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Changing Reservations to include layover time

stogiedude
Explorer C

I have existing flights departing june 9 with a DAL-AUS-CUN leg for that morning.  I want to modify my travel to leave DAl on june 8 and stay in Aus the night before departing for CUN on June 9.  Do i need to cancel and rebook these separate or can i modify my existing reservation to include this layover? thanks in advance

 

8 REPLIES 8

Re: Changing Reservations to include layover time

bec102896
Aviator A

@stogiedude

 

You may be able to call reservations to see if they can change it but I believe since you would be going from a one way ticket to a multi city reservation you would need to cancel and rebook. You can however booked DAL-AUS AUS-CUN on one reservation using the multi city function on the website if you don't want to call. 

 

Hope this helps

Blake 

Re: Changing Reservations to include layover time

dfwskier
Aviator A

Southwest doesn't seem to offer "legal" connections on the routing with an arrival in one day and a departure on the next. As suggested, you can call to see whether or not the company will create a legal connection for you.

 

If not, as already said, either cancelling and making two one way reservations or making a multi city reservation (essentially two one ways on one ticket) would be the way to go.

Re: Changing Reservations to include layover time

Catmarquez
Explorer C

I think southwest should consider doing something similiar to what TAP Air Portugal does, w/ free layovers in their hubs or sub-hubs as part of the flight.  It's divine

Re: Changing Reservations to include layover time

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@Catmarquez wrote:

I think southwest should consider doing something similiar to what TAP Air Portugal does, w/ free layovers in their hubs or sub-hubs as part of the flight.  It's divine


Southwest is actually one of the more fleixible US carriers in this regard where it is easy (maybe even recommended) to book one-way flights between cities. Some of their routes also maintan low fare pricing and without change fees you could decide to change plans relatively easily and without financial penalty in some areas (inter-Texas routes for instance).

 

Otherwise I'm not aware of them having the more exotic ticketing strategies to allow a flexible path across the country purchased in advance. 

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: Changing Reservations to include layover time

DancingDavidE
Aviator A
Solution

@stogiedude wrote:

I have existing flights departing june 9 with a DAL-AUS-CUN leg for that morning.  I want to modify my travel to leave DAl on june 8 and stay in Aus the night before departing for CUN on June 9.  Do i need to cancel and rebook these separate or can i modify my existing reservation to include this layover? thanks in advance

 


It looks like the cost of the likely combination of flights is higher for the trip as desired, so you would probably change the flight DAL-AUS - depending when you go $72. Then book. Then $153 for the AUS-CUN direct flight the next morning. 

 

Whereas all that morning (EARLY!) would be $193 if you bought it today without the stopover.

 

I don't believe you can change the flight online from a one-way to a multi-city, but you can change the one-way to the AUS leg, then book a second reservation for the AUS-CUN online with the travel funds from what you've already paid plus cash/credit/voucher for the balance of the fare.

 

So you woudln't have to call necessarily, but you will end up with two one-ways, one for each day of travel instead of combined onto one confirmation number.

 

If it was important for you to have it all on one confirmation number, then I think you'll have to call, or cancel and rebook which might also be a fine way to do it. Either way you'll pay the current fare which may be higher than what you've already paid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: Changing Reservations to include layover time

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

Side note: when I see "layover" I think connecting flights. The airline keeps all the luggage, the intention is normally to stay at the airport unless the layover is at the maximum limit...as I found in the link below, domestic airlines are limited to 4-hour "layovers" in their routing.

 

I've seen scenarios before where Southwest serves a city pair but due to the connections between cities they can't route you in one stop because the timing would be off if you spent more than 4 hours at the layover city.

 

I would refer to what you are describing as a stop-over - you are staying in the destination, rechecking luggage, etc. potentially for a day or more although in your case it may just be overnight. Stop-over might be multiple segments on one ticket, or separate tickets.

 

Most of the advice in the link doesn't apply to Southwest, but I didn't realize that there was actually a 4-hour limit for domestic flight layovers.

https://www.afar.com/magazine/stopovers-vs-layovers-the-extra-mile

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: Changing Reservations to include layover time

stogiedude
Explorer C

thank you everyone.  ended up canceling the first leg and rebooking a multi stop to get what i wanted.  kept the return leg as was.  only ended up costing me an extra 20k in RR to get what i wanted versus leaving DAL at 6am and only having 50 mins layover to change planes in AUS all in same day. 

Re: Changing Reservations to include layover time

dfwskier
Aviator A

@DancingDavidE wrote:

 

Most of the advice in the link doesn't apply to Southwest, but I didn't realize that there was actually a 4-hour limit for domestic flight layovers.

https://www.afar.com/magazine/stopovers-vs-layovers-the-extra-mile

 

 

David, I don't believe the information in the link is accurate. I can find multiple instances of overnight layovers on Frontier flights out of BKG - Into Den at 8:12 pm and virtually all connections out after 6 the next morning. (flt 735 connection to flt 130 to Albany for example. This is just one of many)