Southwest Airlines Community

Southwest planes don't have closets or anywhere to hang a garment bag, so it would have to lay on top of carryons in the overhead compartment. A flight attendant should be able to help you. Consider shipping it ahead to your hotel? ... View more

Yeah, that's pretty odd. For June through mid-August, midweek flights OKC to CHS dissapear, but flights back (CHS to OKC) remain. This makes no sense.   ... View more

The 300s are scheduled to be retired by the end of the year. There are a few incoming used 700s that won't have wifi until they are sent out for installation, but once the 300s are gone your chances of having a wifi-enabled plane are very good. That's the good news.   The bad news is that, overall, Southwest's satellite-based internet connectivity is pretty abysmal. The wifi system functions great as an in-cabin entertainment system (choosing from the available menu) but trying to do a 2-way connection to the internet is frustrating. Sometimes good for email, but generally not much else. ... View more

No, points bookings remain fully refundable regardless of how you pay for the taxes and fees.   The expiration of your funds will apply to the taxes and fees, but not your flight. Meaning that, if you cancel, the points will always go back into your RR account, and the funds will be held under the new confirmation number, good only for use by the original passenger, usable until the earliest expiration date of any funds applied. ... View more

@Jengre wrote: In February i had a promotion that put me on A-list my question is I bought a ticket for travel in July and it said i had A-list boarding so i didn’t need to buy early bird check in but now the promotion is over and i bought a ticket for late May that i had to buy early bird check in Am i really going to have a-list for my trip in July because of when i bought my ticket? If the promotion was a challenge, where you were given A-List temporarily and could have maintained it by meeting certain criteria, but you did not meet that criteria, then no, you will not have A-List going forward.  ... View more

@Mscannata wrote: I agree that I would want to sit with family members. To do that, you should board with your sister in the B48 position.  Saving a seat is not fair to people with boarding positions between you and your sister. In fact, Southwest makes a boarding announcement suggesting this.  While Southwest does suggest you board together at the later number, Southwest also allows seat saving.   I believe most people would have no problem with someone saving a single seat for another person, especially since that single seat would most likely be a middle one.   This has actually been suggested many many times as one of the seat saving compromises that could be included in an official policy.   Unfortunately, Southwest declines to create a policy, effectively allowing seat saving. Which leads to things like customers saving multiple seats, entire rows, and even entire exit rows.   😞 ... View more

So many threads about EarlyBird Check-In.   So much information easily available on the website, for anyone taking the time to look. 😉   EarlyBird Check-In automatically checks you in and assigns your position beginning 36 hours before departure. You can only check yourself in, view your position and print your boarding pass starting at 24 hours prior to departure. ... View more

All points earned from the Rapid Rewards Visa card from Chase -- base and bonus -- are Companion Pass Tier Qualifying. Points are earned when posted to your account each month, regardless of if you carry a balance. If you return/refund a purchase made with the card, those points originally earned from that refunded purchase are deducted from the next statement. ... View more

JetBlue is the only domestic carrier that allows something like that, through their FamilyPooling feature. ... View more

@sg0086198 wrote: Where do the "credit funds" reside, in a traveler's Rapid Rewards Account?  Tied to the credit card originally purchased on?     The reason i ask is, if a refundable ticket is purchased by a company on a company credit card and the traveler then exchanges or modifies the ticket instead of refunding it (making the ticket now non refundable) and then doesn't use the ticket, is the the value of the ticket refunded" back as a credit to the traveler's personal Rapid Rewards number account?  If so, then theoretically the traveler could use those funds for personal travel and the company would not be any wiser, correct?     If so, this is a huge gap and leaves the system open to much abuse at the companies expense.   Steve   Yes you are essentially correct.   If a passenger changes a refundable fare that was paid for by a business, that fare then becomes travel funds usable only by that passenger.   This recent "refundable becomes non-refundable" policy change is going to burn a lot of people, and -- as you point out -- a lot of businesses. 😞 ... View more

The Group Travel discount is more than $100 per person? ... View more

@Esteban wrote: I'm pretty sure they dont count toward companion pass    I'm not sure which points you're referencing.   Basically, there are three kinds of RR points.   1) Regular RR points: These are earned from flying, partner transactions, bonuses... basically any point you earn through any method. These are valid to be redeemed for travel on Southwest (and some other options through More Rewards if you have the RR Visa card). These points expire if you have no earning activity on your account after 2 years.   2) Companion Pass Tier Qualifying Points: This is a subset of all regular points. It includes base points only earned from travel or partner activity (not bonus points), plus points earned from the RR Visa card, including bonus points. The counter for these points resets to zero on Dec. 31 each year. Redeeming any regular points does not affect this counter.   3) A-List Tier Qualifying Points: This is an even smaller subset of all regular points -- only the base points earned from travel on Southwest.   PLUS -- if you have the RR Premier Card -- you can earn 1,500 A-List Tier Qualifying Points for every $10,000 in eligible net purchases on that card, up to 15,000 A-list Tier Qualifying Points per year. These additional points are a separate counter and not added to your regular point total, do not count towards Companion Pass, and are not redeemable.   The counter for these points resets to zero on Dec. 31 each year. Redeeming any regular points does not affect this counter. ... View more

If you book the new flights without using Group Travel, you can use the vouchers. ... View more

