Post all SW questions concerns, etc. here...

[Fangorn]

Just a little tip for any of the super early flights. As long as you’re not doing RAC with your luggage, you can tell ME any flight to take you to the airport. We’ve had 6 am departing flights before where they wanted to pick us up at 2:30 am, but we have pre-check and only carry-on luggage. So we’ve given them the flight number of a 7:25 flight instead, and we were picked up at 4:25 am instead. We still had plenty of time and made the flight no problem.

You don't really have to go to all the bother of finding a flight that matches closer to the time you want DME to pick you up. Just call DME @ 866 599-0951 and tell them what time you want to be at the airport. You'll get a warning from them that if you miss your flight it's on you, but they'll book for whatever time you want..

If you book with a fictitious flight, especially now, you run the risk of that flight changing (or being canceled), DME changing/canceling your booking accordingly, and you never knowing about it. Since you aren't booked on the flight, you'll get no notice of a change or cancelation. Much simpler and safer to just call and book the time you want.

Steve

 

[Hezzy04]

Like many others, my early December flights were changed. Last time this happened I was able to modify them to a flight I liked more. However, it won’t let me this time. It says no flights were found for my search. However, when I look to book a trip I do see other flight times available. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it just a glitch??? I tried calling but the wait time was almost an hour and a half!

 

[Fangorn]

Something else to check if/when you get notice of a flight change -

Don't just look at the departure time of the new flight. Look at the internals of the flight as well. This is mostly for flights with a connection.

I was notified last night that our flights for early Dec were changed. For us, coming from the PNW, there is no such thing as a nonstop flight to MCO. There's always going to be a stop, and 99% of the time, a plane change. The flight down was actually changed for the better, slightly. Leaves at the same time (6am) but changes in PHX instead of MDW, and arrives 15 minutes earlier. Total trip, 7hrs 35min. The trip home, however was something else, and I nearly missed it. Instead of departing MCO at 12:45p, the flight was changed to depart at 11:15. Not great, but not horrible. Didn't look past the departure time. This morning I was checking the app just to verify that it showed the changes, and to see what other options I might have. That's when I noticed that the trip home had not one, not two, but three stops and three plane changes. Didn't arrive PDX until 10p - nearly 14 hours travel time. (If you're curious, the route was MCO - STL -DAL - DEN - PDX.

Called (app wouldn't let me change it) and got it taken care of. SW agent just laughed when she saw the routing. She said she'd seen some weird routes before, but this one was up there with the best of them. The re-routing is all handled by software, of course. She also said the reason I couldn't change it online was because the route wasn't actually a valid booking in SW's system.

So just a note of caution - check all the details.

Steve

 

[Fangorn]

Like many others, my early December flights were changed. Last time this happened I was able to modify them to a flight I liked more. However, it won’t let me this time. It says no flights were found for my search. However, when I look to book a trip I do see other flight times available. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it just a glitch??? I tried calling but the wait time was almost an hour and a half!

They may not be completely finished making changes so flights may not appear yet. They will be able to help you if you call. When I called this morning, the wait time was estimated at 120 minutes. They do have a call back system you can use, which is what I did. Works fine.

Steve

 

[LadybugsMum]

Something else to check if/when you get notice of a flight change -

Don't just look at the departure time of the new flight. Look at the internals of the flight as well. This is mostly for flights with a connection.

Called (app wouldn't let me change it) and got it taken care of. SW agent just laughed when she saw the routing. She said she'd seen some weird routes before, but this one was up there with the best of them. The re-routing is all handled by software, of course. She also said the reason I couldn't change it online was because the route wasn't actually a valid booking in SW's system.

So just a note of caution - check all the details.

Steve

Definitely check the details. I had flights to CA from NC and back for June for my niece's graduation. On one of the reschedules that SW did, they had me leaving on my second flight before the first flight even landed. I couldn't update it online either and called in. The SW rep was very apologetic and said that the new flight schedules are supposed to be reviewed before being sent out to the customers.

 

[LadybugsMum]

And I just got an email about changes for my early Jan flight. So far only my flight to MCO has been affected and it going out 2 hours later. That's fine with me since we won't have to get to the airport at 4:30 am anymore and it's still a direct flight. I'm getting worried about the return flight as it will probably be moved up by 5-6 hours.

