Southwest made me make THREE seperate reservations!

[niklynn1]

I booked with SW in March for pretty decent rates. Recently, my departing flight went down from 79 per person to 68, so I went online and got the credit. A few days later, it went downa again 48 dollars! By then I had built up a 100 dollar credit. Then, I decided I wanted to change to a later evening return flight which I didn't get upon originally booking because the rate was too high, but by applying the credit from my departing flights, I could now afford.
I went online to do this, and it said I was trying to apply too many forms of payment and gave me the 800 number to call. The lady from SW was very nice, but told me the "new system" would only let them fix this for me if they seperated my 3 tickets into 3 seperate ressies with 3 different confirmation numbers. This seemd okay at the time, but now that I think about it more, I realized I'll have to check in 3 DIFFERENT times online in order to get boarding passes at the 24 hour mark. It's just me and my 2 kids traveling, so I think this will greatly reduce my chances of all of us getting A boarding passes. This makes me nervous.
I think SW should have been able to do this without seperating us onto 3 different confirmation numbers, don't you? Do you think I could call them back and ask them to fix it? I was already a bit nervous about my kids not sitting next to me and now I'm even more so.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

Parents with kids can board after the A group, so I doubt you will have a problem. I have found that they will even ask for volunteers to move so you can sit with your kids if necessary. Hope everything works out!

 

[I'mNoPrince]

wow and you should have been able to do the first 2 changes through the Travel Tools . Should have retained the exact same Confirm number for the flight and Credit.

Then could have booked the different return flight using that credit.

Also not sure from rereading but did you book these as one-ways (2 confirm #s ) to begin with or did you book as round trip (1 Confirm #).

It sounds like she just used your different credits on each flight and I have not read anywhere that they can't be combined . I Have been using SW for years and just booked and rebooked to lower price and didn't notice any changes (this was last week or so).

The biggest problem now is they can't alter Flight prices and they would have to apply what you have on those Confirm numbers into 1 new one and you would get what ever price is available at that time not your discounted one .

Call and ask for a manager

 

[tjmw2727]

Parents with kids can board after the A group, so I doubt you will have a problem. I have found that they will even ask for volunteers to move so you can sit with your kids if necessary. Hope everything works out!

Just to clarify "family boarding" is only available for families with children 4 and under so the OP won't qualify.

OP, I would call back and see if there is any way to combine your reservations.

Otherwise just open 3 windows and start the check in process about 24 hours and 5 minutes before your flight time. Start clicking about a minute before check in and then use your back button.

If you have more than one pc or lap top available and other person to help that's ideal.

Even with a low B pass a family of 4 usually won't have a problem seating together if you don't mind moving toward the back. Worst case you can sit 2 and 2 and maybe get middle to front seating.

TJ

 

[SpoonfulofSugar]

I booked with SW in March for pretty decent rates. Recently, my departing flight went down from 79 per person to 68, so I went online and got the credit. A few days later, it went downa again 48 dollars! By then I had built up a 100 dollar credit. Then, I decided I wanted to change to a later evening return flight which I didn't get upon originally booking because the rate was too high, but by applying the credit from my departing flights, I could now afford.
I went online to do this, and it said I was trying to apply too many forms of payment and gave me the 800 number to call. The lady from SW was very nice, but told me the "new system" would only let them fix this for me if they seperated my 3 tickets into 3 seperate ressies with 3 different confirmation numbers. This seemd okay at the time, but now that I think about it more, I realized I'll have to check in 3 DIFFERENT times online in order to get boarding passes at the 24 hour mark. It's just me and my 2 kids traveling, so I think this will greatly reduce my chances of all of us getting A boarding passes. This makes me nervous.
I think SW should have been able to do this without seperating us onto 3 different confirmation numbers, don't you? Do you think I could call them back and ask them to fix it? I was already a bit nervous about my kids not sitting next to me and now I'm even more so.

The same thing happened to me today, I wanted to make a chg and the online system would not let me use all the credits I had so I had to call. When I called they said there system would not let them do it either and they had to break my 5 tix ressie into 3 seperate ones.---- PITA
Now I cannot pull up my ressie online and have to check in 3 different times too.

