Southwest Airlines Community

Southwest is currently testing having the companion board with the pass holder so if the pass holder is A-List, the companion essentially gets A-List boarding status.    More information in this post: https://www.southwestaircommunity.com/t5/Boarding/Boarding-With-Your-Companion-Testing-Testing/m-p/61451/highlight/true#M945 ... View more

The option to purchase points is meant to be a way to top off your account with the last few points you might need to book a flight with points, not a method to get all the points needed for a flight. For example, I need 12,000 points for a flight, but only have 10,000 points in my account. Purchasing the additional 2,000 points for $60 may be a better option than paying the whole fare, approximately $180. ... View more

No, you only earn points when you pay for the flight. In technical jargon, only revenue flights earn Rapid Rewards points. ... View more

Purchased points do not count towards A-List.   Here's more information from Southwest: Tier Qualifying points are earned from revenue flights or through the Rapid Rewards Premier Card from Chase.  Points earned via Rapid Rewards Partners, with the exception of the Rapid Rewards Premier Card from Chase, purchased points, bonus points, or points earned via a promotion are not Tier Qualifying points and do not count toward A-List and A-List Preferred qualification. ... View more

Great write up from @CareforNOLA I'll just add a couple things, first that the TSA screening is pretty quick and non invasive. They may ask you to open a bottle and might swab things like they do for other bags or sometimes people's hands, but thankfully they've gotten more sensitive about parents flying with infants.   Secondly, bring sanitizing wipes. I'm always amazed at people who eat off the tray tables which are usually quite gross. Not a knock against Southwest, airlines just don't have the time or manpower to clean between flights.   Last item for now, try to pack lightly and be aware that you only have a small amount of space at your seat. Find a bag that will go under the seat so you have quick access to items. You can check a stroller at the gate which will keep you from having to carry everything, but you'll want to be able to grab your baby and items quickly when it's time to check the stroller and board the plane.   Have a great trip!  ... View more

@mcoppola hopefully my response on your other post answered your question. Here again is my response:   another trick is to go to the My Trips section of your Southwest account and select "change flight" for the reservation you're interested in.  Find and select a new flight (any flight will work becuase you're not actually going to change the flight you have booked), then after you select the new flight the next screen will tell you how many RR points you can apply from the original flight.  That's the amount used to complete the booking.  Make sure you cancel or close the window here and dont confirm the change. ... View more

You can add your Known Traveler Number to your account on southwest.com   Log into your account, then select My Account and scroll down to the My Preferences/Personal area and click the Edit button. You can input the number on the edit screen. Be sure to check that your name, including middle name, matches your TSA profile exactly.    You can also manually enter the number in the traveler info section when making a purchase. If you put it in your account it will be entered for you when purchasing a flight.   ... View more

Was it before late 2016? My understanding is KTNs and international bookings got fixed around this time last year. I've sadly not flown Southwest internationally though so I can't comment on my experience.  ... View more

Oh, Global Entry is VERY much worth the $15 even if you have just one or two international trips in the next 5 years.  In Denver it has let me avoid all lines, use a kiosk, and walk out of the customs area without having to interact with a customs agent besides handing them my receipt on the way out the door.  As @DancingDavidE mentioned, each experience may be different, but at just $3/year it's worth the extra bit of work required to get it (the in-person interview is quick and mostly painless). ... View more

@mcoppola Your email confirmation from when you booked the flight will show how many Rapid Rewards points were used to complete the booking.  If you can't find that, another trick is to go to the My Trips section of your Southwest account and select "change flight" for the reservation you're interested in.  Find and select a new flight (any flight will work becuase you're not actually going to change the flight you have booked), then after you select the new flight the next screen will tell you how many RR points you can apply from the original flight.  That's the amount used to complete the booking.  Make sure you cancel or close the window here and dont confirm the change. ... View more

If I understand correctly that you each have just enough points to purchase your own ticket, you'll need to buy one ticket while logged into the first account, log out, then log into the second account and purchase the second ticket. ... View more

