Tech Friday: Trying Perplexity.AI for better assistance

Posted By on June 14, 2024

Southwest LogoAfter chatting with Brenda’s sisters and brother-in-laws about booking flights for a trip together, I mentioned that I was partial to Southwest Airlines. My brother-in-laws are Delta Logoboth Delta fliers … and have a long history of booking business travel with the major airlines — I did feel as if I were ruffling feathers (text updates as mentioned previously). Now that they are retired, it seems they are more open to the value proposition (Chris and Jerry have booked on SWA with us). 😉 

Kiplinger

This “searching for others” got me thinking about how to know the best day to book on Southwest.com. So started trying different search options from Google to DuckDuckGo and even Brave Search and added that what I’ve read in newspapers, magazines and newsletters (Kiplinger tidbit above). None gave me the results I was looking for and basically pointed to a few older articles on the subject …which just confirmed my “book flights on Tuesdays” thoughts. 

Perplexity Logo

So I started using a couple AI assistants to see if they were up to date; the bigger named early out chatbots failed me … citing don’t have current information, etc. Then I recalled a WSJ article comparing AI competitors and gave Perplexity.AI a try. I was impressed.

what day is the best to book a flight on southwest airlines

Answer

The best days to book flights on Southwest Airlines are typically Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. On Tuesdays around 3 pm Eastern Time, Southwest releases its weekly “Click ‘N Save” fare sales and matches competitor sale prices. These sales usually run through Thursday night, so booking between Tuesday and Thursday can yield the cheapest fares.

Key Points

  • Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays are generally the cheapest days to book Southwest flights.
  • Southwest releases new fare sales on Tuesdays around 3 pm ET, matching competitor prices.
  • These sales typically last until Thursday night, so book between Tuesday-Thursday for the best deals.
  • During major holiday periods, these cheaper “sale” days may have limited availability.
  • Set airfare alerts and check Southwest’s website frequently, as they sometimes extend sales at the last minute.
  • While Tuesdays tend to offer the initial cheapest fares, monitoring prices mid-week and rebooking if rates drop further can maximize savings on Southwest flights. Being flexible with travel dates also helps secure the lowest fares.

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Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
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