Southwest Airlines Community

Using the information you posted, but SHOULD REMOVE ASAP, I was able to see that PreCheck is associated with your reservation and should be on the boarding pass. Reprint your boarding pass at the airport.      ... View more

I think it is more of a battle of attrition than any absolute temperature that would automatically cancel flights. Maybe there is some absolute limit but that may be -20F or colder.   But as you mention, people will need to take more breaks to warm up, gradually as temperatures get colder the de-icing and ground crews will end up bottlenecking the flights so some will end up being canceled premptively in order to manage the overall system.   One article popped up with a search: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-planes-cant-take-off-in-cold-weather-2014-1   If you consider Minneapolis as an example, it gets colder there than Chicago and all the airside equipment still works into the extreme temperatures.   Moisture however is another story, ice and snow will have a larger effect than the temperature alone, especially at Midway since the runways are a little shorter than other airports. Chicago Department of Aviation has to be able to keep the runways clear as there isn't as much extra allowance for braking distance, and visibility is needed for the approach for landing.   ... View more

Good luck @Bookish, I hope you made it! ... View more

Yep, @LindseyD can change your name. Send her a private message with the request  ... View more

I believe you retain early-bird if you "change" the flight which would still give you the credit, as opposed to canceling and rebooking which would lose the EB payment.   If you don't plan to fly Southwest again within a year from when you first purchased the ticket then the credit would expire anyway, but maybe you'd have a trip come up where you can use the $33 unexpectedly? ... View more

I don't think that will work @cbeghein as the points are processed based on the statement dates, not when you make a payment.   In hindsight you could have called Chase and asked to move up the billing period ending date to mid-December, I don't know if you'll be able to do that now and have points process in time though since there may be a few days after the end of the period before points are posted. ... View more

You should approach the gate agent early then and ask to board all at family boarding and mention that you got EB for your older child.   If that's a no go, then tell them you'll board with the EB number together either moving the EB back, or all joining on the EB number.   Good luck!   David   ... View more

Yeah, I've never known that to be true. That would be a liability that affects their own cohearts (baggage handlers), so I don't see it happening.  ... View more

At the gate, and do this in advance of boarding time, you'll bag the stroller and car seat in their protective bags - your own are fine to use - so these each count as one of your two extra baby items, not as four items.   If you can fit the pump into the diaper bag, then the diaper bag would be one of your carry-on items, and you get one more carry-on item.   So as described you would be fine as long as you have the diaper bag and pump bag, and everything else that you are carrying fits into those two bags. If you have anything else then you should try to combine something so you have two items.     ... View more

To elaborate on @franktravel a little - if there is a low fare available it may mean that there are a few WGA tickets available, eventually those WGA are higher priced as they sell, and then sold out. If you see a flight that has only BS or Anytime fares it's probably pretty full.   In general I think Southwest is known for achieving pretty high occupancy rates on flights, for any popular routes it will likely be pretty full for any flights except the late-night options.   The pricing may be an indicator of availability, but nothing would prevent Southwest from charging more money for a short-notice WGA fare on a limited route even if seats were available, or on some routes they may have cheap WGA until the end, so although the pricing may be a clue, it's not an absolute rule.       ... View more

That's advanced to lose a gate checked item! (My guess someone grabbed it accidentally?)   Anyway - the credit card doesn't contribute towards tier qualifying points for A-list or A-list preferred, so you didn't miss out there.   EDIT: realized I left out one credit card contribution - there is a 1,500 point bonus per $10,000 spent on premier cards that have annual fees, up to 15,000 points - so that maybe would have helped you if you put $70,000 on there.   I am a similar amount of points away actually - I ran the numbers and decided I was fine with A-list, it wasn't worth upgrading that many flights to close the gap. ... View more

