Post all SW questions concerns, etc. here...

[shoreward]

I know that customers are really angry at Southwest for impacting their travel plans, changing flight schedules - some with a few weeks notice, but others only with a one day notice or less. Southwest offers to change the dates/flights to other times, within a set window, for those affected. With many customers being stuck at an airport, away from home, they are incurring additional expenses for overnight accommodations, food, etc., which Southwest will not cover. Southwest does offer refunds for any portion of an itinerary not flown and affected by a Southwest change, due to the MAX 8 situation.

All of this mess is on Boeing; Southwest only is the middleman. I feel sorry for the customers, and I feel for Southwest and its employees on the front line, who must deal with the wrath of the customers and not being able to offer any exceptional compensation. Southwest and American, the two U.S. carriers with the greatest number of MAX aircraft, have been losing millions and millions of dollars, since March, with no known end in sight.

It's too bad that there had to be multiple losses of lives, before the aircraft defects were recognized.

I would not be surprised if the schedule extension has been delayed, due to MAX 8 grounding being further extended.

It makes you wonder how many customers will refuse to fly the MAX 8, once the aircraft is deemed safe to fly, again.

 

[Iowamomof4]

I know that customers are really angry at Southwest for impacting their travel plans, changing flight schedules - some with a few weeks notice, but others only with a one day notice or less. Southwest offers to change the dates/flights to other times, within a set window, for those affected. With many customers being stuck at an airport, away from home, they are incurring additional expenses for overnight accommodations, food, etc., which Southwest will not cover. Southwest does offer refunds for any portion of an itinerary not flown and affected by a Southwest change, due to the MAX 8 situation.

All of this mess is on Boeing; Southwest only is the middleman. I feel sorry for the customers, and I feel for Southwest and its employees on the front line, who must deal with the wrath of the customers and not be able to offer any exceptional compensation. Southwest and American, the two U.S. carriers with the greatest number of MAX 8 aircraft, have been losing millions and millions of dollars, since March, with no known end in sight.

It's too bad that there had to be multiple losses of lives, before the aircraft defects were recognized.

I would not be surprised if the schedule extension has been delayed, due to MAX 8 grounding being further extended.

It makes you wonder how many customers will refuse to fly the MAX 8, once the aircraft is deemed safe to fly, again.

Maybe not "refuse", but certainly I won't be very happy to fly on one until a few years have passed without anymore trouble.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

That is were paying with a credit card that has trip interrupted coverage comes in handy.

 

[thesandra19]

Well...it’s just 6 more days lol. Awful seems like a strong word

lol I'm a November 3rd-er. It's annoying to wait more but I, personally, wouldn't call it awful.

 

[Tall Todd]

Southwest Giftcards are about 12.5% off at BJ's right now.

 

[katallo]

Thanks, Tall Todd. Does anyone know how many gift cards you can use when purchasing tickets?

 

[SinCityMMAFan]

Thanks, Tall Todd. Does anyone know how many gift cards you can use when purchasing tickets?

Southwest gift cards – A maximum of three Southwest gift cards can be applied per passenger on each reservation. If your purchase exceeds the amount available on the three Southwest gift cards, you will only be allowed to use two Southwest gift cards and another form of payment will be required for the difference.

https://www.southwest.com/html/air/products/gift-card-terms-and-conditions.html

 

[aokeefe]

I just checked the flight schedules and the release date for flights up to Jan 5th have been pushed out until June 20th now

 

[shoreward]

I just checked the flight schedules and the release date for flights up to Jan 5th have been pushed out until June 20th now

This has to be from the MAX 8 situation.

We are currently accepting air reservations through November 2, 2019. On June 20, 2019 we will open our schedule for sale through January 5, 2020. This date is subject to change! Please check back frequently.

 

[cdepauli]

Not that I had the expectation that this would be honored, but Southwest will not do courtesy extensions of travel credits (I had one from booking last spring for late last summer and planned to use it by now to book for my upcoming June trip) due to the Max 8 groundings affecting both schedules and flight costs. I figured the worst they could say is no, and they did! HA!

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

This has to be from the MAX 8 situation.

Agreed - It seems odd to delay a release of flights that far out but I'd guess they just don't want to have to reconfigure the schedule either to remove those planes or add them back later.

For those who are planning to fly Southwest no matter what during those busy months, this is probably a minor frustration. (It's not like anybody else is beating you to those flights). Unfortunately, for those hoping to price SW against other airlines, this is a pretty major delay. They could be faced to make a decision to go elsewhere as holiday travel plans need to be finalized.

 

[Frwinkley]

Companion pass question:

Can you only have 1 companion booked at a time?


Here’s my dilemma: Travel booked June 20-28. DH is my companion. We’re all set.

I now want to take a trip with DD June 9-13. I didn’t realize I could only have 1 trip booked at a time using the pass.

Would this strategy work? Cancel DH as companion (leave my flight alone since I paid with points). Add DD as companion and take trip June 9-13. After that trip is complete, add DH back on.

Travel dates can’t be changed, so that’s not an option.

