Southwest is running an awesome sale but there are some catches. I can do one way legs from my home airport to Denver and then Denver to Vegas for a total of $88 one way. If I book a through fare from my home airport to Vegas it goes to $153 one way. There is a 2 hour layover so plenty of time. I figure if I do carry on (since I won't be able to retrieve and recheck luggage) I can make this work and save $65 each way. To good to be true? What are the risks and are they worth it?
Be sure the return flight times accommodate your plan.
Time zones: I missed a flight to Denver once. The layover from my home airport was in Cincy. I didn't pay attention to the time zone differences. Strolled to the gate to depart for Denver...nobody there. Yikes!
Do it if you don't mind the inconvenience. Nice savings. Denver has good eateries.
Candy
First of all...your plan, if it goes without a hitch, will save you $65. Is your time, in your opinion, worth more or less than $32.50 an hour?
The risk of even a simple connection going tits-up is never zero.
Plan A (legs) gets you into Vegas a couple hours later than Plan B (direct) and that much more tired from schlepping your carryons, walking between gates, standing in line, etc.etc.etc. I for one don't like to arrive in Vegas tired. The savings wouldn't be worth it to me.
The times doing the one way legs are EXACTLY the same as the fastest through flights so no difference there as far as my time. Has anyone ever tried this and if so what were your results?
Originally posted by: snowgolfer
The times doing the one way legs are EXACTLY the same as the fastest through flights so no difference there as far as my time. Has anyone ever tried this and if so what were your results?
That makes no sense. How could the trip between point A and point B take the same amount of time as essentially the same trip, but with an added two-hour layover at point C?
I used to fly Southwest in and out of Tucson all the time. 90 percent of the flights went through Sky Horror Airport in Phoenix. If you were lucky, you didn't have to change planes--but you usually did, and that often involved going from the commuter terminal to the big-boy terminal or vice versa. Many was the time when two hours was BARELY enough to make the change. So the direct flights in and out of Tucson, though usually more expensive, were always my choice from then on.
My rule: you get out of the plane before it gets to where you ultimately want to go, that's holding up a giant KICK ME sign to the universe.
Originally posted by: snowgolfer
The times doing the one way legs are EXACTLY the same as the fastest through flights so no difference there as far as my time. Has anyone ever tried this and if so what were your results?
Not disputing the personal value of your plan, but IMHO there is no such thing as "EXACTLY the same" when it comes to flights.
Most flights come from somewhere else, but you said you have a two hour layover, so a plane arriving late in Denver likely wouldn't impact your Denver to Vegas leg. Just be sure the Vegas to Denver and then back home legs aren't so tight you could be left behind.
Southwest is great, but they are in the process of taking flights off their schedule due to Boeing's problems filling orders for planes to Southwest. SWA just announced cancellation of "all non-stops" to Atlanta as of June (I forget the date, but read it this AM in our newspaper), and some other changes.
I've never tried the 'legs' plan flying to save a few dollars, but it is one of those 'hints' to reduce the cost of traveling. Also, some folks would rather have a 'stop' (layover) than more hours sitting on a plane, for personal reasons. Stretch legs, etc.
I doubt Southwest would care. You'd know for sure if you have any trouble booking the flights. Good Luck.
Candy
