WN's new reservation system aggressively cancels duplicate bookings
May 28, 2017, 8:06 pm
#226
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,173
Jun 1, 2017, 10:23 am
#228
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 4
New Auto duplicate booking cancellation
I never realized it was against their policy but Southwest began automatically cancelling duplicate bookings. I don't have the details yet but it appears thi sis no longer something they will allow you to do and will cancel one of the duplicates in the evening. Does anyone know the specifics around whats constitutes a duplicate booking? Same day? Logistically impossible to fly on both segments? I am not surprise that they began automatically cancelling these as all other carriers do, but it would be nice to know when their limits are.
A-lister
A-lister
Jun 1, 2017, 10:56 am
#229
Join Date: May 2002
Location: St Louis, MO
Programs: AA L.T. PLT
Posts: 3,265
I never realized it was against their policy but Southwest began automatically cancelling duplicate bookings. I don't have the details yet but it appears this is no longer something they will allow you to do and will cancel one of the duplicates in the evening. Does anyone know the specifics around whats constitutes a duplicate booking? Same day? Logistically impossible to fly on both segments? I am not surprise that they began automatically cancelling these as all other carriers do, but it would be nice to know when their limits are.
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A-lister
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/south...-bookings.html
Jun 24, 2017, 1:02 pm
#231
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: AUS, SAN, EDI, BA F, WN Exit Row
Programs: Southwest Airlines AP & CP; BA Gold
Posts: 169
Prohibition of Multiple/Conflicting Reservations: To promote seat availability for our Customers, Southwest prohibits multiple reservations for the same Passenger departing from the same city on the same date, or any multiple reservations containing conflicting or overlapping itineraries (such as departures for the same Customer from multiple cities at the same time). Furthermore, without advance notice to the Passenger or purchaser, Southwest may cancel such reservations, or any other reservations that it believes, in its sole discretion, were made without intent to travel. With the exception of Southwest gift cards, funds from proactively cancelled reservations by Southwest will be returned to the original form of payment. Reservations paid for with a Southwest gift card will have the amount applied from the gift card held as travel funds for use by the Customer on a future Southwest Airlines flight.
AUS-SAN departing 9PM (CST) plus a new PHX-SAN departing 2:45 (MST) and they cancelled the AUS-SAN flight. While not likely, I could have hopped a flight (non-WN) and barely made both flights. Seems a tad aggressive for someone who flies WN about 90 times a year.
Jun 24, 2017, 4:44 pm
#232
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
I never realized it was against their policy but Southwest began automatically cancelling duplicate bookings. I don't have the details yet but it appears thi sis no longer something they will allow you to do and will cancel one of the duplicates in the evening. Does anyone know the specifics around whats constitutes a duplicate booking? Same day? Logistically impossible to fly on both segments? I am not surprise that they began automatically cancelling these as all other carriers do, but it would be nice to know when their limits are.
A-lister
A-lister
any other reservations that it [WN] believes, in its sole discretion, were made without intent to travel.
The one thing a carrier will never do is tell you what its "limits" are. If you have a particular need to fly an oddball series of tickets, I would recommend WN and explain what you are doing and ask to have notes added to the PNR notes.
Somewhere there will be a person who needs to fly A-B-A-B in the same day and that constitutes a direct violation of the COC, so important to get this straightened out.
WN's goal, of course, is not to suffer "inventory" spoilage which is what happens when people book tickets which they do not intend to fly and WN cannot later sell the seat.
Jun 24, 2017, 5:42 pm
#233
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,173
Jun 27, 2017, 2:33 pm
#234
Join Date: Jun 2017
Programs: Southwest Airlines
Posts: 1
My Proposed Compromises
Well ahead of every football season, every year I use my points in a very thrifty manner to wait for sales and deals, etc to book flights to bowl game locations. If I do not do this well ahead of time, the Wanna Getaway flights get all gobbled up or the Pts cost becomes too high. Being as nobody can know the bowl game that their team will land in by end of season (early December usually), I wind up deciding the priority bowls that I must book trips for possible attendance to. I do the same for hotels and rental cars too. For me this year in 2017-18, possible trips I'm planning for are the Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl, and don't all of us football fans hope... the National Championship game in Atlanta.
