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

[amy1115]

We are planning a quick trip heading out on March 7th. We got on the SW site the day after the fares opened up and a ton of the Getaway flights were already showing unavailable. We've never seen that before! Is there a chance they just haven't opened those up yet for some reason? I thought that date would be early enough that we would beat the spring break rush but now I'm not sure! Thanks for any insight.

 

[focusondisney]

We are planning a quick trip heading out on March 7th. We got on the SW site the day after the fares opened up and a ton of the Getaway flights were already showing unavailable. We've never seen that before! Is there a chance they just haven't opened those up yet for some reason? I thought that date would be early enough that we would beat the spring break rush but now I'm not sure! Thanks for any insight.

There have been several times that WGA fares didn’t show available when flights opened. They always showed up eventually. Keep checking, they can be released at any time.

 

[Angelboys3]

Just checked on my September flights and both directions dropped. Went from $228 round trip to $153 round trip!

 

[Peaseblossom36]

How have flights been lately? I've seen a few blurbs here and there about cancellations and people being stuck again so was curious about peoples experiences here.

 

[SkyGuy]

How have flights been lately? I've seen a few blurbs here and there about cancellations and people being stuck again so was curious about peoples experiences here.

I flew last week to Orlando, and my husband flew two days ago to Miami and neither of us had any issues.

 

[focusondisney]

Anyone hear any rumors about SW changing boarding process & limiting or not offering EBCI? DIL saw some FB posts & I found a few online reports, but nothing official.

 

[SkyGuy]

Anyone hear any rumors about SW changing boarding process & limiting or not offering EBCI? DIL saw some FB posts & I found a few online reports, but nothing official.

The Points Guy is reporting this, and he’s pretty reliable.

 

[T.G.I.Friday]

All I’m seeing is that they are limiting ECBI, but I think it makes sense and don’t get some of the outrage. If by the time you wanted to buy it, it’s sold out, it seems safe to assume you would have had a ‘bad’ boarding position. So this way, you save the money and still get the same boarding position.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yes and there's a thread started for it (Sam). The info I have read is that they are not removing EBCI but rather certain routes or flights or days they will reduce the availability of it, apparent start date of the 15th of this month.

Many of the regulars here on this thread have discussed already how they were frustrated at getting B's with EBCI even though it was never guaranteed in the first place. It might just be SWA seeing enough effects of it.

On the other thread I did agree with a poster about family boarding and I think it may very well be even more this case if over time MCO becomes a main airport to reduce EBCI availability. If Anytime Fares get EBCI but you're adding in a good amount of passengers who board between A and B because they are family boarding and the government is pushing airlines to be more lenient to family boarding (even though SWA is exempt from the main guidelines) I could see SWA trying to say some flights are just not going to give enough benefits to too many passengers who get EBCI so instead of further diluting it they may be trying to bring back what the perk was and limiting just how many people can have it (like the older days when EBCI wasn't so heavily used).

 

[Doug7856]

Yes and there's a thread started for it (Sam). The info I have read is that they are not removing EBCI but rather certain routes or flights or days they will reduce the availability of it, apparent start date of the 15th of this month.

Many of the regulars here on this thread have discussed already how they were frustrated at getting B's with EBCI even though it was never guaranteed in the first place. It might just be SWA seeing enough effects of it.

On the other thread I did agree with a poster about family boarding and I think it may very well be even more this case if over time MCO becomes a main airport to reduce EBCI availability. If Anytime Fares get EBCI but you're adding in a good amount of passengers who board between A and B because they are family boarding and the government is pushing airlines to be more lenient to family boarding (even though SWA is exempt from the main guidelines) I could see SWA trying to say some flights are just not going to give enough benefits to too many passengers who get EBCI so instead of further diluting it they may be trying to bring back what the perk was and limiting just how many people can have it (like the older days when EBCI wasn't so heavily used).

I agree. Last year on a flight from MCO, we had a low B boarding number and there were so many people who did family boarding that there were no seats left together (a large family cruise group was flying home). I felt like I had paid for EBCI but got none of the benefits.

