Looking at doing a short weekend trip in July (yes kind of last minute) but it's brought up a challenge I've noticed in the last 1 - 2 years.
I typically fly Southwest as I have a good amount of points with them (nothing crazy but still a decent amount) plus I have their credit card. Despite all the chaos last Christmas I still enjoy them the most and call me crazy but I enjoy being able to pick my seat instead of assigned seating where it's just the luck of the draw who you're going to be next to.
But in last 1 - 2 years whenever I've used them the flight options are always some god awful early flight or some crazy late flight. For this trip my options are basically 7:30 a.m., 7:25 p.m. or 9:55 p.m. And I've been noticing this more and more.
Sure 7:30 a.m. doesn't sound bad in theory but I fly out of Orlando and with security early in the morning there that means I basically have to be up by 3:45 a.m.-4:00 a.m. to make sure I'm heading to the airport by 4:30-4:45 a.m. I occasionally use Tampa as well but their times aren't really (I think their was 8:10 a.m.) any better. Plus with Tampa I have to add in 1 hour 15 minutes of drive time so I'd actually have to leave even a little bit earlier or just drive over the night before and spend $150 on a hotel room (Tampa hotel rates are always crazy).
I've noticed for multiple destinations I've gone to that you never see flights from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. anymore. Heck even 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. seem to be becoming more and more rare. The only exception seems to be the huge hubs (DAL, HOU, LAS, MDW and BWI).
Anyone in the industry know why this is happening? Why the airlines wants us up at some god awful early time or flying so late we won't get in until close to or after midnight? Is this just a Southwest thing or is this happening with other airlines too?
I typically fly Southwest as I have a good amount of points with them (nothing crazy but still a decent amount) plus I have their credit card. Despite all the chaos last Christmas I still enjoy them the most and call me crazy but I enjoy being able to pick my seat instead of assigned seating where it's just the luck of the draw who you're going to be next to.
But in last 1 - 2 years whenever I've used them the flight options are always some god awful early flight or some crazy late flight. For this trip my options are basically 7:30 a.m., 7:25 p.m. or 9:55 p.m. And I've been noticing this more and more.
Sure 7:30 a.m. doesn't sound bad in theory but I fly out of Orlando and with security early in the morning there that means I basically have to be up by 3:45 a.m.-4:00 a.m. to make sure I'm heading to the airport by 4:30-4:45 a.m. I occasionally use Tampa as well but their times aren't really (I think their was 8:10 a.m.) any better. Plus with Tampa I have to add in 1 hour 15 minutes of drive time so I'd actually have to leave even a little bit earlier or just drive over the night before and spend $150 on a hotel room (Tampa hotel rates are always crazy).
I've noticed for multiple destinations I've gone to that you never see flights from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. anymore. Heck even 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. seem to be becoming more and more rare. The only exception seems to be the huge hubs (DAL, HOU, LAS, MDW and BWI).
Anyone in the industry know why this is happening? Why the airlines wants us up at some god awful early time or flying so late we won't get in until close to or after midnight? Is this just a Southwest thing or is this happening with other airlines too?