Southwest Airlines Community

@Justme2018, I would suggest calling the Rapid Rewards customer service line for clarification.  First, do you and your friend realize that a transfer of points costs money?  That is why most people do not go that route.  The cost is usually close to the cost of a wannaGetAway fare, so, that is why people book tickets for others.  Assuming your account is getting an influx of points regularly, then I would expect that once the points enter your account, the expiration clock would be set to your account activity.  That is, if you fly regularly or use a Rapid Rewards VISA that puts points in your account monthly, the points may not expire.  Again, call RR customer service just to be sure to verify.   A transfer is just usually not the answer to the problem.  Good luck!   ... View more

@Stephanieb41, my experience is that the temporary will work but I had to agree to a more complete screening— full patdown and bag inspection.  I had to allow more time but it didn’t prevent me from boarding the plane.    Safe and fun travels. ... View more

Perhaps you will get lucky and sit next to a frequent flyer like me.  I am almost always offering drink tickets to my seat mates/rowmates.  I fly a lot of mornings when I do not want a drink so I have a stack of them (but not so many that I want to opt out). ... View more

@Angrycustomer88,  not reboarding the plane is an FAA policy, not a Southwest policy.  Though I do not agree with the flight attendant’s methods, she was attempting to enforce policies that the federal government set up for everyone’s flying safety.  Just like locks on the cockpit door, the federal government concluded that if people could get back on, they might leave something aboard that could be dangerous (even though I would argue that they were screened in the first place so how?). But I do not know how secure the outer doors on the jetway are.     The airline has to enforce FAA safety standards, so even though she was overly aggressive, she is required to assume you had been trying to do something bad to the plane and that you did not care about anyone getting in your way.   I remember when the FAA required a pat down of any passengers flying on a one way ticket after 2001 because a suicidal terrorist would not pay for a round trip ticket.  I was relieved when they changed that policy, but I grudgingly complied knowing that someone deemed that it was for everyone’s safety, and I knew complaints to the agent doing the patdown were not the proper channel to voice disagreement.   I know the experience was bad, but remembering that the people who did the bombings did not even care about their own lives is the reason for the aggression. Terrorists are not reasonable people so the attendants are trained for that potential situation to enforce the rules assuming that the offender is unreasonable.     It is similar to joking about guns in the TSA line.  They can haul off a person and lock them up for a time just for what seems like an exercise of free speech, but jokes are not appropriate in every situation, and those folks are working toward our safety.  I hate that the 99.5% have to toe the line because 0.5% want to do harm, but unfortunately the 0.5% operate completely different from the average Joe or Jane and people charged with law enforcement have to be prepared mentally.     Someone will argue that the airlines at times have to empty a plane and then reboard it, but in those situations, the gate agent handles the boarding process and everyone has to have a boarding pass.  That process falls under a different process that a random person walking down a jetway toward the plane.  I even have seen gate agents start then stop the boarding process announcing that the flight attendants were not ready so they may be deemed the decision makers as to who gets on board when.   again, I am sorry this happened to you in this manner,  ... View more

@Jordanemery27, I agree with @dfwskier, I do not think EBCI would add anything.  As A list preferred, you can check in at 24 hours or eleven minutes before takeoff and you have the same spot in line.  On certain Monday mornings, there are a bunch of people going from one city to another (on what feels like the Southwest commuter bus) and we are always comparing notes on “now you are in front of me” or “I see they moved you up from the other side of the poles” etc. Most times when a massive switch is made, the answer is “I booked at the last minute so someone else must have cancelled or switched within 24 hours” because SWA fills in the open spots when that happens rather than changing the number everyone already has. ... View more

@SHAWMIX7, In addition to @bec102896’s comments, I would suggest that you write with all the flight details, etc.  anyone can call or drop an email about something but a carefully thought out and posted letter gets more of a response because the recipient knows it took more time. ... View more

