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By law, the answer is a definitive YES that such overwater flights carry both life rafts and life preservers or floatations to accommodate each occupant:
(a) No person may take off an airplane for a flight over water more than 50 nautical miles from the nearest shore unless that airplane is equipped with a life preserver or an approved flotation means for each occupant of the airplane.
(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, no person may take off an airplane for flight over water more than 30 minutes flying time or 100 nautical miles from the nearest shore, whichever is less, unless it has on board the following survival equipment:
(1) A life preserver, equipped with an approved survivor locator light, for each occupant of the airplane.
(2) Enough liferafts (each equipped with an approved survival locator light) of a rated capacity and buoyancy to accommodate the occupants of the airplane.
14 CFR § 91.509 - Survival equipment for overwater operations.
FAA Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) Title 14—Aeronautics and Space
Each life raft is also required to have an attached survival kit.
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11-06-2023
04:55 PM
11-06-2023
04:55 PM
At present, one credit card may be used per reservation, not three. Here's the policy:
A maximum of three forms of payment per Passenger may be used to purchase an itinerary. The following may be used per Passenger: up to three flight credits, up to three Southwest gift cards, and/or up to two Southwest LUV Vouchers®.
When booking a reservation online, flight credits will always be applied first, regardless of the order in which a Customer enters them in the reservation.
The following may be used per Passenger: up to three flight credits, up to three Southwest gift cards, up to two Southwest LUV Vouchers®, and/or a credit card (only one credit card may be used per reservation).
https://www.southwest.com/help/booking/forms-of-payment
I have not seen nor heard of any plan or proposal to permit up to three credit card payments per air fare transaction. A possible workaround would likely be to book two separate cheaper flights with the second and third credit cards but cancel these and use the flight credits plus the first credit card toward the purchase of the real flight.
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11-06-2023
03:06 PM
11-06-2023
03:06 PM
@CupCrusher40 wrote:
Does FBI know about checking your flight everyday to get flight credit?
Does not want to look suspicious
There's nothing illegal or suspicious about checking Southwest's Low Fare Calendar daily for fare decreases. I check this frequently for both my airfare and Southwest Hotels reservations and have locked in some decent flight credits, fare and square!
That's the beauty of Southwest's No Change Fees policy. As long as you're using the airline system for lawful activity, there's nothing wrong with checking for fare changes everyday to receive flight credit when prices drop.
That being said, if federal law enforcement like the FBI suspects one is using the airline system to conduct separate illegal activity, of course they will investigate the matter and airlines like Southwest will fully cooperate with the federal law enforcement agency in question in providing information related to the person's trip in question. Same for the state and local level.
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11-06-2023
11:27 AM
11-06-2023
11:27 AM
Funny LOL
I'm not sure if comedian Adam Mamawala really had a Southwest flight booked for the next night or if the check-in scene was staged, but either way he certainly got the job done--Everybody in the room laughed!
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@adr214 wrote:
To all those that need to read this:
Everything will come in due time.
Be patient.
Be optimistic.
Persevere.
And understand that we don’t take anything in the end so it amounts to your heart and what you do for your fellow brothers and sisters near and far.
Don't let a set back be the end all and don’t let frustration take the betterment of who you are and what you represent.
No one is infallible.
Great words of wisdom for both Southwest Career prospects and passengers too!
Never give up! 😊
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11-02-2023
12:33 PM
11-02-2023
12:33 PM
@amir1997 wrote:
Does Southwest Airlines plan on hiring anymore flight attendants this year? If so, is there a specific date that everyone will be able to apply?
Hello!
If you haven't done so already, I would sign up to receive job posting alerts through Southwest's Talent Community portal:
https://careers.southwestair.com/jointalentcommunity
That way, you'll be automatically notified and be one of the first groups to know once a position that you're looking for opens.
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@brandis wrote:
Hi, there! I know Puerto Escondido is becoming a huge tourist destination in Mexico. I'd love to see a Southwest route added there! I assume the layover would just be in Mexico City to get there as a final destination, but this is fine by me. Wish I didn't have to use other airlines or piece together flights in order to make it work!
Greetings!
I think that destination would for sure be a nice spot for the LUV airline to go to complement the existing Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta Mexico destinations.
