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11-29-2017
03:08 PM
@katyleeadams wrote: So if the credit card is primarily in my name, and he travels and books using his rapid rewards numbers it will still show up in my account? He booked a flight today and it's not showing as an upcoming trip when I log in to my account on SW. Thanks! No, you're confusing two different things. Rapid Rewards points earned for flights taken go only to the passenger who took the flight. He can't enter your number, the system won't accept it. He should enter his Rapid Rewards number so that he can earn points for the flight. Points earned from the credit card go to the Rapid Rewards account of the primary owner of the credit card account, even if the points were from purchases made by an approved user.
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11-29-2017
02:41 PM
11-29-2017
02:41 PM
Common sense would be to have a specific policy that spells out whether seat saving is or is not allowed. As it is, any passenger who wanted the seat you were saving could have taken it. And FAs are directed to not intervene in these situations. So, you were lucky.
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11-29-2017
12:56 PM
The issue is widespread and has been happening since Monday. 😞 Southwest Airlines Customers Face Problems With Carrier’s Website & App
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11-29-2017
12:50 PM
11-29-2017
12:50 PM
The requirements have not changed. Preboarding is available for those with disabilities who require a specific seat or assistance boarding the plane. Anyone needing extra time boarding may board between the A and B groups.
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None of Southwest's planes have power outlets, and they have no plans to add it. (They recently retrofitted the fleet with new seats and didn't add power then, which would have been the perfect time to do so.) The official reason is that it would add weight to the plane, which would increase fuel costs and decrease profits. If you do consider flying Southwest to Hawaii (sometime in 2019 is likely the earliest), be aware that they have also stated they have no desire to fly red-eyes or overnight flights. For long flights, you might want to consider a portable travel battery pack.
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11-29-2017
01:07 AM
11-29-2017
01:07 AM
Southwest's IT department has their hands full just trying to keep the website running. (It's been experiencing issues for 2 days now.) Mobile boarding passes for multi-passenger itineraries has been requested since they started offering mobile boarding passes. One hopes it will happen soon, but knowing how Southwest implements IT (keep in mind that they were one of the last carriers to even offer mobile BPs) one isn't particularly optimistic. Southwest is Broken Right Now
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11-27-2017
03:40 AM
FYI: I posted a lengthy reply yesterday, but for some reason (?) it apparently has to be approved by a moderator.
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11-26-2017
03:10 AM
1 Love
Southwest has officially only committed to the intention of flying to Hawaii. Tickets may go on sale in 2018, and it's expected that service may actually begin sometime in 2019.
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11-26-2017
03:07 AM
11-26-2017
03:07 AM
This is a great suggestion, and has been frequently requested, but there's been nothing to indicate that it will happen anytime soon. At best, it's previously been acknowledged with the standard "taken to Heart / shared with Senior Leaders via summary." Southwest's IT team has a lot of plates spinning right now, and unfortunately they've never been particularly good at keeping them all in the air. 😉
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11-26-2017
02:59 AM
11-26-2017
02:59 AM
@tbate2426 wrote: Keep in mind Southwest doesn't refund or credit the Early Bird purchase in case you cancel the flight. They credit the ticket but not the EB. So, only buy it at the last minute when you are sure about your trip. Be aware that EBCI positions are allocated based on date of purchase. Meaning that buying it "last minute" is a Very Bad Idea, since you'll be given a position not much better than those checking at t-24. Yes, EBCI is not refundable if you cancel. A work-around is to not cancel, but instead "change" to any other flight that's the same or lower cost at some distant point in the future. Then, when you're ready to book the flight you'll actually take, change the "dummy" booking to the real one. Your EBCI position will be based on the date that you've changed to / booked the new flight.
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11-24-2017
02:15 AM
11-24-2017
02:15 AM
@BullsFan wrote: this is a definite problem but the bigger problem is people saving seats, sometimes entire exit rows SWA does have specifiice rules on this- customers are allowed to chose any unoccupied seat, but SWA refuses to require their FA's to enfore that rule This is incorrect. Southwest "has no official policy for or against seat saving." There's no "rule" to enforce. Customers are "free to take any available seat." Southwest allows seat saving, hopes that customers "don't save too many seats," and in the case of conflicts, expects passengers to "work it out among themselves." FAs don't get involved, and in fact are directed to not get involved unless seat saving "interferes with the boarding process."
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11-23-2017
02:34 PM
11-23-2017
02:34 PM
@DancingDavidE wrote: I think I had one when I first made A-list about five years ago, but that one is lost, it would be handy to have a new one or two. Southwest has previously sent bag tags as a customer thank-you, but those tags provided no priority bag handling. They were just bag tags.
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11-23-2017
02:32 PM
11-23-2017
02:32 PM
Great idea, but... It's very unlikely that, even if they issued tags, the bags would be segregated or receive any preferential treatment. Southwest has no baggage tracking system. They don't even scan bag tags en route. For your suggestion to be implemented, Southwest would have to complete the long-rumored upgrade to their baggage handling system, and there's no indication that is happening anytime soon.
