09-02-2022
07:03 AM
And these days, at Southwest, innovation only comes when it postively affects the bottom line.
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@UnhappyWithSWA wrote: I checked in at STL. The lady who checked is very competent and nice. I had to fly through Chicago Midway. She put the purplish 'Transfer' tag on my bag, and put it on its way on the belt. ... First, I had my baggage claim ticket ready and in-hand before I went into the office. I promptly gave it to the available agent. I told her my bag didn't arrive. She starts looking in computer. Then she answers the phone. Then the other agent comes over and takes over her computer session. "Oh, I was looking up his bag... " Total lack of focus, and total chaos, even though there was only one other family in there, looking for their bags. Finally, I get my bag. It was in the back room. The one agent quote the shelf number that it was on. So what I'm almost certain happen is that when I checked my bag in STL for a final destination of DCA, the bag went on the direct flight from STL to DCA. I had to fly to Chicago. So my bag sat there in DCA for 2 hours or so. Why no text me? Why not have the baggage claim office, who was not that busy, bring the bag out.? I feel like you robbed me of 40 minutes of sleep. It is academic now, but it would be interesting to have the baggage office confirm that this was what happened by them putting the luggage onto the direct flight. I suppose they could do that although I haven't heard of it being typical - people expect their baggage to come on the carousel for their own flight and as far as I know that's the normal procedure. Maybe there could be some other possibilty that the baggage arrived at DCA with you and for whatever reason came to the baggage office by a different route. Anyway - to answer your question I haven't heard of a customized text alert in the way you describe, although if the office there had a quiet moment the agent there could call you to say that they have your luggage. Make sure you have your number written on a luggage tag otherwise there would be several extra steps for them to confirm your identity and then lookup the phone number in your booking, which may or may not be your mobile phone number, etc... Maybe this could be added in the future for enhanced functionality. I know I received a poll once from Southwest about possible future feature additions and several of the questions were about luggage.
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