261$ penalty to change my flight 1 day as an A list member

[Rsteube]

So.  I became an RN in 2009 and got a job as a pediatric RN .  I then had to relocate for the wife/kids to another state.  I loved where I grew up and the hospital I did my training at and worked for years.  

I have been traveling every week to that hospital to work my shifts then fly back home to spend time with my family. I have been doing this since 2011.  over 12 years how.  That is 52 flights a year.  Obviously I have had my A list with southwest.  

Recently my hospital has been going through tough financial times.  They have forced the nurses to not come in work and we have to use PTO to cover our shifts.  I have none as I have had 2 bouts of surgeries, and 1 recently where all my PTO is gone.Recently it has become a point where we now are forced to stay home half our shifts, so I only work 3 of the 6 days im scheduled.  I used to work thursday through tuesday.  I fly in on thursday morning and start working 7pm.  then I fly home on wednesday morning.

Well I now work on friday this week , then sunday, the tuesday.  I have always purchased all my flights months in advance as my schedule has never changed.

I tried to change my flight when I got the info that Im no longer going to be working thursday . however.... it is now 261 dollars to change my flight just 1 day. 

"Customer service agents" are unwilling to help me out with a no cost change in flight days.  This is an abysmal service.  

12+ years of loyalty.  A list. 52 to flights purchased each year and I cant get a simple flight changed from thursday to friday this week?

I am sad beyond belief.  And anytime someone has asked me who they should fly for their vacation I have always point to southwest.

Something needs to change.

[dfwskier]

What needs to change is your attitude.

No airline will let you change the day of travel and keep your existing fare. All airlines do the same thing: treat the situation as a new ticket purchase - charging the prevailing rate at the time the transaction is completed.

[Rsteube]

Loyalty, 50+ tickets purchased every year.  for a one time change ?  

That's called customer service

Have you ever worked in customer service in ANY INDUSTRY?

[dfwskier]

I've probably got over 1000 SW flights in my rear view mirror since I've been flying the airline for 45+ years. I would never expect the airline to do what you want.

You change a ticket -- you pay the new price. That is the established rule in the entire industry.

[Rsteube]

I'll make sure I tell that Father of my dying patient ....

Sorry.  Our policy is 1 parent at the bedside during the night.  We cannot have both you and mother at the bedside.

IT IS OUR POLICY after all.  I can't bend any rules just for you.  no situation can allow us to bend that rule.  SORRY 

[cheyenneallgood]

Hey @Rsteube I'm so sorry to hear of your frustration with your recent Southwest experience. 

Please know that this is a Customer-to-Customer forum so there is no Customer Service function here. If you'd like to discuss this situation further, please reach out to us via the "Contact Us" link to connect with a Southwest. 

[SoCalFlyer97]

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@Rsteube wrote:

So.  I became an RN in 2009 and got a job as a pediatric RN .  I then had to relocate for the wife/kids to another state.  I loved where I grew up and the hospital I did my training at and worked for years.  

I have been traveling every week to that hospital to work my shifts then fly back home to spend time with my family. I have been doing this since 2011.  over 12 years how.  That is 52 flights a year.  Obviously I have had my A list with southwest.  

Recently my hospital has been going through tough financial times.  They have forced the nurses to not come in work and we have to use PTO to cover our shifts.  I have none as I have had 2 bouts of surgeries, and 1 recently where all my PTO is gone.Recently it has become a point where we now are forced to stay home half our shifts, so I only work 3 of the 6 days im scheduled.  I used to work thursday through tuesday.  I fly in on thursday morning and start working 7pm.  then I fly home on wednesday morning.

Well I now work on friday this week , then sunday, the tuesday.  I have always purchased all my flights months in advance as my schedule has never changed.

I tried to change my flight when I got the info that Im no longer going to be working thursday . however.... it is now 261 dollars to change my flight just 1 day. 

"Customer service agents" are unwilling to help me out with a no cost change in flight days.  This is an abysmal service.  

12+ years of loyalty.  A list. 52 to flights purchased each year and I cant get a simple flight changed from thursday to friday this week?

I am sad beyond belief.  And anytime someone has asked me who they should fly for their vacation I have always point to southwest.

Something needs to change.

---

Hello!

It looks like you attempted to have a CSA assist you with this to no avail. Being a Customer-to-Customer forum, I would address your complaint via email to Southwest but I'm not sure if the airline is going to be able to assist you since fare difference generally always applies to changing a flight regardless of A-List status. 

Keep in mind Fridays are also typically a peak travel day for many travel corridors, especially for the vast majority of California short-haul flights. Thus, there will usually be a high fare difference between Thursdays and Fridays.

