened a new browser and picked my flights before I clicked "book" on the ding page.

And Jayneann, I've seen ding fare offers repeated a few times, so perhaps your flights/fare will come around again!

Jayneann

Smart girl Joan!!! Hopefully those fares I wanted will reappear soon! Thanks!