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Filling middle seats

loneowl
Explorer C

I am 69 yrs old, and with the upsurge in CV my wife and I wanted to cancel my December trip that was booked mounts ago. With the change in filling middle seats that S.W. made we are concerned with sitting next to a possible spreader for 1 1/2 hours. I know S.W. claims the HEPA filter will keep us safe, but that's not going to happen if you are unlucky enough to sit next to a spreader for this length of time. 

 

Last Wednesday I asked for a refund, but was willing to settle for being able to transfer the ticket to my daughter's travel in March. I was just told no to the refund or transfer. I was told I had till May to use the tickets, but I'm not now going to be traveling. 

 

I purchased a ticket in good faith being told by S.W. that the middle seat would not be filled. Then S.W. pulls a flip on this policy, and guess what.... If you don't ask for the refund by the arbitrary date they came up with you lose. Why does S.W. get to decide not to honor their commitments, and set all of the timelines for a refund? 

 

I am not going to take the chance of  sitting elbow to elbow next to a spreader wearing a cheep mask. I am disguised with how S.W. is treating me on this issue. All they had to do was allow me to transfer the ticket. Instead they choose to cut their own nose off. Every year I bring my two daughter's families to Arizona in March. This year all six of those tickets will go to another airline. Great work Southwest!  Way to take care of you customers....not! 

5 REPLIES 5

Re: Filling middle seats

bec102896
Aviator A
Solution

Back in mid October Southwest send everyone with a flight booked in December an email giving them the option to cancel for a full refund however that decision had to. be made by October 31st. Im sorry you missed that deadline. This policy exception was very generous because even those who bought non refundable tickets got refunds. 

 

It was never announced that southwest would block seats in December the only announcement was that middle seats would be blocked though November so if an agent informed you that seats would be blocked in December I'm sorry but that's not the case. 

 

If you would like to share your feedback with southwest you can do so using one of these contact methods Contact Customer Relations 

 

-Blake

Re: Filling middle seats

SWFlyer007
Aviator C

@loneowl  Blake answered your post precisely.    Sadly, YOU missed the deadline, and the fault lies on your lap.  With that said, I'm not sympathetic to your issue, as I have flights in DEC as well.  Upfront, this is a joke, but you could put your wife in the middle and you are not sitting next to anyone, or take a friend, and all 3 of you would be sure to make each other feel safer.    Even without having the opportunity to fly, i hope you XMAS holiday is a great one. 

Re: Filling middle seats

BigKurt
Explorer C

I keep reading that COVID transmission on board is "improbable," because of the air circulation/filters and the use of MASKS.  So why does Southwest allow/encourage taking off masks for that silly snack and water, and allow people to bring meals onboard.  If someone is sitting next to me eating/drinking without a mask, is virus transmission still "improbable?"

 

Today, the woman sitting on the aisle seat had her mask off most of the flight as she snacked, ate, drank, etc.  

 

If the masks are to protect us (especially after 12/1 with every seat filled),  make people wear them!  If somebody can't endure a 1 hour flight without a snack, perhaps they shouldn't be flying.

Re: Filling middle seats

PetertheProphet
Adventurer B

@BigKurt wrote:

I keep reading that COVID transmission on board is "improbable," because of the air circulation/filters and the use of MASKS.  So why does Southwest allow/encourage taking off masks for that silly snack and water, and allow people to bring meals onboard.  If someone is sitting next to me eating/drinking without a mask, is virus transmission still "improbable?"

 

Today, the woman sitting on the aisle seat had her mask off most of the flight as she snacked, ate, drank, etc.  

 

If the masks are to protect us (especially after 12/1 with every seat filled),  make people wear them!  If somebody can't endure a 1 hour flight without a snack, perhaps they shouldn't be flying.


There is no scientific or medical evidence to support the usage of masks. Even if we assume that there is a highly pathogenic virus spreading around, if we think about it logically, we will come to realize how useless masks are.  

 

1) How is that the virus infects you if you choose to take off your mask while taking a nap on-board, but doesn't infect you if you're sipping water? How is that the virus infects you if you enter a plane without a mask on, but doesn't infect you if you choose to take off your mask to munch on a snack?

 

2) How is that the virus infects you if you go to church, but not if you're cramped like a sardine with fellow passengers on a domestic airline? 

 

3) Why do we socially distance at parks, Thanksgiving dinner, and summer barbecues, but not on airplanes? Is the virus truly that smart? 

 

4) How is that sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on an airplane protects you from the virus, but shaking hands on a sidewalk doesn't protect you from this "pathogen"? 

 

Viruses simply aren't that smart. And no, Southwest cannot legally force you to wear a mask as this is a direct violation of the Air Carrier Access Act. Yes, they're currently defrauding customers (kicking them off without a pro-rated refund) for being unable to wear masks, but we have the courts to make them pay up. And they aren't the only airline who are about to be in big trouble either.

 

Either way, there is no scientific evidence supporting the current policy. Airlines are doing this on their own merit. Even the FAA warned against this...but corporatists enjoy exploiting their customers. 

 

 

 

Re: Filling middle seats

SWFlyer007
Aviator C

@BigKurt If your name/tag/handle images you in real life, then you would be "big/large/bigger than that average passenger, specifically a "woman."  Not that I would have been belligerent, but I would, and have done so, expressed my frustration with people who don't comply.  I've had people, (when I fly alone I always get the window seat) ask me if that aisle seat is taken, I ALWAYS reply, not it's not if you're going to keep your mask on.  Straight Up.  And I'm about 5'8 160.  There are nicer ways to do it, (which is what I would have to do if my wife was flying with me) but I just set the tone.   It's going to be interesting once Dec 1st rolls around and the middle seat is free game.