Does Southwest ever bump people?

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Yes, they bumped my 3 year old daughter and I [ME]. We were the last to check in and they needed space for a flight crew. I was beyond furious. They did give me $1800 in cash, per the FAA rules. So not a bad ending for a miserable experience.

Good lesson; check in as soon as you can. I would have been happy to take $1800 and a later flight.

 

[NancyIL]

I volunteered to be bumped from a $69 Oakland to SNA (Orange County) flight in April 2014. I got a voucher (to be used within one year of that day's flight) for $300 plus the cost of my ticket. Too bad I had already purchased my airfare to Orlando for December, but I used the voucher for a Chicago to Orlando to Philly to Chicago trip last September.

 

[delilah]

It may depend on the airport and the route. Almost every flight I've taken this past year has been completely booked, and almost every time, they asked for volunteers. Since I needed to get to where I was going, I didn't volunteer. The specific flights were SWA from Indianapolis to Orlando and Indianapolis to Orange County airport via Las Vegas. Ironically, the flight to Orange County from Las Vegas was so empty that I was the only one in my row.

 

[kydisneyfans]

There have been several opportunities to change our flights with incentives ranging from $200-300 vouchers plus the price of the ticket paid in the past year. I've seen Chicago to Newark, Louisville to Las Vegas via Denver, and Phoenix to Louisville. People took advantage of the offers every time.

 

[disneylove69]

I have seen people bumped but they do take volunteers first. I made it from California to Denver and in Denver they wanted 3 volunteers and flight 6 hours later. Told them to long. She found a flight a few hours later and would get there not much further out than original flight. Because I used points they gave me $200 and the ticket price that I would have paid if I booked right then. Left with over $800 in a voucher. I does have a year expiration but any one can use it. The other 2 people were mad because they didn't get as much. Just went over and had a manicure done til flight time. Later was able to get 2 tickets to Orlando and a few loal trips on one voucher

 

[Shea&Van]

I know this is a few weeks old, but I thought I'd add my recent experience...

Flying BUF to BWI on SWA. The flight was not "sold out" the day before we left...there were even Wanna Get Away Fares listed. Strange, no?

Anywho, they were looking for four volunteers to take the next AVAILABLE flight. This was a flight that left around 2pm and the next available was leaving around 9:30 pm or so. A pair of senior citizens sitting next to me took the deal. They each got $300 and the money refunded for their original flight. They also got meal vouchers to use for dinner at the airport. They seemed happy with that.

I just checked for my flight to MCO in two weeks. All categories of the flight we are taking down to MCO are labeled "Sold Out." We are Early Bird (thankfully), but wouldn't mind giving up our seats for an incentive like mentioned above. My only concern would be when they could get us into MCO as we are cruising the following day.

My question would be...how does this play into fares that were purchased on points? Specifically the companion pass? My husband is my companion so he automatically flies for free when I fly...would he even be eligible for any sort of incentive since it's a free flight? My flight was booked on points at a super-low threshold.

Anywho, just thinking out loud...it may end up not being oversold, but it would be nice to know what my options are should they request volunteers.

Happy planning Dis Pals!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I wouldn't spend much time worrying about this. There are almost always people who don't show up for flights; that's why airlines oversell.

I would never volunteer for a voluntary bump, but lots of people do. I definitely wouldn't volunteer if I had a cruise the next day.

 

[ibob52]

I definitely wouldn't volunteer if I had a cruise the next day.

 

[bumbershoot]

My only concern would be when they could get us into MCO as we are cruising the following day.

For every flight we play "what if". For our (United) flight post-cruise, on Super Bowl Sunday 2014 that DH let me book and wouldn't let me change even as he realized the Seahawks would be playing, it was obvious we would take a bump. And it was offered and he went straight up to the counter and got our names down. Excellent.

Going TO a cruise though? NO. That is an inappropriate time to take the voluntary bump unless there are multiple flights that day and you can be guaranteed that you'll be on the flight and there will be no delays or equipment issues etc.

Wait for the bump on the way home.

 

[theworldneedscolor]

I had the opposite experience; on one of our flights they were taking volunteers for another flight and we wanted to do it since we were just going home and would have loved the compensation, but sadly enough people volunteered before us that they no longer needed us to do it

 

[Shea&Van]

Thanks for all the honest feedback.