Note that this discussion forum is customer-to-customer and likely your request may not reach the proper Southwest personnel. Would you forward your request in an email directly to Southwest Customer Service so that it can be processed:
https://www.southwest.com/html/contact-us/
By the way, it looks like Volaris Airlines flies a few Mexican domestic non-stop flights from Tijuana TIJ to PXM Puerto Escondido per week across the CBX land border crossing. That would allow your "layover" stop to be in the USA/Tijuana instead of down in Mexico City and should significantly lower your airfare into PXM.
Would you be open to taking a domestic Southwest flight to SAN for your stopover, taking an Uber/Lyft ride to the CBX border crossing, and connecting to a Volaris flight from there? Alternatively if you don't want to pay to cross at CBX, take the MTS Airport Shuttle+San Diego Trolley to the San Ysidro crossing, and Uber to TIJ?
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11-02-2023
10:10 AM
11-02-2023
10:10 AM
@CupCrusher40,
As @DancingDavidE mentioned, booking Multi-City (or two one way's) for a connection is typically more expensive but with a little bit of "flight shopping", one can still find some good deals for booking separate. Plus there are some advantages of this option that could add value to the overall trip as a trade off to the fare difference depending one's travel needs. A key item to keep in mind though if you're checking any bags under Multi-City or Two One-Ways and both legs occur on the same day, the stopover city will really be your "final" destination after the first leg and your bags will need to be claimed and re-checked for the second leg no earlier than four hours prior to the scheduled second flight.
Last summer, I booked the Multi-City option for a trip from PDX to SAN. See my photo trip report. On my scheduled trip date, there was not a non-stop flight option but most of the resulting connecting flight options showed SJC as the layover airport.
Since I traveled carry-on only for that trip with a 50L Vancropak Carry-on Backpack as my luggage, I had the added flexibility of being able to leave the SJC layover airport without having to separately hand-carry or cart any luggage. Selecting Multi-City allowed me to 'extend' the SJC layover into a stopover destination with me taking an early morning flight from PDX and a later afternoon flight out of SJC to SAN. Thus, I was able to visit a destination in the Silicon Valley and reconnect with friend who lives there before continuing on to SAN. Multi-City also counted as two one-way flights toward A-List/Companion Pass. That for sure added value to the trip.
However, as I mentioned, I had to wear the Vancropak bag during my San Jose visit and I would assume many travelers would not want to haul their baggage around during a stopover city visit. Yes, there are third-party luggage storage services advertised; I have not used them yet as they don't appear to be fully established (I should check these out though).
Does booking multi-city or separately add value instead of booking a single flight with a connection? I would say "sometimes."
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11-01-2023
10:15 AM
11-01-2023
10:15 AM
I echo @dfwskier
Frontier Airlines offers the Gold Wild Pass, not Southwest.
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@hithereitstim wrote:
Have a question regarding A-List and Companion Pass - booking a trip in February for a wedding and take my parents. I will have A-List come 2024 and also received the promotional Companion Pass from 1/24-3/24. If I purchase two flights now (with points on same reservation), will I be able to add either Mom/Dad on the reservation come January when the CC activates and be able to board in same group and sequential positions? I'd like us to sit together since they are old and don't fly at all. Thanks for any help!
@hithereitstim
Provided you don't purchase a Business Select fare and you purchased your reservation and added your Companion to it at least 36 hours ahead of the flight's departure, you and the one Companion you've chosen for your reservation should receive sequential boarding positions. You can book your reservation now and starting on the Promo Companion Pass start date of January 8, 2024, you can add your Companion to it.
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Hello! There is no federal rule in the books that outlaws the airline's current Forms of Payment policy of up to three forms per passenger. That makes Southwest's three methods of payment policy legal and legit.
A maximum of three forms of payment per Passenger may be used to purchase an itinerary. The following may be used per Passenger: up to three flight credits, up to three Southwest gift cards, and/or up to two Southwest LUV Vouchers®.
When booking a reservation online, flight credits will always be applied first, regardless of the order in which a Customer enters them in the reservation.
The following may be used per Passenger: up to three flight credits, up to three Southwest gift cards, up to two Southwest LUV Vouchers®, and/or a credit card (only one credit card may be used per reservation).
https://www.southwest.com/help/booking/forms-of-payment
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10-27-2023
08:29 AM
1 Love
@mpeete001 wrote:
I am looking into getting an unlimited season pass and am wondering how much they cost.