@chgoflyer,  I found it interesting to see that Delta’s FF miles don’t expire.  I lost over 100,000 Delta miles about 20 years ago.  I had moved west and exited the Atlanta Hartsfield traffic, so I had not flown that airline for about a year.  I saw the miles go “poof”, researched why and learned a good lesson.  I don’t think that I have been on a Delta plane since then, so I see your point.  I wonder if it is accounting driven? The potential liability is why most grocery coupons have an expiration date.   I am A-List Preferred on SWA now, so that should tell the SWA marketing group that expiring miles can definitely have an impact on airline choice.  I am not really one to hold a grudge so part of it was a more western location, but I have been back to Atlanta since then and I took the now-merged AirTran rather than Delta.   Thanks for the details.   ... View more

@SHAWMIX7, that sounds amazingly terrible.  I am no clothes hound, so nothing would have kept me in my hotel room. I suggest you write in to customer service with all the details of the flight numbers, luggage tag numbers and the event that you missed.   Southwest Airlines P.O. Box 36647-1CR Dallas, Texas 75235 They are in the best position to handle complaints, and I personally have found that calling is not as effective as writing. ... View more

Sigh.  I get nostalgic about the days when we didn’t have to worry about ramming our knees into anything and when the safety speech bit about “keeping the area for your feet clear” meant something.  But alas, that is one pendulum that is not going to swing back, and more seats does equal cheaper flights.  SWA’s seating arrangements better than some others that I have flown, and I do not want to pay first class rates on other airlines so it is a trade off that I will have to live with.     Nostalgic moment from one long time customer — Knee room, khaki shorts on flight attendants, and peanuts.  I am showing my age (then again, my avatar does that for me). ... View more

@lipps46, Community Champions do not have access to any of your personal data, and when we see someone putting personal data in a post, we usually advise the poster to take it down.   If you choose to share personal data with a Champion, it would have to be thru a private message.  Hopefully that outside your mind at ease a bit.     I have been promoting Southwest’s culture and policies for about two decades now — actually before social media existed— so I am not really in for the “swag.”  I don’t turn it down when it is offered but that is not what motivated me to say yes when asked if I wanted to be a champion.  I just fly a lot and hope that I can help others who do not.   Your personal data is safe from us and I hope your travels are fun and safe wherever you may be headed. ... View more

Can one donate travel funds as well as Rapid Reward Points?  I have some small amounts that will potentially expire since I am limited as to how many can be used on one trip.   i realize that if they are about to expire, they might not benefit the charities.  So I am hoping that Southwest converts them to something usable for the charities (like cash) since it represents monies previously paid. ... View more

@gamemasterdls68,  I am sorry that this delay happened to you.  Having been a frequent traveler for work for decades, I have been frustrated with many different incidents and airlines.  I was very relieved when the Department of Transportation passed rules and penalties in 2010 which discouraged airlines from loading passengers on a plane and making them sit for 4-5 hours waiting for take-off because I had that happen to me more than once (but my two incidents were on other airlines).  It feels better to endure the delays in the terminal than on the tarmac.   As a tax geek, I have to point out that Mr. Kelly’s income level puts him in a tax bracket that means he is more likely to be audited by the IRS than the average person, and the 1998 IRS Restructuring and Reform Act Section 1203 protects taxpayers from acts of retaliation from IRS employees.   Air travel can be rough and it seems like you had one of those trips.  I hope future travels are smoother for you. ... View more

@Smhemstreet,  I suggest you contact Customer Service as @rtbarron suggested, though I personally would write in rather than call.  When upset, writing helps me frame my points much better. It also tells Customer Service that you were seriously concerned enough to put a written letter down on paper.   I am sorry that this happened, and I wonder about FAA policies.  I think those policies (used to?) limit the number of children under age 15 who could sit in one row.  The idea was that in the event of an emergency, the airline needed an adult who could/would listen to crew member instructions and help sort out the oxygen masks.  Perhaps the same logic is applied that if a person needs help getting on, they might need help exiting in the event of an emergency, but then again, a disabled person could travel alone so maybe not or maybe the best practice is for them to alert the crew beforehand.  When a child travels alone, they have to fly as an unaccompanied minor which means the airline is responsible for extra safety measures if something happens.  Safety is the primary responsibility of the crew, so sometimes when things look or feel unfair, it may be because of safety concerns.  And we in the general public do not know all those procedures.   I do think that Customer Service would be able to partially refund your tickets, and you should specify that a refund is requested rather than travel vouchers.  That said, I do hope that you will give the airline another chance.  Their processes can be unsettling to those who mostly fly other airlines (especially airlines with assigned versus free-range seating)  but I have grown to understand their culture of service and their dedication to safely flying their customers to destinations at a reasonable price, and it has made me a big fan of the company overall.  Of course, they still have bad days and some employees who don’t seem to fit in, but I found Southwest better than most other airlines, especially for the short haul trips that they grew up on.     Come back to the forum and let us know if you contacted them and the results. ... View more

