Never again Southwest

[monami7]

Ive had the same problem printing passes with Delta a few times. I dont like SW either...but for diffrerent reasons.

 

[Figment2]

DanaW, 2 to 2-1/2 hours sounds about my average.

Cyn

 

[tropicalgirl]

Well, I got on the computer at 12:00 to print my boarding passes as I've done in the past and I received the error message. I typed in the family we are travelling with confirmation number and got the same message. When I called, I was told it was because we booked child fare rates and that cannot be checked in on-line. If I had known that when I booked, I wouldn't have done it, but live and learn.
The plane is full, so we'll be at the airport early on our way to a great vacation.

 

[waltsdouble]

There is a very large list of names that the TSA has loaded into the Airlines reservation system. If a name, or part of a name triggers this "No Fly List", a positive ID must be checked at the ticket counter. Even Sen. Ted Kennedy was stopped and checked due to this list, just a new part of travel safety, don't blame the airlines.

 

[disneyldwjr]

So I guess we should all make sure we wear clean underwear for our the extra security it sounds like at least one of us will have to go through??

They don't strip search, wear whatever underwear you want.

 

[cra-z-4-dizney]

They don't strip search, wear whatever underwear you want.

Yeah you can wear the ones from yesterday...no need to change!!!!

This will save you the extra time you need to check-in!!!!

 

[DANAW]

Saga update... I posted the original message and we just got back last night. Upon departing for Orlando, we arrived 2 hours before our flight, and the tried to check in with the sky cap (we were unable to print our boarding passes at midnight for an unknown reason). The skycap told us in an ominous voice, "They want to see you INSIDE". Got inside, no problems, got "B boarding passes. Coming home, the lines for Southwest were unreal...Lines wrapped around the airport!! I have never seen such lines! Took us over an hour to check in & get through security. I was told it is always like this on a weekend, but we always fly weekends, and never had this problem in FLA. Arrived full 2 hours before our flight, and got C boarding passes. The WL was unable to print our boarding passes the night before..they kept getting the same error message I got when I tried to do it before we left for FLA No problems coming home with security, but upon check in, the SW attendent told us that 3 of us, including my 16 year old son were on the "watch" list. So, that answers the question of why I couldnt print our passes. She gave me an 800 # for TSA and said if I didnt straighten it out, we could have problems in the future. We all fly only one time a year, to Disney, but I guess were randomly chosen. Now I have to fill out TSA sheets & have them notorized to try to prevent this from happening again. BTW, TSA web site said by filling out this necessary paper work, it will nOT take our names off the "watch list", but will make it easier for us to get through security in the future.

 

[golfgal]

Interesting. We went to Naples, FL this past January with a group from DH's office. DH and I were able to print bording passes the day before we left but no one else was. I wonder if that is why. I also was reading the Sun Country Airline website and one of their qualifications for not being able to print boarding passes online was a group of 7 or more under one confirmation number. That may have been why, as well.

 

[ClanHarrison]

...I also was reading the Sun Country Airline website and one of their qualifications for not being able to print boarding passes online was a group of 7 or more under one confirmation number. That may have been why, as well.

I booked our group of 8 together and we're all on the same conf. #. I guess I won't be able to print our boarding passes at midnight after all either .

4 of us come back on a different day so the return flights are on different conf. #'s, so maybe we won't have this problem coming back. I hope not because my family's flight isn't until late afternoon on a Friday and I'd like to be able to get "A" boarding passes.

Well, maybe if we get to the airport on departure day 2 hours early we can still be able to get "A" boarding passes since our flight is 6:00 in the morning. Wouldn't that be the first flight of the day?

 

[Poorman]

I was just reading this post and a light bulb went off in my head. Our daughter and her family always get tagged for additional screening, she has the **** on her boarding pass and this means check her.

I bet it is her birthdate, it is 9/11. It must throw up a flag for the date for some reason. I guess she will have to call TSA to find out.

I have tried printing boarding passes for her to no avail.

 

[disneyldwjr]

I was just reading this post and a light bulb went off in my head. Our daughter and her family always get tagged for additional screening, she has the **** on her boarding pass and this means check her.

I bet it is her birthdate, it is 9/11. It must throw up a flag for the date for some reason. I guess she will have to call TSA to find out.

I have tried printing boarding passes for her to no avail.

Where on any reservation do they ask for a birthdate? The 9/11 might be a flag, but, I guess I wonder how they know.

 

[DMRick]

I booked our group of 8 together and we're all on the same conf. #. I guess I won't be able to print our boarding passes at midnight after all either .