As one can imagine, the possibilities are what I have to plan for and this often times results in my having to book a flight to each of these cities that may occur on a same day. WN has crippled our ability to plan for such scenarios by disallowing bookings on the same day from the same city to differing locales or otherwise. To accommodate, I would please ask that Southwest do the following:
1. When a so-called double-booking occurs, do not outright disallow it or indiscriminately cancel a customers booking. They may have very good reason for doing so. Instead, immediately prompt the customer of the occurrence at the time of booking. Request a justification that may be considered for granting the occurrence and go ahead and allow the booking with a warning that it will only exist for 24 hrs or whatever it is. At least then you've got confirmation from the customer that they are purposefully double-booking. They'll have also deterred a customer from creating it in the first place if they do not have a sufficient justification to deem it as worthy of allowance. Also, the customer can be made aware which booking will be kept or cancelled at the end of the 24 hr window.
2. Then, better yet.. Instead of outright cancelling bookings, they could give a time window before the flight that the user must decide between the two bookings. Much like with TV programming of sporting events, I feel that a good compromise would be to require that within a 14 day window, a decision should be made by the customer. Make it clear to the customer that if they do not choose by said date, as to which flight will be kept or cancelled for them. Perhaps allow them to choose the default action themselves in advance.
3. Allow A-List or A-List Preferred the privilege of double-bookings without fear of cancellation. Generally, those in these categories endure the sufferings of flying a lot already, if they know what they are doing and how to navigate bookings / cancellations, etc., let em'. They're head & shoulders above the rest, so grant them the privileges and freedoms.
- A-List Preferred
As one can imagine, the possibilities are what I have to plan for and this often times results in my having to book a flight to each of these cities that may occur on a same day. WN has crippled our ability to plan for such scenarios by disallowing bookings on the same day from the same city to differing locales or otherwise. To accommodate, I would please ask that Southwest do the following:
1. When a so-called double-booking occurs, do not outright disallow it or indiscriminately cancel a customers booking. They may have very good reason for doing so. Instead, immediately prompt the customer of the occurrence at the time of booking. Request a justification that may be considered for granting the occurrence and go ahead and allow the booking with a warning that it will only exist for 24 hrs or whatever it is. At least then you've got confirmation from the customer that they are purposefully double-booking. They'll have also deterred a customer from creating it in the first place if they do not have a sufficient justification to deem it as worthy of allowance. Also, the customer can be made aware which booking will be kept or cancelled at the end of the 24 hr window.
2. Then, better yet.. Instead of outright cancelling bookings, they could give a time window before the flight that the user must decide between the two bookings. Much like with TV programming of sporting events, I feel that a good compromise would be to require that within a 14 day window, a decision should be made by the customer. Make it clear to the customer that if they do not choose by said date, as to which flight will be kept or cancelled for them. Perhaps allow them to choose the default action themselves in advance.
3. Allow A-List or A-List Preferred the privilege of double-bookings without fear of cancellation. Generally, those in these categories endure the sufferings of flying a lot already, if they know what they are doing and how to navigate bookings / cancellations, etc., let em'. They're head & shoulders above the rest, so grant them the privileges and freedoms.
- A-List Preferred
Last edited by tony6777; Jun 27, 2017 at 2:43 pm
Jun 27, 2017, 4:02 pm
#235
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Programs: AC SE100K, F9 100k, NK Gold, UA *S, Hyatt Glob, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 5,187
WN doesn't care to help anyone save $ by booking a trip early when you don't know where you want to fly to.
That's almost like saying I want to hold seats to Hawaii, Mexico, and Boise ID, in order to wait to see a) where my wife or girlfriend wants to go or b) which of these destinations have the best weather forecast 24hrs out
That's almost like saying I want to hold seats to Hawaii, Mexico, and Boise ID, in order to wait to see a) where my wife or girlfriend wants to go or b) which of these destinations have the best weather forecast 24hrs out
Jun 27, 2017, 5:06 pm
#236
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,617
1. When a so-called double-booking occurs, do not outright disallow it or indiscriminately cancel a customers booking. They may have very good reason for doing so. (snip)
Also, the customer can be made aware which booking will be kept or cancelled at the end of the 24 hr window.
Also, the customer can be made aware which booking will be kept or cancelled at the end of the 24 hr window.
In the past I have done something similar to what you describe. I don't begrudge Southwest for preventing me from doing it again.
In practice Southwest DOES give you at least 24 hours to eliminate any overlap between reservations. Yes, they could email you about it but that would require much more frequent database sweeps.
