Southwest Airlines Community

@dphuntsman wrote: No, not to Jamaica; I had already gotten my Approval through that Jamaica portal three days ago; it doesn’t require you to “upload” any test results. The only one who mentions “upload” of test results, is the Southwest website. That’s why I’m asking.   Where on the Southwest site did you see this? ... View more

I'm confused. What is it that people here hope will work for them? Am I missing something?   FYI: In your RR account, the category and description will tell you where the points come from (flight, credit card, other, etc.) and you can toggle on/off Tier & Companion Pass Qualifying filters.       ... View more

You can always check the specific expiration date of any travel funds here:   Check Travel Funds ... View more

@NOLA1206 wrote: Unfortunately, it does seem like they took my request for information as a request for an extension. I would think that since they made that error, they would at least work with me on correcting it. I only wanted the extension for one month later. The problem was I could never get through to them on the phone, hence the email smh I guess I'll give it another try Thanks for that info anyway Btw, using existing TF, booking a flight and then canceling gave me back my original TF expiration date, therefore making them ineligible for that extension. Believe me, I tried a few times to get that Sept 2022 date with no luck and I wouldn't be in this position now ugh   That's how Travel Funds usually work. However, between March 1 and September 7, 2020, it worked differently. Upon cancellation, your funds would initially retain the same expiration, but overnight that would change to the September 7, 2022 date.   If you cancelled a flight between March 1 and September 7, 2020 (and have proof -- a cancellation email for example) and your funds were not updated overnight to the 2022 expiration date, reach out to Customer Relations to see what can be done.   Contact Customer Relations  ... View more

@NOLA1206 wrote: I have written before on other messages about the September 7th cutoff date and unfortunately, southwest did not honor that extension if you had travel funds expiring after that date...ex: November 2020 as mine were. When I went on there to extend, it said ineligible for extension. I even spoke to a rep who also said there was no extension offered to TF expiring after Sept 7th and perhaps in the future that would change. Well, that time came and went and no such luck. Had to pay the $100 for the 6 month extension. I wish people would get this correct because I've seen it told to many people on different messages....like, oh you should have been more watchful and this wouldn't have happened to you. SMH Also, I was under the impression that I had 6 months to request the 6 month extension when paying the $100 fee with an expiration date of when I paid....haha not so fast, I received an email from them saying they were subtracting the $100 fee from my balance and giving me a 6 month extension to May 2021, without my asking them to do it. Sent an email stating I wanted a later date and was told OH SORRY, doesn't work that way.     There seems to still be a lot of confusion, I'll try to clear some of it up.   When Southwest announced the COVID accommodation, they said:   Funds that are set to expire or funds that are created between March 1, 2020 and September 7, 2020, will have an expiration date of September 7, 2022.   Since the accommodation also covered funds created during that time period, many customers realized that they could simply use their existing funds (which fell outside of those dates) to book a new flight, and then cancel that flight, which would create a new fund and thus "extend" their funds through September 7, 2022.   This was discussed widely here.   Unfortunately, not all customers figured this out, or were aware of the forum at that time. And this information was not shared when contacting Customer Service or Customer Relations, as this was an unofficial "work-around." (Technically, booking a flight without intent to fly is a violation of Southwest's terms and conditions, but it's not enforced. And frequent Southwest flyers have long been using this tactic for purposes such as combining travel funds.)   With regards to the expired funds-to-voucher reissue: This is an exception, granted as a goodwill gesture, and is not a published policy. Everything about this is subject to change, including the fee (which has increased from $50 to $75 to now $100 over the years.) It's important to know exactly how this works, and fully understand all the details, which have also been discussed widely here, but apparently bear some repeating.   Once your Travel Funds are expired (not before), you have six months in which to contact Customer Relations (not the reservation line) and request they be reissued as a LUV Voucher. If granted, the cost is $100 (deducted from the funds balance) and the voucher will be valid for six months from the date of issue. Vouchers, unlike Travel Funds, can be used by anyone, but are only valid for the airfare portion of travel, not any taxes or fees.   In your specific case, it sounds like your email was a request for the voucher reissue, which they completed for you. It's best to make that request only when you'd like it to be completed, as vouchers expire six months from the date of issue.   Hope this helps.           ... View more

