SW new fare categories

[Vijoge]

From everything I am reading on Flyertalk, you can still get an A if you are a "want to get away" However, it might get harder.

If the plane seats 220, 22 might be held for "business select" so that leaves 23 A passes. Some of those could easily go to the "A listers" so let's say 10. That leaves 13 A boarding passes..... and if your flight has a lot of folks who are connecting from someplace else you chances probably just
disappeared!

And when you take into account that SWA's 737's only have 138 seats the odds get even worse.

 

[Sleepy]

I wonder how much more this top tier fare is going to cost as compared to the lowest fare. I would have a problem paying top price (if significant) for a ticket knowing I would not be getting an isolated section on the plane or a bigger seat, etc. Guaranteed A boarding pass just wouldn't be worth the price for me.

 

[LisaS]

I wonder how much more this top tier fare is going to cost as compared to the lowest fare. I would have a problem paying top price (if significant) for a ticket knowing I would not be getting an isolated section on the plane or a bigger seat, etc. Guaranteed A boarding pass just wouldn't be worth the price for me.

They get a few other things in addition to the A boarding pass, for example they can make same-day flight changes. I could see that being attractive to business travelers. The fare is also fully refundable. http://www.southwest.com/fares/pop_fareCompare.html?src=RREU_110707

 

[owtrbnks]

And when you take into account that SWA's 737's only have 138 seats the odds get even worse.

Actually it's even worse . . . all SWA planes have only 137 seats!
(23 rows of 6 across, except for the exit row, which has 3 on the port but only 2 seats on the starboard side.)

 

[Vijoge]

Actually it's even worse . . . all SWA planes have only 137 seats!
(23 rows of 6 across, except for the exit row, which has 3 on the port but only 2 seats on the starboard side.)

OOPS! Guess I can't count. I ran out of toes.

 

[seashoreCM]

If the plane seats 220, 22 might be held for "business select" so that leaves 23 A passes. !

1. Why would Southwest limit the business select category? Wouldn't they want to sell as many as they can to maximize revenue within their fare structure?

2. How many passengers on business would actually book business select? Namely pay out of pocket the fare difference when their company only covers wannagetaway in the travel expense report.

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

 

[CarolA]

1. Why would Southwest limit the business select category? Wouldn't they want to sell as many as they can to maximize revenue within their fare structure?

2. How many passengers on business would actually book business select? Namely pay out of pocket the fare difference when their company only covers wannagetaway in the travel expense report.

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

Well, Business Select strikes me as a waste of money. My company does pay full fare travel which I can get for less then Business Select, but I would be risking getting a B. (So there are companies out there paying full fare. We have TONS of travelers every week!)


I think SW is limiting the "Select" to 10% because otherwise they can't live up to the promise they made the "select" AND A Listers.....

 

[I'mNoPrince]

My Question is what happens to the A's that don't get used from either BS or RR . If the first 20 to 40 (I read maybe as high as 20%) As are held and not sold. Will they be released to walkups (people checking in at airport) or will they just go unused.

Another thing to remember is the Preboarding is now After the As so in most cases that will still with an A20 put in about the same position on the plane as the old way did (assuming you had a few families of preboarders).

Another posted posted she checked DH in and got A22 (i think) so maybe the 20 or so will be it. I'm sure they can adjust tha number if they sell more right up to the 24hr mark.

I also read that there will be just As and Bs with preboard inbetween those. Why really need a C if they are going to be in numarical order anyhow.This will help with the gate conversions as well

 

[boomhauer]

I love Southwest for it's ease with changing flights, credit system and pricing, but all this is getting too confusing. With every thing else to worry about in life, I don't want my vacations to start and end with uncertainty and confusion. With 3 kids in tow, the last thing I want to worry about is whether or not we can all sit together.

 

[seashoreCM]

My Question is what happens to the A's that don't get used from either BS or RR . If the first 20 to 40 (I read maybe as high as 20%) As are held and not sold. Will they be released to walkups (people checking in at airport) or will they just go unused.

I doubt they would be just given to wannagetaway passengers checking in after others who received higher numbered passes. Southwest does not have to issue all 60 A passes.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

I doubt they would be just given to wannagetaway passengers checking in after others who received higher numbered passes. Southwest does not have to issue all 60 A passes.

I was thinking the same thing but they could also be used by the Gate attendants to calm a hostle guest as well. With the not lining up until the last minute your right they would just call those numbers and no one would be there.