@usrcpog wrote: ...Recently I also handed out that the Thank you for kicking tail coupons to SW employees.  This was a big delima for me.   The ticket agent who was so great when I wanted an earlier flight. The pilots who got me there safely. The flight attendants who are so great, tell jokes, take care of all of us, serve us free soda, water, and snacks The baggage handlers who put our bags on the flights The folks on the other end of the phone with SW who help me when I need it. The rest of the team I did not mention.   I expect #2 on all my airline flights, but have definitely handed out a few kicktail coupons for many of the other roles! I did have a captain or co-pilot grab my gate-checked stroller off the elevator, but unfortunately at that time I was all bundled up and didn't have ready access to my coupons. Here's to you Captain! ... View more

You may have to go through a verification as if you didn't have any ID (they obviously get some number of people every week that have lost their ID).   Probably bring a few additional supporting documents such as your student ID, credit cards, utility bill, or other info and I believe they may be able to look up your info from the old driver's license number or SSN.   If you have a passport that counts, or Global Entry card would also work...use those in place of your driver's license and you are set.   Allow some extra time at TSA to verify by answering questions - they don't say how much longer but I'd add at least a half hour to what you are normally comfortable with, maybe an hour. ... View more

Just ask the boarding agent.  Southwest is very lax about enforcing this policy.  This may seem like a nice gesture on their part but it's easy to be accomodating when it comes at other peoples' expense.  ... View more

I've been on a Southwest flight where a woman asked to board in the family group even though her daughters were both teenagers.  The agent agreed to let her.  Now Southwest can cop-out on the saving seats issue by saying that they have no policy but they have a very specific policy about family boarders and typically choose not to enforce it.   ... View more

Gotcha. I was using the terminology from another forum, where "A-List +" is shorthand for A-List Preferred. 😉   In any case, it doesn't change the great advice given here. ... View more

I don't think it matters too much. I like seats in front of the engines since it is a little quieter, but the seats to the rear are okay too.   Check with the gate when you arrive to see how many people are on the plane - if there are plenty of empties then hopefully you get one of the empty middles and you don't need to stress it.    For fuller flight, dive in to an empty row and you have a good chance that people will take the other empty spots first if they are hesitant to sit next to a young child.    Location of the changing table varies between 737-700 and 737-800, ask the flight attendant when you board if the front or rear has the changing table on your flight and maybe that's a tie breaker for which half of the plane you try for. Hopefully you can make it 1:45 without a change though.   If you do acquire an empty middle seat and your kid is sitting there, make sure to let the FA know that the child is a lap child and not to be counted as a ticketed seat when they count passengers at the end of boarding. ... View more

Yes it’s 18 people. I’ll call them later today. Thanks  ... View more

Haha, good memory @DancingDavidE! Gravy arrived in perfect condition, didn't even have to freeze it. Family was very appreciative of the effort and the wait at baggage claim wasn't bad. I was relieved when bags started coming out and they weren't covered in gravy. I hope your Thanksgiving went well.   The frozen food checked bag was from another dinner event. Suitcase had frozen steaks along with fresh fingerling potatoes, chopped bell peppers and onions, and freshly baked desserts. Dinner in a suitcase!  ... View more

Perhaps your correct.  Despite the close proximity an the under served Plattsburg Airport with only Alligent and Spirit with a few flight to an from weekly an then Spirit usually offering a Red Eye betweem 1:30 and 3:30 AM arriving an departing.  Burlington Airport on the other hand has greatly expanded their Terminal Building, has an excellent onsite Parking Garage with Multiple Car Rental Companies located in the Terminal an Vehicle`s parked on-site in Parking Garage. The other carriers servicing BTV seem to have more then adequate filled seats both with residents living anywhere from White River Junction, VT or Lake George, NY (north) looking for a convenient Airport.  Many Montrealers  that are budget travelers routinally drive south over the Border to BTV to reach US Desinations with lower fares (including favorable currency exchange rates) available in Burlington then Pierre Trudeau (Dorval) Airport in Montreal.  All the Student traffic from  St. Michaels College and UV in Burlington fills the remaining seats.  SW should be on a "Wait List" for the next gate openings at BTV. Right now, Delta and Jet Blue have most of it to themselves. Lets eat their Lunch! ... View more