Hello!
Southwest does not offer an Unlimited Season Pass. Did you mean Companion Pass?
Companion Pass General Requirements: Earn 135,000 qualifying Rapid Reward points in a calendar year or 100 qualifying one-way Southwest flights.
Details Here:
https://www.southwest.com/html/rapidrewards/eoy-tier-communication.html
Also keep an eye in your emails or Southwest's website for promotional Companion Pass offers too...
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@MynumAndPapa wrote:
Austin super star employee at the help desk at check in saved our day. Thank you Star!!!
Kind, knowledgeable, funny, and most importantly understood our needs today
Hello!
Great to hear this. 🙂
Would you do the Austin CSA a little kind favor: Since this community forum is customer-to-customer, would you forward your praise in an email directly to Southwest Customer Service so that they can receive their praise due:
https://support.southwest.com/email-us/s/
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10-26-2023
06:36 PM
10-26-2023
06:36 PM
It appears the answer is "Yes".
I would double-check your terms of your account specifically but according to the currently published terms for the Priority Card, any Southwest Airlines product purchase counts if purchased directly through Southwest Airlines, except for Upgraded Boarding and in-flight purchases. I assume this would include Early Bird Check In.
$75 Southwest® Annual Travel Credit: A statement credit will automatically be applied to your account when your Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® Priority Card is used for Southwest Airlines® purchases (excluding Upgraded Boardings and inflight purchases), up to an anniversary year maximum accumulation of $75.
https://creditcards.chase.com/travel-credit-cards/southwest/priority
I think this also excludes non-airline related or partner purchases like Southwest Hotels and Car Rentals as these transactions are handled through other providers.
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10-26-2023
06:14 PM
10-26-2023
06:14 PM
@cjdowns315 wrote:
We were traveling from Dallas Love Field to Midway Chicago; while checking in at Dallas at the bag drop, the counter staff member called me back to the counter. She had noticed I was limping pretty badly (I have knee surgery scheduled in two weeks) and she offered to allow my husband and myself to have Pre-board status to avoid the wait line to board and have seats closer to the front of the plane. This was on Tuesday, Oct 24, 2023 Flight # 4079. I did not get her name but possibly she can be tracked from the flight info. We absolutely appreciated her kindness and great customer service. Thank you.
Hello!
Great to hear the ticket counter staff going out of their way to help you. Would you do the kind CSA a little favor: Since this community forum is customer-to-customer, would you forward your compliment in an email directly to Southwest Customer Service so that the crew can receive their praise due:
https://support.southwest.com/email-us/s/
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10-26-2023
10:27 AM
10-26-2023
10:27 AM
@MGIndy wrote:
When will they be hiring for CSA positions in Indianapolis?
Hello:
If you haven't do so already, I would sign up for Southwest's Talent Community to receive alerts of job postings like local CSA positions:
https://careers.southwestair.com/jointalentcommunity
Once this or a similar relevant position is posted where you'll be a possible candidate, you should be automatically notified to proceed with the application process.
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This news story was brought up earlier this week on a different topic thread on this forum:
https://community.southwest.com/t5/Inflight-Experience/Customer-service-fail-booting-customer-for-calming-whimpering/m-p/165093
I'm not taking any sides to this pet story. I saw the video of the woman getting ejected. I heard at least one passenger voicing support for the woman in the clip. I saw the TikTok user's comments in the video captions and description as well as the follow up clips. But I don't know the full extent of the lead-up of the incident. I'm still flying the LUV Airline.
However, I do believe a bunch of the social media posts and websites that are parroting this video all over the world to see are not reporting all of the facts and possibly running into the risk of unfairly defaming Southwest and the staff member who escorted the woman off the plane with headlines like "Woman kicked off Southwest Flight for petting her dog".
Yes, the TikTok video is hard evidence that the woman got ejected by the airline and captured the opinions of at least one other passenger supporting the woman, but the 38 second recording doesn't cover everything, nor the lead-up to Southwest's decision to refuse to transport. I'm also not able to verify the TikTok user's claims.
