Southwest Screwed Up....Trying Now to Resolve it

[kristenrice]

UGH!

So mom and I leave at 7:15am tomorrow for our F&W trip. I booked our flights back in May and we were originally planning to fly FNT-MCO round trip. I added EBCI on June 5 to our RETURN flight only so that we wouldn't have to worry about remembering to check in. This is how I have booked ALL of our SW trips. Well, the price of the return dropped so I CHANGED it to get the lower fare and the EBCI carried over. Later, the price of the return flight into GRR (instead of FNT) dropped low enough that I could CHANGE it and use up our credit. I did that on July 23, online, using the CHANGE option. That left us with a flight out of FNT and back home to GRR, which is what we wanted.

Much to my surprise, when I checked us in this morning, we were assigned A19 and A20....wow! What luck! I must have been fast on the trigger. When I got home from work and printed our boarding passes, I see it says "Early Bird Check In" on them!! WHAT?! I logged in and sure enough, the EBCI is now GONE from our return flight and we are checked in with EBCI for our outbound flight!

I was FUMING! I paid for the EBCI way back in June. I verified that it had carried over when we changed to the GRR flight because we have a SHORT (<1hour) connection in BWI. I checked our reservation several times and the EBCI was ALWAYS showing for the return.

Now, I am on hold while a supervisor tries to figure this all out. I really don't think adding it at this point is going to make a huge difference since it is only 6 days away. Granted, we are two adults that can sit apart, I get that....but we shouldn't have to because of their mistake. I am really hoping they can make this right...maybe one of those $40 business select upgrades...surely there must be SOME available.

 

[ParrotBill]

So you think it dropped from the return flight when you rebooked it to lower the price, and the EBCI was transferred by their system to your first flight, because for a brief moment, it had no other flight to attach to? Good warning for others. Sounds like a system problem and needs to be resolved at time of change. Lesson is to check all arrangements after making changes I guess. Please let us know if they resolve if for you, and how.

 

[kristenrice]

They admitted that they could see that it was originally attached to the return flight and that the error was on their end when THEY transferred it to the outbound flight. They have called a supervisor and they have assured me that they will be adding it at no charge to my return flight(s). Apparently, this is no easy task and they took my number and said they will be calling me back.

 

[kristenrice]

Duplicate.

 

[ParrotBill]

Good!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Wow, you seem to have gotten really upset over such a very little thing. Even without EBCI, it's almost certain that you will be able to find two seats together.

 

[kristenrice]

Wow, you seem to have gotten really upset over such a very little thing. Even without EBCI, it's almost certain that you will be able to find two seats together.

I didn't buy the EBCI to get seats together. I bought it so that I wouldn't have to check in while we were in the park. If I hadn't caught it, I wouldn't have been checked in for our flight(s) home. That's why I got so upset. It was a fluke that I happened to notice it. I highly doubt that we would have had seats together if I would have waited until checking our bags at RAC.

 

[goofy4tink]

I have to admit that I would have been more than a bit annoyed if I paid for EBCI, for my return home flight, but it wasn't there. That's just about the only time I do use it.....and for the same reason. So I don't have to worry about checking in while at WDW.
That's the reason for paying for it....so, if you don't have it, and you paid for it, you aren't getting your monies worth.

 

[ParrotBill]

Wow, you seem to have gotten really upset over such a very little thing. Even without EBCI, it's almost certain that you will be able to find two seats together.

It's becoming common on all airlines that you must pay for seat assignments or be ready to check in the minute it opens 24 hours prior or you DON'T get seats together.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

It's becoming common on all airlines that you must pay for seat assignments or be ready to check in the minute it opens 24 hours prior or you DON'T get seats together.

Completely incorrect for US legacy airlines, with the exception of the very lowest cost fare on Delta (there may be other exceptions I don't know about). Advance seat assignments are free at time of booking.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I didn't buy the EBCI to get seats together. I bought it so that I wouldn't have to check in while we were in the park. If I hadn't caught it, I wouldn't have been checked in for our flight(s) home. That's why I got so upset. It was a fluke that I happened to notice it. I highly doubt that we would have had seats together if I would have waited until checking our bags at RAC.

That makes sense, but this isn't such a big deal. Now you got it one way for free - win for you.

 

[Meeko5]

Ugh that would make me mad too, good catch by you thankfully. Hope they resolve it!

Also, we are flying out of Flint (where we grew up) and into GRR (now home) as well...so hello fellow W. Michigander

 

[Ed J]

Completely incorrect for US legacy airlines, with the exception of the very lowest cost fare on Delta (there may be other exceptions I don't know about). Advance seat assignments are free at time of booking.

How can something be completely incorrect then have an exception.... smh

 

[kristenrice]

A wonderful supervisor called me back and said that my EBCI has been put back on my return flights and that they allowed me to keep my A19-20 for the outbound leg. I knew they would make it right.

Our flight was flawless...on time departure and on time arrival and not one bit of turbulence. In fact, once we were airborne, the seatbelt light went off and never came back on until it was time to land. That's the first time that has ever happened to me.

