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

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

So my husband was telling me that their company's booking system won't be compatible with SWA's assigned seating system for months at least so they will have to book the flight and go in and select a seat....that is going to be a pain. Makes me wonder how many other business travelers are going to be impacted.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

For a data point regarding status we just booked a flight for early May where strictly the status of A-list Preferred was pulling the benefit. This is mostly spelled out by SWA but I wanted to add our experience

My husband booked a Choice ticket (which would normally only be a Standard seat included with Preferred and Extra Legroom an additional charge). With being A-List Preferred he was able to at booking select for no fee an Extra Legroom seat as he should.

When it was time to add me as a Companion to the flight and select my seat this message popped up


So he was able to select an Extra Legroom seat next to him without charge. He was able to do this for the 4 flights total (2 to the location and 2 back home).

 

[focusondisney]

For a data point regarding status we just booked a flight for early May where strictly the status of A-list Preferred was pulling the benefit. This is mostly spelled out by SWA but I wanted to add our experience

My husband booked a Choice ticket (which would normally only be a Standard seat included with Preferred and Extra Legroom an additional charge). With being A-List Preferred he was able to at booking select for no fee an Extra Legroom seat as he should.

When it was time to add me as a Companion to the flight and select my seat this message popped up
View attachment 1039882

So he was able to select an Extra Legroom seat next to him without charge. He was able to do this for the 4 flights total (2 to the location and 2 back home).

Wonderful news! Thanks for the real time info!

 

[katallo]

Non expiring flight credit and non expiring points - what would you use first to purchase an upcoming flight? I know once I use the flight credit I will lose the non expiring status but according the SW rep points will remain always remain non expiring.

 

[eticketplease]

Non expiring flight credit and non expiring points - what would you use first to purchase an upcoming flight? I know once I use the flight credit I will lose the non expiring status but according the SW rep points will remain always remain non expiring.

If you are going to try the game that most of us play and try and modify your trip to get $$ or points back, I would use points. If you do get issued a credit it would be expiring and only good for 6 months on basic and 12 months on everything else. The credit has to then be booked and flown by the expiration date which is determined by fare class and when you purchased the original ticket.

Points would be credited back into your account and as you stated earlier do not expire.

 

[AngieInOH]

I've searched and can't find specifics. I purchased the cheapest fare, have a Southwest Credit card and can pick seats at 48 hours. My question is how do you go about picking seats? Do you check in, and it will allow you to pick? I'd just like some details so I know what to expect and can hopefully be quick at it. I need to select 4 seats.

 

[eticketplease]

I've searched and can't find specifics. I purchased the cheapest fare, have a Southwest Credit card and can pick seats at 48 hours. My question is how do you go about picking seats? Do you check in, and it will allow you to pick? I'd just like some details so I know what to expect and can hopefully be quick at it. I need to select 4 seats.

With the priority card I was able to get them at check in.

Since the system has not gone live yet for assigned seatings I'm not sure that anyone knows.

48 hours is too early to check in so my guess you would need to "modify" or "upgrade seats" at 48 hours.
The website has this button on the front page next to my next flight.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Non expiring flight credit and non expiring points - what would you use first to purchase an upcoming flight? I know once I use the flight credit I will lose the non expiring status but according the SW rep points will remain always remain non expiring.

Only the part of the flight credit that is used gets an expiration date. With that in mind, I'd say use points if you have them as then use the flight credit to pay as much of the taxes and fees as you can. Whatever remains unused stays unexpiring on the original confirm number. That's what I'm having my mother do: she just generated herself a CP for '26-'27 and has about $50 in unexpired flight credit, so she's booking with points and eeking the credit down $5.60 at a time.

 

[Cruzin’Sisters]

Only the part of the flight credit that is used gets an expiration date. With that in mind, I'd say use points if you have them as then use the flight credit to pay as much of the taxes and fees as you can. Whatever remains unused stays unexpiring on the original confirm number. That's what I'm having my mother do: she just generated herself a CP for '26-'27 and has about $50 in unexpired flight credit, so she's booking with points and eeking the credit down $5.60 at a time.

I never thought of that! And my credits are $10 amounts too!!

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Out of curiosity, has your timing of adding CPs to a flight changed in the new era of assigned seating?

Before, I would leave them off if I thought there was a possibility of dips in price so I could quickly rebook and get my points back. Maybe 4-6 weeks before a flight, when the points were clearly only going up, I'd add CPs.

My April flights had a dip at the beginning of the month, I grabbed those points back, and now they're back up again. But, they aren't *super* high yet, they're just floating around the same levels they had been for the last few months, so another dip wouldn't be unheard of. I haven't added CPs yet, but I'm tempted...

 

[Wood Nymph]

I think that I have found a bit of irony in the assigned seating situation. I'm looking at my flight home from Orlando in March when a big block of standard seats in the rows behind the exit row have been taken. That left a whole lot of empty preferred seats in the front of the plane. Those seats will go to the people who bought Basic fares if the preferred seats don't get picked up before the flight.

 

[focusondisney]

I think that I have found a bit of irony in the assigned seating situation. I'm looking at my flight home from Orlando in March when a big block of standard seats in the rows behind the exit row have been taken. That left a whole lot of empty preferred seats in the front of the plane. Those seats will go to the people who bought Basic fares if the preferred seats don't get picked up before the flight.

Some SW credit cards allow seating upgrades at 48 hours. So all those preferred seats will likely be taken by people upgrading before basic seats get assigned. But people who booked basic seats getting upgraded seating has been a thing for other airlines already. I have seen it many times on JetBlue. It’s easy to tell, they board in the last boarding group, have trouble finding over head bin space & are scattered around the plane, filling in middle seats & not sitting with their traveling companions.

So yes, it might happen, but it might not be the bonus some people expect.

 

[nephykupo]

I think that I have found a bit of irony in the assigned seating situation. I'm looking at my flight home from Orlando in March when a big block of standard seats in the rows behind the exit row have been taken. That left a whole lot of empty preferred seats in the front of the plane. Those seats will go to the people who bought Basic fares if the preferred seats don't get picked up before the flight.

I do wonder if its simply overpriced? I just upgraded my seats on Alaskan for a longer flight and it was half the cost for a shorter flight with SW.