According to the few outlets in the mainstream press who took the time to fact check and made an effort to try to find out what happened beforehand, Southwest's decision to remove the passenger was made after the woman repeatedly refused to comply with the flight crew's instructions regarding the proper handling of her pet according to an official statement. I do know for a fact that refusing to obey the instructions of any crew member is grounds for refusal to transport. I think this fact alone makes all those headlines (e.g. "Woman Removed From Flight For Petting Dog") inaccurate and possibly unfair or defaming to the airline. The headline could in fact very well be "Woman Removed from Southwest Flight for Refusal to Cooperate with Crew Instructions to Comply with FAA Pet Regulations."
I personally don't mind some puppy noise during travel; I've heard worse things aboard planes, trains, and automobiles. I have the headphones to screen these out. But other passengers may prefer not and some may even have pet allergies, hence strict policy. Did anybody else on the flight complain to an FA about a puppy making noise which led up to the initial request? I don't know.
But I do know the required stowing of pet carry-on's during taxi and take-off falls also under the FAA, not only to Southwest.
https://www.faa.gov/travelers/fly_pets/cabin_pets Long story short, it would be foolish for me to take sides on this given the doubt. I don't know what the actual lead up is to this. Frequent travelers like me have likely had some crew instructions given to us that we don't like, but we need to obey them per FAA regulations and better yet, for the good of the flight. But as a frequent Southwest traveler, I would be very careful about making travel decisions based on one person's point of view published to social media regarding a pet incident, even if that point of view gets a viral worldwide reaction.
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10-25-2023
09:04 AM
1 Love
@Rhonda3404 wrote:
Hi all,
I’m making a change to a reservation, to get an earlier flight time. Can I use travel funds to pay the difference? I keep getting an error message. Thank you!
Hello!
By "travel funds", do you mean Flight Credit? LUV Voucher? or Gift Card? If so, Yes. You can use these to pay the difference in fare.
Example: Changing a flight from SMF to SAN to an earlier one through the Southwest desktop website:
Expand the "Apply Flight Credits..." section when you get to the payment page and you should be able to redeem your credits there:
Double check to make sure you have entered the required information correctly, your credits are still valid, and your change does not conflict with another reservation. If you still get the error and believe your credits are valid, I would give Southwest Customer Service a call.
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Greetings Community Southwest:
I just wanted share as a community tip of some behind-the-scenes of how I, SoCalFlyer97 shop for hotels on Southwest Hotels to maximize the value of the awarded Rapid Rewards points through the Points Plus Properties program.
Booking all of my stays for my Five One Night Trips at Five Hotels in October followed this method.
It's great to see generous points pop up in the search results from time to time. Below is a random search for a one-night stay at a hotel near Disneyland:
As soon as I learn that I need to spend the night somewhere, I launch the following search portals on my desktop computer to begin the shopping process:
Southwest Hotels - Points Plus Property Shopping
Rocket Miles - Second Portal for Rapid Rewards Property Shopping
Trivago - To search all major Booking Portals simultaneously for lowest market price in the area with free cancelation
Hotel's Direct Reservation Page - To validate if booking direct or through their loyalty program has the better value.
I first search SW Hotels to see what kind of Rapid Rewards deals are abroad. Currently, there is a general consensus that each Rapid Reward point is valued at approximately $0.015 per point, a key factor. Other requirements for me are free cancellation support and safe/decent location.
So let's suppose I need to stay overnight in Riverside CA on a Saturday in November for an event near the local university in the La Sierra area, several miles southwest of the downtown area. I do my search:
Right away, for my needs, I find that a Hampton Inn which would be the closest hotel to the La Sierra area had a $139 room with 900 Points (~$13.50 point value). I make a note of it and given that this is a Hilton Hotel with loads of amenities and free hot breakfast--for that rate on a Saturday night, this is a great candidate.
Then, I check Rocket Miles to see if a similar or better deal is posted for the same hotel or general location. Rocket Miles is a great source to shop for hotels too. For example, here's what deals popped up for random search for Vegas hotels:
For the case of Riverside, the Hampton Inn location didn't pop up on Rocket Miles and the only hotel within reasonable distance of the La Sierra destination with a Rapid Rewards points bonus was an independent motel posted for $120 with 1,000 points. Southwest Hotels also matched this.
However, the motel wasn't in the best place of town and posted very low guest ratings. To be fair, the room pictures showed that they were recently renovated but I felt the Hampton Inn held the better overall value, even though the cost was $20 higher. Hilton's free hot breakfast alone pays for that!
