Southwest Airlines Community

  @Sillyna511 wrote: Okay thank you. So I definitely can't do what I was hoping would work! LOL too bad.  Maybe another trip will come up in the meantime and you can earn points from that prior to next summer.     ... View more

@Angeleyez61 wrote: Is it hard to check in a car seat an stroller with your bags I will be traveling with my 4 month old for the first time an don’t know what all I need to do but I’ll need a car seat an stroller when we get to BWI airport from Texas. Easy. As others said in this thread, a cover is recommended either your own or buy a blue bag at the luggage counter or at the ticket counter.    The main decisions are: Maybe curbside check some of your stuff if you don't want to carry it from the car, parking shuttle, etc. Allow extra time to make a drop-off, then proceed to parking. Obviously if the child will still be with you in the car you can't curbside the car seat yet, but you can get rid of all the suitcases. At some of the less busy airports the curbside guy might even come out to the car and help wrangle. Make sure that Southwest has curbside at your airport though. They do at most larger sites. Consider "gate checking" the stroller if you'll want to have use of it inside the airport. If you do this, go through security with it and get the gate check tag as soon as you get to the gate counter. You may also be planning on family boading - you'll want to be ready with the stroller bagged and tagged at the start of boarding for your flight so that you don't miss family boarding getting everything bundled up. When you get to BWI you will retrieve the stroller the equivalent place that you dropped it outside the aircraft door, don't go up the air bridge without it. You might have to wait slighly for this - not usually too long, but don't rush to be the first off the plane, it won't be there that fast. It sounds like you are checking the car seat regularly, not planning to gate check or use it on the flight.     ... View more

@Gnelson wrote: One Geoff Nelson, after spending a day at the warehouse re-labeling 6000 bottles of booze from The Sh!t to new brand Real Good (vodka company Mr. Nelson is part of) did arrive at the Denver airport sweaty and tired.   Great story, your attention to detail is very good other than the part where you left the item in the toilet cover container    On the strength of your write-up I'll be sure to check out your brand when I see it. I'm not going through much vodka though - will you be producing anything else?        ... View more

@E-ticketi-liz wrote:  Are there really that many EBCI or A-Listers flying at 6:55 on a Sunday from MCO? I realize that if MCO is my home airport, I'm in a premium location, but this all seems a bit much.      I think Orlando is a unique place - you have a lot of business and convention activity, so there is some high traffic among A-listers visiting your city. Then there is also a fairly robust consulting industry there so A-listers are flying from MCO.   Then it is also a popular tourist area for when all these out of town business people want to take the family to see the mouse (like myself). Then also quite a few people that fly infrequently also flying to do the same thing without A-list, some of these go for EBCI.   Anyway, to make a long story short, my experience as an A-lister is that there are a lot of other A-listers coming and going to MCO. The one less-traveled scenario is leaving Orlando late evening which seems to be less busy, maybe due to people not traveling late with kids and business people paying for midday flights in general.           ... View more

@chgoflyer wrote: Note that a major policy change, effective for all travel after May 9, 2017, can effectively make Anytime or Business Select fares no longer fully refundable.   If you make any change to a refundable fare itinerary, it becomes non-refundable.   In order to reserve refundability, you must cancel and rebook, not change.   This is a huge, customer unfriendly policy change that I suspect will trip up many -- especially business travelers.   😞     I had done this a couple of times (not ususually getting BS fares except last minute anyway) but hadn't realized the policy change. Luckily I didn't end up needing to refund them, but I had been under the perception that they were if necessary. ... View more

@dfwskier wrote:   The easiest way to get an "A" boarding position is to be A List, but you have to fly at least 25 times a year to get it.  This is the "only" way without buying the business select fares - all over this communty we hear about EBCI getting B-positions a lot of the time, and as an A-list member myself I have been getting anywhere between A16 and A30's depending on the flight.    @dfwskier wrote: I don't know it for a fact, but I suspect that Southwest give it's A Listers their boarding positions first and then gives them to EBCIers next.   They absolutely do this, A-list preferred, A-list, and then EBCI all are assigned at 36 hours in that order. Among EBCI the order is based on when you added EBCI. Among the A-list and A-list preferred I'm not sure what the algorithm is but I suspect order of purchase and not "most senior" points or flights, although maybe it's some hybrid of these. It doesn't seem to only be seniority based on when I chat with my neighbors in the queue.     ... View more