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Southwest allows seat saving. But don't worry, they've shared your feedback with Senior Leaders, so the problem is solved. </sarcasm>
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11-22-2017
11:48 AM
1 Love
No. EarlyBird Check-In exists as a revenue generator for Southwest, so you can only purchase it using a credit card. The fee is $15 per person each way, regardless of the number of connections. If they do become separated at boarding, the first to board can save a seat for the other one. Southwest allows seat saving. Note that, if they ask to preboard because they need more time to board, they will be told to board after Family Boarding (between A and B groups). The criteria for preboarding includes disability requiring the necessity of a specific seat, and/or assistance boarding the plane.
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11-20-2017
11:03 PM
11-20-2017
11:03 PM
Also, check your RR account and make sure you received points for the flights. If not: You can request past flight points for up to 12 months after your flight. To claim points for a past flight, simply log into your account, select My Account and choose the Manage tab within My Rapid Rewards. Choose Request past points in the grey bar and enter your record locator (confirmation number) from your reservation. After verification of your flight information (approximately 3-5 days), points will be deposited into your account.
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11-20-2017
08:53 PM
There was indeed a limitation in the old booking system that precluded offering red eyes, but Southwest has also stated they have no desire to fly them anytime soon. @DancingDavidE wrote: I understood from other posts on these boards that the redeye flight limitation was partly due to the reservation software, which with the recent upgrade may have relaxed the hours of operation for flights. I've found the 5 a.m. flights to be relatively busy, but the redeye flights usually I've had plenty of room to stretch out. Also, be aware that a very late arrival is not technically a red eye. 😉
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Payment doesn't matter. All that matters is that the charges post before your Chase account cycle closing date, and that the resulting points then post to your Rapid Rewards account prior to the end of the year. In general, Chase sends the points to Southwest within a few days after closing, and in general Southwest posts those within a few days of receiving them. It can be as quick as 1-2 days, but in some cases can take a week or more. With your billing cycle closing on the 17th, you should be in good shape to have any points from purchases made before then count towards companion pass this year. Good luck.
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11-20-2017
03:31 PM
Those flights are morel likely much about positioning the plane for other flights. Southwest is "plane poor" at the moment, so they are working to maximize the utilization of every plane they do have. (I realize this doesn't make having to travel at inopportune times any better, just an explanation.)
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11-20-2017
03:13 PM
Vouchers can't be extended, even for a $100 fee. But I suspect you actually mean travel funds. It's a bit confusing, so it's important to understand the terminology and the difference between travel funds and vouchers. Travel funds are what you have when you cancel your flight, or change/rebook it for a lower fare. These are held under the confirmation number of the original flight. They are good for use towards future travel (base fare plus taxes & fees) by the original passenger(s) only, and all new travel must be completed within one year of the original purchase date. Be aware that, when you apply travel funds to a new reservation, all funds on the reservation (including any new money) take on the oldest expiration date of any travel funds applied. Meaning the new flights(s) will have an expiration that's less than one year, possibly much less. After travel funds have expired (not before), you can call Customer Relations at 1-855-234-4654 (not the main "regular" number) and request reissue as a LUV voucher, for a fee of $100 (as of 11/2017). You have 6 months after expiration in which to make this request, and the voucher will be valid for 6 months from the date of issue. Each reissue request is considered on a case-by-case basis, and everything about this unpublished policy, including the fee amount, is subject to change at any time. Vouchers are what you have if you've been given a customer service credit by Southwest, for things like mechanical delays, or volunteering to give up your seat, or a reissue of expired travel funds. These use a 16-digit number plus a 4-digit security code. Vouchers can be used for air travel by anyone, but are only applicable towards the base fare, not including any taxes or fees which must be paid separately. In general, vouchers cannot be extended.
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11-19-2017
11:59 PM
@SouthwestSue wrote: Yes -- it is incredibly difficult to keep track of these travel funds/credits. My family had a flight cancelled on them after waiting for over 4 hours at the airport (Southwest kept delaying the flight until it was too late to find a flight that night) bc Southwest did not have a flight crew to fly the plane. There were no weather issues or any other issue which was out of Southwest's control. As a result, my family had to buy expensive last minutes tickets for the next morning and lost value time at a family function. Now, I almost couldn't even find these travel funds. Come on Southwest -- do the right thing. Show these credits on your Account Info section so that they can be used efficiently and appropriately. Southwest does everything right but this is very shady! I almost think that they want you to forget -- it's plain wrong! Especially in my circumstance when it was TOTALLY their fault. Our family should actually be compensated for the extra cost that we had to pay -- really this is shameful! Do the right thing!! I'm not sure I understand your situation. If your flight was cancelled, you were due a full refund back to the original form of purchase, not travel funds.
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11-19-2017
11:54 PM
11-17-2017
10:52 PM
It's sweet that you think Southwest values anything as much as the bottom line these days. 😉 While I wish that were still true, evidence continues to indicate that it's sadly not. Of course, I'm could be completely wrong, and Southwest will prove me so by implementing any of the great suggestions made in this thread. Do let me know when that happens. 😉
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11-17-2017
04:40 AM
1 Love
The companion pass qualifying point counter resets to 0 each Jan. 1. Any points you earn are posted (usually) a few days following the closing date on your Chase card account. Your points will most likely post in 2017.
