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

[Iowamomof4]

It hasn't happened to me......yet. However a friend had her Boston to Orlando flight cancelled and SWA moved her to a flight the day before at the same time of day. She had just under 2 weeks notice. There were no other flights open on the same day or travel and no flights available the following 2 days. However, I do think they are moving to more expensive flights if available. She tried to change cities and that was not allowed.

That's disappointing. Man, they'd better get this fixed soon. Somehow.

 

[Firepath]

A friend's return home Sunday was cancelled 5 days out and they had to stay an extra night. My husband's flight to MCO was cancelled 5 days out. We were able to quickly rebook for arrival 3 hrs later. 5 days from today I have a flight home. Just waiting for the dreaded text. I proactively booked another night hotel which I can cancel at the end of the day if my flight is still on. It's really hard to get a room last minute during spring break!

 

[Iowamomof4]

For this supposedly affecting a very small percentage of their total flights, we're sure getting a lot of reports on here!

 

[PerfessorZ]

My parents’ flight on 4/11 was cancelled and automatically rebooked on a later flight the same day. I’m checking almost daily for their return flight and our upcoming trip in a couple weeks.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Thanks for the info @Firepath. I'm carefully watching our flights. I received and email today but thankfully it was just to change the flight number of our flight home and nothing else. Flight times remained the same.

I will admit to being concerned because our flight to Orlando is now showing as 'Sold out'. For those with first hand experience, when you flight was cancelled, did you notice it showed as 'Sold Out' first?

Has anyone had a 'sold out' flight later go back to being available?

Between this and the MDE update, preparing for this trip is more stressful than normal. Also, normally it's just my 10yo and I so we can easily go with the flow and adjust as needed. This trip we're going with my parents who are both in their mid-70's so we've done everything we can to keep the stress low. LOL - this is not what I'd qualify as 'low', especially as I'm not sharing any of this with them!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

For this supposedly affecting a very small percentage of their total flights, we're sure getting a lot of reports on here!

I'm thinking it's just because we have a way to share experiences collectively on the same topic. It probably makes it seem more amplified.

 

[firstwdw]

My parents’ flight on 4/11 was cancelled and automatically rebooked on a later flight the same day. I’m checking almost daily for their return flight and our upcoming trip in a couple weeks.

When did they get notified? And from what airport? Checking our flights daily.

 

[Iowamomof4]

I'm thinking it's just because we have a way to share experiences collectively on the same topic. It probably makes it seem more amplified.

I hope you're right.

 

[chicagoshannon]

Thanks for the info @Firepath. I'm carefully watching our flights. I received and email today but thankfully it was just to change the flight number of our flight home and nothing else. Flight times remained the same.

I will admit to being concerned because our flight to Orlando is now showing as 'Sold out'. For those with first hand experience, when you flight was cancelled, did you notice it showed as 'Sold Out' first?

Has anyone had a 'sold out' flight later go back to being available?

Between this and the MDE update, preparing for this trip is more stressful than normal. Also, normally it's just my 10yo and I so we can easily go with the flow and adjust as needed. This trip we're going with my parents who are both in their mid-70's so we've done everything we can to keep the stress low. LOL - this is not what I'd qualify as 'low', especially as I'm not sharing any of this with them!

I think most of the flights canceled were the ones marked sold out especially if your flight was NOT on a max 8. The Max 8 flights listed as Sold out originally did come back online for sale.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I think most of the flights canceled were the ones marked sold out especially if your flight was NOT on a max 8. The Max 8 flights listed as Sold out originally did come back online for sale.

This is my concern as we're booked on a 737-700 flight that as of today is showing 'Sold out'. I'm going to give them a call and see if they know anything more about this flight.

Update: Called SW. So far my flights are still okay. Time will tell as we're still 26 days from flying.

 

[chicagoshannon]

This is my concern as we're booked on a 737-700 flight that as of today is showing 'Sold out'. I'm going to give them a call and see if they know anything more about this flight.

Let us know. Our return flight went to SOld OUT on Saturday but our flight isn't until May so I don't think we can do anything at this point. Our flight is scheduled on an 800.

 

[elle101me]

This is my concern as we're booked on a 737-700 flight that as of today is showing 'Sold out'. I'm going to give them a call and see if they know anything more about this flight.

I noticed everything on my flight day, April 10th, was sold out yesterday. It wasn’t like that a few days ago. They don’t have any nonstops from my area and none were scheduled on the Max. Ugh. Now I’ll stress until next Wednesday.

