Southwest Airlines customer service-long...

[sdoll]

I wanted to share with you our experience with Southwest Airlines this weekend. My family DH and 2 DS's were scheduled to fly out of Detroit Metro Saturday morning. We stayed up at the airport the night before because there was a risk of a snow/ice storm. We got to the airport 1 hour and 45 mins before our flight was scheduled to depart. After a long wait we finally got to the kiosk to check in. For whatever reason only my boarding pass printed up. We waited about 20 minutes for the agent to help us. Not a very friendly guy at all. I looked at my husband and said "thank goodness we got here in plenty of time. We were finally given boarding passes for the rest of our family and we're told to check in at the counter when we got to our gate.

My husband took our boys to get us breakfast as I made my way to the gate. I was told sort of abruptly that the flight was over booked and at this point my my DH did not have a ticket. "But they were asking for volunteers." I was ticked and asked how we got to be the family that was without tickets. Again I got a sort of abrupt response that we were the last to check in! What??? We had to wait forever to be helped! I saw all the people that were in line behind us with tickets in their hand. I am ashamed to say I got sort of grumpy back with the ticket agent.

I went and explained the situation to my husband. He was super mad. I was feeling guilty.... Because both my husband and I are store managers in big box retail. The ladies at the counter were not responsible for this. So while we waited I apologized and said I know this is out of your control it's just so frustrating. We were told they could get us all out on a later flight at 1:10. A whole 2 hours after we were supposed to arrive in Orlando! Or I could go ahead with the boys and then get my husband later. We quickly decided that's what we would do. We were staying at Bonnet Creek. So I figured we would get the car get checked in go get groceries and then pick up my husband. Took all of 1 minute to decide that. When we went to the gate the lady said ok now I only have 1 ticket for me. ugh!!! She then said let me tell you about the compensation....... Truthfully at this point we were getting along with the agents they were being awesome I assumed we would be the $300 per ticket they were offering. She then explained "oh no! It's much better than that. We will give you 4 times the amount of your ticket times 3 (since I technically had a ticket)." "Say what??!!!" I had no idea what I paid for the tickets as I used points to book our flights. She told us we would get a check for $2174! Heck yes you can bump us. Let me pick you up and twirl you around! The most shocking part was this.... "Can I get a copy of your license so I know who to write the check out to!" They wrote us a check on the spot!

We paid $300 for our hotel room, $179 for our car and we only needed 2-7 day tickets for my family think that was $748 dollars. Southwests amazing customer service paid for our vacation!

Thank you so much to the rude, slow guy at the ticket counter! You made our vacation perfect!

We were also upgraded to first class (it was an AirTran flight down). It was a little stressful though as we did get a ton of snow while we waited for our later flight. Metro had only one runway open and flights were getting canceled all around us. But we got out with out much of a delay!

We are enjoying a bit of a heat wave this week too. In the 80's while everyone at home is expecting 8-10 inches of snow today! Could it get any better?

 

[hsmamato2]

wow! love your story!!! thanks for sharing.....

 

[ICF]

That was not how I expected your story to end.....very cool. I can't believe they wrote you a check on the spot like that.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I always am the one to volunteer to give up my seat. As soon as the gate agent arrives I ask if the flight is over sold and offer to volunteer.

Last Oct. 2013 we came home with $1250 from SWA for giving up our seat.
The flight was only over sold by one so I volunteered and let my husband take our flight home. Well in the end they did not need me so they gave me a travel voucher for $50 for agreeing to give up my seat yet they did not need me. So I boarded the plane and just got seated and they paged me to get off the plane and said if you have a husband bring him too. At the last minute two other people showed up for the flight. They told me to just keep the $50 voucher too and issued another one for $1200. They could not get us on another flight for 4 hours so that is why we got a higher compensation.

Then in Feb 2013 we got $300. So its been two years and 6 r/t tickets we did not have to pay for, other than the $10 in taxes.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

It's nice things worked out, but I don't understand why you didn't check in the day before your flight and print boarding passes then? Almost no one checks in at the airport these days.

 

[DVC-Don]

Last to check in = first to get bumped. Lesson here, 24 hours prior or EBCI.

 

[WalleandEve]

This is why if possible, I only fly Southwest. No frills, but good customer service. Southwest Corporate goes over all their complaints everyday and looks for ways to resolve them or ways to make the company better. Bump me if you like!

 

[jedijill]

I've volunteered for bumps twice in the last year or so on SW and have earned over $1200 in free flight vouchers plus a hotel room at the MCO Hyatt. SW service rocks!

Jill in CO

 

[swilshire]

Southwest does have great service, but just for the record, there are laws regarding compensation when you are IDB (Involuntarily Denied Boarding). They probably gave you what they were required to, but at least they did it with a smile.

Sheila

 

[wiigirl]

It's nice things worked out, but I don't understand why you didn't check in the day before your flight and print boarding passes then? Almost no one checks in at the airport these days.

 

[Melany502]

wow, glad it worked out for you.

 

[pjlla]

Southwest does have great service, but just for the record, there are laws regarding compensation when you are IDB (Involuntarily Denied Boarding). They probably gave you what they were required to, but at least they did it with a smile.

Sheila

VERY TRUE.... but you are right when you say that AT LEAST they did it with a smile.

DH got bumped from a mid-west flight last year and had to jump through HUGE hoops to get the appropriate compensation from the airline (not SWA).

