Southwest Airlines Community

"With no way to have ever used it"?  That's a bit of inaccurate hyperbole.   I'm sitting in Maui right now, thanks to the CP.  I flew around the world twice last year, thanks to the CP.  So there's definitely plenty of ways to use it.   I'll be in Vegas next weekend and Denver the weekend after.    Granted,  I'm a little bummed the CP I earned for this year I would have gotten for free,  but who am I to be greedy?   With the vaccine on the way,  any gripes about having nowhere to go this year is entirely false.    In fact,  instead of extending it,  I wish they would give all CP members a bonus pass so it becomes a 4 person "Family Pass".  That's what I have right now using the promotional pass for Jan and Feb.   Twice the revenue and fewer empty seats.  ... View more

Thanks for the comments.   Yeah,  I still had a few work trips,  but most of it was leisure.   Couldn't let my CP go to waste.    And I have no idea how to do the spoiler.  It popped up during an edit, and I can't remove it.   Might be related to my pasting in a local URL? ... View more

Thanks for sharing and acknowledging.     The marvel that kids have with airplanes is one of the things I enjoy at the airport and in the plane.  (Probably the same reason I went to school to learn how to design them. ) ... View more

The other trick is sadly only available on the regular website (not mobile)   Go to the route map,  and then go to list view.  The nonstop cities will be shown.   These will be the ones with the cheapest fares.  ... View more

The only people who really need to be worried about flying are the very old or immunocompromised.   Check the statistics.  1.  Air travel hasn't been shown to be a significant method of transmission.   (If it were,  the crew infection rate would be notable, which it isn't).  See what DFW posted... https://community.southwest.com/t5/Travel-Policies/COVID-policy/td-p/115172 2.  Recovery rates are above 99.5% below 60.  Get much younger, and the numbers become practically statistically indeterminate.  Determining risk is a function of multiplying probability (#1) times consequence (#2).  A very small number times a very small number = a very very very small number.  Take it from me.   I flew 50 times last year.   I didn't get Covid.  A friend who had unknowingly gotten Covid from a housemate stopped by my house.   I got Covid.   Two weeks later,  I was back to normal.  So, basically... you can trust the statistics.   If you can accept the risk to leave the house,  you have no reason to worry about flying.   Yes, that includes the 737 Max.  ... View more

I'd be shocked at anyone buying BS for the boarding position.    Refundability, more points, and a free drink... maybe.     But even then, my work demands we buy the nonrefundable tickets due to the much better price.  I only get BS when the upgrade price is so small it makes sense for TQP.   And even then...I sit in the back.  Why anyone would want to be squished up front (yep, no larger seats up there), watching idiots clamor for bin space with bags they could have checked for free,  and having the isle full the whole boarding process (especially fun during Covid)?  Oh yeah... And you're sitting next to one of those loathsome preboarders.  Sounds exquisite.   All for what?  To get off the plane a few minutes sooner?  If your time is that valuable, you're not flying Southwest.    Y'all are missing all the cool kids who sit in the back of the bus.  Empty seats, relaxed people... And no scammers. ... View more

You're going to call the attorney general because someone insulted white people... and you're not even white?  And this person said she was God?   Wow, seems like something better to just laugh off than stew on for days.  You're the one doing the most harm to yourself at this point.  I'm pretty sure the AG won't do a thing for you... Which just means you're continuing to stress yourself out.   There are bigger problems to worry about... ... View more

You're barking up the wrong tree.  You booked with the ONLY airline that gave you one year to use the funds for another flight, without penalty.  Your cancellation fee on any other airline would have exceeded the cost of your ticket.   At BEST, the other airlines would have given you free rescheduling... What you're already getting here.   I have a suggestion.  Fly more often.   Enjoy life.    Consider that you have a free flight to Florida.  Flights are still cheap.  Find a cheap hotel and enjoy a trip, instead of beating yourself up for not reading the fine print.     ... View more

But trips in December weren't even available to be booked in January.   So...? ... View more

Something is missing.  You couldn't have booked a flight for January 2021 in February 2020.   Those flights didn't open for booking until April or later.   But you'd have had to, for your funds to be expiring in February.   So there is more to your story, it seems.  I'm guessing you booked and cancelled more than once, but didn't take them up on their offer to convert your funds to points.   Oops. ... View more

Buying a ticket for someone implies a personal relationship.  But giving someone points could also mean selling them points.   Allowing people to sell points completely changes the business case for rewarding frequent fliers and merely turns it into an easily monetized 10% rebate on every flight.   Instead of promoting more flights, they just lose revenue. ... View more

SJC may be adding testing we can use?   https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/Routes-Southwest-Oakland-SJC-15814404.php ... View more