Finally, I do a check on Trivago to confirm the selected Points Plus Property candidate is not excessively marked up compared to the rest of the hotel market. At this point, I verify the price difference between the non-refundable rates versus the free cancellation rates. I always elect for free cancellation. In the case of Hampton Inn, the base room rate was the same price of $139 across the board, non-refundable:
Trivago allows me to toggle "Free Cancellation". Once I did that, the starting rate for all the booking portals came out to be $161, a $22 increase (pretty high in my opinion).
Next, I check the option of booking direct. Hilton's Semi-Flex option (cancel free up to 5 days prior) was $160 regular and $157 for Hilton Honors loyalty program members...a few dollars better.
Now, I go back to Southwest Hotels and follow up on their quote of $139 which was also not refundable. Now, if Southwest Hotels also quoted me something in the $160's for free cancelation, I may have gone back to square one and checked for another hotel all over again. However, Southwest Hotels had a $149 option for the Hampton Inn with 900 Rapid Reward Points with free cancelation up to 72 hours, only a $10 mark-up for free cancelation benefit.
A $10 difference in price to have the free cancellation benefit would be fair for my needs. In fact, the $149 option turned out to be the best overall value between all the booking portals. Deduct the $13.50 value of the points and the room cost plus tax would be $135.50 for a stay at a prime Hilton location on a Saturday night in Riverside.
Should have this been my need, call this one Sold.
That's how SoCalFlyer97 shops. The end result could be a mix of no-frills motels, to the best of the chains, to the most unique independent inns all around. Yes, this takes some good amount of time to research. But in the end, the deals are worth it.
Got any unique tricks to shop for great hotels for a great price? Post them here.
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@SoCalFlyer97 wrote:
@Will0329 wrote:
It's too bad southwest is dropping burbank to San Francisco.
It looks like BUR-OAK nonstop still holds strong with multiple departures daily which will get you into the San Francisco area via the BART. However, I've noticed today that the WGA BUR-OAK airfare is on the high side at $114 going into 2024 compared to a BUR-SFO search for as low as $69 via connecting flights.
Since it looks like you plan to travel next summer, I would keep a watch out for a future sale and book BUR-OAK during the sale period and connect to San Francisco via the BART if you can. If prices drop as the summer gets closer, you can always rebook and collect the difference in fare via a flight credit for WGA or WGA+ fare.
@Will0329
Southwest announced a $49 sale today and it looks like some of the flights between BUR and OAK had a minor drop in fare from $114 to $99 during May 2024. Also there's some $79 and $89 departures for this fall. I you're able to take the BART from OAK into SF, I would explore these options before the sale expires this Thursday.
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10-24-2023
12:43 AM
1 Love
@Southwestluver9 wrote:
I booked flights using a couple Southwest flight e-pass domestic certificates. Something came up and I now need to cancel the trip. Can I receive the e-pass back or flight credit?
Hello!
According to the Southwest Medical Transportation Grant E-Pass document, it appears that a phone call to the Southwest flight E-Pass desk will be needed to cancel a reservation booked with an e-pass.
If your travel needs change prior to your scheduled departure or during your travel, call the Southwest flight e-pass desk at 1-877-551-1211 to modify or cancel your reservation. You will need to provide the Southwest flight e-pass specialist your confirmation (record locator) number. You may also be asked to confirm your Southwest flight e-pass(es) numbers.
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@mariimel wrote:
can anyone confirm about the companion pass earned for jan8 til march 8 by flying one round trip during sept dates? how do you confirm you earned it? i thought notification would be sent but i received nothing.
Hello!
I qualified for Promo Companion Pass with my roundtrip flight from SAN to PHX.
There are two ways you can check to see if you qualified. Note that you must have first registered for this promotion by clicking on the "Register" button in the promo ad under your Rapid Rewards account before booking the required new flight(s), all within the specified date windows.
First option: Look for the email with the subject "You've earned promotional Companion Pass(R)! You did it!" which should have been sent within 24-48 hours of completing the entire required flight itinerary that lists the details and what to expect.
Second Option: If you cannot locate this email, log into your Rapid Rewards account on the Southwest desktop website and look for the promo graphic under the "My Promotions" area toward the bottom of the page below your "Upcoming Flights" dashboard:
If you qualify and see the promo active in your account as "Qualified", per the promo rules, you can book travel now, and starting January 8, add your Companion to your existing flights booked through March 8, 2024. Be on the lookout for an email with all the details, how to's, and information to fully enjoy the Promotional Companion Pass.