That's a horrible deal, 9000 points will get you about $160 of flights  ... View more

Your iPad can be carried on without any problems. Drones on the other hand are more complicated because of the batteries. I found this site that has some more information from someone with experience traveling with drones. https://improvephotography.com/44854/drone-carry-on-laws-batteries-packing-tsa/   You can also read more about traveling with batteries on the TSA's site https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring ... View more

Your question implies they offered this at one time. Perhaps I missed it, but considering the only thing you can currently get with Rapid Rewards points besides flights is a few gift cards I don't expect Southwest to offer the ability to "purchase" TSA PreCheck with points. It's well worth the the $85 for five years of PreCheck though if you fly even just occasionally.  ... View more

I should have clarified I was referring to WGA fares, but the information you posted is good for others to see. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something, some days the brain is a bit slower than others. Too much time in a pressurized tube?  ... View more

Changing also lets you keep EarlyBird Check-In if you've purchased it.    Now I'm trying to think if there's a good reason to cancel if you know what flight you want to change to. Anyone have a reason canceling is better?  ... View more

Go here and click the "Join Now" button https://www.southwest.com/rapidrewards ... View more

You can purchase your ticket now and add the companion once you have earned CP. ... View more

FYI, other federal agencies use different travel systems and are able to book Southwest flights. Specifically, I know Concur users are able to and Southwest has the contract rate on many routes which forces some government travelers to fly Southwest.    I guess what you're experiencing is similar to Southwest not selling tickets through websites other than southwest.com? ... View more

Because the valuation of points is fairly standard within the same fare class from one flight to another you won't find flights that provide more points for the buck so you'll have to determine if you would rather do lots of shorter flights or perhaps a few longer flights. If you're looking to minimize the flights, booking Business Select fares will certainly be the best option.   If you're taking flights that you wouldn't otherwise take, keep in mind how much you're spending versus the financial benefit you'll get from having CP. I've observed people spending an extra $1000 so they could get $500 worth of free flights. That's not the brightest idea.    Additionally, there's still time to get a bonus from credit card sign up if you haven't already, or to get points via the Rapid Rewards Shopping site. There's been mixed feedback regarding the large bonuses related to Southwest hotel bookings and whether they qualify for CP so you could try, but no guarantee.  Other folks could probably provide information about other CP qualifying earning opportunities.  ... View more

Here's information from TSA about what is required: https://www.tsa.gov/blog/2009/05/15/whats-name   Specifically, this part seems to answer your question: But rest assured, the system will be pretty flexible. For the near future, small differences between ID and reservation information, such as the use of a middle initial instead of a full middle name or no middle name/initial at all, should not cause a problem for the passenger.   However, if you have a known traveler number for TSA-PreCheck, the name on your reservation must be an exact match of the name associated with your KTN, including a middle name.  ... View more

Earning A-List status or a Companion Pass is based on points earned January 1 through December 31.   For some people, now is the time they choose to apply for a Southwest credit card as they will complete their spend requirement in January, earning the bonus points at the beginning of the year.    My personal take on your situation is if you are only flying 1-3 times a year there's not much incentive to earn companion pass at all unless you have specific plans that include some of Southwest's more expensive flights ($400+ each way). And no, flying 1-3 times a year will not earn a significant number of points. ... View more

A little more info about the drinks and snacks.... You'll be offered a free non-alcoholic drink, coke products, juices, coffee, etc and a flight that length will get peanuts and/or pretzels. It's a small snack so don't skip any meals thinking it'll fill you up. Alcoholic beverages can be purchased for $5. Depending on how quick and eager your crew is and if weather/turbulence cooperates, you may get a drink refill if you ask. Have a good trip! ... View more

Check-in 24 hours prior as usual, no need to wait  ... View more

@KrisRodden Not my site, I was just trying to point out that the $100 fee is the answer every time this question gets asked. While losing $100 is better than losing 100% of your ticket value, I understand your frustration.  ... View more