 

[EACarlson]

All I’m seeing is that they are limiting ECBI, but I think it makes sense and don’t get some of the outrage. If by the time you wanted to buy it, it’s sold out, it seems safe to assume you would have had a ‘bad’ boarding position. So this way, you save the money and still get the same boarding position.

No, many will buy up to Anytime to get the EBCI and be in front of those with WGA and EBCI. That's what I would do if I was flying with one of my kids and ran into this situation.

 

[focusondisney]

I felt like I had paid for EBCI but got none of the benefits.

And that’s part of the problem…. SW never said EBCI gets you an A or gets you in the plane before family boarding. The benefit they promise is you will be checked in at 36 hours, so you’re checked in before any who didn’t buy it. As more people bought EBCI & Anytime fares & credit cards offer it, boarding positions get higher & higher. This has caused a lot of customer complaints, some of which is because of the customers unreal expectations. The whole thing is a mess.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I agree. Last year on a flight from MCO, we had a low B boarding number and there were so many people who did family boarding that there were no seats left together (a large family cruise group was flying home). I felt like I had paid for EBCI but got none of the benefits.

The large family part sounds like you had the worst luck, I know not their fault for all flying home on the same flight I get it but boy that doesn't help the other passengers. I bet pretty much everyone was internally groaning when they saw such a large group in the gate area.

 

[SkyGuy]

I agree. Last year on a flight from MCO, we had a low B boarding number and there were so many people who did family boarding that there were no seats left together (a large family cruise group was flying home). I felt like I had paid for EBCI but got none of the benefits.

Well, family boarding is supposed to be limited to two adults per child 6 and younger, but it doesn’t often work that way. Then, technically seats aren’t to be saved for the remaining family members, as that’s the point of open seating, but we all know how that tends to work. Just as with preboarding - it’s limited to two people and the preboarder. On our flight home from Orlando last week, a family tried to all preboard with the grandfather. When told only two could go, the dad said he and his wife would go, and he made his three girls (probably 10, 12, 14ish) wait to board with the C group! He, literally, left them standing there at the podium. The SW agent had to look at their boarding passes and take them to the side and tell them she would let them know when they could board. I was flabbergasted.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Well, family boarding is supposed to be limited to two adults per child 6 and younger, but it doesn’t often work that way. Then, technically seats aren’t to be saved for the remaining family members, as that’s the point of open seating, but we all know how that tends to work.

I know I know I know we've all been through this before but SWA has consistently been in the "we're neither for nor against seat saving" That's really it. They leave it up to the FA's to decide what they want to do on a certain flight. Some flights you'll have it said "no seat saving" other flights nadda (more often than not really). Open seating means you can sit where ever as opposed to having an assigned seat. SWA could have a zero tolerance towards seat saving if they wanted to and it still would be open seating as they are "take whatever seat you want" kind of airline..presently speaking.

 

[T.G.I.Friday]

Southwest is the largest carrier at our airport, and they offer more direct flights than needing to connect in Atlanta or Charlotte using other larger carriers. We have been happy enough with their service and have always accepted some other things like the boarding process and older planes since they were a good value. We choose to purchase Business Select fares to ensure we have no issues with seats in the first few rows and space for our carry on luggage.

But with some of their changes recently, it’s getting harder to continue to choose them.

The amount of preboards we have seen recently is staggering. We recently flew our first leg of a trip to Ft Lauderdale, and there were 10 Airport issued (not personal devices) wheelchairs lined up at the gate. Then a number of other people also preboarded without devices. So between the preboards and their companions, my A1 boarding position had me be about the 30th person on the plane. Not something Southwest has done, but something they need to figure out. At some point, half of the plane is going to be preboarding.

Most annoying, they are pricing themselves out. Round trip flights on Saturdays in March to Mexico are $1,500/person. For Southwest. What on earth is going on?? Even Orlando is so much more expensive. $400/roundtrip is the new normal when it used to easily be half of that.

Changing the Early Bird seems like another misstep. If they want to behave like the other carriers and charge similar prices, they need to make it have value or people will look elsewhere.