If you don't see the promo in your account dashboard, there's a possibility that your flight did not qualify. Per the promo rules, the promo must have been registered to your Rapid Rewards account prior to booking the required flight and that the flight must have been new booking paid entirely with dollars, Southwest LUV Vouchers, gift cards, or travel funds, and with no portion of the purchase price paid for with Rapid Rewards® points. Qualifying flights must be booked after registering for the promotion and before 11:59 p.m. CDT August 30, 2023.
Any changes to the promo reservation that fell outside of the promotional requirements (e.g.: registration date, booking date, travel date, etc.) would disqualify the flight from the promotion. I assume that would include same-day Flight Change and Standby. In other words, flights must have been purchased and/or changed during the promotional period and the new flight(s) must be flown between August 28 and September 30, 2023 to meet the terms and conditions of the promotion.
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10-23-2023
04:23 PM
10-23-2023
04:23 PM
Greetings Community Southwest!
SoCalFlyer97 has made it to the final hotel of the Five One-Nighters at Five Points Plus Hotels, all booked for this month of October, all booked through Southwest Hotels.
Hotel #5 of #5 was in the heart of the Ontario Mills Mall region near the ONT Airport. A little mix-up occurred during booking as I had intended on booking a room at the Ayres Hotel in that area thanks to a 3,000 Rapid Rewards points offer for a one night's stay. That plan ran into a little roadblock due to an name change at the originally booked location combined with Ayres relocating its Ontario operations literally one land parcel to the west.
In short, Southwest Hotels did not fail me. Here's what happened:
A few months ago, Ayres Hotels closed their Ontario Mills location and sold the property to Best Western. At the time when I booked the room via Southwest Hotels, the reservation location reflected the Ayres Hotel.
What caused the goof-up was Ayres moved its Ontario location literally to the hotel property next door. So naturally, on arrival day when I punched in the hotel address from the confirmation email and made my way toward the Ontario Mills Mall area, as I got closer to the destination, I went to the property that had the name "Ayres" installed on the hotel building.
Upon attempting to check in at the current Ayres location and learning that my name wasn't on their list, I gave them a copy of the reservation details so they can resolve. The hotel staff quickly identified the likely cause was due to the move, got Best Western on the phone, and confirmed my reservation was in fact successfully booked for their old building, now the Best Western. Ayres staff also informed me that a few other guests who booked third party in advance like me also had similar issues with being booked at the 'Old' Ayres next door but intending on staying at the 'New' Ayres.
I made my way over to the Best Western and when I got to the desk, my name was there! It was a smooth check-in. They collected a $100 incidentals deposit.
Thankfully, since the name and ownership change was very recent, most of Ayres' European-themed amenities were still at the older property but under the Best Western brand...and yes, I got my 3,000 Rapid Reward points which is about $45 in value toward future airfare. I left a review of the experience on TripAdvisor.
So there you have it...Five One-Nighters at Five Points Plus Hotels. Other than the name-change issue at my last hotel in Ontario, the Southwest Hotels booking process was near flawless. During these stays during the month of October, I was able to attain the following points:
Buena Park Grand Hotel (near SNA): 2,000
Wyndham Garden San Jose Airport (near SJC): 2,000
Motel 6 Corona: 500
California Suites Hotel, San Diego (near SAN): 2,000
Ayres Hotel (now Best Western) Ontario Mills (near ONT): 3,000
Total 9,500 (approx. $143 in value toward future airfare)
That being said, I think Southwest Hotel's Points Plus properties adds huge value to the Southwest Rapid Rewards program. Likewise for the Rocket Miles booking portal in partnership with Booking.com. One does need to be mindful of potential base room mark-up's on such properties and should factor that in while hotel shopping.
When I booked these rooms, I certainly checked to make sure the return-on-Rapid Rewards points value (approx. $0.015/point) when factored into the posted room rate brought the total cost of the room to either equal to or less than the lowest price on the market with free cancelation.
This experience showed me that both Southwest Hotels and its sister site Rocket Miles are legit booking portals and great sources to get some generous amounts of Rapid Rewards points good toward future flights.
If you're in need to "buy" some extra points, short on Companion Pass Points, or have some Southwest Airlines trips lined up, I would consider Southwest Hotels as an option.
