Getting bumped from overbooked SWA flight?

[walkdmc]

How does the "bumping" process work on SWA?

We are flying to Orlando next weekend. I booked the tickets months ago and paid for some special feature wherein, I don't have to check-in 24 hrs in advance but still get the best available booking category after the business select and priority flyers get their passes.

We plan on being at the airport by 5:45am, for a 7:55 flight.

I just checked the SWA website and all seat categories for that flight are sold out. I'm worried the plane is overbooked and really don't want to get bumped. (although, the next flight leaves 3 hours later, is direct, and has a 100% on time record-so not terrible if it happens).

What are the chances we'll get bumped? What can I do to prevent a bump?

 

[bumbershoot]

Having the earlybird checkin and getting there more than 2 hours before will almost certainly keep you from being bumped. In my opinion.

 

[goofy4tink]

You won't be bumped..unless they ask for volunteers and you raise your hand. Getting EBCI, and then showing up 2 hrs before flight time almost negates any chance of being bumped. Just isn't going to happen.
Now, if you checked in about 10 hours before flight time, and got boarding group C, then maybe you would be bumped. But in all my flights with SW, and there have been a lot, I have only seen 2 or 3 instances where they asked people to take a bump. Only once did I see someone forcibly bumped...they arrived very late and found that someone else had been given their spot.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

SWA rarely overbooks their flights, usually the only situation where they even ask for volunteers is when there is a prior flight issue and they need to rebook passengers.

 

[DebbieB]

If there are 130 seats on the plane and they book 140, the last 10 will not get boarding numbers at check-in and they will be the first to be bumped if no volunteers. With early bird check-in, that will not happen to you.

Unless something has changed in the last 2 years when the show Airline was on A & E, Southwest does routinely overbook, all airlines do. There are usually no shows, people who cancel last minute or misconnects, they don't want to lose money with empty seats. There has been many times I've been on flights where they ask for volunteers due to overbooking but in the end they don't need them and they board as usual.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

If there are 130 seats on the plane and they book 140, the last 10 will not get boarding numbers at check-in and they will be the first to be bumped if no volunteers. With early bird check-in, that will not happen to you.

Unless something has changed in the last 2 years when the show Airline was on A & E, Southwest does routinely overbook, all airlines do. There are usually no shows, people who cancel last minute or misconnects, they don't want to lose money with empty seats. There has been many times I've been on flights where they ask for volunteers due to overbooking but in the end they don't need them and they board as usual.

I stand corrected, I just checked SWA's own policies and they do state they do overbook.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

As stated, if you have an early boarding number and are at the gate early enough to line up when asked to do so, you will not be "involuntarily bumped." Most of the people bumped or those who check in very late or don't arrive at the gate until everybody else has boarded. Don't worry.

 

[andrews_dad]

My in-laws traveled to/from Diz with us one year. They ended up cutting it close at check-in. Got to come to gate without a true boarding pass. Other folks volunteered to be bumped for a free travel voucher for future. Made it on flight fine.

 

[Elmo007]

On a recent SWA trip they asked (but did not force) if we would bump the baby from a seat to a lap child. they were offering a ticket and compensation (dont remember how much). Unfortunately no one wanted a lap child so we passed.

 

[dis-happy]

If you do get bumped, make sure you know your rights. SW was fined for giving less than required.


http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/04/28/southwest-fined-200-000-for-overbooking-procedures/

 

[Lewisc]

SW, like almost all major airlines, overbooks almost every flight. SW isn't very generous with the compensation they offer. They were caught not following correct procedure.

The sequence number on your BP determines the order in which passengers are involuntarily bumped. Passengers who are issued a security pass and told to get their BPs at the gate are first to be bumped followed by the passengers with the highest number on their BP.