Question: Did you already change your flight for this week to Friday and pay the difference in fare? If you haven't done this yet, I would hang on to your original itinerary and try this to minimize the your cost impact:

• First, even tough your employer appears to be in hardship and cutting staff hours, I would negotiate with HR on the travel reimbursement since the change was initiated by them. Very unlikely they will do this since it appears your flights are commuter but worth asking anyway. 
• If that doesn't work and the flight expense has to be paid by you the employee, I would still keep the travel date on Thursday and spend the night at your work city assuming the total hotel cost will be less than the $261 fare difference. Note that under A-List, you can do a Same Day Flight Change to the last flight of the day. I would also search and book a Plus Points property under Southwest Hotels or Rocketmiles as you may be able to recover some your hotel expenses with 1,000 or even 2,000 points for a decent $100-120 room after taxes and fees.

I know this alternative still adds cost, but hopefully to a lesser degree!

[DancingDavidE]

---

@SoCalFlyer97 wrote:

---

@Rsteube wrote:

So.  I became an RN in 2009 and got a job as a pediatric RN .  I then had to relocate for the wife/kids to another state.  I loved where I grew up and the hospital I did my training at and worked for years.  

I have been traveling every week to that hospital to work my shifts then fly back home to spend time with my family. I have been doing this since 2011.  over 12 years how.  That is 52 flights a year.  Obviously I have had my A list with southwest.  

Recently my hospital has been going through tough financial times.  They have forced the nurses to not come in work and we have to use PTO to cover our shifts.  I have none as I have had 2 bouts of surgeries, and 1 recently where all my PTO is gone.Recently it has become a point where we now are forced to stay home half our shifts, so I only work 3 of the 6 days im scheduled.  I used to work thursday through tuesday.  I fly in on thursday morning and start working 7pm.  then I fly home on wednesday morning.

Well I now work on friday this week , then sunday, the tuesday.  I have always purchased all my flights months in advance as my schedule has never changed.

I tried to change my flight when I got the info that Im no longer going to be working thursday . however.... it is now 261 dollars to change my flight just 1 day. 

"Customer service agents" are unwilling to help me out with a no cost change in flight days.  This is an abysmal service.  

12+ years of loyalty.  A list. 52 to flights purchased each year and I cant get a simple flight changed from thursday to friday this week?

I am sad beyond belief.  And anytime someone has asked me who they should fly for their vacation I have always point to southwest.

Something needs to change.

---

Hello!

It looks like you attempted to have a CSA assist you with this to no avail. Being a Customer-to-Customer forum, I would address your complaint via email to Southwest but I'm not sure if the airline is going to be able to assist you since fare difference generally always applies to changing a flight regardless of A-List status. 

Keep in mind Fridays are also typically a peak travel day for many travel corridors, especially for the vast majority of California short-haul flights. Thus, there will usually be a high fare difference between Thursdays and Fridays.

Question: Did you already change your flight for this week to Friday and pay the difference in fare? If you haven't done this yet, I would hang on to your original itinerary and try this to minimize the your cost impact:

• First, even tough your employer appears to be in hardship and cutting staff hours, I would negotiate with HR on the travel reimbursement since the change was initiated by them. Very unlikely they will do this since it appears your flights are commuter but worth asking anyway. 
• If that doesn't work and the flight expense has to be paid by you the employee, I would still keep the travel date on Thursday and spend the night at your work city assuming the total hotel cost will be less than the $261 fare difference. Note that under A-List, you can do a Same Day Flight Change to the last flight of the day. I would also search and book a Plus Points property under Southwest Hotels or Rocketmiles as you may be able to recover some your hotel expenses with 1,000 or even 2,000 points for a decent $100-120 room after taxes and fees.

I know this alternative still adds cost, but hopefully to a lesser degree!

---

I would say to minimize out of pocket expense as well if it isn't acceptable just to fly as scheduled and spend the extra night, then use some of your points accrued from the travel to serve as the buffer for this out-of-pocket expense. 

It will still be expensive, but it would be reasonable to take some of the points earned from commuting and use them during this time when your schedule is disrupted.

Agree with the others that the airline has some leeway when you are at the airport - you may even have some staff there that recognize you if you are flying that often - but you can't get that kind of personal exception on the phone or by internet. What you are asking for has to be a same-day change and then there is a lot more the staff can do for you, changing the day of travel is limited by what the computer can do.

No doubt you are in a tough situation with the changing of the schedule like that, I wish you the best with your efforts and thank you for your work.

[floridaguy]

Southwest did nothing wrong.  They offered to change the flight and the current rate applies.  It is as simple as that.