Agreed.  Hawaii has dropped the coconut on this one, so it seems the next best option is the airlines.    It's frustrating when the news stories I read about this getting fixed mention HAL or AA.   I have a flight for January to Maui, and I'm not optimistic.  I'm tempted to save some money and pick a different destination before flights go up.   And ironically, after 50 or so flights, and one RT to Hawaii, with no COVID...someone decided to stop by and bring it to my house a week later.  So now I can't smell my treasured plumeria room fragrance I brought home with me.  Oh well, time to go eat all the unpalatable food in the pantry now that I can't taste it.   Maybe Hawaii will follow suit of Iceland and let those of us with a documented positive test of Covid in the past avoid the hassles of a negative test.   This is one of my favored resources on current events.    https://beatofhawaii.com/visitors-cancel-as-governor-wont-change-rules-who-pays-quarantine/ ... View more

Well, if you have the app, you get boarding position as a push notification.  Not sure how this works with EBCI, but I would suspect it's the same.   The push notification is useful as a reminder of a flight in 24 hours, but knowing the boarding position is kinda meaningless. ... View more

In my experience, they release WGA fares at a midpoint.  Those that don't fill up get reduced, either through a sale or silently.  As they fill up, they go up in price in increments, every 10 or 15 seats or something.   They show you when only 5 seats are left at a given price point.      Given the tendency of people to cancel lately, fares have been dropping regularly.   The ability to rebook at the lower fare is one of the many reasons I only fly SWA.   Anytime fares and Business Select seem to stay more constant,  usually much higher than the WGA fare.       ... View more

I found the loophole.   Rebook the ticket on the same itinerary and they resend you the email showing you the expiration date.  ... View more

You kinda hit the easy ones, except Mexico city is no longer served.    I have the same issue out of Burbank.   I chose Denver, Dallas,  SLC, and Ft Lauderdale.   Nashville also works.    Nonstop gives the best weekend time, but FLL is surprisingly cheap.    Hawaii is a great option, but currently out of LGB only  ... View more

You aren't A list and you fly that much?   Another advantage of same day standby.  ... View more

Probably good to convert the smaller values as they are harder to use.   Only three TF per booking.    I converted all mine.   I have so many refunded tickets.   Plus I can use them for $49 flights for the kids, where the lack of taxes make it a better deal than paying cash.   Not to mention unlimited refunds.  ... View more

Sounds like this has happened before.    https://community.southwest.com/t5/Rapid-Rewards/200-credit/td-p/79716     ... View more

You mean I have to start saving all those?  Oh boy...I got used to just having that stuff online.     Thanks.  ... View more

Is your husband able to normally fly safely?   Aircraft fly with about 25% less available oxygen due to cabin pressure.      I'm no expert on blood oxygenation, but this could have more impact than a mask.   The concentrator seems like a good solution.  ... View more

In case you weren't aware,  SWA did have that policy until mid September.   I thankfully was able to take advantage of it.    I agree it would seem to make sense that they implement it again.   Like many of the rules and scenarios we've had to deal with this year, the difference between those who benefited and those who didn't were only separated by seemingly arbitrary differences like a few days in booking time or a county line on a map.    Here's hoping.  ... View more

A good reason not to allow it is the software changes required just to implement it.   Not trivial.    Besides,  I'm in the same boat as you.   I had my companion earn a CP, so now she's on a PAYING ticket.   Twice as many people flying (4 instead of 2), so twice as much revenue for SWA, and fewer empty seats.    Giving another companion seat away without requiring an additional paying passenger really makes zero sense.   But giving the CP away for nearly free to everyone who flies at all is both a great way to fill seats and an appropriate reward of appreciation for loyal customers.  ... View more

Meanwhile, the CDC quarantine guidelines have dropped to 10 days.    So there's that.  ... View more

They look at sample test time.   So you're in a bind.    Vault may not be overwhelmed as badly then, but I wouldn't count on it.      A more likely hope is that Hawaii relaxes the 72 hours to 96 hours.  It has been proposed.   I suspect it will be approved.    PS... I'm home now, and ironically am being told to quarantine since I traveled more than 150 miles.   Sigh... we get what we vote for.    Next trip to Hawaii set for January.   Hopefully it's sorted out by then.  ... View more

Travel funds are also effectively cash with respect to getting credit for"buying" a flight.   You earn points.    Flights using RR points, on the other hand, do not accrue points or A-list credit.   But they are fully refundable back to points without restriction.  ... View more

Agreed.  I've found the best rates for cars often times are directly through the rental car companies.   I also check Costco travel.    The extra points are usually more expensive than they are worth.  ... View more