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

[tlg588]

Is anyone familiar with flying Southwest at STL? Just got an email that our flight from PHL to DAL has changed its itinerary. There is a layover/plane change in our trip. We have a 40 minute timeframe to change planes once we land in STL. Does this seem like enough time? I’ve only flown direct on SW previously and have never been in STL.

STL is usually the airport I fly out of. The gates are all close to each other, maybe 5 minutes apart at the most. 40 minutes will be plenty of time to get to the plane.

 

[Sandiz08]

If your flight is the first or last in the day , be prepared for it to get rescheduled. This has been happening more and more with Southwest since the pandemic. Before the pandemic , we just didn’t really experience this.

 

[jo-jo]

If your flight is the first or last in the day , be prepared for it to get rescheduled. This has been happening more and more with Southwest since the pandemic. Before the pandemic , we just didn’t really experience this.

Our's was the middle of the day. One of three non stops. When I booked a few months ago, the evening flight was not open on any level. Not happy with a 7 am flight, so we book, the 3:30 flight. Now it's gone. The later flight is still booked on all levels.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

If your flight is the first or last in the day , be prepared for it to get rescheduled. This has been happening more and more with Southwest since the pandemic. Before the pandemic , we just didn’t really experience this.

I think those are the safer routes in terms of changes.

SWA doesn't operate red eyes (Hawaii being different) so if it's the first flight out the plane has to be there already typically speaking and the last flight out it has to make it to it's destination to be there for the next day.

Many changes however can be done to connecting flights in the middle of the day to early evening to make up for flight crew issues or plane issues, switch routes, etc.

If I look at my May flight to Orlando there are 2 flights that connect in STL, 2 flights that connect in DAL, 2 flights that connect in ATL chances are if SWA needs to adjust they'll take out one of those connecting flights as they are redundant. They do have 3 non-stop flights that day (1 in the very early morning, 1 in late afternoon around 3:30 and 1 the last flight out at 8:20pm) but that afternoon one would be the more at risk for being changed.

Some of this too will be airport-dependent and where you are located at in the U.S.

 

[focusondisney]

I have extended family members returning to Buffalo on April 9. They were booked on 7 pm & 10 pm nonstops. Those were both eliminated late yesterday. There are 2 morning nonstops @ 7 & 10 am. The 7 was a no go for them. There weren’t enough seats for their whole party in the 10:00, so 2 of them are taking an 11:00 flight & changing in BWI. One of those 2 has a physical disability & uses a wheelchair in the airport. I don’t know if the agent they spoke to felt bad about making someone with a disability change planes after booking a nonstop or what, but the whole travel party was given a $200 luv voucher each. I have had flights cancelled before & was never given anything other than a new flight or a refund. They have no more travel plans so have said they probably won’t use them anyway.

 

[jo-jo]

I have extended family members returning to Buffalo on April 9. They were booked on 7 pm & 10 pm nonstops. Those were both eliminated late yesterday. There are 2 morning nonstops @ 7 & 10 am. The 7 was a no go for them. There weren’t enough seats for their whole party in the 10:00, so 2 of them are taking an 11:00 flight & changing in BWI. One of those 2 has a physical disability & uses a wheelchair in the airport. I don’t know if the agent they spoke to felt bad about making someone with a disability change planes after booking a nonstop or what, but the whole travel party was given a $200 luv voucher each. I have had flights cancelled before & was never given anything other than a new flight or a refund. They have no more travel plans so have said they probably won’t use them anyway.

yes, nothing was offered to us, just we moved your flight. Once when our flight was moved , it did work in our favor. Since you could rebook with no upcharge, we were able to book a later flight that we were too cheap to book ourselves. But I would think, 90% of the time, moving a flight more than an hour or from a non stop to connecting is the last thing people want. People choose the flight they did for a reason.

But now that you mentioned it, can you get wheelchair help with a change of plane flight? I had requested that for DH for our nonstop., but didn't even think about it when they gave us the new flights.

 

[focusondisney]

But now that you mentioned it, can you get wheelchair help with a change of plane flight? I had requested that for DH for our nonstop., but didn't even think about it when they gave us the new flights.

I’m not sure, as she has only flown nonstop since the disability. She doesn’t need it for short distances, doesn’t use one around the house. But she does for the long distances in Disney & the airport. Although it seems like if you have one getting on the plane, they always have one waiting when you get off.

 

[mom2elle]

Our flight from PHL to MCO on April 9th was cancelled/changed. Instead of a 9:35am direct flight that got us into MCO at 12:15 - we were rebooked on a flight from Philly to St Louis, St. Louis to Omaha, Omaha to Orlando (8:10 am to 4:20 pm). Um, no thanks. Trying to rebook now but options are dreadful. Southwest has dropped almost all nonstops from PHL to MCO - I don’t get it!

 

[mickey916]

Okay..pros...so I just looked at the schedule for my return flight on April 10 and it doesn't show up on their flight schedule. However, when I look directly at my particular itinerary it's still showing me on the flight I booked...what does that mean? I'm guessing my non stop flight is gone but they just haven't moved me to one of the other flights yet? Do I call to try and get the best substitute flight before they re-arrange it for me? Is there a chance it's a glitch and my flight still exists? UGH.

