SW Does not do stand by.

[CarolA]

I am sitting in the airport waiting on a plane.

I had to go up to the desk to get my RR# added to my SW reservation...

Woman at the counter was pitching a hissy fit.... She is on the late flight to Orlando (7:40). Sounded to me like she got a DING or sale fare. She wants to go NOW on the 3:20. Now costs $158. SW told her $100 was due, She proceeded to first try "crying" about how she can't afford it and how her kids want to see Mickey tonight. Considering that all of them were decked out in Disney it's not like kids haven't ever seen Disney.

When that didn't work she decided being a pain in the you know where was plan B. She cussed and demanded a supervisor. (Still no go... the supervisor was polite but firm.) She went so far as to say "what if I tried to "sneak" on by just getting in that line. The supervisor explained the concept of the "bar code" to her....

She is now storming around cursing about how SW is ruining her vacation and how she took her kids out of school today to fly down early etc. Man near m keeps saying that he is REALLY glad we aren't on the plane with her LOL!

SW does not do standby. VERY VERY VERY rarely you may get lucky. Chances are you won't, especially with a family of 4 or five.


Just a word to the wise!

 

[ducklite]

And SW is very proactive about not letting agitated customers on their flights. If she keeps it up she won't be seeing Mickey today at all.

DH has been able to jump onto SW flights with no additional cost as a standby customer when there have been weather issues that would likely delay or cancel his later scheduled flight. Otherwise, SW stands pretty darn firm on their policies.

 

[Jeanne B]

This really makes me laugh. Some people are so ridiculous with their expectations. She got a good fare on a 7:40 pm flight and now she expects SW to accomodate her and put her on an earlier flight at the same price?? Give me a break!!

This is a good one for Airline. I think it's all reruns now but I really loved this show because ridiculous people like those you're talking about always gave me a good laugh!! I always wonder if people like this realize just how ridiculous they look to everyone around them or if they're just so self-absorbed that they don't notice or don't care.

 

[NotUrsula]

Well, technically they don't do FREE standby at sale prices. If you pay full-fare you can stand by for an earlier flight with no problem. DH does it all the time on last-minute same-day flights from MDW; he pays full price and books the last flight of the night just in case meetings run long, but if they are done sooner, then he goes to the airport and gets on the next available flight home.

They also do standby's for later flights without charging; if you miss your flight then you can get on the next available flight without paying more, but you can't go earlier than originally scheduled unless you pay up.

 

[pamjb]

This is a good one for Airline. I think it's all reruns now but I really loved this show because ridiculous people like those you're talking about always gave me a good laugh!! I always wonder if people like this realize just how ridiculous they look to everyone around them or if they're just so self-absorbed that they don't notice or don't care.

I loved that show too. I even rented the DVD from Blockbuster so I could see all the episodes.

 

[dis-happy]

Ah, airport entertainment at its best. Hope you have a good flight Carol!

 

[keishashadow]

one of the cable stations is re-running th old episodes

as a SW newbie, must admit i was surprised to see on the website when i 1st booked the non-standby clause too; assume it's to negate/avoid a possible DINGer standby rush to the pricer spots in the 1st place...all a series of tradeoffs for cheap fares; can't expect to have it both ways.

wonder if Carol has seen any meltdowns as to lines A/B, etc. since the change? seems to be going smoothly so far!

 

[CarolA]

Well, technically they don't do FREE standby at sale prices. If you pay full-fare you can stand by for an earlier flight with no problem. DH does it all the time on last-minute same-day flights from MDW; he pays full price and books the last flight of the night just in case meetings run long, but if they are done sooner, then he goes to the airport and gets on the next available flight home.

They also do standby's for later flights without charging; if you miss your flight then you can get on the next available flight without paying more, but you can't go earlier than originally scheduled unless you pay up.

Actually I was on a full fare and had changed from a later flight, no issue...

Basically that's what you have to do, pay to upgrade to a full fare....

At the airport I was at we weren't doing the "new boarding" only the familes with kids between A and B and on my flight I didn't see anyone who actually qualified.

I did see a woman having a hissy a few days earlier on a SW flight because she and her 10 year old could not find a seat together. Hmm.. she had a C boarding pass and was literally the LAST person to get on the plane. (And I had seen them in the gate area so they could have gotten in line much earlier) A nice man did move for them. (I was in an exit row so it wasn't something I considered. I have to be honest, I probably wouldn't have moved. She had a very strong sense of "entitlement" about it. I got the feeling that she just boards late and expects SW to "deal with her" routinely!)

 

[bavaria]

I am not American, I don't live in the United States, I have never flown SW, I don't plan to fly SW any time in the future and I still knew that they don't do same day standby - just charge the current cost of the ticket

But I agree - airport entertainment can be one of the best forms of free entertainment around . I really don't envy GA's jobs - ever watched the endless line of people asking if their seat change request cleared, asking if their standbys cleared, asking if their upgrades cleared?

 

[CarolA]

Today's entertainment.