 

[shoreward]

As aircraft are being swapped, customers are being rebooked on other flights. So, if a flight is “sold out,” it could be that the flight is indeed sold out.

 

[scrappinginontario]

As aircraft are being swapped, customers are being rebooked on other flights. So, if a flight is “sold out,” it could be that the flight is indeed sold out.

Good point!

I called to confirm my flights are still scheduled and the rep I spoke with confirmed out outbound flight is indeed sold out (as it is showing) and our return flight has 8 or more seats available. (That one still showing as available).

If I remember correctly (I've looked at these flights so often recently!!) I think there used to be 2 flights later than ours and now there is only 1 flight. If that's the case, some of those originally scheduled on a later flight may have swapped to our flight.

 

[DLgal]

Here is my theory. The flights originally scheduled on Max 8 planes are "high priority routes" and have been largely rescheduled with 737-800 aircraft. Since 737-700 has a different capacity, my guess is that those originally scheduled on them will go as planned, but anything originally scheduled on a 737-800 is game for being cancelled, since they are replacing the Max flights with 737-800 aircraft.

It would be interesting to know what percentage of cancelled flights were originally assigned 737-800 aircraft.

 

[Iowamomof4]

Here is my theory. The flights originally scheduled on Max 8 planes are "high priority routes" and have been largely rescheduled with 737-800 aircraft. Since 737-700 has a different capacity, my guess is that those originally scheduled on them will go as planned, but anything originally scheduled on a 737-800 is game for being cancelled, since they are replacing the Max flights with 737-800 aircraft.

It would be interesting to know what percentage of cancelled flights were originally assigned 737-800 aircraft.

If you are correct, we should be fine. All of our flights were originally on 737-700's, except one that was on a Max 8. That flight has been switched to a 737-800 and for now is not sold out. It's a flight from MCO>STL on May 21.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Here is my theory. The flights originally scheduled on Max 8 planes are "high priority routes" and have been largely rescheduled with 737-800 aircraft. Since 737-700 has a different capacity, my guess is that those originally scheduled on them will go as planned, but anything originally scheduled on a 737-800 is game for being cancelled, since they are replacing the Max flights with 737-800 aircraft.

It would be interesting to know what percentage of cancelled flights were originally assigned 737-800 aircraft.

As much as that would be nice, there are some who have had their flights cancelled even when they were originally scheduled on 737-700 aircraft.

 

[Iowamomof4]

As much as that would be nice, there are some who have had their flights cancelled even when they were originally scheduled on 737-700 aircraft.

Ugh, seriously? I missed that somehow.

 

[DLgal]

As much as that would be nice, there are some who have had their flights cancelled even when they were originally scheduled on 737-700 aircraft.

Well, yes, obviously that has happened. However, I am inclined to believe that the original Max 8 routes will stay intact, at the very least. The fact that they had Max 8 aircraft assigned to those routes means they are long distance, higher passenger capacity flights that could use the 737-800 instead. I imagine 700s were swapped in for some shorter legs, thus creating a domino effect with other 700s.

My flight is on April 30 and return is May 5. Both long distance cross country flights originally assigned Max 8 with short connector flights on 700s. I am more worried about my short connector flights being cancelled and missing the connections onto the longer haul flights. As of now, all my flights still have seats for sale, so I hope I'm good.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

As much as that would be nice, there are some who have had their flights cancelled even when they were originally scheduled on 737-700 aircraft.

Ugh, seriously? I missed that somehow.

There is somewhat of a trickle down affect that can occur.

• Southwest has 34 MAX planes grounded right now which is slightly less than 5% of their fleet.
• ~27% of their fleet is the 737-800 which is the ideal target for a cancellation/swap here.
• The other 68% of the fleet are the 737-700 planes.

So 2 factors are in favor of the 737-700 routes remaining intact:
1) The 737-800 has the same # of seats as the MAX and so they are more likely to be swapped
2) Even if SW affects a 737-700, because they are 68% of the fleet, your odds of being affected are far lower

Is anybody truly safe from a cancellation - probably not. I would personally feel much more secure if my flight was on a 737-700 though.

EDIT: I would also agree that the early sell-outs on the 700 planes could (in some situations) merely be SW holding back capacity for displaced passengers. They need some seats right now to move people around from the flights that are cancelled.