@Rocketman75, you state your "wife was relegated to sitting between to very rude, obnoxious gentlemen."
I'm sorry to learn of her experience, but out of curiosity, on a three hour flight, if she was that miserable, why didn't you change seats with her? I must be missing sometbhing here.
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05-14-2023
11:30 PM
05-14-2023
11:30 PM
Well, you're correct, lots of info in your reply and it illustrates just how confusing and contentious the SWA open seating policy can be.
I don't believe I have any more issues that would add to the body of knowledge here. I do agree this topic would be better served on a separate thread but I don't know how to export it.
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05-14-2023
09:08 PM
05-14-2023
09:08 PM
If I understand you correctly, as it applies to Companion Pass passengers, the policy you cite provides priority boarding for all passengers on the A-List member's reservation regardless of their status, but that excludes Companion Pass passengers, since they must make a separate Companion reservation for the same flight at the Companion Pass owner, A-List or otherwise.
What exactly does priority boarding mean? Do A-List and A-List Preferred members automatically receive A1-15 boarding privileges, or must they purchase Upgraded Boarding within 24 hours of departure or purchase Business Select to ensure A1-15? Otherwise, they're simply receive 36 hour Early Bird check-in boarding positions?
If those paying passengers on the A-List member's reservation are not A-List members themselves, they also automatically receive EB 36 hour check-in?
I'm having trouble differentiating A1-15 boarding from priority boarding.
It's logical that non A-List Companions flying a comp ticket don't receive sequential or consecutive boarding in A1-15 positions in the interest of reserving those boarding positions for those who purchase Upgraded Boarding or Business Select fares. But non A-List passengers included on the same reservation as the A-List member who upgrades or buys a Business Select fare surely don't themselves also automatically upgrade to A1-15 boarding positions. That would eat up the A1-15 boarding positions in a hurry. Hence, priority boarding for all, which I think is a nebulous term.
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05-14-2023
01:22 PM
05-14-2023
01:22 PM
This is a direct quote from SWA Rapid Rewards Terms and Conditions: Companion Pass:
For A-List and A-List Preferred Members who have also qualified for a Companion Pass, reserved boarding privileges will not be provided to the Companion unless the Companion is also an A-List or A-List Preferred Member.
So, with this as the current policy, I don't know how Companions are boarding at the same time as the Companion Pass Owner, even when boarding on the same confirmation number.
The above doesn't apply in my case but here it is FYI. My wife and I were both on the same Business Select confirmation. Today I received authorization for the Companion Pass and I immediately designated my wife as my Companion.
But now, what to do with the reservation we had already made for us both as Business Select? I contacted Customer Service and inquired about canceling our reservation and rebooking with her as the designated Companion. He advised against it, as the fare has increased for our flight and although her ticket would be free, she wouldn't get the reserved boarding privilege, even if I again booked Business Select for myself, since neither of us are A-List Preferred Members. He recommended simply deleting her reservation and rebooking as the Companion on a separate confirmation number. It wasn't possible to add her as the Companion on the original confirmation.
So, that's what she did, and we were refunded 40,000 RR Miles back to my account. She won't get her boarding number until the 24-hour window opens for her to check in. She can buy the EB outside the 36-hour window or she can buy Advance Boarding ensuring A1-15, if it's still available. We'll assess the situation and decide what to do as departure time approaches.
In the meantime, we're saving 40,000 miles and if I get my favorite 16A or F throne I'll attempt to save the middle seat for her. An EB or Advanced Boarding purchase will put her farther forward in boarding. The aisle will still be available for anyone and as we all know, no one wants a middle seat unless those are the only seats remaining.
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So, as it happened, we had an unavoidable delay and didn't arrive at the gate until most of the A group had already boarded. We arrived in time to board ourselves solely because we use CLEAR and we're TSA preapproved, otherwise we would have probably missed the flight altogether. It made no sense to do anything at that point and we barely made to our numbered spots in the B group. It was a pleasant flight, though, because we headed for one of the empty rows in the back and when the door closed we still had an unoccupied middle seat. There were still about 20 empty seats at gate closure. That's all, folks!