I printed out 9 of ours in February (first they were all together, then I had them separate them (since before you couldn't be together), then I had them put them back together. The agent and I were on a first name basis LOL! Has this changed since February?

 

[robinb]

Oy. I'm really not looking forward to flying in August. We're doing an "open-jaw" on SWA: MDW->TPA and then MCO->MDW. I had to book two one-way trips. If that doesn't set off the "alarms" I don't know what will. {{sigh}}

 

[debster812]

Oy. I'm really not looking forward to flying in August. We're doing an "open-jaw" on SWA: MDW->TPA and then MCO->MDW. I had to book two one-way trips. If that doesn't set off the "alarms" I don't know what will. {{sigh}}

Robin--we fly like this fairly often--next year we are doing this:

BOS ---> MCO
RSW ---> PVD

Not only are we booked on one-ways, but we are going through 4 different airports. AND....DS who is all of 7 years old, got dinged this past year for extra security on both legs of our trip.

We're prepared for it, and work in extra time. My attitude at this point is: "It is what it is" and there is nothing we can do about it, so be it.

Good Luck--but I don't think it will be bad.

 

[robinb]

We're prepared for it, and work in extra time. My attitude at this point is: "It is what it is" and there is nothing we can do about it, so be it.

Good Luck--but I don't think it will be bad.

Yeah, I know. Our family flies about 3-4 times a year, but I can barely put up with the TSA. It's one of my (very few ) faults in life that I have no patience for them wanding my (then) 3 year old DD and pawing through all my luggage because we were chosen for extra screening. I thank my lucky stars I am not leaving out of TPA since their TSA is the worst!

I'm ready for it, but I'll still be annoyed as they prod my family and sift through my luggage. I think I'll practice my deep breathing and my polite face. At least the TSA at MDW is nicer than most.

Note to self: Put cork-screw in checked luggage. Right next to the nail clippers.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

It can be frustrating when you think you're able to take care of those little details like printing your boarding pass at midnight, and then you're unable to. It probably wouldn't seem as inconvenient to you if you already had an assigned seat.
I don't normally fly Southwest with my kids unless it's to Chicago because I prefer Midway to O'Hare. When we are traveling together I generally choose an airline where we have pre-assigned seats for our convenience. It's just plain easier, and the queues for security for other airlines are nearly always shorter. When I fly solo (which is often, for work) I don't mind Southwest at all because they can turn a plane around in no time and they are generally on time. I always check my regular suitcase and bring a small carry-on for my laptop, so seat location and overhead space is not an issue for me. I think those are probably the things that concern a person most when trying to get in the early boarding group.
In any case, when we decided to fly last minute to Las Vegas in October, I couldn't print out our B-passes online because there were 3 of us on the same ressie. That annoyed me. When I booked a trip for us next week to Chicago, I made 3 separate ressies just to avoid this, but people now tell me you can print multiple passenger ressies. Go figure!

Love the service, hate the cattle call, but indeed, if your name ends up on a TSA list, there is little you can do about it. Happy flying from here on in!

 

[DANAW]

I agree that SW service is good. But I really hate the cattle call seating. It just adds stress to the trip. We have flown them twice, and they really do turn a plane around in no time. The incoming plane barely landed, and they were boarding us to get on. When given a choice though (and there are only 2 choices when flying nonstop from Hartford, CT to MCO) I will not choose SW again. I bought these seats the minute they extended their flight dates, but still paid $312 a seat...maybe if I was finally able to get snag of their $49 one way fares, I wouldnt complain so much!!

 

[waltsdouble]

Just so you know, people that work at the airports call airlines like Southwest, the Greyhound of the skies. A big bus that flies, the fares might be cheap, but you get what you pay for, a bus ride in the sky. Jetblue is a big step above Southwest, new planes, leather seats, TV's at evrey seat, reserved seating and you can make reservation way longer in the future than Southwest.

 

[robinb]

Jetblue is a big step above Southwest, new planes, leather seats, TV's at evrey seat, reserved seating and you can make reservation way longer in the future than Southwest.

Jetblue offers service to only the east coast, the west coast and Florida. The whole middle of the country (where I live) is left out!

 

[inkkognito]

Being the "greyhound of the skies" is not necessarily a bad thing. I am amazed at the fares I've been getting on SW lately. With ATA mostly gone from Chicago, the fares went up quite a bit, but now they have dropped back down to unreal levels...way LESS than I ever payed on ATA. Sure, I don't have an assigned seat, and their planes can't even begin to compare to the plush 757-300s that I was used to (and of course the seating thing can be a pain). But when I think of it as a "flying bus" and remember what I'm paying, it suddenly looks a lot more appealing.
Barb