 

[DebbieB]

I agree with TJ - when it's time to check-in, open up 3 windows, enter the information and hit enter on each of them right after the other when 24 hours hits. One time I didn't check-in until about 1 hour after the 24 hour mark, got mid B's and there were still plenty of seats together.

 

[pamjb]

First, take a deep breath. Personally, I feel there is too much panic about the boarding system on SW. Are there instances where children don't sit by parents? Yes, but there are many, many more that do. We usually only hear about those that don't. I have gotten a C boarding pass (had to check in at aiport) and was still able to sit with my kids. We were in the back of the plane, but we were together. Remember, the back of the plane gets to the airport very, very shortly after the front of the plane.
It sounds as if OP didn't go thru travel tools to change her reservations and has new confirmation numbers. All SW changes can be done thru Travel Tools, unless it is a Ding! fare.
Don't panic about not getting A boarding passes. Do as the PP stated and have three windows open to check in. YOu may not get consecutive numbers, but they will be close. I have done this with 4 confirmation numbers and have only had about 10 numbers between the first and the last.

 

[snowbunny]

Personally, I feel there is too much panic about the boarding system on SW.

Could not agree more. Relax. Open three windows to check in. If one gets an A and the other two a B, just board together with the Bs.

 

[n2mm]

wow and you should have been able to do the first 2 changes through the Travel Tools . Should have retained the exact same Confirm number for the flight and Credit.

Then could have booked the different return flight using that credit.

Also not sure from rereading but did you book these as one-ways (2 confirm #s ) to begin with or did you book as round trip (1 Confirm #).

It sounds like she just used your different credits on each flight and I have not read anywhere that they can't be combined . I Have been using SW for years and just booked and rebooked to lower price and didn't notice any changes (this was last week or so).

The biggest problem now is they can't alter Flight prices and they would have to apply what you have on those Confirm numbers into 1 new one and you would get what ever price is available at that time not your discounted one .

Call and ask for a manager

Wow, this is confusing. I too like the OP am new to this. I recently had to change my reservation, but actually had to drop 2 people, so I went to the travel tools and cancelled the reservation, then made a new one with the people still going and applied that credit. I still have a credit from the 2 people who did not go. Did I do this correctly. I couldn't figure out how to change and drop 2 people from the reservation. Also, if the fare drops, do I just go to change -- and what am I changing? I only did a one way ticket so hopefully they was the right choice? I would also be nervous like the OP, but most likely would be using several computers to get my boarding assignments. I've only flown on SW twice now, and generally use JetBlue. But so far SW had the best price out of Dulles to MCO for August -- $69.

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

I don't know how old your kids are, but we prefer to sit in the back row with our kids. You are right next to the bathroom and the flight attendants are there if you need something. Plus, I am a talker and sometimes you have the best conversations with flight staff..they have seen lots!!
Don't worry, relax and just sit where you sit and I am SURE you will be able to grab seats together!!

 

[mousey]

I wouldn't worry. It seems like people go out of there way to move so families can sit together. I'm sure you will all be in the same row.

 

[Fantasmic303]

You should be fine with checking in - you have plenty of options:

- open up several browsers (I believe that should work)
- use a laptop and your computer
- use a mobile device
- have a friend/family member check someone in
- just relax and check your family in one by one on a single computer

If you're checking in @ the 24 hour mark, you should be absolutely fine. I've had to do it that way in the past, and I've ALWAYS gotten As. Always. Not always consecutive, but the lowest I've ever gotten was like 45 or something. Just don't panic, and you should be fine.


On another note, though, I had the same issue with Southwest recently, and it annoyed the heck out of me that there was absolutely NO ONE who could override the system.

And just FYI: if you use more than one credit to book a flight (which = one new reservation number) and then the flight goes down again, the new reservation number will still count as more than one credit when you go to book, which could cause a problem. I had a credit for $34 that was the result of two $17 credits, and when I went to book a new flight, it would not allow me to use the $34 credit, another credit (for like $75, which was also showing up as two credits), and a credit card because you can only use a total of four forms of payment. (Or something like that.)

