Southwest Airlines Community

@migell wrote: When booking a flight with points for someone else, can they see who booked the flight? I have a weird family dynamic where someone will accept a free flight from some family members but not others. I don't think it shows the original account number or name.    Can you do it without entering their RR# then all you'd be giving them is the confirmation number, they wouldn't have to get any emails about it.     ... View more

Some airports will be harder, and these are likely to be on the shorter routes. For many of my destinations I'm still excited to see $59 or $69 fares that are further away.     ... View more

@tfsaustin wrote: Well, if you check your bags, they are scanned when they go in the back where you and I cannot see and checked by TSA.  so, they can start with who touched my bags, both SWA and TSA and ask the hard questions to everyone that touched my bags.  I'm not now nor have I ever said they can solve it BUT how does one trust the process and feel comfortable with checking bags if stuff in the bags are subjected to theft?   STOP trying to condone this action and look at the situation for what it is, THEFT!!!! Not condoning - you've done everything you can reporting it. Any additional reports to either TSA or Southwest will help put the pressure on, and additional reports to Southwest will have them put the pressure on TSA or the airport as well. No one there wants to get these types of reports.   Hopefully it was a one-off and isn't any recurring behavior.     ... View more

@tappingmom1 wrote: @parpitt1 is correct.  This power bank cannot be checked and can only travel in your carry-on bag.   That being said, I suspect that it may be too large.  I recall that these types of power banks are limited to 100 watt hours.  Yours is 192 watt hours.  Plus, I think its size alone will bring it under scrutiny.  I wouldn't risk it.   I checked SWA Help Center and didn't find your particular question addressed...and I think it's an important question.  I would send a DM via X [Twitter] to SWA.  Specifically, let them know its dimensions and watt hours. Save their response if it's a go...just in case you get pushback from TSA.   And it would be really helpful to let others in the community know the answer and/or your experience if you decide to travel with it.   Safe travels!! Oh - it's 160 Wh "with permission" for laptop and other equipment so this would still be over that amount.     ... View more

Here's the FAA link:  https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/packsafe/lithium-batteries   I don't think these are being checked very strictly for anything that fits easily in your backpack. I have this one that seems to be allowed. https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Charger-Anker-PowerCore-20100mAh/dp/B00X5RV14Y?th=1   They key point is that it may be used to power your laptop.         ... View more

@tfsaustin wrote: I recently completed a trip, (Milwaulee>Denver>Las Vegas) and back the same route. When I got back home and unpacked I noticed some money was NOT in my bag.  I contacted SWA about this and they pointed a finger at TSA as the thief.  I contacted TSA and they pointed the finger at SWA.  Has anyone here had anything STOLEN out of your bags?  I made official complaints with both entities and SWA has NOT responded, they DEFINETLY CONDONE theft and TSA is supposedly investigating.     Please report immediately any missing items from your bags, although the amount of money, (loose change) STOLEN from my toiletry bag was less $25 I still feel VIOLATED that some clown(s) went into my toiletry bag, packed in a duffel bag and STOLE this money.  Actually, Angers me to no end!!! Only one of the two parties mentioned has an x-ray machine.    Although if we're talking about $25 in change it may have been audible. It is hard to say for sure, you know it is missing but without any proof, and for $25 the police won't be a big help with this either.      ... View more

@bballflyer wrote: I have gotten many flights before 7 am and after 7 pm that were discounted.  I know the miles were discounted, but not sure it was discounted as much when using money.  I didn't need a special link.  Try searching using points and see;  I have not seen that discount in the last couple of weeks though. There was a promotional message about it but all of the fares are available for your browsing in the normal way, you don't need to enter via the link or use any promo code.      ... View more