@clairebardin, thanks for posting your story and best of luck in your future career.  I enjoyed your post a great deal. ... View more

@Mstrout,  my understanding is that only tickets purchased in your name are eligible for the usage as travel funds.  Unless there is enough money on a specific ticket to convert it to a voucher, you are probably out of luck.   I feel your pain as I have several dollars of travel funds that are not individually worth converting so my plan is to take some short hops for some lunches in different cities that are direct flights.     I knew the risk when I purchased the tickets and my life circumstances changed, so be it.   ... View more

@jackiereed6, No worries.  We were all new arrivals once too.  Welcome aboard.    @TheMiddleSeatis a nice guy -- the proof is that he chooses the middle seat, then others can sit with family and friends.  His post wasn't meant to appear impatient, and as he said - just checking if new info needed.    A good way to check if you have a response to previous threads that you have posted is to click on your name in the upper right corner and it should give you "Topics I Have Participated In" or adding a "message tag" that lets you use the Search Function.  I believe only the moderator can delete a post. ... View more

EBCI = Early Bird Check In. It programs your boarding number to basically be after the a-listers.  Though you might not want to add the $15-30 cost for a quick trip lasting less than 24 hrs.  I am not sure if you can buy for the return trip only.   Like you, I also wish that I could get the return boarding pass at 24 hours but it won’t allow it until I complete the first leg of the trip.   ... View more

I see some problems with trying that approach.  First, connections.  Is the new flight direct?  If you go standby, they cannot guarantee that you will get on the next leg of the flight if you have a connection.  Second, even if the second flight is direct to your destination, you might not get on if it is full, so you will have missed the earlier flight.   My advice is to stick to the original plan.  Standby is a great option if you arrive early at the airport and have no connection.  Otherwise, it is not guaranteed.     I hope your trip goes okay and is ontime (so you don’t have any additional wait). ... View more

Thank you for these tips.  My memories of Cincinnati involve the zoo and the Reds.  Perhaps the zoo is another spot that we touristas might want to visit.  Cincinnatizoo.org. It was built in 1875 and I am so old, i feel like I visited in the 1890’s but it might have been later than that.   ... View more

@MsJones, That sounds highly unusual, so I would suggest writing in to Customer Service - either email or letter.   Contact Customer Service   SWA tries not to overbook, but situations can arise with aircraft swaps because some 737s have more seats than others.   Give them the details, and Customer Service has more leeway to make things better than a gate agent in the heat of a busy moment.     ... View more

Hi @Bloescher, I agree that the gate agent should have been a little more respectful.  I have seen them kick back people boarding out of position most times, but I know that the company gives the gate agents (and all employees) the opportunity to make some on the spot decisions.  Maybe they were running late, so he was decided hustling everyone on was fastest than stopping and redirecting.   One time in my 30+ years flying, I saved the seat with the leg-room for a friend who is 6'2" who boarded about 30 slots behind me.  I got a few requests for it, but the passengers seemed ok when I explained how tall the person was for whom I was saving the seat.  No one who asked was over 5'11".   I wish you had asked A34 if you could have that seat (it does not say whether you tried), and I wish that she would have said yes or had an explanation (such as 8 hours on that plane of DAL-BWI-MDW-PHX or something).  Maybe? I am trying to give her the benefit of the doubt.   My loyalty lies in the fact that no airline has policies that fit everyone.  The "no-change" fee keeps me in those seats, and I like the free-range boarding.  I might be A16-30 most days, but I choose never to go for the front or the exit rows because I know folks like you need them more.    So I hope one bad day and one mistep from a gate agent won't ruin your relationship with the airline.  Yes, you should have gotten that seat, and I hope your future travels go better.  SWA is not perfect, but neither are the others.  And hopefully, most of the passengers are kind and respectful the majority of the time. ... View more