@kerrigjl wrote: It is not hard to check either at the counter or gate. What we have done in that situation is to keep the stroller/car seat with us, gate check the stroller, and ask if there are open seats to put the car seat in (by the window) for our child to sleep in during the flight. If so, we take it on; if not, we gate check it and hold the child (assuming you're lap-childing; if you purchase a ticket, you can take the car seat on). If you decide to check it with bags at the counter, package the car seat/stroller in something protective; WN sells bags at the counter for $25 (?) that are rip-stop and have served us well on hundreds of flights since we had kids. We got our blue bags for $15, I believe the price has gone up since then, maybe $17. Well worth it to prevent scuffs from handling.    Our strategy is usually to curbside check if we're parking the car - obviously if you are traveing solo with kiddos then you can't get rid of the car seat yet, but you may be able to check everything else, go park the car, then bring the car seat back at the counter (allow extra time for all of this).   With my wife and I both traveling, we curbside and then wife and daughter go in at MDW with the stroller, I go park in economy garage and meet them at the gate.       Stroller we usually gate check so that we have it in the airport.  ... View more

I believe there was another recent thread that said since Southwest flies out of C gates, use the main terminal if you are checking any luggage.   Southwest doesn't maintain any curbside or ticket counters at the international terminal.               ... View more

@Aspec818 wrote: SW cancelled my flight and had me rebook. I was checked-in and ready to go with an A boarding group. When I re-booked the next available flight, I was bumped to the very end of the boarding group. Is this common practice for SWA? Seems only fair to me to maintain or upgrade cancelled passengers’ boarding positions, no? They can only offer the positions that are open, since the other flight was already slotted with customers having boarding positions assuming it was the same day, you and any others being changed to that flight as a make-up would have to fill in any vacated positions or be added at the end.   If you are A-list or A+, you can board at "A61" which can help durding irregular operations.   I think you can request a refund if you had early bird since Southwest canceled the flight.       ... View more

@visco wrote: I do not plan on putting any ice packs in the ice chest. the trip is only a couple of hours, so the gallon ziplock bags that have the frozzen fish in them will not defrost in that amount of time.   I will double check to make sure that ziplock bags are good as long as what is in it is frozzen.   thanks Sounds great, good luck! Hopefully you have a big catch.     ... View more

Sounds straightforward, review the link and make sure your ice packs or whatever you use to keep things cool will comply and you should be okay.         ... View more

@bobbij1 wrote: Yes I will thank you, I suppose worst case scenario they make me check in one... The underseat item would probably also be put overhead if the FA came back through and it was sticking out too far - no one would be asking you if you had already put an item in the overhead at that point.   Only if it really stuck out, and if the overheads were all full (not even enough room for this little suitcase) - then you would have to gate check.      ... View more

@bec102896 wrote: I don't see why not as long as it meets the carry on baggage requirement such as height and weight (should it be a heavy umbrella) and doesn't have more than the TSA approved liquid (rain) on it 😂. But yes you should be fine I would put it in a bag (suitcase or backpack) as it is easier to deal with instead of putting it in the overhead bin by itself    Blake  Good point @bec102896 - dropping it in the overhead alone is a great recipe to carry it on, and not carry it off.   I have brought a small collapsible unit that fits in the pocket of my backpack many times.     ... View more

@TheMiddleSeat wrote: How many years of bad luck would come from opening an umbrella in a plane?   --TheMiddleSeat Less than opening a limburger and fried liver sandwich.     ... View more

@mardan69 wrote: Dear Sir/Madam:   Confirmation number: T6K9AY,  Travel funds: $402.98. booked a ticket to Seattle and a return ticket to Dallas on June 4, 2017 and only cancelled a ticket for Dallas to Seattle on June 27, 2017. May I book a ticket to Los Angeles on June 11 with my travel funds? Thanks,   Daniel Wang   I don't believe so, it would be June 4th for the expiration if I'm understanding that was the date that you bought the original ticket. As noted below, you can use the link to check the dates if you are unsure. ... View more

@bandld wrote: I never received a mobile boarding pass option from following my original confirmation email check-in link. I have tried for two days to get one. Though I have tried the email again and again, the new app over and over, and the full website all morning, there is no option for me to get one, only the link to the instruction page (which is useless.) I'm being run around in circles. I'm now at the airport and have talked to 5 different employees who have no clue. I have tried the 1-800 southwest numbers but the wait time for a call back is 70+ minutes. This is not the first time southwest has not given me any boarding pass options. Going to the print page on the full website only gives me a watermarked physically printed copy. Did you know that if you save that image all you get is the water mark? Emailing myself the reservation again still gives me the same check-in link without any boarding pass options. The app is also devoid of boarding pass options and only has the same useless help link. I am really frustrated. I've wasted 6 hours of my life. The other forum topics talk about not being able to get mobile boarding passes for "single passengers", "traveling families", "two names on one reservation", etc. That is every type of passenger! No other airline we've traveled in the past 5 years has this problem.  If you are at the airport - and your flight is today - then you should go to a kiosk and print a paper copy so that you don't spend any more time on the mobile pass.   If your flight isn't today, then you may not be able to get a boarding pass yet - they are only available 24 hours prior to your flight. ... View more