 

[Doug7856]

Southwest is the largest carrier at our airport, and they offer more direct flights than needing to connect in Atlanta or Charlotte using other larger carriers. We have been happy enough with their service and have always accepted some other things like the boarding process and older planes since they were a good value. We choose to purchase Business Select fares to ensure we have no issues with seats in the first few rows and space for our carry on luggage.

But with some of their changes recently, it’s getting harder to continue to choose them.

The amount of preboards we have seen recently is staggering. We recently flew our first leg of a trip to Ft Lauderdale, and there were 10 Airport issued (not personal devices) wheelchairs lined up at the gate. Then a number of other people also preboarded without devices. So between the preboards and their companions, my A1 boarding position had me be about the 30th person on the plane. Not something Southwest has done, but something they need to figure out. At some point, half of the plane is going to be preboarding.

Most annoying, they are pricing themselves out. Round trip flights on Saturdays in March to Mexico are $1,500/person. For Southwest. What on earth is going on?? Even Orlando is so much more expensive. $400/roundtrip is the new normal when it used to easily be half of that.

Changing the Early Bird seems like another misstep. If they want to behave like the other carriers and charge similar prices, they need to make it have value or people will look elsewhere.

I've been a Southwest loyalist for some time, but it does feel like they've lost their mission and it's time for some alternatives.

 

[SkyGuy]

Southwest is the largest carrier at our airport, and they offer more direct flights than needing to connect in Atlanta or Charlotte using other larger carriers. We have been happy enough with their service and have always accepted some other things like the boarding process and older planes since they were a good value. We choose to purchase Business Select fares to ensure we have no issues with seats in the first few rows and space for our carry on luggage.

But with some of their changes recently, it’s getting harder to continue to choose them.

The amount of preboards we have seen recently is staggering. We recently flew our first leg of a trip to Ft Lauderdale, and there were 10 Airport issued (not personal devices) wheelchairs lined up at the gate. Then a number of other people also preboarded without devices. So between the preboards and their companions, my A1 boarding position had me be about the 30th person on the plane. Not something Southwest has done, but something they need to figure out. At some point, half of the plane is going to be preboarding.

Most annoying, they are pricing themselves out. Round trip flights on Saturdays in March to Mexico are $1,500/person. For Southwest. What on earth is going on?? Even Orlando is so much more expensive. $400/roundtrip is the new normal when it used to easily be half of that.

Changing the Early Bird seems like another misstep. If they want to behave like the other carriers and charge similar prices, they need to make it have value or people will look elsewhere.

I generally fly SW, and I find different routes have different levels of preboarders. When I fly to MSP to visit my daughter there have been few to no preboarders and few families, but when I fly to Naples to visit my brother, I may, like you, encounter 30 preboarders but few families. When I fly to Miami with my husband for business, so, SO, many families boarding for cruises as well as preboarders. If you’re not A group, you might as well forget about sitting together. Miami is completely crazy, and I wouldn’t be surprised if most of their complaints come from that route, even more so than Orlando.

 

[scrappinginontario]

This is just a data point re: EBCI

We are flying from BUF to MCO in 10 days. 11 flights, 10 still showing availability.

We are on the only direct flight that day which is also the only flight showing ‘Not Available’.

I just tried and could still add EBCI ($25/pp) if I wanted to.

The unknown factor is, how many people have already purchased EBCI.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I generally fly SW, and I find different routes have different levels of preboarders. When I fly to MSP to visit my daughter there have been few to no preboarders and few families, but when I fly to Naples to visit my brother, I may, like you, encounter 30 preboarders but few families. When I fly to Miami with my husband for business, so, SO, many families boarding for cruises as well as preboarders. If you’re not A group, you might as well forget about sitting together. Miami is completely crazy, and I wouldn’t be surprised if most of their complaints come from that route, even more so than Orlando.

A good point. We found out Puerto Rico is essentially all pre-boards almost zero with actual mobility issues that require a wheelchair. The FA joked with us when we said we were surprised as this is I guess just how it is and they are well aware of the large amount. It was going to and from Orlando (not our home airport). I'm not sure how many purchased EBCI for that route though so I'm not sure how that would affect this newer thing.