Changing prices

[MadJayhawk]

What company changes prices during an online transaction?  Amazon?  No.  Walmart?  No.

A Cartel?  Maybe.  Southwest does.

Just entered 30 minutes worth of data to buy 4 tickets.  The Southwest website gives me an error message about my payment.  I call the help number.  Get a representative that is in a room full of people talking and who talks at 90 mph with a heavy accent.  It was almost impossible for me, who has hearing problems, to understand him.  After getting him to slow down we slowly, very slowly explain what happen.  He proceeds to take down all the information we entered on the website.  Then informs us that the price increased while we were entering our information to buy the ticket and that is what caused the error.  My spouse has been on the phone with him for over 30 minutes at this point. 

This is absolutely insane. 

[jksobonya]

Prices fluctuate all the time for many things, especially on sites like Amazon. 

I would say taking 30 whole minutes to complete a transaction on Southwest.com is your first error. It should only take minutes to select flights and check out. I have certainly seen prices change an hour after looking at them. It's unfortunate that they change so quickly but it happens. That's why you have to jump on a good price as soon as you see it. 

--Jessica

[dfwskier]

Not all SW WGA tickets carry the same price. For example the inventory  of seats might be 40 seats @ X$ and 30 @ Y$ and 30 @ Z$.

It is always possible that others are trying to buy seats on the same plane you are at the same time you are. So if you are trying to buy 4 tickets priced at X$ (and there are only 4 left at X$), and someone else completes a  purchase for 2 tickets @ X$  before you hit "buy," then SW does not have 4 seats to sell you at X$ - it only has 2 seats left at X$.

SW reservation system does not have the capability of selling a single product at different prices in one transaction. So in the case above, SW would sell you 4 tickets at Y$.

It's an example of you snooze, you lose.

A better analogy than Amazon or Walmart is a play at a theatre. If you go in trying to buy a given ticket, but someone buys that ticket before you do, you have to buy a different ticket.

[floridaguy]

My advice is go ahead and book.  As you see the price change, it often drops too.  When it drops, you can take advantage of that by making a change to your flight online and you get the difference credited to your future travel credits.

I watch the pricing like the market and typically earn two or three credits before flight time.

[Aunteld]

In recent years, I watched prices after I booked a flight and if the price went down, I would change to the lower price ( on the same flight) and bank the difference. I am trying to do that on an upcoming flight but am not given the option of booking the same flight at the lower price. Has the policy changed? Any thoughts on what I might be doing wrong? Thanks. 

[dfwskier]

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@Aunteld wrote:

In recent years, I watched prices after I booked a flight and if the price went down, I would change to the lower price ( on the same flight) and bank the difference. I am trying to do that on an upcoming flight but am not given the option of booking the same flight at the lower price. Has the policy changed? Any thoughts on what I might be doing wrong? Thanks. 

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Before you started your process, did SW offer you an option to make a no cost change? If so that is what is causing your problem. The system is trying to process this as a no cost change, but if you try to change to the same flight, then the system says, "no, that is not a change."

This has happened before. You'll need to contact that airline to make the change. I'd suggest that twitter in DM mode would be the best way.

[floridaguy]

Not true.  I've made a "change" and chosen the same flight and was able to book a credit.  

[Aunteld]

Thank you for your helpful reply. 

[parpitt1]

It's unfortunate the fares changed while you labored to enter all the data, but airlines now change fares anywhere from one to three times a day.

That being said, Southwest offers a way to enter "frequent travelers"(up to 25 different individuals)  information into your Rapid Rewards Account Profile, so it quicker and easier to enter multiple passengers when buying tickets for family and/or friends. Works well for me.

Safe Travels

[DancingDavidE]

This may not be useful three weeks later but you can also try buying one or two or three tickets at a time and see if the price goes back down, if it is tolerable to have one of the tickets be on a separate reservation. 

The example @dfwskier gave you is great - one follow up is that if one of the remaining seats was taken out from under you there might still be three of them left.