Skip to main content

Southwest Airlines Community

Extending a layover

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

One of the great benefits of flying Southwest from Denver is the large number of non-stop destinations so I can't recall the last time I had a connection. Unfortunately, I have one next week, but at least it will be worth the trouble because I'm heading to Honolulu. This got me wondering... Southwest automatically books the flight using the shortest possible layover so I'm scheduled to land in OAK at 725am and depart at 815am. I'm assuming if someone really wanted to take a later connecting flight they would have to book the two flights separately, DEN-OAK and OAK-HNL. In this case there is a 545pm departure from OAK which would allow a nice full day in the bay area. Is my assumption correct that other than missing the connection the only way to get on the later flight is to book the two flights separately? Anyone have any luck calling and being moved to the later connection, with or without a fare difference that wasn't just a straight splitting of the reservation into two reservations? 

 

Thanks, 

--TheMiddleSeat

1 REPLY 1

Re: Extending a layover

bec102896
Aviator A
Solution

I believe the only way to get the long layover is to book point to point which means paying for 2 one ways. I noticed the longest layover Southwest offers as a connection is 4 hours before having to book 2 one ways or point to point.