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10-23-2023
02:31 PM
@nickklos wrote:
I travel for business. 50-70 flights a year. Been doing this for 13 years. I only fly southwest airlines. I have Loved southwest airlines since I started flying with them like 6-7 years ago. And it hurts me to say this but I have to dump southwest.
I started racing BMX with my 7 year son a year ago. Im 55. Best thing ive done. Lost 70lbs. My health has become excellent now. And the times with my boy are priceless.
I bring a 20 inch wheel. 19lb bike with me while I travel for business. I break it down amd pack it in a soft padded bag designed for bmx bikes.
When I travel with 2 check bags with tools I understand there is an extra charge for the third bag. 75 bucks. But they try and charge me up to 150 dollars for the bike bag. Even though it is under 50lbs and under the limit of the size for golf clubs. And they say, golfing is sports equipement. This is a bicycle.
See that freakin infuriates me. The next guy walks up with skis 6ft long or a huge snowboard. Oh ya, thats all sports equipment.
BMX is a world wide sport, and in the olympics.
If I dont have tools with me. And I go to check my bike bag they ask what it is. If i say golf clubs. Free. If i say bicycle. 125 dollars. Each way. A guy walks up with a huge golf bag. Way bigger than mine. Free. 6ft skis free, snow board free, even a freakin kayak. Free.
So what. Are all the executives at southwest airlines golfers. So they descriminate against any sport they do not participate in or support.
What does it matter if there is 2 cinder blocks in my bag. Under 50 pounds. Oh, they would probably say thats a world cinder block tossing sport. Free. Bicycle 125 dollars.
Bye southwest airlines. Im sick of it. Im sure other airlines like customers that fly 50 to 70 times a year.
Hello!
Just to clarify, Southwest's policy on sports equipment (bicycles included) may be checked in substitution of one piece of the free checked baggage allowance for you at no charge on a one-item-for-one-bag basis.
Southwest now charges $125 for a third checked bag for a passenger with a couple of exceptions. It looks like you're trying to check your bike in addition to the two free checked bags. Correct?
Are you sure that the other people you see who are checking their sports equipment are also checking two bags in addition to their belongings? If they're checking 0-1 bags and the size of their sports equipment is within Southwest limitations of 50 pounds in weight or 62 inches in size (outside length plus height plus width), transport of the package would be included. Also be mindful that some of the bags that customers are carrying while waiting in the check-in line may also be their carry on's; thus it may be easy to think that one is checking many things when in fact they're only checking their two items and bringing the rest as their carry-on and personal items.
I don't have a definitive answer as to the reason of the steep price increase from $75 to $125 for a third checked bag but I assume that it is linked to inflation in air freight transportation.
Still, I believe Southwest in my opinion still has the best baggage transportation policies around of all the economy airlines. Would you be able to consolidate your bags and travel with:
1 Carry On + 1 Personal Bag with your Clothing/Toiletries?
1 Checked Bag with your Tools + Extras?
Your BMX Bike Bag within the Size/Weight Limits?
If not and if you're flying solo, I would have your bike shipped separately in advance going forward.
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10-23-2023
01:49 PM
10-23-2023
01:49 PM
@Will0329 wrote:
It's too bad southwest is dropping burbank to San Francisco.
It looks like BUR-OAK nonstop still holds strong with multiple departures daily which will get you into the San Francisco area via the BART. However, I've noticed today that the WGA BUR-OAK airfare is on the high side at $114 going into 2024 compared to a BUR-SFO search for as low as $69 via connecting flights.
Since it looks like you plan to travel next summer, I would keep a watch out for a future sale and book BUR-OAK during the sale period and connect to San Francisco via the BART if you can. If prices drop as the summer gets closer, you can always rebook and collect the difference in fare via a flight credit for WGA or WGA+ fare.
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10-18-2023
08:09 PM
@bec102896 wrote:
@SoCalFlyer97
I think they might be a new hire and trying to figure out how they can get on flights with other airlines which is probably something they would need to ask to their supervisor or other co hearts since we won’t know how to do that stuff as customers.
Good point 🙂
That makes better sense.
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Greetings Community Southwest!
SoCalFlyer97 is nearing the end of the Five One-Nighters at Five Points Plus Hotels, all booked for the month of October, all booked via Southwest Hotels.