 

[katallo]

For those who are planning to fly Southwest no matter what during those busy months, this is probably a minor frustration. (It's not like anybody else is beating you to those flights). Unfortunately, for those hoping to price SW against other airlines, this is a pretty major delay. They could be faced to make a decision to go elsewhere as holiday travel plans need to be finalized.




This is well said. We are trying to finalize plans during the holidays and will start looking at other airlines. Understand why they are doing it but it certainly is making things like reservations and car rentals difficult.

 

[chicagoshannon]

For those who are planning to fly Southwest no matter what during those busy months, this is probably a minor frustration. (It's not like anybody else is beating you to those flights). Unfortunately, for those hoping to price SW against other airlines, this is a pretty major delay. They could be faced to make a decision to go elsewhere as holiday travel plans need to be finalized.




This is well said. We are trying to finalize plans during the holidays and will start looking at other airlines. Understand why they are doing it but it certainly is making things like reservations and car rentals difficult.

It's a major issue for us. My family won't book our flight on October 25 until the return flight on Nov 3(or whatever that first Sunday in NOv is.) is available to book. So we miss out on any deals for that Oct 25 flight. Looks like we'll be driving for sure.

 

[barb969]

Companion pass question:

Can you only have 1 companion booked at a time?


Here’s my dilemma: Travel booked June 20-28. DH is my companion. We’re all set.

I now want to take a trip with DD June 9-13. I didn’t realize I could only have 1 trip booked at a time using the pass.

Would this strategy work? Cancel DH as companion (leave my flight alone since I paid with points). Add DD as companion and take trip June 9-13. After that trip is complete, add DH back on.

Travel dates can’t be changed, so that’s not an option.

SWA rules used to say you can change your companion once. I think your plan would be counted as twice. Things could have changed. Call and ask.

 

[jvncnt]

Our May flights between CMH and MCO were also changed. The outgoing flight was only a 5 minute difference but our incoming flight was cancelled and rescheduled three hours later on the next direct flight. What normal flight times do you guys take? We have flights in July and September also so I am super curious. Mostly we fly out early morning and come back afternoon, but this year our flight times were kind of all over the place.

Sorry I missed this. We typically have taken the 4:50 flight down to MCO and a 4:35 back. Both flights cancelled and changed times.

 

[shoreward]

Companion pass question:

Can you only have 1 companion booked at a time?


Here’s my dilemma: Travel booked June 20-28. DH is my companion. We’re all set.

I now want to take a trip with DD June 9-13. I didn’t realize I could only have 1 trip booked at a time using the pass.

Would this strategy work? Cancel DH as companion (leave my flight alone since I paid with points). Add DD as companion and take trip June 9-13. After that trip is complete, add DH back on.

Travel dates can’t be changed, so that’s not an option.

If you can, I would change companion to your daughter, from your husband, but also try to book a fully refundable ticket for your husband's trip. After your daughter's flights are completed, you can change your companion back to your husband. You can then call Southwest to have them change your husband's travel to a companion ticket and refund the paid ticket. With flights being full, lately, and with all of the changes and disruptions due to the MAX 8 scenario, I would make sure that there is an available seat for your husband's flights and not take a chance with just cancelling his travel and planning on booking, once your daughter's travel is completed. Doing it this way, you should not be at any risk of there being no seats available for your husband.

There might be some delay till Companion Pass is changed in Southwest's system, though. I would call Southwest, when you are ready to change.

https://www.southwestaircommunity.c...gnation-Change-how-long-to-process/td-p/76861

 

[VeronicaZS]

For those who are planning to fly Southwest no matter what during those busy months, this is probably a minor frustration. (It's not like anybody else is beating you to those flights). Unfortunately, for those hoping to price SW against other airlines, this is a pretty major delay. They could be faced to make a decision to go elsewhere as holiday travel plans need to be finalized.

This is the situation we are in. I think we have decided to go with another airline for our flight from DCA to MCO on 11/2 because the 6:15am flight is too early and the 12:30 is too late. However, do you SW experts know if SW typically keeps the same flight schedule for each day of the week? We want to fly home after our cruise on Friday 11/8 and SW has a direct MCO - DCA flight at 12:30 which would be perfect timing assuming they have the same schedule as 11/1. Is it safe to assume the flight would be around the same time as the week before? I would be willing to wait until June to book the return flight.

 

[Frwinkley]

Since I booked my trip ((DH as companion) using points, (and got such a great deal), I don’t want pay cash at all.

I think I’m just going to hope for the best!

 

[Jenny-momof3]

Since I booked my trip ((DH as companion) using points, (and got such a great deal), I don’t want pay cash at all.

I think I’m just going to hope for the best!

If your trips were further apart, I would take the chance too. But with them being so close together combined with the max 8 issue of fewer flights you run the risk of not being able to add him. I personally ran into these a few weeks ago. I simply forgot to book the companion flight for my son.At 13 days out I realized it. Went to add him and it was sold out of wanna get away fares for my flight ( which is what I had purchased for myself. So it wouldn’t let me add him! Because I was so close to the trip, I had 2 choices. Buy him an anytime fare at $417 or switch to a different flight. I switched to a different flight a day later which still ended up costing me an additional $140 but then I could add him. I lucked out getting that lower fare.... but lost a day on my trip.