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

[Ariel620]

I got a notice that I can change flights to due the upcoming winter storm. I can change my departure, but not my return flight (it is outside of the dates eligible). So I'm calling to see if they will be flexible and let me change my return flight.

However, calling is problematic, I've been disconnected 3 times after being on hold >10 min each time.

If anyone has any tips, let me know.

 

[EACarlson]

I got a notice that I can change flights to due the upcoming winter storm. I can change my departure, but not my return flight (it is outside of the dates eligible). So I'm calling to see if they will be flexible and let me change my return flight.

However, calling is problematic, I've been disconnected 3 times after being on hold >10 min each time.

If anyone has any tips, let me know.

I would highly doubt they will allow you to change your return without paying the difference. Of course it's hard to get through to them on the phone, I think something like 30% of the country is covered by the weather waivers right now during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. I think your best bet would be to look online and see if you can find one of the flights you want at a price not drastically different than what you have booked. The only way I see them allowing you to change without paying a price difference is if things really get screwed up and they need your flight to get some of the people out that are affected by the storms.

 

[Lsdolphin]

I would highly doubt they will allow you to change your return without paying the difference. Of course it's hard to get through to them on the phone, I think something like 30% of the country is covered by the weather waivers right now during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. I think your best bet would be to look online and see if you can find one of the flights you want at a price not drastically different than what you have booked. The only way I see them allowing you to change without paying a price difference is if things really get screwed up and they need your flight to get some of the people out that are affected by the storms.

When I flew last Spring (4/5) I had booked my flights one way and my 4/5 flight was schedule and rescheduled for 2 days later and I did ask if they could change my separate return ticket and they had no problem doing it for me.

 

[Ariel620]

Using this new SW CC benefit for the first time, I have multiple cards to earn the companion pass at the moment.

2 "early board check ins" per year on one credit card 4 free "upgraded boardings" on the business card. I assume the upgraded boardings are better, so I would like to use those, but I want to check on a few things.

I can't do the upgraded boarding until 24 hrs before the flight right? and if it's full, then I miss out on A boarding, since early bird will already be done assigning, right? what's the best way to do this?

Also, when it says 4 free upgraded boardings ... would I use all of them up if there are 4 of us travelling? Or is it four purchases (4 people on 4 flights) or four boardings (4 people on 1 flight).

 

[aokeefe]

Using this new SW CC benefit for the first time, I have multiple cards to earn the companion pass at the moment.

2 "early board check ins" per year on one credit card 4 free "upgraded boardings" on the business card. I assume the upgraded boardings are better, so I would like to use those, but I want to check on a few things.

I can't do the upgraded boarding until 24 hrs before the flight right? and if it's full, then I miss out on A boarding, since early bird will already be done assigning, right? what's the best way to do this?

Also, when it says 4 free upgraded boardings ... would I use all of them up if there are 4 of us travelling? Or is it four purchases (4 people on 4 flights) or four boardings (4 people on 1 flight).

I haven't used the online upgraded boarding yet (only at the counter) but it is 4 boardings (4 people on 1 flight).

 

[focusondisney]

can't do the upgraded boarding until 24 hrs before the flight right? and if it's full, then I miss out on A boarding, since early bird will already be done assigning, right? what's the best way to do this?

Also, when it says 4 free upgraded boardings ... would I use all of them up if there are 4 of us travelling? Or is it four purchases (4 people on 4 flights) or four boardings (4 people on 1 flight).

Yes, you can book upgraded boardings at 24 hours when you check in. A full flight does not mean there will be no upgraded boardings available. They sell the number of seats on the plane, but many more seats are sold at WGA fares. They don’t necessarily sell A1-15 at full price, so there are some spots available day of. Ex… say there are 300 seats. 295 May be sold at WGA & anytime fares & 5 Business Select. So 300 seats sold, but A 6-15 are still unassigned. So you would upgrade to those. Now if 15 actual BS tickets are sold, then you wouldn’t be able to upgrade.

When you purchase, you will do each person individually. It will get charged to your CC & then you get an immediate credit. You get 4 credits per year, so yes, upgrading all of you will use them up.

 

[Tiggerette]

Anyone else not notified whatsoever about a cancelled flight? Still received no cancellation message. I'm not sure when it was cancelled, but good thing I was checking. Is this a new normal for SW?

 

[momof2gr8kids]

Anyone else not notified whatsoever about a cancelled flight? Still received no cancellation message. I'm not sure when it was cancelled, but good thing I was checking. Is this a new normal for SW?

I didn't get one yesterday. Kept checking the app up until leaving for airport, all good. When we went to the self service kiosks that's when I saw cancelled on the ap.

 

[Ariel620]

Has anyone been able to get rebooked from any of these cancelled SW flights? Mine was today, and cancelled. I got disconnected after being on hold 6 hours. My flight was cancelled, but not rebooked (and no option to change it online), and also I didn't get the points back, so I can't book something new.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Has anyone been able to get rebooked from any of these cancelled SW flights? Mine was today, and cancelled. I got disconnected after being on hold 6 hours. My flight was cancelled, but not rebooked (and no option to change it online), and also I didn't get the points back, so I can't book something new.

Good luck to you.

I've been looking at posts across various social media about Southwest's nationwide operational meltdown today and I'm sorry you're caught up in it.

 

[dcassetta]

Just out of curiosity, I checked Southwest's home airport in Dallas. It does appear to be chilly there today but no other weather issues and Southwest canceled what looks like 90-95% of flights from Love Field. If they are canceling there, the rest of the country has got to be worse. I anticipate this will take days to unwind. Hopefully everyone flying Southwest this week was able to cancel before getting to the airport and isn’t stuck far from home.