 

[DLmama]

Our Dec. flights have also changed. To MCO, I actually like the new flights better. However, our return flight lands after our connecting flight is scheduled to take off! I know I need to call since I'm unable to make changes online, but with a two hour wait time, my question to all the experts is if I should just be patient and wait to see if I can change online once all flights are loaded into the system? Does that happen or will I need to call regardless?

 

[shoreward]

Our Dec. flights have also changed. To MCO, I actually like the new flights better. However, our return flight lands after our connecting flight is scheduled to take off! I know I need to call since I'm unable to make changes online, but with a two hour wait time, my question to all the experts is if I should just be patient and wait to see if I can change online once all flights are loaded into the system? Does that happen or will I need to call regardless?

I always like to recommend contacting them on Twitter for a prompt and helpful response. Just post a short message about your return flight, like you did here, and how the connecting flight departs before you land at the connecting point. They will ask you to DM them, noting your confirmation number, and they will take it from there.

Personally, I would do this ASAP, while good options are available and not fully booked.

www.twitter.com/SouthwestAir

 

[LadybugsMum]

Our Dec. flights have also changed. To MCO, I actually like the new flights better. However, our return flight lands after our connecting flight is scheduled to take off! I know I need to call since I'm unable to make changes online, but with a two hour wait time, my question to all the experts is if I should just be patient and wait to see if I can change online once all flights are loaded into the system? Does that happen or will I need to call regardless?

I also recommend doing it sooner rather than later. I'm not on Twitter; so I called and just worked while I was on hold. I don't remember my wait times being that long though.

 

[scrappinginontario]

My experience with SW is that they have an option to leave a phone number and have them call me back. I've always found that to be an effective way to contact them although I've never tried Twitter.

Our Dec. flights have also changed. To MCO, I actually like the new flights better. However, our return flight lands after our connecting flight is scheduled to take off! I know I need to call since I'm unable to make changes online, but with a two hour wait time, my question to all the experts is if I should just be patient and wait to see if I can change online once all flights are loaded into the system? Does that happen or will I need to call regardless?

So they have moved you to a return flight where the first leg of your trip lands after the second leg of your trip departs? WOW! I've never heard of that and can't believe the system allowed them to book you on that. You need to get that one fixed for sure!!

 

[DLmama]

So they have moved you to a return flight where the first leg of your trip lands after the second leg of your trip departs? WOW! I've never heard of that and can't believe the system allowed them to book you on that. You need to get that one fixed for sure!!

Haha, yep! Land at 4pm, connecting flight leaves at 2:30pm!

It goes from MCO - DAL - LAS - LGB - SJC too. That's not going to happen!

 

[shoreward]

Haha, yep! Land at 4pm, connecting flight leaves at 2:30pm!

It goes from MCO - DAL - LAS - LGB - SJC too. That's not going to happen!

This problem has happened to others, as well; you are not alone, if that makes you feel any better. The rescheduling is done automatically via their system; the new itineraries are supposed to be manually checked, but it sounds like some are slipping through.

Maybe they think you are arriving via a time machine and can go back in time.☺

Seriously, though, they will do their best to try and fix this for you (subject to availability).

 

[scrappinginontario]

Haha, yep! Land at 4pm, connecting flight leaves at 2:30pm!

It goes from MCO - DAL - LAS - LGB - SJC too. That's not going to happen!

Sounds similar to our flights from BUF to SJC a number of years ago. Ended up taking 4 different flights and we criss-crossed all over the US!! In the end we missed one of our flights so they flew us to San Francisco and then we had to drive to SJC because our luggage still went there!

 

[Disneytam]

Like many others, my early December flights were changed. Last time this happened I was able to modify them to a flight I liked more. However, it won’t let me this time. It says no flights were found for my search. However, when I look to book a trip I do see other flight times available. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it just a glitch??? I tried calling but the wait time was almost an hour and a half!

Yes this was what happened to me and I had to call in. It was a 2 hour wait on the phone.

