Southwest Airlines Community

Pro Tip: To retain EarlyBird Check-In, in the future don't cancel -- rebook to a "dummy" flight at some point in the future that's approximately the same fare. Then rebook that itinerary when you know what flight you actually need. ... View more

They generally appear instantly, although it's not guaranteed. If you don't see them in your account, log out and back in.   Be aware that buying points is a really bad deal -- you're paying more for them than they are worth. It's recommended to only buy a small amount if you need to "top off" in order to have enough points for a particular fare.   ... View more

It's been down for weeks. One suspects the fix isn't a priority considering the multitude of issues Southwest's IT people need to address following the conversion to the new booking system. Relatively minor website issues like this are often disregarded, seemingly forever. An example is the "check gift card balance" function, which has been down for almost a year now.   The good news is that the function still works via the app. ... View more

You can't. Fares aren't guaranteed until the purchase is completed.   You can however cancel an itinerary (if booked more than 7 days prior to travel) within 24 hours for a full refund. ... View more

I'm gonna go way out on a limb and suggest that toy weapons are not the kind of thing you'd want to bring through security, into an airport or onto a plane.   TSA says:   Squirt Guns/Water Guns Carry On Bags: No Checked Bags: Yes Water guns, toy guns, toy swords and other items that resemble real firearms or other weapons can look just like the real thing in an X-ray. Please pack them in your checked bag. Replicas of explosives, such as hand grenades, are not permitted in checked or carry-on bags.     If you do check these items, you bags are likely to be subject to additional screening. ... View more

Purchased points usually show up immediately (you may need to log out of your account and back in), but officially they say "points will post within 72 hours."   Be aware that buying points is not a good deal. At 3 cents per point (or 2 cents per point with the current 25% off offer) you are essentially paying more than the actual value of the points (~1.4 to 1.9 cents per point). Points purchase is usually best for "topping off" when you just need a few more points in order to purchase a specific flight. ... View more

I'm not aware of a specific brand/model. But if so, it would need to be very small. Be aware that the under-seat space varies substantially by seat and plane type (700 vs 800). On the newest 800's the aisle under-seat area is quite small compared to the middle or window seat.   The aisle seat in this pic is the far right.   ... View more

If you've booked with points, you can change to a lower fare and will receive the points difference back into your account. ... View more

@TheMiddleSeat wrote: Southwest's group travel program allows name changes up to 72 hours prior to departure, but according to the online info you need a minimum of 10 people.   Details can be found here: https://www.southwest.com/html/air/business-groups/group-travel.html   It might be worth calling the group reservations number listed on the page to see if there is any flexibility in the number of passengers. There isn't. Minimum of 10 required.   Also, Groups is notoriously difficult to work with. The department is understaffed, and phone hold times are often hours+ long (seriously). And reservations booked thorough Groups cannot add EarlyBird Check-In to their itineraries. Essentially, you accept the limitations and inconvenience of working with them in exchange for a small discount and the flexibility of name changes and paying later. ... View more

See my earlier post.   The save to calendar function on the app does still work. ... View more

@59momkat wrote: Frank, I've been trying to find e-rewards and e-miles on the SW website but can't find it; can you point me in the right direction?   They are listed under Partners > Specialty:   https://www.southwest.com/html/rapidrewards/partners/specialty/index.html    You can sign up for e-Miles and Valued Opinions today. Unfortunately, for e-Rewards, you have to wait until you are invited to enroll. ... View more

Points don't have to "match the person." You can use your points to book a flight for anyone. Can you tell us the exact error message you're getting? ... View more

@LUV-SWA wrote: Hi Lindsey -   It's been three months since you responded indicating the Technology Team is investigating and working to resolve the issue.  May we please get an update?  The issue has not gotten any better. "We're working on a fix" means basically nothing. The very long list of issues that Southwest needs to fix would take even a competent IT department quite a while to address. Don't expect anything quickly. 😞 ... View more

Unfortunately, refunds often run very long, over 30 days and often over 60. This is despite their stated policy that refunds are to be processed quickly. I'd recommend reaching out to Customer Relations via Twitter to see if they can help. Good luck. ... View more

Southwest would do well to simply remove the PayPal option, since it causes so many customers so much frustration, and Southwest refuses to accept any responsibility to fix the issues. ... View more

Southwest's Contract of Carriage provides no requirement for any sort of refund in this situation. That said, customers often receive small vouchers as compensation for mechanical delays. My suggestion is to reach out to Customer Relations via Twitter. ... View more

Southwest officially still says that this is not possible. I'm wondering if this is perhaps yet another infamous Southwest glitch, one that actually benefits the customer for a change. 😉 ... View more

This is been down for quite some time, so one suspects its not a priority for IT to fix. You can use the calendar function on the app, which does seem to work. ... View more

In official replies to complaints about seat saving, reps specifically state that Southwest allows seat saving, as long as it "doesn't inconvenience passengers if slown down the boarding process." If someone points out that those things are actually happening, they repeat the statement about their not having a policy. ... View more

See my earlier post. The official policy on Southwest is that A-lister's give up their boarding benefit when boarding with companions or children. ... View more

There's nothing to enforce. They have no policy for or against seat saving. Which effectively means they allow seat saving.   😞 ... View more

Unfortunately, this is a common complaint. Try reaching out via Twitter, I find that they're much more responsive there. Good luck. ... View more

Basically, in return for having no change fees and allowing funds from cancelled or rebooked flights to be used towards future travel, Southwest put the onus on tracking and managing those travel funds on the customer.   Funds are good for one year from the original purchase date. When applied to a new booking, all funds associated with that new booking take on the earliest expiration date of any funds applied. ... View more

Reservations lines for both are answered quickly.   Customer Relations for Southwest often has very, very long hold times.   You are correct that Southwest's phone support is US-based. ... View more

Don't bother with Facebook -- the reps there aren't very responsive. Twitter is the way to go.   Sadly, phone support hold times are now routinely very, very long. ... View more

Just gonna repeat what I said in April:   Unfortunately, many issues are being put on the back burner while Southwest completes the conversion to the new "next generation reservation system," and the associated issues that has created. Also, keep in mind that Southwest was one of the last carriers to adopt mobile boarding passes in the first place, so it's unlikely the bugs will be completely worked out and/or full functionality implemented anytime soon. ... View more

Each line item is labeled to indicate the source.   To the right of the "Point type" box is box labeled "Filter by," which will let you see only Credit Card points, as monthly line-items, as you toggle between "All" and "Companion Pass Qualifying Points."   ... View more

Are you sure the CP "needle" didn't move? All RR Visa credit card points count towards CP.   To verify where you are currently, log into your account and under My Rapid Rewards > Recent Activity, select View All Activity. Then, under Point Type you can toggle back and forth between All, Tier Qualifying Points (for A-List) and Companion Pass Qualifying Points.     If there's a discrepancy, you'll need to reach out to Southwest. I recommend Twitter for the quickest response.   The terms of Chase's referal offer say, "Please allow up to 8 weeks after each new cardmember’s approval for bonus points to post to your account.” So you were given incorrect info from Chase. If the points haven't posted by then, contact Chase again, and refer to the link above. ... View more

The "Add to Calendar" function has been down for some time. I fear, with all the current issues they are dealing with post-conversion to the new reservation system, a fix for this one is a low priority.  😞 ... View more