 

[kristenrice]

A wonderful supervisor called me back and said that my EBCI has been put back on my return flights and that they allowed me to keep my A19-20 for the outbound leg. I knew they would make it right.

Our flight was flawless...on time departure and on time arrival and not one bit of turbulence. In fact, once we were airborne, the seatbelt light went off and never came back on until it was time to land. That's the first time that has ever happened to me.

Well....the trip home was a WHOLE different kind of messed up...

First, we received our DME information...which showed us with a 4:25pm pick up time. That's not going to work with a 5:25pm flight...wait......DME still shows us on the 7:30pm flight to FNT! Apparently, DME didn't get the new flight info from our TA. That was easy enough to fix with a simple phone call to DME.

Next morning, our envelope is on our door....sorry, but we can't check you in at the RAC, you'll have to do it at the airport. I went to the RAC desk with our new flight info and they were able to check us and our luggage in for the flight from MCO->BWI-GRR...

Then...our MCO->BWI flight is now showing a 7:45pm departure! Ugh! A 2-hour delay with only a 55-minute layover...this won't be good. When we arrived at the airport (around 4pm), I asked the gate agent what will happen in BWI...will they hold the plane to GRR or what??? He said that if we got on the flight to Baltimore, they would NOT be able to get us into Grand Rapids until the next morning, at best. Well, OK...how about that 7:30pm flight to Flint? Can you squeeze the two of us on to that flight? Yes!! Cool!! So I quickly booked a one-way rental car from FNT to GRR ($40) and asked about getting our luggage on the plane to Flint. They were able to get our bags and get us on the plane to Flint. Unfortunately, our EBCI (with A30 and A31) was gone and we were looking at C24 and C25. The gate agent said he'd take care of it and marked our boarding passes with a red heart. Apparently, that allowed us to board after the A group, but before the family boarding.

I'm glad that we were able to move because the MCO-BWI flight landed at 9:10pm and the BWI-GRR flight departed ON TIME at 8:40pm. We would have spent the night in Baltimore. I wish there were some sort of compensation they could have offered us (because we had to get to GR from Flint somehow), but in the end, we made it home safe and sound...and only about 2 hours later than planned

 

[DebbieB]

They should compensate you for the rental car. One time our flight from MCO was delayed about 3 hours, they automatically gave each of us a $100 voucher for future travel.

 

[kristenrice]

They should compensate you for the rental car. One time our flight from MCO was delayed about 3 hours, they automatically gave each of us a $100 voucher for future travel.

The gate agent told me that they do not offer any compensation until a flight has been delayed for 3 hours or more. He told me that if the flight from MCO to BWI would have been authorized for compensation, he would make sure that I was included, even if I took the other flight. The flight ended up leaving "only" 90 minutes late so the only compensation I could have received was whatever was offered to those stranded in Baltimore due to the missed connection. I'm not even sure if that happened. Apparently, our plane was coming from Aruba and they were having "issues". It was NOT weather related so I'm fairly certain that there would have been some sort of compensation. The thing is, it sounds like there were only 4 people slated to connect from BWI to GRR...and all 4 of us took the flight to FNT instead. We basically saved SW the headache of having to put us up for the night and get us on a flight the next morning...but from their perspective, they already compensated us by allowing us to change flights without having to pay the increased fare. Ok, I guess that's acceptable, but it still cost us money OOP to get the ride home.

 

[DebbieB]

The gate agent told me that they do not offer any compensation until a flight has been delayed for 3 hours or more. He told me that if the flight from MCO to BWI would have been authorized for compensation, he would make sure that I was included, even if I took the other flight. The flight ended up leaving "only" 90 minutes late so the only compensation I could have received was whatever was offered to those stranded in Baltimore due to the missed connection. I'm not even sure if that happened. Apparently, our plane was coming from Aruba and they were having "issues". It was NOT weather related so I'm fairly certain that there would have been some sort of compensation. The thing is, it sounds like there were only 4 people slated to connect from BWI to GRR...and all 4 of us took the flight to FNT instead. We basically saved SW the headache of having to put us up for the night and get us on a flight the next morning...but from their perspective, they already compensated us by allowing us to change flights without having to pay the increased fare. Ok, I guess that's acceptable, but it still cost us money OOP to get the ride home.

I would still write them, can't hurt. Send a copy of your rental car receipt.

 

[Meeko5]

Ok we have a similar flight home to GR and I'm really scared now. If we don't make it home in time to trick or treat on Halloween (flight lands in GR at 2ish) we are going to have some sad kids! Oy.

Glad you got home, but man that's rough!

 

[kristenrice]

Ok we have a similar flight home to GR and I'm really scared now. If we don't make it home in time to trick or treat on Halloween (flight lands in GR at 2ish) we are going to have some sad kids! Oy.

Glad you got home, but man that's rough!

Always know your options and have a backup

The other couple that switched with us called a family member in GR who drove all the way to Flint to pick them up. They didn't realize that a one-way rental was only $40. I booked it through the Budget app on my phone in less than 2 minutes.

I hate flying with a connection for this exact reason, but it helps to know ahead of time what can go wrong and plan for the worst.