Does Southwest ever bump people?

[hollypoast]

I assume all airlines do this but I've never witnessed it with Southwest. Our flight to MCO is completely sold out so just wondering. We did not pay extra for the early bird check in. I usually just check us in manually right at 24 hours. Now I'm wondering if I should pay the extra $12 per person for this flight. Thoughts?

 

[DebbieB]

I assume all airlines do this but I've never witnessed it with Southwest. Our flight to MCO is completely sold out so just wondering. We did not pay extra for the early bird check in. I usually just check us in manually right at 24 hours. Now I'm wondering if I should pay the extra $12 per person for this flight. Thoughts?

If you check in right at 24 hours, you should be fine. It's the people who wait until they get to the airport who could have a problem.

I don't know the current situation but when the program "Airline" was on TV, they definitely did bump. They ask for volunteers first and some people want to get the free flight.

 

[PSUGuy]

Last Oct going between PHL and MCO I heard them ask for volunteers for bumping, don't know the result.

Bill From PA

 

[PsychoCelloChica]

I've seen people bumped from a Southwest flight on our way home. They start by asking for volunteers (they'll normally guarantee a seat on the next flight and offer some sort of cash incentive). If they don't get enough volunteers, they start bumping from the bottom boarding group. These days, I just splurge for the early bird (since it's only 2 of us). Do you have any kids 4 or younger that would qualify for family boarding? That would them and 1 adult in between the A&B groups. You could do early bird for the rest of your party and it would cut down on the cost.

 

[leebee]

Earlier this summer (July 2015) I was flying on SW out of Boston. They were madly trying to find 4 seats on the flight to Denver. They were offering cash compensation for whatever you'd paid for that day's flight, $500 in air travel vouchers (no expiration date, could be used by anyone), AND they would get you to Denver by 7pm that evening. I was wishing I was going to Denver, because I would have jumped on that deal, but, alas, I was going to Canton/Akron. I don't know if they got the seats they were looking for or not.

 

[hollypoast]

There are 6 of us and our youngest traveler is 9 years old. We are all flying on points.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Don't waste your money. If they need people to give up seats, there are almost always volunteers.

 

[jsilvers]

According to data reported to DOT, in 2014, Southwest (including AirTran) involuntarily denied boarding to 1,946 out of its 33,994,762 passengers - which works out to approximately 1 out of 20,000 passengers. That's a bit worse than most U.S. airlines, although in practice the difference may be irrelevant given how small the numbers are. (Also note that Southwest reported 13,520 volunteers, which means that in only about 1 out of 8 cases of overbooking was Southwest unable to find a volunteer.) For the numbers, see https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/2015FebruaryATCR_1.pdf#page=34.

 

[barbliny]

I fly Southwest frequently and a lot of those flights have been completely booked (including 2 weeks ago to/from Tampa). I have only heard them ask for volunteers to give up their seats once.

If you are on a direct flight, where your departing flight originates from that airport (and it is not a hub, where other flights are connecting to yours) - the likelihood to have problems getting on the plane is pretty slim.

Knocking people off the planes is usually more prevalent when there are problems with connecting flights, and they have an obligation to get that passenger on a flight if delays cause problems. The flight is not overbooked, but a passenger missed a connection through no fault of their own, and now have to be put on a later connection by Southwest - now that flight is over capacity. So, these problems crop up more on bad weather days - snowstorms, thunderstorms, etc.

 

[keishashadow]

there's enough of us asking to be bumped (and all that can entail as to goodies) don't worry about it

 

[hollypoast]

According to data reported to DOT, in 2014, Southwest (including AirTran) involuntarily denied boarding to 1,946 out of its 33,994,762 passengers - which works out to approximately 1 out of 20,000 passengers. That's a bit worse than most U.S. airlines, although in practice the difference may be irrelevant given how small the numbers are. (Also note that Southwest reported 13,520 volunteers, which means that in only about 1 out of 8 cases of overbooking was Southwest unable to find a volunteer.) For the numbers, see https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/2015FebruaryATCR_1.pdf#page=34.

Wow, thanks!

 

[bookgirl]

I assume all airlines do this but I've never witnessed it with Southwest. Our flight to MCO is completely sold out so just wondering. We did not pay extra for the early bird check in. I usually just check us in manually right at 24 hours. Now I'm wondering if I should pay the extra $12 per person for this flight. Thoughts?

They do have a time limit (either 10 or 15 minutes) that you must be checked in or they will bump you from a flight and if there are standby passengers waiting they will let them have the seats.

 

[jec6613]

They do have a time limit (either 10 or 15 minutes) that you must be checked in or they will bump you from a flight and if there are standby passengers waiting they will let them have the seats.

Technically they don't bump you, you no-showed for your flight if you aren't at the gate at a certain point before departure (how long depends on the airline's policies).

 

[lurkernj]

I got involuntarily bumped in 2013. There was a school group on my flight that had it fully booked. I got to the gate more than 2 hrs prior to my flight and was told I was bumped (no one else was at the gate yet either). Thanks to the folks on this board informing me of my rights, I ended up receiving a check for almost $1200 (4x my flight). Obviously this is rare, but it happens.

 

[kwdw]

I volunteered once to get bumped from SW coming home from MCO! It was great! I was home just 2 hours later than planned - and had enough SW cash to buy another plane ticket to go to Disney that year. And since it was at the beginning of an annual pass year - it meant my trip was going to cost me room and food. Man, that was sweet!

Too bad I can't make that magic happen more often!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I have been on a number of flights this summer (United) where they have been overbooked and asked for volunteers. Usually the compensation offered has been between $200-300 in e certificates. No way my time is worth that. I'd hold out for the involuntary bump myself.

 

[ConnecticutNonna]

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.

 

[DebbieB]

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.

SW does not limit the number of people buying EBCI. You could even end up in B group.

 

[CowgirlTN]

I assume all airlines do this but I've never witnessed it with Southwest. Our flight to MCO is completely sold out so just wondering. We did not pay extra for the early bird check in. I usually just check us in manually right at 24 hours. Now I'm wondering if I should pay the extra $12 per person for this flight. Thoughts?

Yes, they bumped my 3 year old daughter and I. 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.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

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.

EBCI costs $12.50, not $12.00. It does not put you in the first group of 30 people to board the plane; anyone can buy EBCI and I'm certain many times more than 30 people do for a flight. If you fly Southwest all the time, I'm surprised you don't know that.