Southwest issue (boarding passes)

[boomhauer]

SW was definitely having a problem with their system this weekend. We had a 9:15PM flight yesterday out of Orlando. I was at the front desk right on time Saturday evening to check-in. We got right on at 9:15PM, and we got boarding group C 20, 21, 22.

I knew this wasn't right. Sure enough we get to the airport, and there were 80 people on the flight. 80% of them had boarding group A, and there were a handful of B's. We were the only C. I asked some people when they checked in. Some in the A group said Sunday, and one in the B group said Saturday. I'm hoping this was just a 1-time glitch. It was like Ticketmaster. Doesn't bring up the best seats, just randomly selects any seats. SW has never worked like that before. If that's the way it's gonna be, that's not very smart.

 

[seashoreCM]

There are some rumored glitches, for example if someone entitled to one of the slots A1 through A15 cancels his flight, the boarding pass will be reissued to the next person to check in but with a C designation.

The concierges need to be able to take requests, for example let the guest say if a C pass pops up, cancel the transaction. Some guests will want the C pass anyway to reduce the chance of being bumped.

At least when you are able to do it yourself, you can see the C appear befor eyou print the boarding pass and you can cancel and try again.

Disney hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

I am suspicious that sometimes I call in to some company and it seems to me the phone keeps rining but it is realy silent at the other end and the next person to call in leapfrogs over the occupied bad line (that I;m on) and gets through on the enxt line, which works properly.

 

[CPer'sMom]

At least when you are able to do it yourself, you can see the C appear befor eyou print the boarding pass and you can cancel and try again.

Can you really cancel your check-in? I've never tried because (so far) I've always had 'A' boarding passes. But I don't recall seeing that it's possible to cancel once you've checked in.

 

[Laurabearz]

Can you really cancel your check-in? I've never tried because (so far) I've always had 'A' boarding passes. But I don't recall seeing that it's possible to cancel once you've checked in.

I would like to know this too... You can cancle your check in and then check in again??

 

[DMRick]

Are you sure you can cancel once you have gotten your boarding pass assignment? Once you pull up your C (or B or whatever), even if you cancel and don't print..the next time you go on, you have the same boarding pass. We often pull ours up, but don't print until we get to the airport.

The concierges need to be able to take requests, for example let the guest say if a C pass pops up, cancel the transaction. Some guests will want the C pass anyway to reduce the chance of being bumped.

At least when you are able to do it yourself, you can see the C appear befor eyou print the boarding pass and you can cancel and try again.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

This is erroneous information.

You may not cancel your check in. The numbers do not pop up before you check-in, they are assigned as a part of your check-in. If you opt not to fly AFTER checking in, you may call and cancel.

A1-15 are designated for business select or other frequent A listers. Passengers flying on other fares are never entitled to those boarding designators, and will be issued boarding passes by virtue of the time they initially check-in for the flight, even if that means C boarding passes.

These are not glitches. This is how it was designed to operate.

There are some rumored glitches, for example if someone entitled to one of the slots A1 through A15 cancels his flight, the boarding pass will be reissued to the next person to check in but with a C designation.

The concierges need to be able to take requests, for example let the guest say if a C pass pops up, cancel the transaction. Some guests will want the C pass anyway to reduce the chance of being bumped.

At least when you are able to do it yourself, you can see the C appear befor eyou print the boarding pass and you can cancel and try again.

Disney hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

I am suspicious that sometimes I call in to some company and it seems to me the phone keeps rining but it is realy silent at the other end and the next person to call in leapfrogs over the occupied bad line (that I;m on) and gets through on the enxt line, which works properly.

 

[boomhauer]

This is erroneous information.

You may not cancel your check in. The numbers do not pop up before you check-in, they are assigned as a part of your check-in. If you opt not to fly AFTER checking in, you may call and cancel.

A1-15 are designated for business select or other frequent A listers. Passengers flying on other fares are never entitled to those boarding designators, and will be issued boarding passes by virtue of the time they initially check-in for the flight, even if that means C boarding passes.

These are not glitches. This is how it was designed to operate.

I'm confused then - If it's not a glitch, are you saying that SW now just randomly selects your boarding class and it has nothing to do with when you check in?

If that's not the case, then it was indeed a glitch with my boarding pass.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

I'm confused then - If it's not a glitch, are you saying that SW now just randomly selects your boarding class and it has nothing to do with when you check in?

If that's not the case, then it was indeed a glitch with my boarding pass.

I have no idea what happened when you received C passes at the 24 hour mark. May very well have been a glitch. May have been that the flight originated elsewhere and most folks were staying on your flight segment. What I'm saying ISN'T a glitch is the fact C passes are issued beyond C17 when there there aren't 15 passengers ticketed in the A1-15 boarding slots.

 

[BigTigger]

Th
A1-15 are designated for business select or other frequent A listers. Passengers flying on other fares are never entitled to those boarding designators, and will be issued boarding passes by virtue of the time they initially check-in for the flight, even if that means C boarding passes.

The algorithym actually reserves A1-15 on some flights and A1-29 on others. I can't say why exactly, but I've checked in enough at the 24 hour ahead mark the last six weeks exactly to know that A30 is the best you will get sometimes and A16 others. Case in point - MCO to MHT last Sunday night got A30 and A31 when checking in exactly 24 hours ahead on Saturday night. Flight down the prior Wednesday got A16 and A17 exactly 24 hours ahead on Tuesday night. FlyerTalk had posts on what algorithym is used when, but none of them seemed to fit this scenario where the plane is not a through or continuing flight, but a point to point, medium haul flight.

 

[slruud]

One of the options under the "Travel Tools" section of the SWA website is "Delete Boarding Pass".

Delete Boarding Pass
If you have checked in for your flight and have a Boarding Pass, you may delete it using this feature.

Things you should know before you delete your boarding passes:
Once you delete your Boarding Pass you will no longer be checked in for your flight.
You will not be able to go back and retrieve the same Boarding Pass and it is possible that you will not be in the same boarding group.
You must delete your Boarding Pass before any changes are made to your reservation.
Boarding Passes may not be deleted for flights which have already departed.

So it appears you can undo your checkin.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

So deleting a boarding pass would be the first step to canceling a flight online if you've already checked in. Makes sense.

Not to be confused with one poster's idea that one can 'preview' the boarding pass letter/number and cancel out to try for a better boarding group or number.

Thank you.

One of the options under the "Travel Tools" section of the SWA website is "Delete Boarding Pass".

Delete Boarding Pass
If you have checked in for your flight and have a Boarding Pass, you may delete it using this feature.

Things you should know before you delete your boarding passes:
Once you delete your Boarding Pass you will no longer be checked in for your flight.
You will not be able to go back and retrieve the same Boarding Pass and it is possible that you will not be in the same boarding group.
You must delete your Boarding Pass before any changes are made to your reservation.
Boarding Passes may not be deleted for flights which have already departed.

So it appears you can undo your checkin.

 

[DonnaL]

I don't know so much that there is/was a glitch in SW's system, however, I do know they've been switching some flights the past few days and combining flights. I just checked FlightStats.com for ontime info on our upcoming flight from PHL.......I know for a fact this flight is supposed to originate in PHL, yet, for the past several days FlightStats is showing SW #1319 as a multi leg flight originating at 11:30 a.m. in PVD. When you check the SW website #1319 shows up nowhere for PVD, originating or otherwise. So, it would seem to me SW is combining less than full flights. I checked FlightStats for tomorrow and sure enough #1319 is showing up as originating in PVD, but, the flight is not on the SW website. So, that may be contributing to the problem with boarding passes also.