I had another issue with the new system as well that I called about, and they weren't able to fix that either. (Had two credits - one expiring in April, which was more than one expiring in February - wanted to apply the February one first to use them up, as the April one was more than the total of the flight.) I was on the phone with them for 35 minutes while they tried to tell me about how Southwest was so great and doesn't say "no" to customers before they told me NO.

*sigh* I know we're lucky they give us credits at all, but I've started using JetBlue more frequently because their refund policy is so much easier (except if you're changing flights). We fly often and used to be exclusively Southwest people, but between the boarding procedure, changes to flights offered, and the refund issue, it's starting to be more of a hassle.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

Wow, this is confusing. I too like the OP am new to this. I recently had to change my reservation, but actually had to drop 2 people, so I went to the travel tools and cancelled the reservation, then made a new one with the people still going and applied that credit. I still have a credit from the 2 people who did not go. Did I do this correctly. I couldn't figure out how to change and drop 2 people from the reservation. Also, if the fare drops, do I just go to change -- and what am I changing? I only did a one way ticket so hopefully they was the right choice? I would also be nervous like the OP, but most likely would be using several computers to get my boarding assignments. I've only flown on SW twice now, and generally use JetBlue. But so far SW had the best price out of Dulles to MCO for August -- $69.

Yes dropping people is a different story . I'm not sure you can do that anyother way then just canceling all together. Ding is another one that you have to open 2 windows and Cancel the first and book the Ding with that credit .

Yes doing the One-ways are the best . If the price for just that leg goes down you can make that change and not effect the other leg .

But if your just changing flights or the price drops you just select the Change flight from the Tools and make the Change . It will give you the Same confirm number with the lower price and then that will also be your TTV number to use for the credit as well.

 

[n2mm]

Yes dropping people is a different story . I'm not sure you can do that anyother way then just canceling all together. Ding is another one that you have to open 2 windows and Cancel the first and book the Ding with that credit .

Yes doing the One-ways are the best . If the price for just that leg goes down you can make that change and not effect the other leg .

But if your just changing flights or the price drops you just select the Change flight from the Tools and make the Change . It will give you the Same confirm number with the lower price and then that will also be your TTV number to use for the credit as well.

Thanks!

 

[Manda]

We quite often travel SW where we all have separate reservation numbers (due to using reward travel, credits, etc.). It's always worked out okay. Don't worry about it overly much. If I'm on my home computer, I'll have a tab open in my browser for each confirmation number. Even when I haven't been able to do it (checking in when I had my old cell phone that didn't let me have multiple browser windows), I was still able to get passes fairly close to each other and all in the A group. Really. It's not a big deal.

 

[Fantasmic303]

Prince, I didn't realize I could just "change" the flights to get the credit! Thanks for the news - we've been doing this for years, and the first time I did it, I did it over the phone. The rep at that time told me I had to rebook and create a new reservation, so I've been doing it that way ever since!

Your method could make things a lot easier for me! lol THANKS!

 

[Vijoge]

I went online to do this, and it said I was trying to apply too many forms of payment .

How many TTF's were you trying to use?

 

[n2mm]

How many TTF's were you trying to use?

How many can you use?

 

[I'mNoPrince]

Prince, I didn't realize I could just "change" the flights to get the credit! Thanks for the news - we've been doing this for years, and the first time I did it, I did it over the phone. The rep at that time told me I had to rebook and create a new reservation, so I've been doing it that way ever since!

Your method could make things a lot easier for me! lol THANKS!

Yea the only time you have to do that for a DING .

And it's Change Air Reservation under travel tools and very easy to do.


One other trick is if you use an Older Credit thats getting ready to expire then use that on one ticket for one person. If not and that flight goes down that Credit date will revert back to the original expire date and you most likely won't be able to use it.

I had a $15 credit that was going to expire on a $280 flight (3 of us) . that went down to $150 . even though I only used a $15 credit my now $130 was about to expire as it reverted back. So I ended up have to quick sell it on E-bay to get something out of it. But that 415 could have cost me about $115 if I had not sold it.

 

[Vijoge]

How many can you use?

Two