We are flying from a SWA hub city and there are 17 flights to MCO after us that day...six of them are non stops. The rest of them appear to be one stops that don't change planes. We picked an early morning flight because we were thinking we would do the MVMCP at the World. But, now we've decided to just veg at the hotel pool and relax.

I know a bump is unlikely, I was just fishing for info on how it would work for a person that is flying on points with a free companion. Just curious if anyone had that experience...

All the insight/advice is appreciated.

Have a great day everyone!

 

[Minnesota!]

I would gladly take a bump. Airports are my most favorite place in the world - being able to hang out in one for 2-10-24 extra hours? And you are paying me? bring it on

 

[ToddyLu]

This is slightly off topic and I do not remember the airline. We were already on the small plane seated and completely full. This was a small plane with one or two seats on each side of the aisle I think. Seems there was a Mother in a family that could not bare to be separated from husband and two kids. They were going to bump an active duty serviceman in fatigues ( I guess he had gotten on the plane stand by)to get her on the flight. He had unbuckled his seat belt in prep for leaving. Nope, not on my watch....I gladly gave up my seat, got a voucher, which I did't care about. The pilot was so thankful I think she could have hugged my neck. I could overhear her distraught coversation with the family as to not wanting to ask that guy to get off the plane. The wife in the family didn't care if it was the President. It was cool to see how tired and thankful that service guy was to be able to stay on that plane and get home. I left two hours later and I think the voucher was about $400. This was probably 10 years ago and is still one of my favorite memories. I so appreciate what those folks do for our country and maybe I got to pay it forward a bit that night.

 

[DebbieB]

I witnessed a bump, this wasn't SW (I think Continental), a 737 plane, so not a small one. Everyone was boarded. The pilot came on and said we would be delayed because he wanted extra fuel because there was a thunderstorm we had to fly around. Then the gate agent came on and said he needed two volunteers to get off. So even though they had the seats, the weight of the extra fuel made the plane too heavy with all seats filled. No one volunteered. So he took the last 2 people to check-in and escorted them off. Taught me a lesson to always do online check-in, even on airlines that have assigned seats.

 

[georgina]

[QUOTE="Shea&Van, post: 54637234, member: 351237"

My question would be...how does this play into fares that were purchased on points? Specifically the companion pass? My husband is my companion so he automatically flies for free when I fly...would he even be eligible for any sort of incentive since it's a free flight? My flight was booked on points at a super-low threshold.

Anywho, just thinking out loud...it may end up not being oversold, but it would be nice to know what my options are should they request volunteers.

Happy planning Dis Pals! [/QUOTE]

I don't know about the companion pass, but I volunteered to be bumped in Sept. I had used a low number of points probably about $120 worth, and the gate agent said I would get about $700 in vouchers; apparently you get a good deal when you used points. Unfortunately, I didn't get them because some guys started a fight on the plane during boarding and were kicked off. If you are interested, be close to the desk and go up and ask if you are eligible if they ask for volunteers.

 

[kamik86]

Early bird check in with SWA just gets you on as one of the first 30 people. (Seats are NOT assigned so it's first come first serve) We almost always fly SWA (only non SW is when we've gone to Europe and they don't fly there only once in out extensive traveling career have we heard offer a deal to take another flight. I usually do early bird because I like to chose my seat and not get stuck in the way way back. If this is important to you, then yes, pay the $12 and do early bird. Otherwise I wouldn't worry about getting bumped! Hope this helps.

Actually you could have a flight where the first person with EBCI to board wasn't even in the first 30.

The first 15 numbers are for business select. It used to be that often only a few of those had people in it, but now you can at the airport that day pay 40 to jump up to those spots if they are still open. So they are empty much less now.

Then the next set are A list preferred then A list. I have definitely been on flights as A list where I was in the high 20s so its possible you could get all the way to A30 just in A listers.

EBCI starts after all the A listers. Its possible to even be behind family boarding after paying for EBCI.

 

[kamik86]

I have never taken a bump they always seem to ask for volunteers going from my first city to a connection, and most of the time they try for volunteers that only half the one leg left first, because the changes of them getting you to the right spot closer to on time is better.

The other few were all work trips going to my meeting/test event. So I couldn't volunteer to not make the start of these things.