@SM7 wrote: Posted in Multiple discussion threads & each one of those discussion threads is about the "Companion Boarding pass/ priority boarding" & my post is specifically about the deceptive e-mail sent out in March 2020 by Southwest. I shared my experience about the whole thing (from Southwest e-mail to my boarding experience) with other Southwest travelers who are just as frustrated with Southwest on this same topic.     Yes. And it's against the forum rules.    Unless you're new to the internet, you certainly must understand how copy/paste flooding a discussion board just comes off as whining, and is ultimately counterproductive, as all it does is anger other members of the forum. It certainly doesn't generate anything positive.   Again, as we've suggested here multiple times, sending your complaint directly to Southwest is a way better method of having your voice heard. ... View more

@SM7 wrote: @SWFlyer007why truth hurts you? I have only one username & I will continue to post here repeatedly to expose the deceptive companion pass boarding policy from Southwest corporate, bad attitude & racist attitude of the gate attendants. I know when they abuse their authority and ppower (who is going to argue with them when they can literally kick you off the flight for anything) in the name of so called "selectively applicable Rules" , and this is not the first time they did this.    While I can't speak to any claims of racist behavior, I'll point out -- again -- that the "selectively applied rules" worked, apparently, to your benefit most of the time, and that -- to be clear -- you were breaking the rules. It does however seem doubtful that the cause of the agent enforcing the rules (the situation that has caused your anger) was because of "racism." ... View more

@SM7 wrote: Southwest e-mail from March 2020. ”We know getting more time with the people most important to you is everything. That's why we're spreading the love of one of our most-coveted A-List and A-List Preferred perks. Starting March 12, anyone on a reservation with an A-List or A-List Preferred Member can board when they do. That means everyone on the same reservation gets to board together and pick their seat earlier. Because we can all agree the more time you get with your people, the better.” B.S.! NOT TRUE!!! One of the most BAIT & SWITCH policies by any airline! This is ridiculous. I've been an A-List member for 15 years & A-List preferred for couple years with a companion pass for my kid for the last 4 years. I read this as simple English & then the Southwest gate handlers at Phoenix Airport gate D-7 embarrassed me by first feigning ignorance about the policy & then clarifying that "the companion needs to be on the same reservation #" which they know is impossible!! Wow! Funny thing is I fly all over the US & only Southwest Gate handers at Orlando & Phoenix enforce & are happy to rub it in your face. I've flown & had my kid board along with me in so many other Airports like San Diego, Austin, Raleigh-Durham, San Jose, LAX, Ontario-LA, Orange County etc & they never make any fuss of a 8-year old boarding with me. And now Southwest rubs it in my face again! Not nice at all. "     It seems that you're upset because an agent applied the rules. Just because you've been allowed to sidestep them before doesn't mean you will always be able to do so.   The policy is clear. It unfortunately just doesn't apply to your situation. And it never has. (At least not yet.)   For all customers traveling together with a A-Lister to board together they have to be checked in together, and the system does that as long as they're on the same reservation. This is mentioned clearly, twice, in the policy announcement you posted.   ”We know getting more time with the people most important to you is everything. That's why we're spreading the love of one of our most-coveted A-List and A-List Preferred perks. Starting March 12, anyone on a reservation with an A-List or A-List Preferred Member can board when they do. That means everyone on the same reservation gets to board together and pick their seat earlier. Because we can all agree the more time you get with your people, the better.”   That email also included a LEARN MORE link, with more important details.   Unfortunately, those traveling on a Companion Pass are not on the same reservation as the CP holder. That's just how the system does it. This sadly highlights a significant flaw in Southwest's otherwise well-intentioned A-List boarding policy.   Southwest has stated that they're aware of the disappointment this causes for their Companion Pass holders, and that they are working on a solution. The good news is that there have recently been reports that this may be happening now, possibly as a test run. Hopefully an announcement will follow at some point.   Until there's a policy (and system) change, you should keep in mind that the A-List Boarding Policy doesn't apply to your Companion, but will apply when traveling with anyone else on the same reservation.   In your particular case, you could ask the Ops Agent, prior to boarding, if they will allow your child to board with you. If not, you should board together at your child's assigned position. Other people in your situation often find benefit in purchasing EarlyBird Check-In for their Companion.   Hope this helps.     (Just a reminder that posting the same thing on multiple threads is a violation of forum policy.)           ... View more

