Southwest Airlines Community

If it was booked as a round-trip, I suggest calling customer service.  I am fairly sure that you can only cancel the back half of a round trip ticket online AFTER you have traveled the first half.  That was one of the reasons that I started booking a lot of one way tickets on routes where I might have a change.   safe travels, especially on the road trip. ... View more

Thank you for posting and hosting — the testimonial and the Medical Transportation Grant Program, that is.   What an uplifting story for a Monday! ... View more

So sorry this happened.  That was a busy flight weekend at MSY because of Spring break and the Crescent City Classic.  I always try to leave extra time for MSY whenever it is close to event time.  They try to staff up but the crowds can be overwhelming, for everyone including your son.  That doesn’t excuse the rude behavior of the gate agent, and I hope future flights go much better. ... View more

Thanks Southwest and Alan for giving Randy such a special day! ... View more

Southwest does not require any ID — same requirements as TSA.  I used to bring my child’s immunization records, but I don’t think it was required.    Have a a good flight! ... View more

@Sman , sorry about your front row issue. I have not seen the crew hold those seats for others, but I am rarely on a flight with a stop and no plane change.    As for the second issue, FAA regulations require everyone to be seated in the descent, even flight attendants.  If one had gotten up, the pilot would have had to pull up and circle more.  I know it seems like they are not helping but government rules have their seats tied (instead of their hands).  One time, the air conditioning condensation was pouring on me during takeoff and I got the bell, not knowing what was going on and they explained why they couldn’t get up over the intercom and told me to turn off my light unless it was a true emergency.  They came down after cruising altitude was reached and explained why.  I was soaking wet at that pint, but I understood that they don’t control that part of the aircraft.     Sorry for the problems on your trip — fortunately HOU to AUS isn’t far (and that is often my mantra on flights.).  Flying comes with its challenges but I am glad not to be a pioneer person.   ... View more

@alexisnnika , First, I hope her travels go well. Second, most of the attendant and wheelchair services are specific to the airport and not the airline.  You don’t mention which airport, but I would start with a search about that location and I would allow LOTS of time.  Will you be traveling with her or is she traveling alone?     If if you search these discussion boards for wheelchair, you will see that peopl have had good and bad experiences.  As I mentioned, I would check the airport website first, and if no information, I would start at the front desk of Southwest airline when she arrives...unless you think she might even have trouble getting from curb to door, in which case, I would ask at the curbside check-in.     Pre-planning and lots of time allowed before departure.  I hope it all goes well for her. ... View more

@Cbaugh , yes, I have never noticed the gate info being on the boarding pass in Apple Wallet, so I have always used the app to keep tabs.  Most likely, it is because gates are subject to frequent changes, so the company would want people to verify the gate number rather than trying on the gate assignment when they checked in.  I could see more missed flights if people did not go to the app for the most current info.   To make sure that I have the right gate info, I will often check both the app and FlightAware.  Part of the reason for that is that one of my most used destination airports was notoriously late in posting gate information (versus New Orleans who keeps up with gate info well, but often struggles with posting baggage carousels).   I hope that helps give you the perspective of why gate info and boarding pass may not be hooked together (and I admit that part of my drive to know the most current gate info is that I am often rushing to the gate at the last minute). ... View more

PVD-MCO-MSY fortunately 5 hours not too bad and the family members are a teacher with three student children so no work the next day.  But they do have a 2 hour drive home from MSY so hopefully it won’t be weather delayed on top of the schedule delay.   I am so very used to delays that they rarely phase me any more, but I know they can be frustrating.  Hopefully that you are in the clear, @emcadam2 ! ... View more

@emcadam2, the fickle karma bug just landed on my head.  I got an email a few minutes ago that those late May flights are being rescheduled to 5 hours later.  So that means they are looking at the schedule very far in advance.  Hope that gives some comfort about last minute cancellations.   ... View more

@emcadam2, I empathize with your nervousness,  as I have put several family members on future flights.  As @bec102896 mentioned, there are occasionally weather or mechanical reasons for changes to the times, crafts or crews, and I expect that with the Max 8’s out of commission, that it is harder to cover adjustments when needed.     Lately though, there are so many postings on this board from new arrivals re cancellations that I am starting to wonder if SWA is getting trolled on these boards. Few are providing flight numbers or times, just locations.  No one (out of six flights) that I knew had any problems flying in March other than weather, thankfully.  It is not a huge sample size but all were longer haul flights.   Travel is never guaranteed to be smooth, and it is so frustrating when it is not, but I am not going to reschedule my family’s flights because I trust Southwest’s people to do their best to make it as painless as possible.  That has been my decades of experience with them, so I expect that will continue.    I know that doesn’t completely sooth your worries (or my own) but I hope that hearing about recent March flights that had no problems might help a bit. Good news doesn’t get posted as much as bad news, but there is still more of the former than the latter.   I hope your travels go smoothly.  Have fun in JAX. ... View more