@SoCalFlyer97 wrote: @Angus725 wrote: Hi folks,   For same day standby or same day change (with a-list), is it possible to standby to or from a nearby airport? Ie, San Francisco Bay area (SFO/OAK/SJC) - Los Angeles area (LAX/BUR/SNA/ONT/LGB)?   Just spent 2 hours driving from ONT to LAX for a 45 minute flight to SJC, was wondering if I could save myself some pain by flying from a closer airport between these places next time depending on road traffic conditions...   Cheers, A Hello-   I inquired not too long ago on this subject due to a hour-long delay at the airport and whether I could standby or do a Same Day Flight change to the nearby city. The rep informed me that the nearby-airport benefit applies if Southwest either does a schedule change after the original flight is booked or if Southwest cancels the original flight.    Otherwise, this benefit does not apply to a standard Same Day Standby.   Hope this helps. Sometimes you could ask for this if there was a weather interruption as well - TPA/SRQ, MDW/ORD.    Without any extenuating circumstance then no, not allowed.   I'm not sure in your example you are saying that Southwest moved you from ONT to LAX - the choice was probably more frequent service at LAX or wait at ONT, that would be strange for them to move you like that unless they couldn't provide the service from ONT.    But would any of the other airports been closer than LAX? ... View more

@seddaa wrote: I just volunteered for a later flight, they offered 800 in coupon. They booked me a connecting flight with a short layover and overall 3 hours delay. I was reading other people's experiences and most got the initial flight refund. Should I request for this too, what are the chances I get it? See if it shows up automatically on your account in the method that you paid for the ticket.   If it's a flight credit then you can check on your account. I don't have any right now but it shows up right on your account when you login.         ... View more

@smirkk wrote: In the SW mobile app, I see a notice informing me about using my card holder benefit before it expires. Right below this is a button to click to get the code. I'm trying to figure out what benefit this is referring to. I have a SW credit card and the only benefit I'm aware of this the once a year early bird check-in. It must be something other than the upgraded boarding because for that you just buy it and then get it reimbursed as a credit later.   Is it possible the two things are separate - one note to use your benefit, and some other offer to get a code for something, unrelated?     ... View more

Have you found any on Southwest that were not the same? ... View more

Make sure the RR numbers are matched for her when you do the bookings. You can claim them in arrears up to a limited amount of time though.     ... View more

@Artanis wrote: Interesting little article about Southwest Airlines on page 14 of the August edition of Airliner World magazine. Can you give a recap of the highlights?     ... View more

@dfwskier wrote: A Business Select ticket buyer should always receive a boarding position between A1 and A15. As a matter of fact, if there is no A1-A15 availability, you cannot even buy a Bus. Sel. ticket.   I'm not sure what happened in your case. Concur - the likely glitch here is that the travel agent didn't buy you a Business Select seat - did your ticket print out with drink tickets and did you get free wifi?         ... View more

You'd have to book the trip as multi-city and pay separate fares.   If you call a companion can be added to an inbound or outbound leg of a round trip, but I don't think the companion ticket is compatible with only one leg of a connection.     ... View more

Personally I like to book one-ways especially for work travel like this where it would be easier to change individual segments of the flight, and/remove companion, submit expenses per destination as opposed to splitting the fare evenly, etc.      ... View more

@mlseger wrote: Hello! Is it possible to see an itemized receipt for a round-trip reservation, showing the cost for each route? I can't find the breakdown of each one-way anywhere! I am traveling for business and need to be able to show the price I paid for each leg, not the entire round-trip total. Thanks! See if this prior response from @CareforNOLA helps: https://community.southwest.com/t5/Travel-Policies/How-do-I-retrieve-and-itemized-receipt-including-the-cost-of/m-p/61040#M2472     ... View more

The other advice here is great.   Although no warranty it will be the same on your date of flight check the gate assigned today for both flights and see how close they are. Check a few more days to see if there is any consistency.   Also I would expect you meant Midway which can be a hike from high “A” gates to high “B” gates but if you are at O’Hare it will be very close.    ... View more

@Donnamx wrote: I am a permanent resident of Mexico and the USA.  Can I really check in my bags at the kiosk and use baggage drop off rather than standing in the long line for check in?  I think this might be new?  "You can now add up to two free 1  standard bags per traveler digitally after check-in and print your bag tags at the self-service kiosk" It's been a while since I flew to CUN - is there a separate requirement depending which passport you use? Do you have both?     ... View more

Unfortunately the last flight to DEN or OAK would also be leaving around that time so you couldn't get part of the way and make an easier leg in the morning.   I don't know the restrictions on the paperwork but they've got to find a way to get you on there if there's still room.   I've heard of the automatic rebooking before but would have hoped it was to fill the outbound plane and not for the last flight to the destination for the day.         ... View more

