Oversold

[Captleem]

My daughter and 4 yr old grandson had a flight today direct from Milwaukee to Baltimore at 4:25 pm. Yesterday at 4:25 pm she tried to check in and was unable to. Called SW customer service and was told they changed planes and no longer had a seat for them? Their solution was an 8 hour travel day connecting in Orlando? Or a 5:15 am flight on Sunday. Or a refund like they could just go book another flight that day at no exorbitant cost. Absolutely no compensation offered other than a refund. I think moving them was strategic not random since they were flying direct and I’m sure Alisters don’t get bumped and connecting passengers. No consideration she’s flying with a 4 yr old? I suspect their policy is “s&cks to be you”? Customer service was generally rude when I tried to help and quick to cut me off when I suggested a potential solution that could work for her. 

[dfwskier]

It happens. If the original plane was full and  was a Max8 or 737-800, both of which seat 175, and SW substituted a 737-700 that seats 143, then 32 people would have been left seatless.

I don;t know how SW would decide which 32 people to pick, but I bet you are right about them not being A-Liters as those people would have been assigned boarding spots 36 hours before departure time.

The best the airline an do in situations like this is offer you the best seats that are still available. Sometimes those are not very good, but the airline can;t snap it's fingers to conjure up a new plane with more seats.

[Captleem]

Best seats available? You know SW doesn’t have assigned seats so I have no idea what that means? Regardless we booked a direct flight so an “alternative “ option that has a layover through Orlando, Dallas or Denver? Seriously? Turning a 90 min flight into an 8 hour flight is not acceptable and to boot no compensation? Traveling with a 4 yr old? 

[tappingmom1]

"Turning a 90 min flight into an 8 hour flight is not acceptable and to boot no compensation..." 

@Captleem ,

I completely understand your frustration at the situation.  I think it happens, at least once, to everyone who flies frequently. 

But...you need to remember that you (or whoever purchased the tickets) agreed to these terms, outlined in the Contract of Carriage, when the tickets were purchased.   I now purchase refundable tickets when my situation dictates it or purchase travel insurance with trip cancellation/delay coverage when I suspect there might be a problem.  Given the extremely busy summer travel season we are experiencing right now, the trip cancellation/delay coverage option may have benefitted you and allowed you to continue flying on another carrier.

I'm also pretty confident that there are metrics in play when particular passengers are bumped, such as last checked-in/first bumped, status in frequent flyer programs, cost of ticket, etc.  Also, those who don't fly frequently can find themselves in this situation and aren't aware of how to "fix" the problem quickly (checking to see if they have credit card coverage, immediately getting on the phone/app to customer service to re-book instead of waiting in a line, going online to find other connections that you can suggest, etc.) or know their rights when there are delays.  Unfortunately, it's a steep learning curve.

I hope they eventually made it to their destination and are now having a happy vacation.  

[dfwskier]

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@Captleem wrote:

Best seats available? You know SW doesn’t have assigned seats so I have no idea what that means? Regardless we booked a direct flight so an “alternative “ option that has a layover through Orlando, Dallas or Denver? Seriously? Turning a 90 min flight into an 8 hour flight is not acceptable and to boot no compensation? Traveling with a 4 yr old? 

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Substitute flights for seats in my post. That's what that means.  In any event, the airline tries to find the best way to get you from point a to point b. Sometimes that means a connection when the original flight did not have one. If you don't like what the airline rebooked you one, you are welcome to search the schedule for any other flight with  available seats between the same two points as the original flight, and will let you make the change at no cost.. 

As I said, find something better, and the airline will let you take it.

[Captleem]

Do you work for SW?  I think you do. We booked a flight. If the “airline” wants to renig on our contract regarding what we committed to that’s on them to make us hole. We didn’t cancel or change our flight so not sure why we have to eat it. We booked in May. Why do we have to find an alternative? Don’t gaslight me. F off. 

[dfwskier]

No I don'r work for SW. I do understand how things work due to the 1000+ flights I've taken.

As I said earlier, check the SW flight schedule to see if something better has opened up (people do cancel all the time).

Like it or not, SW cannot give you what it does not have.

I understand that you are unhappy. Perhaps you should complain to SW. To do so click on "contact us" below and complain    away.

[bec102896]

maybe try reaching out to SW and request compensation (usually a LUV voucher) maybe explain that you felt they were bumped/involuntarily denied boarding and maybe they can give you a nice voucher. Now with aircraft swaps not sure how it would would if they call you a bumped passenger but I do think some kind of compensation would be issued. 

i know BWI had a lot of weather yesterday as well as other airports so that may have created issues with the correct planes getting to where they need to be so they probably picked the last people checked in to be moved. 

[DancingDavidE]

I don’t have the citation but they definitely can bump the last people to check in.

According to FlightAware the plane flew and was a Max8 so there was some other cause of denied boarding. 

They have to issue compensation with denied boarding, but this sounds like something different with a schedule change. 

Anyway - in case you take the refund option the compensation comes after you are inconvenienced, so now is the time to ask.