LOL. No, they haven't. It's still there. Just like I posted about yesterday.   Take another look at my earlier post, now marked "solution."         ... View more

Early in the pandemic, the domestic airlines together lobbied the White House in an attempt to have TSA take on the responsibility of temperature checks as part of the security screening process. The White House, obviously, refused to implement temperature checks, or even mask mandates for that matter. Airlines don't want to take on that responsibility for a number of reasons, not the least of which includes the expense and staff training required. For what it's worth, Southwest does require each passenger to take their own temperature prior to travel, and agree that they currently do not have a fever as part of the online check-in process. ... View more

Also, you might want to consider in the future purchasing a Military fare. While more expensive than the lowest priced Wanna Get Away fares, Military fares are fully refundable.  ... View more

@gsking wrote: "airframe isn't inherently airworthy without software intervention. "   Plenty of planes are much less airworthy without a computer flying them.   Most modern planes.   Of course they have more redundancy.    Most of the reason they put in the MCAS is for flyability/ similarity to older models,  and for avoiding a small portion of the stall envelope.     The plane is perfectly flyable without software.  It just takes a smarter pilot to avoid stalling.  Just like the smarter pilots who disabled MCAS when it malfunctioned.      Much like traveling under Covid, it's a risk analysis.   Just BETWEEN the two crashes, there were over 150,000 Max flights.  That's pretty good odds... about 10x better than a healthy person dying of Covid.     So if you're that worried about the Max, you're best staying home.      Unfortunately, the plane is not perfectly flyable without MCAS. If it was, then the simple solution would be to remove MCAS. They're not removing MCAS.   More accurate would be to say that, without MCAS it's flyable in an emergency, if the pilots have the correct training, and also the strength needed to physically operate the trim wheel.   Please don't mistake my concern for "worry," I'm well aware of the odds involved. I'll wait until I've learned more before deciding if, with regards to the MAX, they're acceptable to me.   Luckily, I'll have other options available, at least for a while, that will negate any misperceived need to "stay home." 😉         ... View more

In a few years it will be very hard to avoid the MAX, especially on Southwest, as it's literally the only plane type they currently have confirmed plans to purchase. Eventually, it will represent most of their fleet.   Assuming there isn't another catastrophic event.   The argument that the plane type will be among the most thoroughly vetted aircraft flying is seemingly valid, but conveniently sidesteps the primary objection that the airframe isn't inherently airworthy without software intervention. For many, that's a deal breaker.   There are also continuing concerns with Boeing and the FAA's relationship -- and with the process that allowed the initial certification in the first place -- that call into question their abilities to confidently rectify the MAX situation. Southwest also shares some of the scrutiny in that regard, as their requirement to limit pilot training helped pressure Boeing to force this essentially new aircraft type into an existing category, which never should have been the case to begin with. Despite the deaths of 346 people, all organizations involved appear to be getting off relatively unscathed, and while there's not much we as consumers can do about that it still leaves an unpleasant aftertaste, trust issues, and lingering questions regarding oversight.   Personally, I won't be flying on a MAX anytime soon. I remain skeptical that the proposed software and computer fixes sufficiently mitigate the MAX's inherent flaws. I'll be moving my flights away from the aircraft until I see what specific measures are made to address these concerns. I'll also be following closely the independent re-certifications by the EASA and Transport Canada. If an international regulatory body requires additional modifications beyond what the FAA proposes, for example an additional angle of attack sensor, that will be particularly concerning.   Time will tell.   ... View more