Jun 27, 2017, 7:01 pm
#237
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4,865
Well ahead of every football season, every year I use my points in a very thrifty manner to wait for sales and deals, etc to book flights to bowl game locations. If I do not do this well ahead of time, the Wanna Getaway flights get all gobbled up or the Pts cost becomes too high. Being as nobody can know the bowl game that their team will land in by end of season (early December usually), I wind up deciding the priority bowls that I must book trips for possible attendance to. I do the same for hotels and rental cars too. For me this year in 2017-18, possible trips I'm planning for are the Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl, and don't all of us football fans hope... the National Championship game in Atlanta.
As one can imagine, the possibilities are what I have to plan for and this often times results in my having to book a flight to each of these cities that may occur on a same day. WN has crippled our ability to plan for such scenarios by disallowing bookings on the same day from the same city to differing locales or otherwise. To accommodate, I would please ask that Southwest do the following:
1. When a so-called double-booking occurs, do not outright disallow it or indiscriminately cancel a customers booking. They may have very good reason for doing so. Instead, immediately prompt the customer of the occurrence at the time of booking. Request a justification that may be considered for granting the occurrence and go ahead and allow the booking with a warning that it will only exist for 24 hrs or whatever it is. At least then you've got confirmation from the customer that they are purposefully double-booking. They'll have also deterred a customer from creating it in the first place if they do not have a sufficient justification to deem it as worthy of allowance. Also, the customer can be made aware which booking will be kept or cancelled at the end of the 24 hr window.
2. Then, better yet.. Instead of outright cancelling bookings, they could give a time window before the flight that the user must decide between the two bookings. Much like with TV programming of sporting events, I feel that a good compromise would be to require that within a 14 day window, a decision should be made by the customer. Make it clear to the customer that if they do not choose by said date, as to which flight will be kept or cancelled for them. Perhaps allow them to choose the default action themselves in advance.
3. Allow A-List or A-List Preferred the privilege of double-bookings without fear of cancellation. Generally, those in these categories endure the sufferings of flying a lot already, if they know what they are doing and how to navigate bookings / cancellations, etc., let em'. They're head & shoulders above the rest, so grant them the privileges and freedoms.
- A-List Preferred
As one can imagine, the possibilities are what I have to plan for and this often times results in my having to book a flight to each of these cities that may occur on a same day. WN has crippled our ability to plan for such scenarios by disallowing bookings on the same day from the same city to differing locales or otherwise. To accommodate, I would please ask that Southwest do the following:
1. When a so-called double-booking occurs, do not outright disallow it or indiscriminately cancel a customers booking. They may have very good reason for doing so. Instead, immediately prompt the customer of the occurrence at the time of booking. Request a justification that may be considered for granting the occurrence and go ahead and allow the booking with a warning that it will only exist for 24 hrs or whatever it is. At least then you've got confirmation from the customer that they are purposefully double-booking. They'll have also deterred a customer from creating it in the first place if they do not have a sufficient justification to deem it as worthy of allowance. Also, the customer can be made aware which booking will be kept or cancelled at the end of the 24 hr window.
2. Then, better yet.. Instead of outright cancelling bookings, they could give a time window before the flight that the user must decide between the two bookings. Much like with TV programming of sporting events, I feel that a good compromise would be to require that within a 14 day window, a decision should be made by the customer. Make it clear to the customer that if they do not choose by said date, as to which flight will be kept or cancelled for them. Perhaps allow them to choose the default action themselves in advance.
3. Allow A-List or A-List Preferred the privilege of double-bookings without fear of cancellation. Generally, those in these categories endure the sufferings of flying a lot already, if they know what they are doing and how to navigate bookings / cancellations, etc., let em'. They're head & shoulders above the rest, so grant them the privileges and freedoms.
- A-List Preferred
Jun 28, 2017, 12:01 am
#238
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: RNO
Programs: AA/DL/UA
Posts: 10,764
Well ahead of every football season, every year I use my points in a very thrifty manner to wait for sales and deals, etc to book flights to bowl game locations. If I do not do this well ahead of time, the Wanna Getaway flights get all gobbled up or the Pts cost becomes too high. Being as nobody can know the bowl game that their team will land in by end of season (early December usually), I wind up deciding the priority bowls that I must book trips for possible attendance to. I do the same for hotels and rental cars too. For me this year in 2017-18, possible trips I'm planning for are the Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl, and don't all of us football fans hope... the National Championship game in Atlanta.