 

[Gitelfor]

Okay..pros...so I just looked at the schedule for my return flight on April 10 and it doesn't show up on their flight schedule. However, when I look directly at my particular itinerary it's still showing me on the flight I booked...what does that mean? I'm guessing my non stop flight is gone but they just haven't moved me to one of the other flights yet? Do I call to try and get the best substitute flight before they re-arrange it for me? Is there a chance it's a glitch and my flight still exists? UGH.

I suggest you call ASAP. The other option is to contact them on social media, such as @SouthwestAir on Twitter. Only they know what is going on with your reservation.

 

[jkelly86]

I agree! Contact SWA ASAP so you can get ahead of others from your flight who also need an itinerary change.

 

[mickey916]

Update: Just got the email they switched me automatically from a 4 pm to a 10 pm flight...still non-stop...just hoping my DH got changed to the same flight (his is booked through work)...more Disney time for us I guess.
EDIT to add: DH just got his notification too and we're on the same flight...thank goodness! Pretty relieved it affected the trip home and not the one there!

 

[Gitelfor]

Update: Just got the email they switched me automatically from a 4 pm to a 10 pm flight...still non-stop...just hoping my DH got changed to the same flight (his is booked through work)...more Disney time for us I guess.
EDIT to add: DH just got his notification too and we're on the same flight...thank goodness! Pretty relieved it affected the trip home and not the one there!

Glad to see everything worked out.

 

[PittPantherfan]

Our flight from PHL to MCO on April 9th was cancelled/changed. Instead of a 9:35am direct flight that got us into MCO at 12:15 - we were rebooked on a flight from Philly to St Louis, St. Louis to Omaha, Omaha to Orlando (8:10 am to 4:20 pm). Um, no thanks. Trying to rebook now but options are dreadful. Southwest has dropped almost all nonstops from PHL to MCO - I don’t get it!

To you and all others posting cancellation of non-stop. This seems to be such a pattern with SW - last year book flight to Phoenix from east coast and purposefully wanted non-stop. Same outcome = cancelled and this happened to several other people I know in the last several months going a variety of places.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Many direct flight are being cancelled but not all. 2 weeks ago we flew direct from Buffalo to MCO. Last week we flew direct from MCO to Buffalo.

I’m saddened to hear how many direct flights are being cancelled!

 

[Jacksonian]

Our flight from PHL to MCO on April 9th was cancelled/changed. Instead of a 9:35am direct flight that got us into MCO at 12:15 - we were rebooked on a flight from Philly to St Louis, St. Louis to Omaha, Omaha to Orlando (8:10 am to 4:20 pm). Um, no thanks. Trying to rebook now but options are dreadful. Southwest has dropped almost all nonstops from PHL to MCO - I don’t get it!

We live in a suburb of Philly and have also noticed that SW has cut back on the direct flights from PHL to MCO. We have been driving to BWI and flying out of there as there seems to be many more direct flights to MCO. The drive to BWI is approx 1.5 hrs depending on where you live, plus better parking options with PHL's long term lot closed.

 

[Lsdolphin]

Not sure this makes any sense but I got ”the email” that my non-stop April flight leaving at 5:40 pm and arriving in Baltimore at 7:50 pm has been changed to a flight leaving MCO @1:55 pm and going to Boston And then going to Baltimore and arriving at 6:55! Seems crazy to me flying to Boston and turning around and flying back to Baltimore! first I did try using the link given to reschedule a non-stop flight when that didn’t work I called southwest and after a lengthy amount of time spent waiting and waiting some more I ended up changing my flight to the next day and than spending hours to add another day to my resort reservation ...makes me angry that now I’m paying for an extra night which of course happens to a Sat so more expensive.just hope this is all worth it!!! So much for booking a non-stop flight months ahead and then to have my fight cancelled with nothing acceptable to replace the only nonstop that was available to replace my 5:40 pm flight was a flight leaving at 9:00 am....

 

[Gitelfor]

I just rebooked an elderly friend’s flight that originally was a mid morning nonstop to MCO, but changed to an itinerary with a nighttime departure, connecting at BWI, and ETA after 1:00 a.m.! What was amazing was that there was an available evening nonstop that they did not move her to.

It was possible to move her over to that original morning nonstop, but 15 days earlier, at no change in cost.

 

[aokeefe]

Flying in April (PVD-MCO) and just got notification of a flight change- only changed it by 5 minutes but I went to see if I could move it to an earlier flight and noticed that instead of the usual 3 direct flights, they cut a flight. Anxious to see if anything happens to our return flight home.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I just rebooked an elderly friend’s flight that originally was a mid morning nonstop to MCO, but changed to an itinerary with a nighttime departure, connecting at BWI, and ETA after 1:00 a.m.! What was amazing was that there was an available evening nonstop that they did not move her to.

It was possible to move her over to that original morning nonstop, but 15 days earlier, at no change in cost.

I think what happens in those cases is they can only move so many passengers to each selected flight. I think sometimes people are fine with the new flight they were given (or don't even realize they can go back in and play around to move to a different flight) and then sometimes people are like "yeah no this isn't going to work".