Last Minute Travel and pricing

[askmom3]

I've been watching the flights daily so I can add a family member to the trip with me this weekend and it seems the price changes a few times a day.  What time of day is the lowest price for Wanna Get Away?  It seems it may be early morning.  Also, it used to be last minute tickets would be very affordable, but now in an emergency with family living far away, it's outrageously expensive to get a last minute ticket.  Is there a tip or a way around that?   I love to fly Southwest.  Thank you.

[bec102896]

There is no known time for ticket prices to be cheaper as a lot of it has to do with others who might cancel possibly releasing a cheaper ticket in to inventory but no guarantee that would make a flight price go down. 

I find sometimes at 6am or so prices may be lower as a lot of updates happen over night and maybe the airline releases a seat at a cheaper fare. 

you could always book the ticket and watch the price after booking (within 24 hours you can get a refund for the difference in fare) after the 24 hour window the ticketed passenger could get the lower fare and have a difference in fare for future travel within a year of when this flight was purchased. 

Its better to book then wait and have the price potentially go up significantly which is what will happen as the date gets closer. 

Hope this helps

Blake 

[DfDrPepper_23]

@askmom3

I am sorry to hear about your experience, I thought of the prices that goes up and down and I had something in my mind about something has to do with the stock market. Don't get me all wrong, but, if I suppose the seats has increasing becoming available and the SWA might wants to decrease the "Wanna get away" price down. I don't know how the systems work and I firmly believe that price change has something to do with the stock market.

[bec102896]

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@DfDrPepper_23 wrote:

@askmom3

I am sorry to hear about your experience, I thought of the prices that goes up and down and I had something in my mind about something has to do with the stock market. Don't get me all wrong, but, if I suppose the seats has increasing becoming available and the SWA might wants to decrease the "Wanna get away" price down. I don't know how the systems work and I firmly believe that price change has something to do with the stock market.

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While I know all we can do is guess what causes an airline ticket price to decrease and increase I don't think the pricing has anything to do with the stock market because it's closed on the weekends and holidays as well as after 5pm weekdays and ticket prices change when the market is closed. There are some other reasons I don't think the stock market has to do with it but I won't get in to that since I'm not an expert on that. 

I think its all supply and demand with some other factors. I do think it would be cool to see how that system is run.