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

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Yep, stupidly expensive out of DCA too. I booked both ways using up a bunch of credits and some points, just want to be done with SW altogether. Still have one decent size credit, so may eventually book another flight with that and points someday...

We've got points and CPs through 2026, but I think that'll be our last hurrah with SW.

 

[elgerber]

Just checked in for the first time since the new system started. Did the basic fare, because I am miles stingy. We got seats in row 1, boarding group 1. That means we board first?? I was planning on only underseat bags, assuming with basic, the overheads would be full. But now we have bulkhead seats. With boarding group 1, will we have any issues with overhead space?

 

[Threehearts]

It’s a Jet Blue hub, they probably can’t be competitive. I believe Delta has a big presence also. SW tends to avoid other airline’s hubs. They pulled out in Newark (United), cut back in Philadelphia (American).

Thanks for that information.

 

[disny_luvr]

Can someone help me with the cancellation policy? I am looking to book four tickets from BWI to LAS. If I book two tickets using points and pay cash for two tickets and I need to cancel, the points go back into my account but the cash reservation gets turned into a travel fund with a specified expiration date (as stated on SW’s website). What is the specified expiration date? Is it one year? This would be tickets in the Choice category.

I want to book plane tickets for our summer vacation but my one son is still trying to get an internship. My other son did get one and got permission for a one week vacation. We totally plan on going on this trip unless the other son gets an internship and cannot take a week off.

Thank you for your help.

 

[focusondisney]

Can someone help me with the cancellation policy? I am looking to book four tickets from BWI to LAS. If I book two tickets using points and pay cash for two tickets and I need to cancel, the points go back into my account but the cash reservation gets turned into a travel fund with a specified expiration date (as stated on SW’s website). What is the specified expiration date? Is it one year? This would be tickets in the Choice category.

I want to book plane tickets for our summer vacation but my one son is still trying to get an internship. My other son did get one and got permission for a one week vacation. We totally plan on going on this trip unless the other son gets an internship and cannot take a week off.

Thank you for your help.

From the SW website. It is from date it was booked, not cancelled or flight date,


https://www.southwest.com/airfare-types-benefits/?clk=GFOOTER-PRODUCTS-FAREBENEFITS

 

[fbb]

Chiming in with a few data points. A list preferred. Have flown 10 segments since the transition, in seat 2F every time. 2E has been occupied on only 2 of the 10 flights. Have had boarding group 2 nine times and boarding group 1 once (there was no group 2 on that flight for some reason). Overhead bin space above rows 1 and 2 is going to be a big issue. I’ve switched to checking my bag. 4 more flights this week; I’m going to try 3F this week.

Would get more bang for my buck with United, but Hobby is more convenient to me than Bush.

 

[FreeTime]

Here is what I have to wonder…it would seem that SW is holding onto the extra legroom seats in hopes that they will be booked when basic is sold out. Instead, I would think that they will eventually sell more basic, block out some extra legroom middles, so they will place pax in those seats. Whereas now, people are booking other flights to avoid paying the additional. It doesn’t seem sustainable to run so many 1/4-1/2 empty flights.

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

Checked in 24 hours before the flight. Choice fare booked the first day the flight schedule opened. Picked seats in row 17. Thats the row where the free seats start. Basic credit card holder. Got boarding group 4. Not group 5 as mentioned as a perk with having their card.

 

[elgerber]

Just checked in for the first time since the new system started. Did the basic fare, because I am miles stingy. We got seats in row 1, boarding group 1. That means we board first?? I was planning on only underseat bags, assuming with basic, the overheads would be full. But now we have bulkhead seats. With boarding group 1, will we have any issues with overhead space?

To answer my own question LOL...we were indeed in group one, with my basic fare (paid a whole 2500 points for this flight). We were the 2nd and 3rd to board after someone in a wheelchair. The first overheads on both sides of the aisle were empty, so we had no issue putting out bags up top. And we were the first two people off the plane, which was great.

 

[disny_luvr]

I haven’t flown SW since all the recent changes. If I book a flight and then the price goes down, can I still rebook and keep the seats I’ve already selected or do I have to select new seats? TIA!

 

[Wood Nymph]

I haven’t flown SW since all the recent changes. If I book a flight and then the price goes down, can I still rebook and keep the seats I’ve already selected or do I have to select new seats? TIA!

You have to select new seats. But the seats you had will probably be available when you go to select the seats for your new flight.