@sirjeff, are you referring to the latest sale announced for “random holidays”?  An internet search tells me that it is a day that has a name but not much else,...and it shares the spotlight with Couples Appreciation Day.  Guess I better go shopping to appreciate my significant other now (even though I did not it was a holiday five minutes ago.). I will have to choose something that represents the weight and magnitude of the day, so I am thinking a pack of gum or an ink pen.   I enjoyed what I interpreted as the humor of the ad for the sale, and I hope you do too.   ... View more

@LoveSpring,  I believe that ELDP stands for  Emerging Leadership Development Program within the Southwest Airlines business.     I almost wrote SWA but I should not reply to a question about an acronym with yet another acronym, right? ... View more

@sarahb3589 , yikes.  So sorry that this happened to you.  Like @bec102896, I suggest contacting them but I would probably opt for a letter.  It would be up to you to consider whether the letter should be instead of a call or in addition to a call. Southwest may not be able to immediately provide compensation but they may be able to provide something at a later time, and having the request in writing (versus only a phone call) will increase the likelihood of them being able to get back to you.     I am thinking that it may be later because Boeing finally released a statement about the Max 8, so I tend to think there will be some settlement between them and the airlines in the future.    Retooling the flights and crews, etc, usually could be done in advance of that 8 hour window of notification in most cases, so the money aspect is bad and the timing is worse.   As you have been a customer for years, I especially hope that you will give them another chance once all the Max 8 challenges get worked out.  This situation is not the norm for the company and, like weather delays, the rescheduling, the extra costs, the inconvenience for their customers is not typical.   Again, so sorry that this happened to you. ... View more

@ErinP , sorry that this happened.  I have used the call back feature with good results except once when I called from my office.  It picked up the main switchboard rather than my direct dial, so once I started using my personal cell phone number as a callback, that worked better, even when I call from my office phone .     Good luck and I hope you can get it changed to times-dates so that you can travel.  If you end up needing to cancel, be sure to write down your confirmation number, expiration date and travel funds amount for future use.  Based on these discussion boards and the cancellations due the Max 8 rescheduling, there seem to be a lot of people who do not know that the traveler has to track their own travel funds because there is nothing that posts to your RR account.   ... View more

@TheJules2019 ,  Blake summarized my thoughts on departure, and I wanted to add a comment about the return.  Nashville TSA lines can be very unpredictable.  The town draws a lot of tourists and a lot of conventions, so I suggest making sure you arrive at the two hour mark.  I use BNA a lot, and I never can predict when the line will be 10 or 100 deep.  The TSA group really understand that they have to be diligent and as quick as possible, so they seem to hustle the lines along.  I have not missed a flight there yet but I have cut it terribly close from time to time.   Have a great trip!   ... View more

@heilenak ,   hmm, I have to line up with @TheMiddleSeat on this one.  I have probably exchanged tens of thousands of dollars of tickets (sorry, SWA schedulers) and have never had a problem (except that they have to be used within one year).  Also one has to cancel at least ten minutes before the flight departure.     Normally I get “travel funds” for the exchange and I have to track the original confirmation number, but I would not get a voucher (or be offered one).  If you can share more details without revealing private info, we might be able to help.    Sorry this happened.  Don’t lose faith!  All airlines can be frustrating; and although SWA give me great customer service in my opinion, there are some things that many folks would like to see changed.  I would like to see my travel funds when I log into their website, but I have to track them separately at this point, and it is not a computer glitch that causes that.     ... View more

@Mikeyeggs , I also wish the airlines had more direct flights, but their history is the short haul flyers in Texas and the Southwest.  Although they have grown to become an international carrier, they have kept their eye on keeping their traditional customer base happy and moved slowly on expansion into new areas like the NorthEast.     Of course, they want your business, but they know that even their most loyal customers fly other airlines when those customers might not be in their heartbeat region.  They believe in performing well and growing well, rather than trying to take over the skies all at once.  Their “turn time” is very fast at some of their main airports (HOU, DAL, and Midway), that connections (or stops with no plane change) go pretty well for me.  (I have not had that experience with another large airport in the Chicago area unfortunately, so I try to avoid it (even if direct). And my running joke about ATL is that it is “the land of the gate change”, so never pass a flight screen without checking again to see if headed to the right gate.  So I know well your desire for direct flights.   Hopefully you will keep checking the SWA schedules, and at some point in the future, you will see the direct flight you need.  Safe travels in the meantime, regardless of what carrier you choose. ... View more

If you do not want to board as a disabled passenger but want to come as close as possible to guaranteeing seats together, I would suggest buying early bird check in.  It is not a guarantee though, especially if a crowded route.  However boarding together before the A group boards is probably gives you your best chance, especially if you know you need it.  You might add extra anxiety by not knowing, and you could even do both to reduce worry if you so choose.   ... View more

