Your point about checking Southwest is good – they aren’t on the main sources I check for pricing so I try to remember to check them. Also, I found it was good to check back from time to time as I was doing the will-the-rates-come-down game of chicken before booking. The first time I checked Southwest was not really cheaper, but as it got closer, I found more flights and less expensive fares. I’m not sure if that’s a factor of their expanding presence in Atlanta or how they do their fares, but that’s the way it was in Dec./Jan. as I was looking for Feb. tix. The nice thing, though, was that once I saw a good fare, I could snatch it up without the worry that something better would come along. I figured that if something better came along, I could always put a hold on the Southwest tix and use that fare towards a future trip since their policy allows you to change without charge as long as you use the fare within a year. As it was, no fares came close, particularly when bag fees were added in.