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

[bjscheel]

Have they changed policy on changing flights? I have changed our May flights booked on points a couple of times to get points back on lower fares. Overnight, they had changed our nonstop to a connecting flight. This morning I found that there was another nonstop I could pick, so I went in to change and got a message I hadn't seen before. That I could change without cost if I kept the same airports. Then the list of flights showed and didn't have +/- point values, just "Available".

The points value for the new flight was the same, so it didn't matter, but is this the end of modifying for lower fares?

ETA: I found a blog indicating that maybe this is actually an extra perk, that I could have changed to a more expensive flight at no cost. The FAQs still say that you can modify for lower fares. I already had the lowest fare for the day.

Anyway, I really hope we can keep nonstops. We are not super concerned about Covid, but thought not having the layover and additional plane loads of people would be best. It's taking me back to last year when we had a June trip planned and the first thing to go was our nonstops. Of course that trip never happened!

 

[zemmer]

Waiting on the callback from SWA. They changed our flight to Orlando to a flight to Dallas. I know they’ll fix it, but I’m sad that we were set to arrive at 2:00 and now the earliest arrival is 5:00.

 

[ultimatefans]

Have they changed policy on changing flights? I have changed our May flights booked on points a couple of times to get points back on lower fares. Overnight, they had changed our nonstop to a connecting flight. This morning I found that there was another nonstop I could pick, so I went in to change and got a message I hadn't seen before. That I could change without cost if I kept the same airports. Then the list of flights showed and didn't have +/- point values, just "Available".

The points value for the new flight was the same, so it didn't matter, but is this the end of modifying for lower fares?

ETA: I found a blog indicating that maybe this is actually an extra perk, that I could have changed to a more expensive flight at no cost. The FAQs still say that you can modify for lower fares. I already had the lowest fare for the day.

Anyway, I really hope we can keep nonstops. We are not super concerned about Covid, but thought not having the layover and additional plane loads of people would be best. It's taking me back to last year when we had a June trip planned and the first thing to go was our nonstops. Of course that trip never happened!

That is temporary and currently happens every so often for just a few days when Southwest is changing schedules around. If you check again in a couple of days you will see the ability to modify your flights for more or less points.

 

[TheMick424]

I'm glad I follow this thread. I just happened to check the SW website today and noticed my flights had been changed, and we did not receive an e-mail or notice. Luckily the time changes are reasonable, but I do find it odd that they didn't notify me. The return flight was moved up by over an hour.

 

[AlohaNow]

Over the past two weeks I’ve been eyeing a last minute spring break trip to South Florida. From the time I started looking to the time I booked, SW lost its mind. I ended up booking mostly $49 one-ways on United, and using some old Delta points for a single one-way as well. It was weird to pay money to an airline because usually we always fly for free using our RRs. But with all these SW consolidations I’m reading about on here, I’m glad we’re going with legacy carriers, though something could still change. And I felt like a wealthy person getting to choose seats! I still LUV you SWA, but I’ll be back once you’re behaving normally again!

 

[Orion Nebula]

We just got our boarding passes and they say "Group A: 31-37", what are the chances of finding two sets of three seats?

 

[scrappinginontario]

We just got our boarding passes and they say "Group A: 31-37", what are the chances of finding two sets of three seats?

EXCELLENT! There will be only a few people on the plane when you board. You will be able to find two sets of three seats without any problems at all!

 

[EACarlson]

We just got our boarding passes and they say "Group A: 31-37", what are the chances of finding two sets of three seats?

Guaranteed, there are 24 rows, which means 47 sets of three and one set of two. A max of 31 people will be on board before you.

 

[Orion Nebula]

Guaranteed, there are 24 rows, which means 47 sets of three and one set of two. A max of 31 people will be on board before you.

Unless of course there are a ton of pre-boarders?

 

[scrappinginontario]

Unless of course there are a ton of pre-boarders?