Hello @lorisue , if you are trying to redeem points for flights, first, congratulations on accumulating enough points and second, you do not have to call customer service.  You can go to the website, put in the flight information, then look on the upper right where you have a choice of clicking dollars or points.  You can just go through the regular process at that point.  You will owe at least $5.60 per direction.     Have a good trip! ... View more

@AN90, And I will add that it can be a real pain if you are just going for a weekend fun trip to remember that 24 hour check in for Sunday when one is in the middle of Saturday fun.     I have purchased one way tickets with an Early Bird check in on Sunday when traveling with a non A-List person just to avoid having to set my alarm, stop what I am doing and check them in at the 24 hour moment.  Even though I am A-List Preferred, I try not to save seats.  But I remember many a weekend forgetting to check in at the 24 hour moment when I was in the middle of doing something fun, so I just finally gave up!   have a good trip! ... View more

@judygolfing, if you are located anywhere around the middle of the country, please keep in mind that many flights are “one stop, no change of planes,” so you might be the first Business Select or Early Bird Boarder and still see a great many passengers in the front rows.  When a plane lands, the attendants usually say “and if you are continuing on to .... with us, please remain in your original seat until we can get a through count.  After that, you are free to change seats and use the lavatory.”  Many through passengers find it advantageous to move to the first few rows during these breaks between landing and boarding.     I know that does not address your specific situation if you see people that board first saving seats for later boarders, but even if you buy early bird (or if you are A-List Preferred), you may not be able to get one of the first seats on the plane.  I occasionally buy early bird for fellow travelers, but it has more to do with getting the guaranteed check-in than getting a specific seat.     And yes, you can buy one and save the seats for others as it is “free range seating,” but when I sit in the back, I time the deplaning, and it is typically less than ten minutes. So I let those folks save their seats if they want to put up with the hassle of being questioned frequently and with some people actually taking the seat.  Not me.  I don’t want to sit by those people and usually ten minutes is not a big deal.  I always secretly hope that they are on a special trip like a family reunion or going to a wedding, because it helps me justify their behavior.  I will never know but for me, it is just another business trip and the seat does not matter.  As others have mentioned, some people feel passionate about it, even though I do not.  I hope you get a chance to relax and enjoy your flying time wherever your travels take you. ... View more

@patmelluzzo,  There are many times when I wish SWA had a direct flight, and I often have to remember that the airline grew from serving the short haul customer.  I have either taken another airline or made the connection, and I often found that the fare differential between the two airlines makes it well worth sacrificing a few hours for a connection.  It is really convenient to live in a hub, and it is almost always easier to get direct flights from a hub starting point.      Safe travels and although I live where I always have to connect, most times, I appreciate the SWA savings, and I hope you will always compare the departure times, the fairs and the no fee to cancel or check bags to determine which airline is for you. ... View more

@andreajenkins22, if you do not have a Southwest Credit Card, you might consider getting one for your normal purchases (gas, grocery, etc) as that may add to your “tier qualifying points.”  I have found the annual fee to be worth the cost and I just pay the balance off each month.  Don’t wait until late in the year, however, because the points don’t post until the monthly statement closes.    Good of luck on getting to the next tier! ... View more

@teesa2you, Welcome to the world of air travel, and thank you for reasearching and learning about it before heading to the airport.  There are many different rules to learn between TSA and the airline, as well as just figuring out ground transportation (park? shared ride? taxi?).  Have a great flight and I hope all goes off on time without any problems.  Report back and let us know your experience.  There are a lot of folks like me who are on a plane frequently (as in once or more per week), so hearing from a new flyer helps provide a fresh new perspective.     Enjoy! ... View more

Hello @MarcLopata, I am sorry that happened, and there is some controversy about the cause of these recent maintenance cancellations.  Some believe that the cancellations are a tactic from the maintenance union as they and the airline are currently in negotiations.  On the other hand, if a mechanic or pilot reports a problem, the safety aspect would be important enough for a flight cancellation.       There has also been a fair number of late winter storms impeding aircraft moving through the regular flight patterns.      I hope all the negotiation issues get resolved soon because, like you and most other passengers, I appreciate on-time flights.   As far as your extra out of pocket cost, you could try putting together a letter for Customer Service explaining the matter.  The people at headquarters have options for responding that a gate agent may not be able to initiate. But then again, I would not have too many expectations because a true “maintenance cancellation” does not typically call for a reimbursement.  And passengers cannot make that determination.   Best of luck and safe travels in the future.  Like you, I am looking forward to on-time schedules as soon as possible (to the extent possible — of course, there is always weather and some other issues that can cause delays).  I am sure airline management is hoping for the same.   ... View more