Booked on SW Before New TSA Rules - ????

[krissyh]

I booked airfare for DN (15) and I on Sept. 24 for a RT flight in January.
SW started collecting the additional information in early October.
Will there be issues when we check in? I paid for EBCI, so I hope we don't have an issue that will delay us.
I figure she is fine because of age. And, of course, I have the additional issue of not having a middle name.
Has anyone called SW and simply had this information added?

 

[backyardponder]

You won't have any problems.

I would suggest getting a permission note from DN's parents to travel with you and for emergency medical care. I'd have the note read: "We give permission for our daughter X to travel with Y from A to B and return. We also give Y permission to obtain emergency medical care for X". I'd get a copy of the insurance card as well.

When we've taken our DGD with us we've never been asked for anything. They do ask her to tell them her name and age. I think that is more to see if the child is nervous being taken with someone.

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

I was wondering the same thing--we booked our January flights just a day or two before they started collecting the additional information.

I'm not a Rapid Rewards member but someone here posted the email they got about updating their account with the additional info and there was a line in the email to the effect that previously booked flights weren't affected (can't remember the exact wording).

We had to make a change to our return flight last week and I thought maybe it would ask for the additional information then but it said name changes were not permitted so I assume we're still okay.

I'm going to call SWA a couple of weeks before we fly just to put my own mind at ease but I think we're okay.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

We just flew SWA. I also used EBCI. A few days before our flight, I went into our Rapid Rewards accounts and edited the information to include our middle names, at TSA's request. We had no problems getting boarding passes.

 

[bellemeeko1]

We just flew SWA. I also used EBCI. A few days before our flight, I went into our Rapid Rewards accounts and edited the information to include our middle names, at TSA's request. We had no problems getting boarding passes.

Just wondering where it says you can update your info on SW site. Im on my rapid rewards acct but I dont see where it says to update your info. I have 6 of us to add middle initials to......Thanks!!

 

[krissyh]

You won't have any problems.

I would suggest getting a permission note from DN's parents to travel with you and for emergency medical care. I'd have the note read: "We give permission for our daughter X to travel with Y from A to B and return. We also give Y permission to obtain emergency medical care for X". I'd get a copy of the insurance card as well.

When we've taken our DGD with us we've never been asked for anything. They do ask her to tell them her name and age. I think that is more to see if the child is nervous being taken with someone.

I don't have a rapids rewards account so updating that way won't work.
I'm sure a lot of people are in this position, hopefully, it won't be an issue.

She has flown with me before, I always get a copy of her birth certificate and insurance card and her parents give me a letter.
I can't imagine them asking much now that she is 15, but, as she has the same name and looks just like me, anyone would assume she's mine.

 

[Bobo912]

I'm flying to Orlando tonight with a reservation I booked before the new rules went into affect. I was able to print my boarding pass last night - my RR account doesn't have my middle name, but it does have an initial and they have my SS#. I couldn't print my 9-year-old's boarding pass. Called SWA just to verify that the missing middle name was actually the problem (it doesn't tell you why you can't print, just that your reservation is not eligible) and it was. They said we would have no trouble printing his boarding pass at the airport. I purchased EBCI and they told me that even though I couldn't print his boarding pass, he was checked in and his boarding pass number had already been asigned.

 

[Bobo912]

BTW...I've flown around 20 times with my son, including outside the US, and no one has ever asked me for any documentation to prove that he is my child. But better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

Called SWA just to verify that the missing middle name was actually the problem (it doesn't tell you why you can't print, just that your reservation is not eligible) and it was.

This part is concerning to me. In the first post of this thread: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2299391 someone posted the email from SWA and it said people didn't need to provide this info for future travel if they booked before SWA was collecting the info.

I'm not a Rapid Rewards member so I can't update my account this way. I'll have to find out if they can change it over the phone. It makes me nervous that they say we don't need to add it yet then some people aren't able to print a boarding pass because of missing info.

 

[Bobo912]

This part is concerning to me. In the first post of this thread: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2299391 someone posted the email from SWA and it said people didn't need to provide this info for future travel if they booked before SWA was collecting the info.

I'm not a Rapid Rewards member so I can't update my account this way. I'll have to find out if they can change it over the phone. It makes me nervous that they say we don't need to add it yet then some people aren't able to print a boarding pass because of missing info.

Just FYI...my son is a Rapid Rewards member and I updated his account with his middle name and I still couldn't print his boarding pass because his middle name wasn't on the flight reservation. I made the reservation before the new rules went into affect.

 

[disneyfan2]

i am reading this and it all comes as a surprise, where can i find this official info regarding new changes? it is just to have middle name included?

I booked my flights and for my kids. Where can i update this or do i call SW. Ok- i found my rapid rewards but it won't let me update it because of error-I am in Canada and it states postal code required if outside of US. But i put it in and still errors.
i have rapids but not the kids, what do i do about the kids?

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

Just FYI...my son is a Rapid Rewards member and I updated his account with his middle name and I still couldn't print his boarding pass because his middle name wasn't on the flight reservation. I made the reservation before the new rules went into affect.

Thanks for that info. So I guess what I need to find out is if SWA will let me add that info to an existing reservation that was made before they started collecting the additional info. Has anyone called and tried to do that?

 

[bgula]

i am reading this and it all comes as a surprise, where can i find this official info regarding new changes? it is just to have middle name included?

I booked my flights and for my kids. Where can i update this or do i call SW. Ok- i found my rapid rewards but it won't let me update it because of error-I am in Canada and it states postal code required if outside of US. But i put it in and still errors.
i have rapids but not the kids, what do i do about the kids?