Woman shows up at the gate with SIX carryons. Gate agent tells her "No way" She starts trying to enlist other passengers to "testify" that it's not really six carry ons. One argument, One of them is as camera bag (HUH?) She literally asked me "is this SIX?" My response YES. They tell her she has ten minutes to get it down to two.

I am checking in to get on the earlier flight and the agent tells me she is going to Europe and has already checked the 2 allowed bags. Cost to get this extra stuff to Europe $400!!!!!!! YIKES!

She got on with one of the rollerboards which means SOMETHING got checked and it cost her! Not sure how much got she was able to consolidate. (She could BARELY get the suitcase overhead and since most of us had already heard her fit no one volunteered to help. As the guy near me said "No telling whats in there now" LOL!)

 

[MrMarv]

CarolA---Thank you for posting that hilarious story about that woman who was sooooo stuck on herself.

Nothing like watching an adult acting like a five-year old trying to win an Oscar (or a spot on YouTube!!!!!) for 'most obnxious pouting in public'.

Some people are so full of themselves with heads the size of a Wal-Mart parking lot, it makes you wonder how the heck she got on the plane at all.

SW's policy is fine; if she can't deal with it, go pick another airline, and be prepared to pay through the nose, and hope you get home on time, which has become more of a longshot since the ' big stupid six' started flooding the skies with aircraft back in the spring.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Moderators: I would like to suggest a sub-board just for 'entertaining' airline stories from our frequent flyers (who would then be required to post there on a regular basis )

 

[Holly]

Airports are the best places to people watch, followed closely by casinos.

 

[ducklite]

SW's policy is fine; if she can't deal with it, go pick another airline, and be prepared to pay through the nose, and hope you get home on time, which has become more of a longshot since the ' big stupid six' started flooding the skies with aircraft back in the spring.

I'm not saying I disagree about SW's policy, but I do disagree that you'll pay through the nose on the legacy carriers. DH flies either US or SW, whichever one he gets a better deal on, and their prices are usually within a few dollars of each other. And to be honest, SW has cancelled a lot more of his flights than US has in the past ten months. One US Flight delayed by two hours. Three SW flights cancelled entirely, and three more delayed for two hours or more. All on the same route.

 

[CarolA]

Anne, you have to admit that ONE of the reasons DH gets the deal on USAir is that they have competetion from SW.

Here's an example. From MCO to Greensboro was almost $500 (walk up fare) on DL, USAir etc. From MCO to Raleigh $170 on everyone. Same airlines with ONE exception. Greensboro does NOT have SW, Raleigh does!!!!

If SW pulled out USAir would go WAY up and stay there! LOL!

 

[ducklite]

Anne, you have to admit that ONE of the reasons DH gets the deal on USAir is that they have competetion from SW.

Here's an example. From MCO to Greensboro was almost $500 (walk up fare) on DL, USAir etc. From MCO to Raleigh $170 on everyone. Same airlines with ONE exception. Greensboro does NOT have SW, Raleigh does!!!!

If SW pulled out USAir would go WAY up and stay there! LOL!

All of the airlines compete against each other as far as price in the markets we fly in and out of. Before SW showed up in PHL, the legacy carriers competed, usually DL and US were the most competitive with each other on the MCO route. SW walk-up fares are *usually* less expensive, although DH has been able to purchase a last minute US fare for lower than SW on several occasions. I've got to admit that he's generally VERY flexible with his travel plans, and can vary by a day or two, and fly any time of the day, which definitely helps.

 

[Lewisc]

You have a point, but it's not just SW. Airlines like SW, JetBlue and now Virgin America puts price pressure on legacy airlines. It remains to be seen if Skybus might exert some pressure in the NC market.

Anne, you have to admit that ONE of the reasons DH gets the deal on USAir is that they have competetion from SW.

Here's an example. From MCO to Greensboro was almost $500 (walk up fare) on DL, USAir etc. From MCO to Raleigh $170 on everyone. Same airlines with ONE exception. Greensboro does NOT have SW, Raleigh does!!!!

If SW pulled out USAir would go WAY up and stay there! LOL!

 

[CarolA]

You have a point, but it's not just SW. Airlines like SW, JetBlue and now Virgin America puts price pressure on legacy airlines. It remains to be seen if Skybus might exert some pressure in the NC market.

So far the airlines appear to be successful in ignoring Skybus. I am in and out of GSO a lot lately and it's still a VERY costly market!

 

[ducklite]

So far the airlines appear to be successful in ignoring Skybus. I am in and out of GSO a lot lately and it's still a VERY costly market!

When I've got to bring people from our locations around Greensboro to meetings at the corporate HQ in Orlando I often have them drive the extra distance to RDU or CLT. It's usually worth the 60 minutes of drive time for them. (Just like when I've got to go to ATL I look at MCO and TPA)

 

[CarolA]

That's what we have been doing to keep our client's costs down. Fly to RDU and drive.... But when I was making this drive at 11 the other night I was trying to decide if it's REALLY worth it LOL!