As one can imagine, the possibilities are what I have to plan for and this often times results in my having to book a flight to each of these cities that may occur on a same day. WN has crippled our ability to plan for such scenarios by disallowing bookings on the same day from the same city to differing locales or otherwise. To accommodate, I would please ask that Southwest do the following:
1. When a so-called double-booking occurs, do not outright disallow it or indiscriminately cancel a customers booking. They may have very good reason for doing so. Instead, immediately prompt the customer of the occurrence at the time of booking. Request a justification that may be considered for granting the occurrence and go ahead and allow the booking with a warning that it will only exist for 24 hrs or whatever it is. At least then you've got confirmation from the customer that they are purposefully double-booking. They'll have also deterred a customer from creating it in the first place if they do not have a sufficient justification to deem it as worthy of allowance. Also, the customer can be made aware which booking will be kept or cancelled at the end of the 24 hr window.
2. Then, better yet.. Instead of outright cancelling bookings, they could give a time window before the flight that the user must decide between the two bookings. Much like with TV programming of sporting events, I feel that a good compromise would be to require that within a 14 day window, a decision should be made by the customer. Make it clear to the customer that if they do not choose by said date, as to which flight will be kept or cancelled for them. Perhaps allow them to choose the default action themselves in advance.
3. Allow A-List or A-List Preferred the privilege of double-bookings without fear of cancellation. Generally, those in these categories endure the sufferings of flying a lot already, if they know what they are doing and how to navigate bookings / cancellations, etc., let em'. They're head & shoulders above the rest, so grant them the privileges and freedoms.
- A-List Preferred
As one can imagine, the possibilities are what I have to plan for and this often times results in my having to book a flight to each of these cities that may occur on a same day. WN has crippled our ability to plan for such scenarios by disallowing bookings on the same day from the same city to differing locales or otherwise. To accommodate, I would please ask that Southwest do the following:
1. When a so-called double-booking occurs, do not outright disallow it or indiscriminately cancel a customers booking. They may have very good reason for doing so. Instead, immediately prompt the customer of the occurrence at the time of booking. Request a justification that may be considered for granting the occurrence and go ahead and allow the booking with a warning that it will only exist for 24 hrs or whatever it is. At least then you've got confirmation from the customer that they are purposefully double-booking. They'll have also deterred a customer from creating it in the first place if they do not have a sufficient justification to deem it as worthy of allowance. Also, the customer can be made aware which booking will be kept or cancelled at the end of the 24 hr window.
2. Then, better yet.. Instead of outright cancelling bookings, they could give a time window before the flight that the user must decide between the two bookings. Much like with TV programming of sporting events, I feel that a good compromise would be to require that within a 14 day window, a decision should be made by the customer. Make it clear to the customer that if they do not choose by said date, as to which flight will be kept or cancelled for them. Perhaps allow them to choose the default action themselves in advance.
3. Allow A-List or A-List Preferred the privilege of double-bookings without fear of cancellation. Generally, those in these categories endure the sufferings of flying a lot already, if they know what they are doing and how to navigate bookings / cancellations, etc., let em'. They're head & shoulders above the rest, so grant them the privileges and freedoms.
- A-List Preferred
If you buy your own plane and hire your own pilot, you'll have the ultimate in flexibility. Go wherever you want, whenever you want. Unfortunately you won't have any "WGA" fares. Cheap fares are cheap for a reason -- less flexibility than full fare.
Jun 28, 2017, 9:55 am
#239
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,617
Ladies, you can do the same with young men. It's brilliant.
Jun 28, 2017, 10:43 am
#240
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Programs: WN Nothing and spending the half million points from too many flights, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8,043
We can extend this strategy to an even more important decision: whom to marry. Give engagement rings to 10 young ladies and wait a decade or so to see how they turn out. Then choose one and cancel the others. I'm sure they won't mind.
Ladies, you can do the same with young men. It's brilliant.
Ladies, you can do the same with young men. It's brilliant.
In another situation, I was interested in getting tickets for the PGA Championship. The lottery for available tickets was coming up and I checked for hotel accommodations within 50 miles. Everything was booked solid. I entered the lottery anyway and did not get tickets. Within 48 hours, every hotel had availability the lottery losers having canceled reservations.
These arguments will be lost on tony6777, but it is precisely his strategy that leads to the need for this policy.