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07-02-2019
01:25 AM
07-02-2019
01:25 AM
We also don't know whose clock was off, or maybe they both were. Ordinarily I would agree with you. But when my iphone, macbook, TV cable box and Citizen Eco-Drive watch (that synchronizes itself daily with the atomic clock at Ft Collins CO) all simultaneously display the change from 6:59 to 7:00, I'm fairly certain I had the correct time. 😉
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07-01-2019
07:33 PM
07-01-2019
07:33 PM
Just a note to clarify that Business Select is a fare type that includes additional perks, and is most likely not what the representative suggested would be reimbursed. Upgraded Boarding is a service where Southwest will sell any open A1-15 boarding positions for $30-$50 when available at the gate. This is what the representative was suggesting would be reimbursed. I did ask him specifically if he was offering Business Select and he confirmed that's the offer, including my wife, since she's on the same confirmation number. You're correct about the additional perks. But if it actually turns out to be upgraded boarding instead, I'm still surprised and pleased. He did give me a SW Reference Number to present to the agent at the airport. Even if there's no seat available, I'm still content because a Southwest employee listened and made the attempt. That in itself is worth something in an age when one can be ejected from a flight for raising his voice. Ther are a couple of comments upthread insinuating that I gamed the system. That's not the case at all. I called the Customer Relations Representative to register my displeasure and request they take a closer look at their clocks, because this isn't the first time it occurred to me. I had let the first instance go. I know the reps are sometimes a convenient target for an irate passenger and I was polite as I recounted my frustration. So when he offered the complimentary Business Select or seat upgrade, whichever, assuming there are any vacancies at all on this flight, I'm certainly not going to object. It's the first departure of the day and a nonstop, so it's generally a full flight. He was apparently in a position that gave him the authority to offer it to a long-time customer (but not A List). I'll be sure to post how it turned out.
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07-01-2019
10:11 AM
07-01-2019
10:11 AM
I get the impression that you believe I'm bragging at my good fortune. Not at all. First, there is no guarantee Business Select will still be available when we check in at the airport. Second, I shared my experience to inform other travelers that they do have recourse rather than meekly accepting unfair treatment. I'll be sure to ask them to save a middle seat for you.
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07-01-2019
09:54 AM
07-01-2019
09:54 AM
That's right. Owed. Southwest expects its customers to play by the rules. They need to also comply with the rules that they set forth.
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07-01-2019
09:45 AM
07-01-2019
09:45 AM
I was owed a timely check in. I adhered to the rules. Southwest dropped the ball. Why should I or anyone accept that? They made good on it. FYI, I wasn't seeking a reimbursement. It was offered and I accepted. I'm a frequent Southwest customer. I couldn't care less that you're stunned. And judgmental.
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07-01-2019
09:01 AM
07-01-2019
09:01 AM
Can't the OP simply show his or her TSA Precheck ID card to the TSA agent?
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Solved. I contacted SW customer relations at the Dallas HQ to complain. After being on hold for more than 15 minutes, I finally had the opportunity to speak to a customer relations representative and recounted the situation to him. He very courteously explained that he can't take immediate action to rectify the technical miscue but did offer me the opportunity to upgrade to Business Select at the gate and receive a reimbursement from Southwest when the transction is posted. Because my wife and I are on the same confirmation number, neither of us will be left behind. Although there's no guarantee Business Select will still be available at the gate, I appreciate this gentleman's efforts to rectify this situation as well as his courtesy and professionalism. He transformed a sour experience into something far more positive, reinforcing my loyalty to Southwest.
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07-01-2019
07:57 AM
07-01-2019
07:57 AM
My wife and I are on the same confirmation number. Our flight is scheduled for 7:00 a.m. tomorrow. I had our online check in already set up and at exactly 7:00:05 I clicked the check in button. Southwest rejected my check in as being outside the 24-hour window and informed me I can't check in more than 24 hours prior to the scheduled flight. I am certain I was within the 24-hour window, verified by my laptop, my iphone and my cable TV box. Because Southwest rejected my check in attempt, I had to start over and by then it was 7:00:45 before my check in was accepted. we ended up with boarding positions in the middle of the B queue. I have no way of knowing how many boarding position opportunities we lost because of my rejection. What I do know is I did everything right and still got screwed. What recourse do I have?
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