Hotel #4 of #5 was in the San Diego area not too far from all the tourist and resort destinations at a little place called the California Suites Hotel. How many of you heard of this humble spot?
Southwest Hotels posted a $102 room rate on a Friday night located only 10-15 minutes away from Mission Bay with free cancellation and 2,000 Rapid Rewards points. In a safe part of town too just west of the Kearny Mesa business district. Sold!
Flawless booking! Flawless check in! Zero incidentals deposit. I'm now at 4 for 4 with successful Southwest Hotels transactions. Noticing a pattern?
The review of the detailed hotel experience is posted to TripAdvisor.
The Final hotel for this October series is near the ONT airport (no I do not have a flight there; just some business in that area through the weekend).
Will Southwest Hotels fulfill its promise for the fifth time this month? Stay tuned!
Now to respond to the mail:
@jksobonya Wrote:
Loving this! I'm so glad someone else uses Southwest Hotels as much as I do lol
I almost always book through them, unless I'm in Vegas/AC, where I book direct with MGM or Caesars. I had several Hyatt direct stays last year due to their partnership with MGM and a status match to Explorist, but MGM is transitioning to Mariott for partnership now, so that changes things. If I'm ever staying at a Holiday Inn or wherever, I go through Southwest.
--Jessica
@jksobonya My last hotel stay in Vegas involved both Southwest and Southwest Hotels. Yes, with SW Hotels, you're not locked in with the major brands. You can go independent and find some unique deals that are Points Plus. Stayed at the Silver Sevens which was less expensive than the budget motels even after taxes and resort fee!
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10-18-2023
05:30 PM
@Dloera wrote:
Hi ~ new to the SWFamily and curious; how do we non rev on partner airlines and how do we find out their policy on doing so, i.e. do we have to make reservations, etc.? Thank you in advance.
Hello!
Welcome to the Southwest Family!
Southwest does not partner with any other air carrier. Southwest flights are directly Southwest-operated. Thus, when you book with Southwest, you'll be on a Southwest flight served by a Southwest flight crew for every leg of your flight journey. No outside folks!
Reservations should be done directly via Southwest as Southwest flights/fares cannot be found or booked via a third-party search portal.
Here's a few other key elements that make Southwest different:
https://www.southwest.com/flying-with-southwest
This is a customer-to-customer forum so if you have any general questions of how to fly with Southwest, post them here and one of us customers will respond back. Questions specific to your Southwest flight reservations should be directed directly to Southwest Customer Service.
Welcome to the family! 😊
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10-17-2023
10:32 AM
@sückwest wrote:
Thanks for this however I don't want an e-mail, I want a receipt - HTML or some form of attachment. Preferably formatted properly and with the transaction date.
The Confirmation Email is by definition also the receipt and the header defines it as such.
Here's your itinerary & receipt. See ya soon! Hi (Name),
We're looking forward to flying together! It can't come soon enough. Below you'll find your itinerary, important travel information, and trip receipt. See you onboard soon!
Transaction Date is also posted in the finance area in the Payment box of the email:
This should comply with expense reporting guidelines and should therefore be acceptable by your employer. Regarding converting this to an attachment doc, my best advice would be to open the email in a web browser and print the email to PDF and submit that as your receipt.
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10-17-2023
10:18 AM
@sückwest wrote:
When I click 'View Receipt' from the Past Flight details page it takes me to the receipt page:
https://www.southwest.com/loyalty/myaccount/past-flight-details.html
But the receipt page does not show a date of transaction, only the dates of travel. My accounting department will not accept a receipt that does not show a transaction date - they cannot reconcile this in the accounting system.
Why doesn't a receipt show the date that the purchase/s was made?
Hi!
As @dfwskier mentioned, do you still have the original confirmation email that reads "You're going to (City) on (Date)!" in the subject line? If so, the accounting details in the email should be there which should comply with standard expense reporting rules (and likewise your company policy). If no longer have access to this email, I would give Customer Service a ring and a CSA rep should be able to resend this to you.
https://www.southwest.com/html/contact-us/
Unfortunately, you are correct that after a flight trip, retrieving the accounting details of a past flight via the website only shows the basic info whereas the confirmation email with the detailed breakdown can be resent anytime via the website anytime before the trip. Yes, I agree this appears to be a customer service gap that should be reviewed.
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