The gate where he got bumped told him to go to the ticketing counter in THAT airport. So he did.... and they told him that NO, it should have been the gate that took his information for a check. Meanwhile, after all of this ( because of course, that meant a second trip through the security line) he NEARLY missed the NEXT flight he was booked on!! He finally got to the home airport and was told THERE that he had to call the airline... who told him that he had to do it at a TICKETING counter. So he had to drive back to the local airport (thank goodness it is only 40 minutes away) and PAY to park and then ARGUE with the ticketing agent and then practically BEG before he FINALLY got a check in the mail from the airline a few weeks later. BEYOND aggravating and absolutely unreasonable since this is compensation that he was due.

Makes SWA sound like "Travel Fairies", doesn't it??.................P

 

[Lewisc]

Again I got a sort of abrupt response that we were the last to check in! What??? We had to wait forever to be helped! I saw all the people that were in line behind us with tickets in their hand. I am ashamed to say I got sort of grumpy back with the ticket agent.

Some customers pay for EBCI. Southwest "automatically" checks those passengers. Other passengers can start checking in 24 hours before their flight. You can do that on a computer. On a mobile device. Guest services at many hotels will help you. If you don't have access to a printer you can still check in. Southwest will "reprint" your BP at the airport.

Assume the flight is overbooked. Southwest will only issue as many BPs as they have seats on the plane. When they run out the passenger gets a security pass. They'll get a BP at the gate but only if a passenger who checked in doesn't show or if they get enough volunteers.

The passengers behind you in line already checked in. The were either waiting to check luggage or needed to reprint their BP.

 

[CluelessDisFan]

Wow! I'm so jealous right now. We're from Toledo, and I'm dreading this snow tonight! All month I've been thinking about just taking off to Disney World. I wish I could right now!

 

[sharonmickey]

Glad it worked out for your family. Southwest treated my DD horribly the last time she flew with them. She was supposed to fly home on a Sunday, Southwest flew her to her connecting flight Monday and left her there for more than 24 hours, told her it would be another 48 - 72 hours until they could fly her home. Offered her nothing after she spent a night in the airport waiting for numerous flights that were all cancelled. She finally went to Delta, they had her home in under 9 hours. She complained to Southwest and got nothing! Not even a refund (as of now although they promised her a full refund a month ago). HORRIBLE customer service.

She will never fly with them again!

Southwest ripped a brand new suitcase the first time I used it a few years ago. Again, not even an apology from them.

 

[parith1114]

I am a proud Southwest employee, and I love to hear stories that work out well in the end. I can't pretend to understand the reasons we over book flights, but I know it's done...
As our company has grown I have seen some of our customer service practices go by the wayside, I hate it, but it's a fact. I think in the end if you can operate under the "golden rule" you'll do right by your customers.
Hope you and your family have a terrific trip!

 

[wekhogan]

Glad it worked out for your family. Southwest treated my DD horribly the last time she flew with them. She was supposed to fly home on a Sunday, Southwest flew her to her connecting flight Monday and left her there for more than 24 hours, told her it would be another 48 - 72 hours until they could fly her home. Offered her nothing after she spent a night in the airport waiting for numerous flights that were all cancelled. She finally went to Delta, they had her home in under 9 hours. She complained to Southwest and got nothing! Not even a refund (as of now although they promised her a full refund a month ago). HORRIBLE customer service.

She will never fly with them again!

Southwest ripped a brand new suitcase the first time I used it a few years ago. Again, not even an apology from them.

Not sure if weather was the reason for your daughter's bad experience, but if so, airlines don't offer any compensation for weather-related cancellations, because they're out of their control. At least that's my understanding.

By and large, I love SW and fly them exclusively if possible. So sorry your DD had a bad experience.

 

[Lewisc]

Southwest ripped a brand new suitcase the first time I used it a few years ago. Again, not even an apology from them.

Reviewers say lower quality luggage may not even last for one flight. Some of the real cheap luggage sold at places like Walmart is not much more then cardboard covered with fabric.
Try either the mfg or place you bought the bag from

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

Glad it worked out for your family. Southwest treated my DD horribly the last time she flew with them. She was supposed to fly home on a Sunday, Southwest flew her to her connecting flight Monday and left her there for more than 24 hours, told her it would be another 48 - 72 hours until they could fly her home. Offered her nothing after she spent a night in the airport waiting for numerous flights that were all cancelled. She finally went to Delta, they had her home in under 9 hours. She complained to Southwest and got nothing! Not even a refund (as of now although they promised her a full refund a month ago). HORRIBLE customer service.

She will never fly with them again!

Southwest ripped a brand new suitcase the first time I used it a few years ago. Again, not even an apology from them.

Your daughter must not be a frequent traveler (on any airline). What would you suggest SW do? Flights cancelled and then when travel resumed, flights were sold out. How could any airline put someone else on a full flight.

I was in this situation in January trying to get from LA to Chicago - stuff happens. The reason your daughter got nothing - she deserved nothing. Trust me - when airlines screw up they really try to make it right.

But in this situation, it was weather.

 

[AmyAnne]

Unfortunately weather and overbooking are two totally different things, from the point of view of the airlines. To me (and I fly a lot), I don't see why the airlines are entirely off the hook if the delay is weather-related, since they are an industry that is known to be affected by weather. Seems they should have some sort of obligation to the customers when weather causes flight problems, but as of now they don't.

I am curious whether SW does in fact offer better compensation for bumped passengers than they are required to. Of course, a friendly agent is worth a lot too, when you are a stressed traveller, but did SW really provide OP with more $ than another airline would have?