I'm not sure about your experiences but I've flown SW a lot and I have never see 'a ton' of pre-boarders. Max was maybe 10 groups (and this was only 1 flight) and even with that those 10 groups would only take up 10 of the 47 rows. That plus a max of 31 people in front of you means you will have no trouble getting 2 sets of 3 together. I would not give it another second's thought.

 

[EACarlson]

Unless of course there are a ton of pre-boarders?

I've never been on a flight where the number of pre boarders was more than the number of empty A1-A15 boarding slots. Multiple times I've been the only one in those first boarding positions.

 

[Roocatty]

I'm not sure about your experiences but I've flown SW a lot and I have never see 'a ton' of pre-boarders. Max was maybe 10 groups (and this was only 1 flight) and even with that those 10 groups would only take up 10 of the 47 rows. That plus a max of 31 people in front of you means you will have no trouble getting 2 sets of 3 together. I would not give it another second's thought.

We once had a flight where we had a1 and a2 and were almost the last to board the plane. There were a ton of make a wish children and each had 5 to 10 people. Southwest didn't make them stick to the only one person with a preboard rule and allowed the entire family to board with each child.

 

[easyas123]

We once had a flight where we had a1 and a2 and were almost the last to board the plane. There were a ton of make a wish children and each had 5 to 10 people. Southwest didn't make them stick to the only one person with a preboard rule and allowed the entire family to board with each child.

Yeah, but how often can that happen? It's not exactly the norm, or even something anyone should worry about dealing with.

I've used SW almost exclusively for work & personal flights for the past several years. I'd say on average 3-6 r/t per year, so while certainly not flying every week or month like most work related travelers, I've not seen more than 10-15 at the MOST waiting for pre board.

 

[Roocatty]

Yeah, but how often can that happen? It's not exactly the norm, or even something anyone should worry about dealing with.

I've used SW almost exclusively for work & personal flights for the past several years. I'd say on average 3-6 r/t per year, so while certainly not flying every week or month like most work related travelers, I've not seen more than 10-15 at the MOST waiting for pre board.

I know it's very rare. It's the only time anything close has happened. I just wanted to let them know. Once things return to normal in the next couple years there may be a few of these flights as make a wish tries to catch up.

 

[tseitel]

FYI. Southwest just updated their flight schedule info, it now reads “on April 22nd we will release flights through Nov 6” for anyone who has been waiting (like me!!)

 

[aokeefe]

We just got our boarding passes and they say "Group A: 31-37", what are the chances of finding two sets of three seats?

I flew last week and had B 41 and there were about 4/5 completely free rows in the back so your chances are extremely good. (Flying how we were B 47 and got the last set of 3). Both flights were full.

 

[scrappinginontario]

We once had a flight where we had a1 and a2 and were almost the last to board the plane. There were a ton of make a wish children and each had 5 to 10 people. Southwest didn't make them stick to the only one person with a preboard rule and allowed the entire family to board with each child.

If that was a flight I was scheduled on, I couldn't have been happier to be the last on the plane or even moved to another flight if they needed me to. A flight like that quickly puts life into perspective!!

I will say friends were once travelling home and were on a flight with a wheelchair basketball team. Due to the weight of the chairs their luggage needed to be sent on a separate flight the next day. This friend and I have a fun tradition of bringing chocolate to each other when we travel. His wife laughed when he looked at her mid-flight and said, 'We don't have any luggage but, we have 'scrappintinontario's' chocolate in our carry-on! Glad he knew to bring what was important!

 

[easyas123]

If that was a flight I was scheduled on, I couldn't have been happier to be the last on the plane or even moved to another flight if they needed me to. A flight like that quickly puts life into perspective!!

Indeed it does!

 

[EACarlson]

FYI. Southwest just updated their flight schedule info, it now reads “on April 22nd we will release flights through Nov 6” for anyone who has been waiting (like me!!)

Me too, I've got to get to MCO in October. Don't know if I'll go SW or Delta.

 

[Erica Ladd]

Me too, I've got to get to MCO in October. Don't know if I'll go SW or Delta.

we ended up booking delta instead of SW for our April trip mostly because of the flight times. When SW consolidated they made travel times much worse for our dates