I got the same error. Emailed SW, but got some crap email back from them which didn't even answer about the error. Have since booked a flight with SW, so I guess I might have to call them to see if anything needs to be done. The original email from SW just referred to our son, even though my wife and I haven't filled in our middle initials.

 

[krissyh]

I normally will not fly SW and this trip is really causing me to realize that sometimes a good deal is not really good enough.

So, my control issues caused me to give in and call SW this morning.
(One positive - I do like their "call back" service, rather than hanging on hold.)

*I told the agent that I booked before the new rules, but had read on discussion boards that many people were getting error messages that prevented them from printing their boarding passes at home and had to do it at the airport.
*Asked if I could update the ressie.
*She pulled up my reservation and told me that I'd have no trouble because I had EBCI. Ummm....what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?
*She then asked me for middle initials, but didn't sound like she did anything, and she did not ask for date of birth.
*She proceeded to tell me that "they are getting errors for some other reason and you can print at 24 hours"

We shall see, but she sounded like she did not believe a word I said about others having difficulty printing boarding passes.
We don't fly until January, so hopefully if this is an issue, it will be resolved by then rather than me being the one with the issue.
At least I don't have a middle name, so my ticket will match my ID exactly. First time I've been glad my parents didn't give me a middle name.

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

I normally will not fly SW and this trip is really causing me to realize that sometimes a good deal is not really good enough.

So, my control issues caused me to give in and call SW this morning.
(One positive - I do like their "call back" service, rather than hanging on hold.)

*I told the agent that I booked before the new rules, but had read on discussion boards that many people were getting error messages that prevented them from printing their boarding passes at home and had to do it at the airport.
*Asked if I could update the ressie.
*She pulled up my reservation and told me that I'd have no trouble because I had EBCI. Ummm....what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?
*She then asked me for middle initials, but didn't sound like she did anything, and she did not ask for date of birth.
*She proceeded to tell me that "they are getting errors for some other reason and you can print at 24 hours"

We shall see, but she sounded like she did not believe a word I said about others having difficulty printing boarding passes.
We don't fly until January, so hopefully if this is an issue, it will be resolved by then rather than me being the one with the issue.
At least I don't have a middle name, so my ticket will match my ID exactly. First time I've been glad my parents didn't give me a middle name.

Thanks for the update, although SWA's response isn't all that reassuring. I wonder if what she meant about you being okay because you have EBCI is that even if you get an error you'll still have an assigned boarding number. But what about us poor souls () just checking in for ourselves at T24. Like you I'm hoping some of the kinks are ironed out before January.

ETA: One other thing that was curious to me -- she asked for your middle initial but isn't it supposed to be what appears on the ID you're using at the airport? That's not always a middle initial -- for me it's my maiden.

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

I just popped over to the SWA site and saw that they added some Q&As that I hadn't seen before. Here's the one about reservastions made w/o Secure Flight Passenger Data:

What if I have an existing reservation for future travel?
If you have an existing reservation for future travel which was booked without Secure Flight Passenger Data, you do not need to update your reservation prior to your upcoming trip. However, you may be asked for this information when you check in at the airport.

The part bolded (my bolding) maybe explains why some folks aren't able to print their boarding pass at home -- so they have to see an agent at the airport to provide it.

ETA: here's the link to the full Q&As http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/tsa_secureflight.html?int=HOMEWNEW01TSAREQ091006

 

[disneyfan2]

ughh, so how will they know at the airport that you booked before the new rules... So i wonder if you would be able to do your boarding pass and at least not print it, til they verify it, but would it assign your seat?

I wish i could cancel and redo a new reservation but our flight prices jumped up... And i am flying alone with kids, so i don't want to be separated from them

 

[krissyh]

ughh, so how will they know at the airport that you booked before the new rules... So i wonder if you would be able to do your boarding pass and at least not print it, til they verify it, but would it assign your seat?

I wish i could cancel and redo a new reservation but our flight prices jumped up... And i am flying alone with kids, so i don't want to be separated from them

What airline are you flying?
This is specifically SW, which does not assign seats.

 

[krissyh]

I just popped over to the SWA site and saw that they added some Q&As that I hadn't seen before. Here's the one about reservastions made w/o Secure Flight Passenger Data:

What if I have an existing reservation for future travel?
If you have an existing reservation for future travel which was booked without Secure Flight Passenger Data, you do not need to update your reservation prior to your upcoming trip. However, you may be asked for this information when you check in at the airport.

The part bolded (my bolding) maybe explains why some folks aren't able to print their boarding pass at home -- so they have to see an agent at the airport to provide it.

ETA: here's the link to the full Q&As http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/tsa_secureflight.html?int=HOMEWNEW01TSAREQ091006

I saw this as well. Here's my concern with it:
I'm only taking a carry-on bag, so I don't really want to have to stand in the huge line to see an agent. If I could print at a kiosk, it wouldn't be a big deal, but I don't see how that is different than printing at home.
Sounds to me like they have not really thought this through.

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

So i wonder if you would be able to do your boarding pass and at least not print it, til they verify it, but would it assign your seat?

This is what I was wondering too. I don't care if I have to wait 'til I get to the airport to print my boarding pass (like I do anyway when we check in via Blackberry from WDW) as long as I have an assigned boarding number. But if I can't even check in until I get to the airport does that mean I'll end up with Cs--that's not good.

I wish i could cancel and redo a new reservation but our flight prices jumped up...

I had the exact same thought! We're in the same boat, the tickets are now more than what we paid a couple of weeks ago.

I'm going to call SWA in a couple of weeks to see if they can collect the information from us now and add it to our reservation. I'm hoping that if I give it a little time they will have ironed out their process and have definitive answers for us.