@consipio wrote: For additional context, I've been a loyal Southwest airlines customer for well over a decade now. With my last employer, a large international technology integrator, the main reason virtually everyone in the company flew Southwest Airlines was the way open seating worked. The same is true for the vast majority of other industry professionals I know and collaborate with outside of my previous employer across the west. At a minimum, I think we are all likely to just go back to finding the best overall flight option across airlines rather than going to Southwest Airlines directly. How does removing one of the key things that makes you different when you have a loyal customer base make any sense? The A-List and sometimes ALP have been very rewarding for me along with two free bags and no change fees.   Depending on what the transition is where some existing A-list benefits won't be as useful with assigned seats there will be new ones announced and personally I'm hopeful for the overall benefit to remain with Southwest for the majority of my flying.    New seat assignments means new pricing methods so I've saved a lot through the years and as long as I continue to get good value then I don't expect  to change my habits other than booking earlier than I do now to lock in my favorite seats instead of winging it on the day of flight.   ... View more

@Jsmjeff wrote: I recently traveled from phx to dtw. Bought upgraded boarding passes for my wife and I. 17 preboarder and their company. We had A5 and A13. By the time we boarded we had to go to the middle of the plane. After the flight we when to luggage,  low and behold one of the preboard passengers had a luggage cart and loaded 2 large suitcases and a full size cooler with no physical problem. Why pay an extra $100 for upgraded boarding. Also when we were unloading the 17 wheelchair attendance were plugging the jet way by turning wheelchairs around in the narrow jet why. May be time to search for a new airline.     A person's disability doesn't have to be physical only.    If you saw someone using a wheelchair to board and then they were loading the luggage cart that would be suspicious but if the person walked on as a preboard and walked off as a preboard then likely their accommodation wasn't based on a physical disability.   Plugging up the jetway would at least indicate that people were using the chairs on both ends of the flight so at least the system seems to be working in that regard.   It may just be bad luck on this particular PHX-DTW flight that it was popular for people that requested accommodations. That volume of preboards is certainly not my experience. I just had two flights to MSP this weekend that each had one preboard with one companion.         ... View more

@YeahNoMaybe wrote: Just a few days ago on an Orlando-Houston flight....  I was in the A group.... I boarded to find one of the pre-boarders has managed to find enough hats, food bags, jackets, etc. to save EIGHT additional seats for his party boarding later... NINE seats total (including his)... an entire row and a half saved...  NINE SEATS... I wanted to look at him and say, "You, SIR, are the exact reason Southwest is going to begin assigning seats." Unbelievable. It is an inconsistency if the preboarders only get one helper, but then can save this many seats it would be easier just to let everyone board with the preboarder.    So no they aren't supposed to do it that way.     ... View more

@Justcurious1 wrote: Learning opportunity for me about this works.  Earlier this week in a smaller airport with no self help kiosks ( you had to wait to get to the counter and then do the kiosk with the agent to print the baggage tags). It was 4 am and about 3 or 4 agents were doing 2 kiosks at a time.  Where the regular line and priority check in line ended were right next to each other.  There was a customer in the regular line who was letting every single priority person go to the kiosk before her at least 8 passengers if not more. By the time the priority line cleared the regular line had gotten so large it was exceeding its the ropes. I was of the thought priority line would work like it would it did in Disney - where priority goes every other person, to keep both lines moving.  However this pattern continued since it was the one set. I feel the agents could have maybe directed it a bit better by shouting which line they were calling from. Rather than, “next in line”, calling “next in priority” or “next in regular”.  I guess my question comes down to, was this the typical way this goes? If yes, I will know for next time!  The way it worked is the typical or expectation - priority line walks up, priority line is next.   However usually there are more than one agent working the counters.    Not having seen it in action the passenger was doing it "correctly" but usually it would be directed by the agent.     ... View more

@DHardie wrote: The boarding position is not guaranteed next to yours. I've been waiting on this for the last 36 hours with my latest companion pass. I had early bird check-in and the SW terms per the representative said I didn't have to buy the early bird check-in for my companion that it would automatically apply to my companion and it didn't. So since my companion is my 11 year old daughter, I have wasted my $25 for my early bird check-in and will have to board later with her in the boarding group SW assigned to her. I bought her the early bird check-in for the return flight now that I know. It should have worked the way you described it - run through the situation with the gate agents and hopefully they can let you board together at the earlier spot.  it should work either way for her or you to have it and the companion or companion pass holder get pulled along in the assignment.   Was everything booked more than 36 hours prior to the flight?     ... View more