 

[Ariel620]

Just out of curiosity, I checked Southwest's home airport in Dallas. It does appear to be chilly there today but no other weather issues and Southwest canceled what looks like 90-95% of flights from Love Field. If they are canceling there, the rest of the country has got to be worse. I anticipate this will take days to unwind. Hopefully everyone flying Southwest this week was able to cancel before getting to the airport and isn’t stuck far from home.

I’m stuck. 2 hrs from home. And missing my Disney trip. We booked a hotel for tonight but they won’t give us our luggage back. If I could get the bags we would drive tomorrow. Still at the airport BWI at the moment.

 

[Neener16]

I’m stuck. 2 hrs from home. And missing my Disney trip. We booked a hotel for tonight but they won’t give us our luggage back. If I could get the bags we would drive tomorrow. Still at the airport BWI at the moment.

I'm so sorry, you must be beyond frustrated. It's bad enough your flight was cancelled, but how the heck are you supposed to do anything without your luggage??

 

[Neener16]

I’m stuck. 2 hrs from home. And missing my Disney trip. We booked a hotel for tonight but they won’t give us our luggage back. If I could get the bags we would drive tomorrow. Still at the airport BWI at the moment.

This was posted on Twitter. I know you checked your bags, but perhaps they were already sent to MCO?
"For anyone flying. DO NOT CHECK IN BAGS. If your flight gets canceled, the bags CAN NOT be returned to you. They have to send your bags to the destination even if you aren’t going. My flight was canceled and I still don’t have any of the bags I checked in. Force plane side check"
I don't know how long the bags stay at the airport if you don't fly and drive instead.

 

[clm10308]

Was supposed to leave Orlando on Chrismas Eve. 3 of us were booked together on one confirmation, and one person booked separately using points. After waiting in the crazy long line to check bags, we made it through security. Before we even got to the gate, the person who booked individually got a notification that the second leg of our flight was canceled in New Orleans and was given the opportunity to rebook. The three of us were never notified. It was as if Southwest wanted the rest of us to get to New Orleans before getting stuck - like that would have been any easier on us. All 4 of us were rebooked for a flight that was to leave at 10:40pm today (26th). About noon today, I checked flight status to discover that our rebooked flight was canceled. Couldn’t get a flight out for all 4 of us until Friday. We looked at other airlines and end getting a rental car to drive the 29+ hours home. Was not able to get a southwest agent on the phone today at all.


The only good part was that we were able to use the rest of our current and borrowed DVC points to cover the room that we were able to get thanksyo resort staff

 

[justafigment27]

I’m stuck. 2 hrs from home. And missing my Disney trip. We booked a hotel for tonight but they won’t give us our luggage back. If I could get the bags we would drive tomorrow. Still at the airport BWI at the moment.

Maybe your bags are still hanging out somewhere at BWI? I’ve seen videos of SWA luggage sitting around at various airports in the baggage claim area because they have no storage. I’m not sure if they are bags that arrived without owners or bags that never left.

We were caught in the debacle on the way home from Disney. We were supposed to fly home on 12/24 at 1:55pm on a non-stop flight to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Flight kept getting delayed before it was finally cancelled after 8 hours of sitting in the airport. We were told that our bags would be sent to our final destination.

We had anticipated problems earlier in the week due to the impending storm, so we had booked the MCO Hyatt for 12/24 and a flight home on Frontier on 12/25 as a backup plan. So we had our carryon luggage with a days worth of clothes and made it home on 12/25 without incident on Frontier.

After our flight landed in Grand Rapids, I went to SWA counter to see about our bags and they were still at MCO (over 30+ hours after they were checked in for the flight). I’m heading back there tomorrow to see if our bags somehow made it home because I’m seeing reports on Reddit of people finding their bags at their final destination.

Apparently, SWA scheduling software went down and they can’t match flight crew to flights in any reasonable timeframe without it … hence all the flights getting cancelled due to “missing” pilots and flight attendants. Reddit had an insider post this … and then it was confirmed by a statement given to NPR by a SWA spokesperson. Another poster on Reddit said her husband is a SWA Pilot who was scheduled to fly on Christmas, but all he has done is sit around at hotels for 2 days because they can’t schedule him to fly.

 

[Threehearts]

I heard on the news tonight that there are not enough Southwest customer service agents to answer most of the calls and inquiries via social media.

It was recommended to call Southwest international customer service phone numbers for rescheduling as those people were totally free to answer customer questions. They gave the link to those phone numbers-

Here is the link- https://mobile.southwest.com/html/contact-us/intl-customer-service.html

I hope this helps and that this type of the link is allowed. Please repost on the main page if that would help others.

Threehearts

 

[nekonekoneko]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1607740640187633669

 

[leeniewdw]

Holy crap!

 

[Ariel620]

Thanks for the advice from all of you. We are exhausted, but making our way by driving. Our bags were finally released from BWI holding at 1am. We slept for a few hours at the airport hotel, and now we are driving. We are driving since they said it would be a 5 day wait to get booked on any flight to FL. I didn’t get the points back automatically, but while my DH was waiting for bags he got the customer service to return the points for the flights that were cancelled. In addition they gave $250 luv vouchers for each person. That sounds nice in theory but it doesn’t cover our lost time and money. The rental car alone was $500, not to mention the extra night at the hotel and the plans we had for yesterday and tomorrow today. I mentioned the amount though because people were being given all different amounts for luv vouchers. Most were less than us, I don’t know why. But one lady got $350, but I think she was a solo traveler… we got $1000 total for the 4 of us. I’m not sure those vouchers will be worth anything cause I wonder if Southwest is going under or something! All in all…. I’m happy to have my bags! And I’m happy to be in a position where it is possible for us to drive, so we will be there a few days late, but we will still get to have a vacation!