@MJStewart wrote: I’m trying to book a flight for my 3 year old on a flight my husband and I are already booked on. Someone else booked and purchased our flights (for work). The website won’t allow us to book her flight alone because she looks like an unaccompanied minor. Help! Calling customer service but wait time is 64 minutes and only 3 seats are left on this flight. Thanks! The "three seats" might be at that particular price - so not desirable to pay more, but you may still have room to get on the plane.   But as @TheMiddleSeat said - there should be an option after you click through to enter the confirmation number and name of one of the two of you to confirm that the child willi be accompanied.     ... View more

@Stacey1515 wrote: Hi i have a question my luggage is 24 inch but with the wheels is 25 and a  half, do you think it can still fit in the overhead cabin? Is because my luggage is so fragile that im scare to send down the airplane and the luggage broke. If you have successfully taken it as carry-on for other airlines, it most likely would fit on Southwest's airplanes.     ... View more

@kalyan wrote: Hai Lindsey,   can you please send me drink coupons Check the advice above to make sure you are opted in to receiving them - I don't believe anyone on the community can send drink coupons.     ... View more

Don't post your confirmation number here, this isn't a secure area. You should contact customer service with this request - this forum is a peer-to-peer community.     ... View more

They have sent me "kicktail" coupons in the past where the staff can enter a drawing for prizes of some kind...tell them you want to send some "virtual kicktail" to that FA.   Reminder if on Twitter or Facebook, never post your confirmation number in public - wait until Southwest (@SouthwestAir on twitter) intiatites a direct message before you send that info.       ... View more

@sandrajohnson wrote: purchased early bird, how do I check in and when and where can the bording pass be printed? You will be automatically checked-in at T-36 hours.   However, you still have to wait until 24 hours or less prior to the flight to "retrieve" your boarding pass. You can do it anytime between 24 hours and up until you arrive at the airport and need it for security, prior to the scheduled departure.   Clarification: you can download on your PC and print at home, download to phone, have it texted to you in a link, or print at the airport when you arrive.   ... View more

We would hope that Southwest would be understanding of your schedule in case of irregular operations since you are flying them throughout. (No warranty if mixing airlines on a trip.)   Otherwise agreed - one-way tickets make a lot of sense in other ways, the downside seems to be during a chain of delays you may lose some protections - but which they would in theory still honor.   Side-note: no hidden city ticketing on Southwest...I haven't noticed any scenarios where doing that would make sense, compared to the other major airlines where they do have more variable pricing. Also you'd forfeit your points!       ... View more

@franktravel wrote: I have had the Companion Pass for over 6 years and have flown on over 80 round trip flights and have never had to show it!    Hope this helps  Same here, I think four years or so for me. You should be good as long as names match, etc. You may be able to login online and save the screenshot as a backup if you were more comfortable. ... View more

@Richnanners wrote: Why can't you even respond to my baggage inquiries? Here is my incident# LASWNO1980024. And, why can't I file a claim either ? The web page just swirls like a flushing of a toilet. Oh I forgot here is the flight# 1789 that flew from Nashville, TN to Las Vegas, NV on 5/21/2018. Can somebody get some answers? We are fellow flyers - good for advice or even if you just want to vent, but not customer service - you'll have to contact Southwest directly about your incident number.       ... View more

It's not like UPS unfortunately, the bags aren't tracked in the same way.   They do have your name on them from the sticker, but if that comes off they will have no idea unless you have some identifying information or your own name tag on the luggage with contact information.   I don't believe it to be very common occurence, but the luggage could also have been stolen at the destination when it went on the carousel.   ... View more

@rtbarron wrote: As I said before, Southwest generally bends over backwards to satisfy the Customer. In this case you are clearly right and I'd be honestly surprised if somebody in the Customer Service chain of command won't fix this problem for you. I think it is built into the current version of the website, so I doubt that customer service will be able to make an override.    A workaround may be to book a flight worth the value of the two gift cards you want to combine, then change that flight to the real one with the extra forms of payment.   I also suggest to book one-way instead of round trip - I recommend this anyway - but this may also allow you to use three forms of payment on one leg, and three other forms of payment on the second leg.     ... View more

There are plenty of seasonal routes. I've also encountered direct from MDW to PNS available in the spring/summer but not in January when I've been traveling there.     ... View more