@nashhorn wrote: I hate to tell you this but my understanding is that 'bought' points, ie, those from the credit card expenditures are not credited for 'tier' status. In other words, they will count for points toward flight rewards, and for companion pass (which is good) but not for A, or A preferred status (which is not good). Wish I was wrong but I believe that to be the case.  No, this is incorrect.   A-List tier qualifying points can also be earned from the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card.   From the website: A Member who has a Rapid Rewards Premier Card from Chase will earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points for every $10,000 in eligible net purchases on that card, up to 15,000 Tier Qualifying Points per year.     ... View more

@nashhorn wrote: 12 months - calendar year following meeking the requirement.  No, this is incorrect.   It's actually the rest of the year in which you earn A-List, plus the entire following year.   From the website: Rapid Rewards A-List and A-List Preferred qualification is based on the calendar year. Once reached, you will begin enjoying the benefits immediately.  You will maintain your A-List or A-List Preferred status for the remainder of the calendar year and the entire calendar year immediately following the year in which you qualified. ... View more

I find that the info from FlightAware is usually more accurate than Southwest's status updates. ... View more

They've actually offered "premium drink" options in the past. The energy drinks were discontinued, due to, allegedly, suspected abuse by the flight crew. 😉 I don't know why they stopped the Vitamin Waters. Hopefully they'll consider adding one again. A prepared iced coffee option is frequently suggested. ... View more

If you've received EarlyBird Check-In it will say "EarlyBird Check-In" on your printed boarding pass. ... View more

Many people now have many, many extra drink coupons, as Southwest recently settled a class action lawsuit over initially requiring Business Select drink coupons to be used only on the original flight (without stating that on the coupon). I received 60. 😉 Unfortunately (for me) but fortunately (for traveling partners and/or friendly people seated nearby) they all expire in May, 2018.   @CJF wrote: Some would say  "a pleasant problem to have".    Whenever I accumulate more drink coupons than I expect to use,  I  look for  a service member in uniform and offer him or her a coupon.   Service members are not suposed to drink alcohol while in uniform. ... View more

ll you need is the confirmation number. Then, at as close to exactly 24 hours before scheduled departure, check yourself in online at Southwest.com. From there, you can print your boarding pass, or have a mobile one sent to your smartphone. Alternately, you can get one at the airport when you check any bags or from a kiosk if not. ... View more

@DancingDavidE wrote: If it is for points, then upgrade to Business Select instead, for the extra $20 or so you get the 12x instead of 10x points.   Exactly!   But be prepared to pay a lot for those points, as the difference may be huge. 😉   ... View more

@actionjb62 wrote: I wondered the same thing this morning when I tried to grab some more because I was going to make a large purchase. I already had four that I ordered in March and hadn't redeemed yet - when I tried today it turned out that they were redeemed even before I made the order with Rapid Rewards (Amazon confirmed when they were redeemed). Wonder if that has anything to do with why they are no longer available.   Anyway, Rapid Rewards is closed over the weekend but I hope they will resolve this issue for me. Make sure you're calling the right number -- Rapid Rewards customer service will just tell you to call More Rewards (a completely separate 3rd party):   What is the contact information for More Rewards, and what are its service hours? To place an order or inquire about an existing order, call 1-800-833-4861 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central time, Monday through Friday.    ... View more

Yes, and no. 😉   You can, but your fare would remain non-refundable. So there's really no point.    Why would you want to upgrade? ... View more

According to the TSA website: “Family members ages 12 and under traveling with an eligible parent or guardian with a TSA Pre✓® indicator on their boarding pass can participate in expedited screening. Family members 13 and older must go through standard security lanes or should apply for a DHS trusted traveler program. ... View more

@VASHFORD wrote: @chgoflyer wrote: @major wrote: I think you have to log in to your account, and be in the account details screen in order to see the promotions.  If SWA is going to take the approach you mention then i would hope they would give you some type of notice when you log in that you should check for promotions.   Most promotions are targeted.   Targeted means that they are sent to specific customers, based on some formula known only to Southwest.   Logging in and checking the Promotions tab will only show you those promotions that have been assigned to your account. I know, which is precisely why I'm miffed. I'd like them to "extend" their target when it comes to those special emails for A-List. Yesterday, I received another "Victoria tell all your friends and family about the SW Visa (because I use mine a lot) and get up to 50,000 pts", yada, yada, yada. email/promo.  Years back I happily did so, but no more. I'd like to get in on the A-List bandwagon and NOT be constantly solicited to get CHASE BANK NEW CUSTOMERS. :-{ That's there job, not mine!!!!! Understood. My reply was to the person I quoted. 😉 ... View more

Unfortunately, as it states on the drink ticket itself, it is valid the day of travel only. This is actually slightly better than when Southwest first began issuing BS drink coupons, and they were only valid on that specific flight. ... View more

As I posted earlier: Southwest doesn't officially publish the method they use for assigning positions within A-List. It's believed they use some sort of algorithm that factors in fare cost and trip frequency. ... View more

It's not a TSA rule, although airline reps will often say that. It's simply a policy that, unfortunately, most -- if not all -- domestic carriers have. ... View more

You earn points that can be used to book flights. That counter drops when you use them and increases when you earn them.   Companion Pass qualifying points use a different counter. It never decreases until the end of the calendar year, when it resets to zero.   Using your points has no effect on your already-earned Companion Pass qualifying points. However, if you use points to pay for a flight, you won't earn any new points (CP or otherwise) for that flight. ... View more