Southwest does many things right, but occasionally some things wrong. People often post here their legitimate complaints. Yours is not one of them.   I don't understand your position at all.   If you had concert tickets (back when concerts were still happening) and you missed the concert, do you think you would get a refund?!   With Southwest, you can cancel as late at 10 minutes (!) prior to departure and still receive travel funds for the full amount of your fare. Cancelling is easy -- you can do it online or through the app with just a few clicks.   The no-show policy is clearly communicated when you buy your ticket, on multiple emailed notifications., and again when you check in for your flight. But you say you failed to cancel a flight twice? You learned nothing from the first time you forfeited your funds?!   You have nothing to be upset about. If you're mad at anyone, it should be yourself.   Sorry. ... View more

As we've discussed previously, the the issue with expanding wifi access is due to current bandwidth limitations and/or costs associated with increasing that capability. More people using the internet connection = slower speeds for everyone, and addressing that with system upgrades (or even just purchasing additional satellite bandwidth) costs significant money. My understanding is that Southwest has a schedule for planned upgrades, but I'm not sure if that's still planned or even a priority these days, with the current operating losses piling up. ... View more

@dfwskier wrote: Makes sense. They get good PR and would never fill those seats anyway on most flights between 1/3 and 3/1 - as real travel dead zone.. Keeping enter seats blocked during spring break (if there is one) might be a different story.   Agreed. This just makes it more perplexing to me that Southwest will stop on Dec. 1. ... View more

Check again. The points are CPQ, but it looks like that didn't happen automatically. It appears they are being updated today to CPQ status.  ... View more

Unfortunately, Southwest has said repeatedly that they do not plan on adding at-seat USB ports. Their stated reason is that the additional weight that would be added to the plane would increase fuel costs. ... View more

I suspect Southwest hopes to sell more seats during Christmas/New Years than 2/3rds of a plane. Indicating in real-time to customers which flights have stronger demand likely isn't something Southwest's systems can currently do, and to do so would likely backfire anyway. More people would choose the less-full flights and then those would become more full. ... View more

Just to add some info:     Desktop When you check-in for your flight on the desktop, you'll see the following options:     Print will open up a page with a print-formatted boarding pass that can be printed on a local printer (or saved as a pdf to be printed later).   Email will send you a mobile-formatted boarding pass that can be printed locally or saved to your phone.   Text will send you a link to a mobile-formatted boarding pass, which is automatically saved to your phone if using an iPhone or Google Pay on Android. You can also view the mobile boarding pass, take a screenshot, or save it to your photos folder by clicking on the camera icon in the upper right hand corner.     Mobile When you check-in for your flight on a mobile device such as a phone or tablet:   If you check in on your mobile device via the Southwest app or mobile website, you're offered a mobile-formatted boarding pass, which can then be saved in all the ways mentioned above.   If you check in on your mobile device via the mobile website but would prefer to print your boarding pass to a local printer, just force the phone to load the desktop site instead of the mobile one, and you'll see the three options I showed earlier, which includes Print.     Additionally:   Once you're checked in by any method, you can always use an airport kiosk to print a copy of your boarding pass.     ... View more

Just to be clear, if you don't have a Southwest credit card you are currently unable to use the More Rewards function. Those that earn points exclusively by flying can redeem their points exclusively for flying. ... View more

If you think the option suggested is unethical, then perhaps you shouldn't take advantage of it.   I understand you're angry. And as I posted earlier, I absolutely understand why. Again, I feel it's unfortunate that Southwest isn't addressing customers with situations such as yours.    Please keep in mind that the people here, the ones making suggestions that could potentially help you recover most of your funds, are just customers like you. We are not Southwest. Your anger may be real, but it's definitely misplaced. Consider directing it at Southwest proper, through any of the contact methods that have been mentioned earlier in any of these threads.     ... View more

Note that, if you try to make the change online, the system may allow only a free change -- if so, you'll see a banner telling you of the specific criteria. In order to recover any points difference (if the new flight is cheaper), you'll need to cancel the old flight and book the new one from scratch (not use the change flight function). I'd recommend booking the new one first, to make sure it's available at the fare you expect, then immediately cancelling the old one. ... View more