@eodc514Many people use the cards to purchase travel all of the time and aren't relying on the bonus for any particular decisionmaking. Why would you wait until next January if you were going to be flying a lot from February to December?   The bonus is always applicable for points redemption. It's only for people that are strategizing a companion pass that it really matters with the timing.    It's actually pretty nice of Southwest to provide the remainder of the year, plus the next calendar year for new earners. One reason for this is that you can plan ahead for the next year instead of earning CP mid-year and then having possibly several months where you will already have your flights booked. Giving you a the next calendar year works well to allow people to plan to use CP. ... View more

Something is missing - to earn 22,940 points on a flight, even if it was business select, would cost $1,912...I've never seen a round-trip on Southwest that would be that high, assuming that you used the companion pass for the other ticket.   22,940 does sound like a more common amount of points to redeem for a flight...Does your account show that you used points to book this trip instead of added them?     ... View more

I'll add that you should let the flight attendant help store it, and they can make sure it stays on top of the luggage so you can access it during the flight if you need to get up. ... View more

Very difficult to check in width early bird.  Finally find out you say you automatically check me in.  I hope so. malminer ... View more

Good point @chgoflyer - booking a flight wouldn't earn points until you flew, so that's not really an option unless you have a trip before the expiration.   Thanks for clarifying that it is earning points rather than points activity/redeeming.   ... View more

Did you just recently earn A-list? You will "check-in" after 24 hours just as you always did before - the only difference is that your number is already assigned. After the 24-hour mark you are actually just claiming your boarding pass. Since the number if pre-assigned, you don't have to scramble to do it right at 24-hours, you can do it more or less at your leisure.     ... View more

@Teebaby wrote: Hello!   I too am very close to CP.  I just checked and read there are only 2 ways to earn TIER QUALIFYING POINTS:   1-BUTT IN SEAT (BIS) an actual flight somewhere 2-Chase Southwest Premier credit card (up to 15,000 T.Q.P. per year)   I guess I will need to get to flying! No. TQPs apply to A-List qualification only.   CPQP (companion pass qualifying points) include many more points. Basically, all base points. The primary stated exception are hotel or other partner transfer points (when you transfer large amounts of points from a partner program into Rapid Rewards). Credit card, RR Shopping, RR Dining, rental car, hotel stay, etc... all count towards CP as long as they post prior to Jan. 1.   To qualify for a Companion Pass, you will need to earn 110,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or fly 100 Southwest Airlines® qualifying one-way flights per calendar year. Points must be earned and posted to your Rapid Rewards® account prior to the end of the calendar year in order to count toward Companion Pass qualification. Companion Pass qualifying points are earned from your revenue flights booked through Southwest Airlines, your points earned by making purchases with a Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Card, and your base points earned from Rapid Rewards Partners. Purchased points, points transferred between Members, points converted from hotel and car loyalty programs, and e-Rewards, e-Miles, Valued Opinions, and Diners Club, points earned from program enrollment, tier bonus points, flight bonus points, and Partner bonus points (with the exception of the Rapid Rewards Credit Cards from Chase) do not qualify as Companion Pass qualifying points. ... View more

Hi,   I realized what happened.  I made and paid for a reservation with Paypal, buit at the end I got the screen Your request could not go through (something like that).  I also did not get a notification from Paypal that I had paid.  So I believed that the purchase had not gone through and made another reservation with my Mastercard.  I think that this is serious error.  I did nothing wrong and was told that I had made 2 reservations.  How in the world could I have avoided this?   ... View more

You might still be ahead of the other airlines by not having change fees, but yes it could be an issue if the prices of the flights have changed since you originally bought them.    Hopefully a sales comes up or the price drops a little for you to reduce the impact.   As mentioend previously though, I wouldn't expect there to be new flights added except for an unusual circumstance.   The situation makes sense if you are traveling to a destination that would be busy on Southwest such as during a festival where flights would be booked up months in advance. ... View more