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11-16-2017
12:52 PM
11-16-2017
12:52 PM
@fraudpro wrote: https://www.southwest.com/account/rapidrewards/points/buy-points?CLK=471000&EMD&RR_NUMBER=41af2fdffc8821c027b33f6fa8b2c682aaeee222&src=MAILRRU188000&RSD=2807&RMID=L_171116_RREU_Points_Extended&RRID=ebff87b04dd465ee3c2f9a326948a2337cfef72c43e63860316ae786121ac4e2&int= Today's promotion to buy points is above. I want to know if we buy these points, will they qualify for A List Preferred? THX! No. Purchased points do not count towards A-List. In the past, Southwest offered some specific customers the ability to "buy up" to A-List, but I know of no such current promotion.
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11-16-2017
12:50 PM
First, are you sure you actually received EarlyBird Check-In? While people often get B and even C positions after paying the fee, C40 when purchased 10 days prior to departure would be unusual. To verify it was received, your boarding pass must have said "EarlyBird Check-In" on it. Due to the infamous Southwest "glitch," many people pay the fee but don't actually receive the service. If you didn't get it, Southwest will refund your fee. Second, your suggestions may make sense to you but aren't really workable for Southwest, who've never been known for great technology. Aside from the IT limitations, they're unlikely to be implemented because there's no incentive for Southwest. EBCI was created to generate revenue. Last year Southwest earned well over $250 million on EBCI alone. As long as that cash cow continues to make milk I can't see them making changes to the program -- aside from yet another potential fee increase, which is the method they use to manage it. Due to how it's structured, EBCI is self-limiting, so ultimately it will reach a point where the fee can't be increased, and returns begin to decrease. At that point Southwest will likely address their boarding system and how best to monetize it with a complete overhaul, which many expect will include assigned seating.
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11-14-2017
10:04 PM
11-14-2017
10:04 PM
No. As of this writing (11/14/17) mobile boarding passes are still not available for those on multi-passenger itineraries.
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11-14-2017
03:31 PM
3 Loves
As you've learned, the cost of buying points negates the value of those points. The best advice is to purchase points 1) only in small increments, if needed to "top off" and purchase a specific fare, and/or 2) when there is a special points offer that grants additional points or a reduction in point price. Southwest uses a 3rd party to manage their points sales/transfer/gift function, as a profit center.
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Southwest uses a 3rd party for the points transfer/sale/gift function, as a profit center. The fee to transfer points is 1 cent per point, which negates much of the value of those points. RR points belong to the name of the person whose account they reside in. Only that person, if they are also a Chase Southwest RR Visa cardholder, can redeem them through More Rewards. An authorized user is only allowed to use the credit card account of another person to make purchases, which then earn points for the cardholder only. In the past, Southwest has briefly allowed all RR members, not just those with the RR Visa card, to access More Rewards. It's been a couple years since they did this, but it's possible they may offer it again.
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@TheMiddleSeat wrote: And to clarify refundability in this case, if the original purchase was WGA then it's non refundable to begin with. If Anytime was purchased, it's refundable, but when "upgrading" you're better off not refunding and having funds held as travel funds so they can be used immediately towards the purchase of the BS fare. If there's an actual refund they would go back to the travel system and the flyer would be back at step one. Mixing non refundable and refundable money makes all the money non refundable so if the original purchase was WGA, the new BS ticket would be non refundable. This isn't completely correct. This situation is complicated by Southwest's recent policy change regarding "refundable" fares, combined with the passenger and purchaser being two separate entities. Anytime fare: If the original fare was Anytime, and you change the flight to Business Select, you will lose the ability to get a refund at any future date. An employer would likely be upset to learn that they can't get their funds back if necessary, when they had purchased a refundable fare in the first place for exactly that reason. The funds would now be locked into the name of the passenger. If you cancel the Anytime fare, hoping to upgrade to BS, the refund would be sent to the purchaser. Meaning that this avenue of upgrade isn't possible in this scenario. Wanna Get Away fare: If the original fare was WGA, and you change the flight to Business Select, the original portion of the fare will remain non-refundable (locked in the name of the passenger), but the new funds added to purchase Business Select will be refundable (assuming no further changes are made to the itinerary), back to the form of purchase used for the "upgrade." If you cancel the WGA fare, hoping to upgrade to BS, you can use the funds from the original booking towards the BS one, and everything essentially works the same as above. NOTE: If you upgrade to a Business Select ticket from a Wanna Get Away fare that you currently have, the original Wanna Get Away portion of the ticket will remain nonrefundable. Any new funds that you apply to make up the difference will be refundable, as long as you make no further changes to the itinerary. The absurd "refundable" policy change has unnecessarily complicated things. One hopes Southwest follows through on their promise to address the system limitation that allegedly caused this strange policy change to be put in place. And soon.
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