 

[CanIGetaDoleWhip]

Can someone help me with the cancellation policy? I am looking to book four tickets from BWI to LAS. If I book two tickets using points and pay cash for two tickets and I need to cancel, the points go back into my account but the cash reservation gets turned into a travel fund with a specified expiration date (as stated on SW’s website). What is the specified expiration date? Is it one year? This would be tickets in the Choice category.

I want to book plane tickets for our summer vacation but my one son is still trying to get an internship. My other son did get one and got permission for a one week vacation. We totally plan on going on this trip unless the other son gets an internship and cannot take a week off.

Thank you for your help.

If you think there could be a possibility that you'll need to cancel, I would just buy more points to book all of the tickets with points. When you book with points regardless of the fare class you choose, the points just go back into your account if you cancel. Then you don't have to mess with flight credits and expiration dates.

 

[Smilelea]

Does anyone know how the 15% discount from the CC works if you want to rebook at a lower price?
For example, let’s say I book a fare at $211, and use the code so it’s effectively $179, but a month later the fare is now $185. Would the 15% off still apply making the new fare $157? Or would it have been “used up” and now be pointless to rebook?

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Does anyone know how the 15% discount from the CC works if you want to rebook at a lower price?
For example, let’s say I book a fare at $211, and use the code so it’s effectively $179, but a month later the fare is now $185. Would the 15% off still apply making the new fare $157? Or would it have been “used up” and now be pointless to rebook?

My experience is all with points booking, not cash, so it's theoretically possible that there's a difference in treatment.

Points bookings with the 15% code are actually coming in much better than 15% off. Currently, I have 18k tickets at 13, 19.5k tickets at 14k, and 20.5k tickets at 14.5k, so averaging 30% off. I don't know why that's happening but I'm not complaining, either.

In terms of rebooking, once the code is on the booking you CAN go change your fare and continue to get the percent off. When you click into the existing booking and choose Change, you see this screen and the options for that day are priced with the discount:



I have not tried cancelling and seeing if I could use the code again on a different flight. That's still up in the air.

 

[eticketplease]

Cancellation policy. Luckily I still have not had to cancel anything but can someone confirm that it is 10 minutes or greater than the scheduled ticketed time and not the boarding time?

 

[disny_luvr]

If you think there could be a possibility that you'll need to cancel, I would just buy more points to book all of the tickets with points. When you book with points regardless of the fare class you choose, the points just go back into your account if you cancel. Then you don't have to mess with flight credits and expiration dates.

Great idea!

 

[leebee]

My sister asked about purchasing an extra seat. We can see how to do this on the SW site, but does this means she is purchasing an additional ticket (at full airfare) or just paying for the seat?

 

[FreeTime]

My sister asked about purchasing an extra seat. We can see how to do this on the SW site, but does this means she is purchasing an additional ticket (at full airfare) or just paying for the seat?

Additional full fare ticket.

 

[leebee]

Additional full fare ticket.

Thanks; that's what I suspected. In some places it says to buy an additional fare and in others it says to buy an additional seat. I think it's a sad situation... one person paying for two fares, but also not fair to the traveler sitting next to and being imposed upon by a 'customer of size.' I can see it both ways.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Thanks; that's what I suspected. In some places it says to buy an additional fare and in others it says to buy an additional seat. I think it's a sad situation... one person paying for two fares, but also not fair to the traveler sitting next to and being imposed upon by a 'customer of size.' I can see it both ways.

The rules haven't really changed in this respect though with the adjustment to assigned seats.

The old process you were intended to buy an additional ticket from the start but you could get a full refund if you requested it after the fact. The new process is you are intended to buy an additional ticket from the start but you may not get a full refund if the flight doesn't qualify for one (not completely full with at least 1 seat still open by number of passengers).

It's really the case I think that in reality people in the past may not have purchased an additional seat and nothing bad happened to them so they kept up doing that, the nothing bad meaning there was an empty seat by them or if there wasn't the person next to them didn't complain to the FA (if their situation affected them enough).

What SWA has really gone to is 1) more explicitly clear you need to do this AHEAD of time otherwise you'll be bumped from the flight at the worst or told to pay for that additional seat at the gate at the best 2) tightened their refund policy which IMO was incredibly generous previously.

Also the additional seat wasn't just for customers of size it was also for people who may have been traveling with an injury such that that additional seat could allow more room.

SWA just defines it as "Customers who encroach upon the neighboring seat(s)" and "The armrest is considered to be the definitive boundary between seats". What you aren't able to do is just purchase a seat just to keep it free from someone else sitting next to you.

A note is that SWA says you must purchase the additional seat in the same fare class so if you booked Choice you can't book the additional seat in the Basic fare class.