 

[CarlyMur09]

Both ends of our PIT-MCO trip in Dec got changed from nonstops to ones with one layover- one in BWI and the other in MDW.. timing wasn’t the greatest either since we initially had a early flight down and a late flight back up, but the timing changed it to late arrival and early departure.

after talking with the family through it and checking availability, it looks like BWI still had plenty of nonstops since a good chunk of the PIT flights were flying through BWI. So we made the decision to go ahead and drive down to Baltimore, fly down the night before our original day and fly back the day after. (PIT is an hour drive west for us, BWI is around 3 1/2)

We could have done day of flights and just stayed at Baltimore hotels, but we figured it made more sense to do it the way we are now and allows for more wiggle room.

now to try to make sense of parking at BWI...

 

[barb969]

after talking with the family through it and checking av

We could have done day of flights and just stayed at Baltimore hotels, but we figured it made more sense to do it the way we are now and allows for more wiggle room.

now to try to make sense of parking at 0
[/QUOTE]

Both ends of our PIT-MCO trip in Dec got changed from nonstops to ones with one layover- one in BWI and the other in MDW.. timing wasn’t the greatest either since we initially had a early flight and a late flight back up, but the timing changed it to late arrival and early departure.

after talking with the family through it and checking availability, it looks like BWI still had plenty of nonstops since a good chunk of the PIT flights were flying through BWI. So we made the decision to go ahead and drive down to Baltimore, fly down the night before our original day and fly back the day after. (PIT is an hour drive west for us, BWI is around 3 1/2)

We could have done day of flights and just stayed

now to try to make sense of parking at BWI...

 

[barb969]

If you stay overnight at some of the hotels they offer parking. I don’t know if there is a fee. I know Marriott does.

otherwise you have a choice between airport lot and off site. The off site is cheaper. Fastpark runs a lot of shuttles and is less than 10 minutes from the terminal.

 

[CarlyMur09]

If you stay overnight at some of the hotels they offer parking. I don’t know if there is a fee. I know Marriott does.

otherwise you have a choice between airport lot and off site. The off site is cheaper. Fastpark runs a lot of shuttles and is less than 10 minutes from the terminal.

i think our current plan is to just park in the hourly garage near where the southwest terminals are. The plan is to get there with at least 3 hours to spare so we can make our way through security and find our gate (probably dinner too if possible.).

 

[ice cube]

So nice to wake up to my wife asking me if I opened the SW email from Thursday.....my reply was no and that's when it started....now we aren't very frequent fliers of SW
as the other carriers JB and DL serve us very well. During the holidays especially during the Christmas/New Years time SW for the most part has given us the best bang for the buck.
They get me down and back from NY to MCO or TPA for sometimes prices that are so ridiculously cheap how could I say no. Take this year I purchased 4 non stop tickets NY to TPA and back Dec.23 coming back Jan.3 for $868!!! I get to pick my seat (we have always sat together rarely pay early bird) 2 check bags for free (yes we are the family with too many bags to count going through the airport) and always a non stop flight. I have read the stories you all talk about being inconvenienced with changing flights and the problems getting from one place to another and said thank God not me. Well it has finally happened to me so I guess I'm part of the family now. The major issue is like everyone else I paid for non stop and getting lay over and add insult to injury changing planes. Now my girls are spoiled I'm the first one to admit and when they find out I will not hear the end of it. I will hear Dad half the price half the quality, why do you have to be so cheap, this is why I want to fly JB or DL. I told my wife don't say anything to them as I don't want to hear it from now until we leave. Kids no matter what age just don't get it. My big one is in college$$$ my little one will be turning 16 so car, party etc... They just don't understand the value of the dollar. If the old man can save a buck here or there I'm going to do it. I'm just thrilled my wife told me she can't go on the flight because work now won't give her the day. She needs to take a late flight so lucky her she gets to fly on DL that night and I don't have to hear it from her. Wait till my offspring hear that they will definitely split in half.
So my question....to all the veteran SW fliers there is still a nonstop flight showing available later on Dec.23 can I change even though its way more than what I originally paid without spending more or roll the dice and maybe that my original flight goes back to non stop? Has that ever happened in the past?

 

[barb969]

i think our current plan is to just park in the hourly garage near where the southwest terminals are. The plan is to get there with at least 3 hours to spare so we can make our way through security and find our gate (probably dinner too if possible.).

You don’t want the hourly lot. It will cost a fortune. You want the daily or long term lot. The long term is the cheapest. The daily lot is a garage and it’s an advantage if it snows. Both are on airport property with plenty of signs.

All the terminals are in the same building. SWA is the first stop on the bus.