 

[CarolA]

I was thinking the same thing but they could also be used by the Gate attendants to calm a hostle guest as well. With the not lining up until the last minute your right they would just call those numbers and no one would be there.

Which would create other hostile guests. As in I checked in 24 hours in advance and got A 35 and the JERK checked in five minutes ago and got A1??? I don't think so.


As I understand it from the "insider" on Flyertalk. The "reserved" A is actually only for your original flight. So if the BS traveler shows up and changes planes then he is not guranteed an A on his new flight since at 24 hours it's "open" season for boarding passes.


SW knows that the Business Select traveler booked the flight so they hold his/her boarding pass. It would only be "unused" if he/she did not make the plane. I don't think that's going to be a material number of passengers on any one flight.

 

[emmabelle]

To me this all seems like too much work for SW.

 

[Lewisc]

To me this all seems like too much work for SW.

The work was done by the computer programmers. The only extra work will be if the FA have to reserve a couple of rows of seats for late boarding famlies.

 

[emmabelle]

I guess I just liked the way it was working before.

 

[seashoreCM]

I was thinking the same thing but they could also be used by the Gate attendants to calm a hostle guest as well. .

Calm a hostile guest? Bad, bad idea.
Appease a mishandled guest? Now this makes sense.

In fact, hostile guests should face sanctions and consequences, including revocation of A-line privileges or Rapid Rewards points, required reseating to appease other guests, or even deplaning.

If nobody had A-5 then B-1 would get a better seat. Then if nobody (on that flight) had A-12 then B-1 would get a still better seat.

 

[NotUrsula]

Originally Posted by I'mNoPrince
My Question is what happens to the A's that don't get used from either BS or RR . If the first 20 to 40 (I read maybe as high as 20%) As are held and not sold. Will they be released to walkups (people checking in at airport) or will they just go unused.

Most of the time they will go unused. After all, it's not like there is an actual business class section; the seats will not fly empty if these people don't show or show up so late that they are boarding last anyway.

I don't see the GA's using them to calm irates, but I can see the ticket agents using them in walk-up purchase situations. If you walk up two hours before the flight and buy a Business Select ticket, then you get one of them. We tend to forget that it is possible to buy a ticket at the ticket counter, and I see business travelers do it all the time.

As to why people will buy Select fares when travelling on business, I'm guessing that they will do it when there are no regular business tix left, presuming that it is a fare bucket like any other. Most serious business flyers will be in the A-list group anyway, so there is no real advantage to business select for them most of the time.

As to the worries of having no A's left at 24 hrs. out, I'm not worried about it.
The odds of having that many FF's on the routes I fly just are not that great, and even if they are there, it's still Southwest. The FA's will still bribe if they must for serious situations, and sitting in a middle seat once in a while won't kill me. (Though I am wondering if FA's will be empowered to bribe with extra RR credits now; they work better than drinks for all but those who are already CP holders. Especially nice if they give them as mail-in cards or something, so that spouses or children can add them to their accounts.)

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Hostile passengers are (and should be) denied boarding, period.

Calm a hostile guest? Bad, bad idea.
Appease a mishandled guest? Now this makes sense.

In fact, hostile guests should face sanctions and consequences, including revocation of A-line privileges or Rapid Rewards points, required reseating to appease other guests, or even deplaning.

If nobody had A-5 then B-1 would get a better seat. Then if nobody (on that flight) had A-12 then B-1 would get a still better seat.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

The 'pay for an A' plan has been in the works for a long time. Southwest cannot maintain the same profitability it's enjoyed for the past 7-8 years through their fuel hedging program. In fact, if Southwest had been paying market rate for Jet A like the rest of the airlines, they would have operated at a loss.

Southwest is facing the same issues legacy carriers faced 20 and 30 years ago. One, they are now top heavy on their labor costs. Employees who have at least 15 years of service and have topped out of their salary ranges are being offered a lump sum to retire now (while still maintaining travel privileges) in order to cut their labor costs. They have reduced their expansion on certain routes in order to increase their load numbers. They are are desperately trying to lure cargo business, something they have neglected over the years, including the loss of lucrative mail contracts. In that respect, Southwest is playing catch-up to the rest of the legacy carriers.

I wouldn't bet on any bargains in the coming year, certainly not what has been enjoyed in the past. They know what business travelers want, and are willing and able to pay for. They know what families want, and they have attempted to accommodate them, as well. Interesting to see how it plays out.

 

[Maxwell]

The cattle call was bad enough. I hav already vowed to never fly them again. Jet Blue gets all my business now.