@teffe wrote: I am under the impression that if you are A List Preferred, you, as well as everyone on your reservation, can board after A Group. Here’s why I ask: I travel a lot for business and during the summer months I bring my family since my wife works remotely and my two daughters are out of school. I purchase a ticket through my business account and add my wife on the companion pass. I then use points for my daughters. Though when I check in for flights I get three different confirmation numbers, one for me, one for my wife and one for my two daughters. Even though I have three different confirmation numbers, they all get linked to the same reservation. My wife and I always get boarding passes somewhere between A16-A20, but my daughter end up in late B or C group. What are my boarding options here? I get conflicting guidance from every gate agent I talk to. Boarding after the A-Group is family boarding, which would apply if one of your kids is 7 or under.    Otherwise the boarding positions are working as advertised, your companion gets checked in sequentially with your ALP status but the kids on the points tickets have to check in manually.   Here's how we did it just recently: I have Alist and companion pass. I bought tickets with cash for me and my wife. My wife has promotional companion pass so each kid is a companion of one of us.   When we got the boarding passes I was A-17, my daughter companion was A-18, my wife was A-19 booked on the same reservation, and kiddo #2 was A-20 being linked to my wife's check-in.   It won't work if you make a separate booking with points though, it's a different confirmation number. I'm not sure what you are referring to when you said it was "the same reservation" in that description.             ... View more

@mattreily wrote: Totally forgot the AFB, how could I? My apologies!    Which is a no brainer, friend's and family of soldiers probably feel even further away than they need to be, because of this lack of service into ABI. Are there gates available? It would be on the small side for a Southwest airport.   It looks like it is about 5x too small as of now based on flight volume: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airports_in_Texas   300,000 to 400,000 per year is typical for the smaller volume airports needed to support the 737's coming through.     ... View more

@DancingDavidE wrote: @quant wrote: I've had companion pass for about three years, and I find myself not bothering to check for price drops on flights with my companion added because of the extra step to cancel and rebook them if I need to make changes. If I left my companion off the booking until like 2-3 weeks before my flight, am I running a serious risk of the flight selling out? If you go to pretend book the flight and try to book eight WGA tickets and see if you are allowed           Thanks to @bec102896  for the original idea about the "eight ticket check" method. ... View more

@quant wrote: I've had companion pass for about three years, and I find myself not bothering to check for price drops on flights with my companion added because of the extra step to cancel and rebook them if I need to make changes. If I left my companion off the booking until like 2-3 weeks before my flight, am I running a serious risk of the flight selling out? If you go to pretend book the flight and try to book eight WGA tickets and see if you are allowed - if so then probably you can go ahead and cancel and then re-add the companion comfortably. Adjust your behavior if the flight seems to be about to sell out or sold out.    If you do get stuck though keep checking at T-24 hours you'll get some people who are reminded of their flight and forgot about it and cancel shortly after that, or become open to make same day changes, and then the same day people start making changes and/or get delayed and re-routed - I've added companion tickets while at the airport checking in before, it's very uncomfortable but often a seat will free up at the last minute if you keep checking. I don't recommend this, just offering that even if your flight did sell out there would still be a chance to recover.           ... View more

@preeve55 wrote: Last night at 8pm my sister noticed I had used her maiden name when booking her flight (she’s been married 51 years🤪). Her flight was the next morning at 8am so, to say the least, we were panicking! I found the customer service phone number pretty quick and “Francisco” took my call. He was kind and most helpful. He even checked with another colleague to ensure he was giving me the most accurate resolution. When we arrived at the airport this morning “Liz” was at the counter and quickly changed her name (after we supplied the documentation Francisco told us we’d need). The entire experience could have gone so much worse, Southwest Airlines staff made it seem like it was nothing. Thank you so much for your help Francisco & Liz!! PS  I told them they deserved a bonus for this:) Without sharing all of the details you can send out a message on Facebook or twitter to thank Francisco and Liz so that they are recognized by their leadership, or use the Contact Southwest Customer Service options.    Don't post any personally identifying information unless you are invited to a direct message to share specific details. (Usually someone will follow up to get your confirmation number privately to confirm your itinerary that day.) ... View more