Misleading email: You've come so far!
Jul 27, 2017, 7:50 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 396
Misleading email: You've come so far!
Did anyone else receive an email from Southwest yesterday with the subject line "You've come so far!"
I found this email very misleading. I've flown once one-way on them this year and they claim "You've already saved up to $60 on checked bags with us."
Their footnote:
*Checked baggage fee comparison is based on Southwest = 1st and 2nd bag free (weight and size limits apply) vs. legacy airlines = 2 bags $60/one-way multiplied by the number of one-way trips you completed between 1/1/2017 and 7/17/2017. Legacy airlines' websites as of 7/17/2017 for checked bag fees charged at time of booking the lowest unbundled domestic main cabin fare for customers without status or other qualified circumstances.
I didn't check any bags on them! They should know how many bags I've checked and not mislead people to think they saved more than they did.
I found this email very misleading. I've flown once one-way on them this year and they claim "You've already saved up to $60 on checked bags with us."
Their footnote:
*Checked baggage fee comparison is based on Southwest = 1st and 2nd bag free (weight and size limits apply) vs. legacy airlines = 2 bags $60/one-way multiplied by the number of one-way trips you completed between 1/1/2017 and 7/17/2017. Legacy airlines' websites as of 7/17/2017 for checked bag fees charged at time of booking the lowest unbundled domestic main cabin fare for customers without status or other qualified circumstances.
I didn't check any bags on them! They should know how many bags I've checked and not mislead people to think they saved more than they did.
Jul 27, 2017, 7:56 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,539
Did anyone else receive an email from Southwest yesterday with the subject line "You've come so far!"
I found this email very misleading. I've flown once one-way on them this year and they claim "You've already saved up to $60 on checked bags with us."
Their footnote:
*Checked baggage fee comparison is based on Southwest = 1st and 2nd bag free (weight and size limits apply) vs. legacy airlines = 2 bags $60/one-way multiplied by the number of one-way trips you completed between 1/1/2017 and 7/17/2017. Legacy airlines' websites as of 7/17/2017 for checked bag fees charged at time of booking the lowest unbundled domestic main cabin fare for customers without status or other qualified circumstances.
I didn't check any bags on them! They should know how many bags I've checked and not mislead people to think they saved more than they did.
I found this email very misleading. I've flown once one-way on them this year and they claim "You've already saved up to $60 on checked bags with us."
Their footnote:
*Checked baggage fee comparison is based on Southwest = 1st and 2nd bag free (weight and size limits apply) vs. legacy airlines = 2 bags $60/one-way multiplied by the number of one-way trips you completed between 1/1/2017 and 7/17/2017. Legacy airlines' websites as of 7/17/2017 for checked bag fees charged at time of booking the lowest unbundled domestic main cabin fare for customers without status or other qualified circumstances.
I didn't check any bags on them! They should know how many bags I've checked and not mislead people to think they saved more than they did.
Jul 27, 2017, 8:05 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 396
To me, "Up to" implies that different competitors charge different amounts, so the savings can vary.
When they choose to personalize the "savings" to my travel history, and the correct value is $0 because a bag was not checked, saying "up to $60", when their own records of my bag checking history show the actual value is "up to $0", that's misleading.
When they choose to personalize the "savings" to my travel history, and the correct value is $0 because a bag was not checked, saying "up to $60", when their own records of my bag checking history show the actual value is "up to $0", that's misleading.
Jul 27, 2017, 8:16 am
#4
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,621
I am getting pretty annoyed by Southwest's recent initiative to spam its customers. As soon as I set up a filter for one type of spam they create another. The latest is the nag to book a trip where I was just re-checking the fare on a trip I had already booked.
I guess I need to logout before searching fares so they won't have the necessary identifying information to spam me. @:-)
I guess I need to logout before searching fares so they won't have the necessary identifying information to spam me. @:-)
Jul 27, 2017, 10:43 am
#6
formerly jackvogt
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: Delta SkyMiles,
Posts: 822
Mountain out of a mole hill.....you flew them once. IF you had checked 2 bags...you would have saved up to $60-$65 had you flown any other airline that charges for bags. They weren't saying you checked any bags and they don't care. The free checked bags is pretty much the only thing this airline has going for them so they have to milk it for all it's worth. They're essentially saying look how much you can save with flying us.
Jul 27, 2017, 12:48 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2002
Location: St Louis, MO
Programs: AA L.T. PLT
Posts: 3,281
Jul 27, 2017, 2:22 pm
#11
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,621
Jul 27, 2017, 2:45 pm
#12
Join Date: May 2016
Location: ATL
Programs: DL GM, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,240
As far as annoying WN emails go, this one feels pretty harmless. You're lucky they didn't include the no-change fees into their calculation of how much you saved!
(While I didn't save the up to $1000+ reported in my email, I know I have saved at least $100 in baggage fees this year, so that feels pretty good). Like @nsx, I'm also starting to get pretty annoyed by the "Come back and book your AAA-BBB" emails that I receive when I'm just checking a flight to see if I should refare
(While I didn't save the up to $1000+ reported in my email, I know I have saved at least $100 in baggage fees this year, so that feels pretty good). Like @nsx, I'm also starting to get pretty annoyed by the "Come back and book your AAA-BBB" emails that I receive when I'm just checking a flight to see if I should refare
Jul 27, 2017, 3:09 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 396
As far as annoying WN emails go, this one feels pretty harmless. You're lucky they didn't include the no-change fees into their calculation of how much you saved!
(While I didn't save the up to $1000+ reported in my email, I know I have saved at least $100 in baggage fees this year, so that feels pretty good). Like @nsx, I'm also starting to get pretty annoyed by the "Come back and book your AAA-BBB" emails that I receive when I'm just checking a flight to see if I should refare
(While I didn't save the up to $1000+ reported in my email, I know I have saved at least $100 in baggage fees this year, so that feels pretty good). Like @nsx, I'm also starting to get pretty annoyed by the "Come back and book your AAA-BBB" emails that I receive when I'm just checking a flight to see if I should refare
Jul 27, 2017, 3:41 pm
#14
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
It's not deceptive, but WN gets away with this stuff because people really believe that the first two bags are "free" and that there are no "change fees".
Just proves that there is one born every minute.
Few people check bags these days. They have learned to pack. Even fewer check two bags.
Sure, WN doesn't have change fees, but you pay the new price and that can be a lot. In addition if you change a refundable ticket of any kind, it becomes unrefundable.
You have to give WN marketing folks credit, they do make it appear to be a good deal when it is the same deal as any other. Sometimes cheaper, sometimes more and often roughly the same.
Just proves that there is one born every minute.
Few people check bags these days. They have learned to pack. Even fewer check two bags.
Sure, WN doesn't have change fees, but you pay the new price and that can be a lot. In addition if you change a refundable ticket of any kind, it becomes unrefundable.
You have to give WN marketing folks credit, they do make it appear to be a good deal when it is the same deal as any other. Sometimes cheaper, sometimes more and often roughly the same.
Jul 27, 2017, 3:52 pm
#15
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,570
I have a booking I've changed about 4 times since I originally booked it. I'm waiting for my email telling me I've saved $1,000 by flying Southwest. 
(The whole booking is worth about $150.
)
(The whole booking is worth about $150.
)