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New COS policy as of November 7, 2012: Free second seats for walk-ups

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New COS policy as of November 7, 2012: Free second seats for walk-ups

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Old Oct 18, 2012, 9:11 pm
  #1  
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New COS policy as of November 7, 2012: Free second seats for walk-ups

Get ready for changes to the Customer of Size policy in favor of the COS themselves.

Stay tuned.
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Old Oct 18, 2012, 10:38 pm
  #2  
nsx
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Originally Posted by SDCA
Get ready for changes to the Customer of Size policy in favor of the COS themselves.

Stay tuned.
Ink will be beside himself with glee!
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Old Oct 19, 2012, 3:49 pm
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Originally Posted by nsx
Ink will be beside himself with glee!
We can hardly wait.
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Old Oct 19, 2012, 7:40 pm
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I'll guess SDCA is eluding to a change other the return of Golden Oreos in the select-a-snack boxes? (replaced the 100calorie Chips Ahoy wafers, a nearly 2.5x increase)
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Old Oct 20, 2012, 8:31 am
  #5  
 
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Originally Posted by SDCA
Get ready for changes to the Customer of Size policy in favor of the COS themselves.

Stay tuned.
It might be useful to share what you know unless it infringes witness protection or international treaty.
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Old Oct 20, 2012, 9:35 pm
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Originally Posted by SDCA
*Customers of size who wish to continue to proactively book an extra seat and then request a refund may continue that process the same as they do today.

*Our Employees will still need to have second seat conversations, but they will no longer charge the Customer for the additional seat at the airport.

*We will accommodate a COS with an additional seat, free of charge at the airport, even if it means overselling the flight.

This makes no sense. Why would I as a COS purchase a second seat in advance if I knew they wouldn't charge me if I just showed up at the airport? Yes, I almost always get a refund but it means giving Southwest a "loan" of a lot of money for however long in advance I purchase my ticket (so for me they often have a lot of my money tied up as I have many many tickets purchased at any one time).
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Old Oct 20, 2012, 10:04 pm
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I agree that this makes no sense. It puts the people who follow policy at a disadvantage.

the policy SHOULD be that there is no charge for an extra seat, and no chance of missing their flight (both good PR moves) for the FIRST flight or roundtrip for that passenger. once they are informed of the policy and get the free ride once, they should be responsible for booking according to policy in the future.
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Old Oct 20, 2012, 10:04 pm
  #8  
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Originally Posted by normalone
This makes no sense. Why would I as a COS purchase a second seat in advance if I knew they wouldn't charge me if I just showed up at the airport? Yes, I almost always get a refund but it means giving Southwest a "loan" of a lot of money for however long in advance I purchase my ticket (so for me they often have a lot of my money tied up as I have many many tickets purchased at any one time).
Maybe it helps SWA not overselling the flight at the last minute because a COS didn't purchase the extra seat.

If that extra was not purchased ahead of time, SWA would have not known if that second seat is going to be occupy by a COS and would then have to bump someone off accomodate the COS.

And as a courtesty, the COS SHOULD buy two seats when making reservation because I would probably be the one that gets bumped off a flight to accommodate the COS with TWO seats.

Last edited by SDCA; Oct 21, 2012 at 8:06 am
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Old Oct 21, 2012, 8:14 am
  #9  
 
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Originally Posted by normalone
This makes no sense. Why would I as a COS purchase a second seat in advance if I knew they wouldn't charge me if I just showed up at the airport? Yes, I almost always get a refund but it means giving Southwest a "loan" of a lot of money for however long in advance I purchase my ticket (so for me they often have a lot of my money tied up as I have many many tickets purchased at any one time).
What makes no sense is broadly emailing a contestable change believing it wouldn't post on the Internet with expected consequences.

Something amiss here. Or lost in translation.
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Old Oct 21, 2012, 10:00 am
  #10  
 
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Seems less likely that FAs will proactively bump a passenger to accomodate a COS than it does that FAs will hope for the best and leave it to the encroached-upon to initiate a complaint. I don't like the way this policy, if it is true, ends up transferring the burden of dealing with the situation from COSs and FAs to other passengers.
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Old Oct 21, 2012, 6:50 pm
  #11  
 
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InkUnderNails,

Since you use your CP to ensure a second seat on every flight, do you file for the $5 taxes or $10 taxes reimbursement from WN if the flight doesn't sell out?
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Old Oct 22, 2012, 4:18 am
  #12  
 
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Originally Posted by Texas Booster
InkUnderNails,

Since you use your CP to ensure a second seat on every flight, do you file for the $5 taxes or $10 taxes reimbursement from WN if the flight doesn't sell out?
I could, but I don't. Two reasons. You have no idea the extra nuisance it is to make this work. I am certain that the occasional $5 would also be difficult on occasion. The other reason may make no sense. It is actually worth it to me and I say, "what the heck" and let it go. It is at most $200 a year that would be recoverable, and it is not worth my time to pursue all of those $5 transactions and keep up with them.
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Old Oct 22, 2012, 11:10 am
  #13  
 
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Originally Posted by SDCA
It was a wifi plane and the FA showed that me a snippet of the change in the COS policy on the company website.

-----------

*The major change we are making is that we will no longer require the second seat purchase at the airport.

*Customers of size who wish to continue to proactively book an extra seat and then request a refund may continue that process the same as they do today.

*Our Employees will still need to have second seat conversations, but they will no longer charge the Customer for the additional seat at the airport.

*We will accommodate a COS with an additional seat, free of charge at the airport, even if it means overselling the flight.
No airline would reference loophole exploitation as a policy. Dilemmas are inherent.

This cut-and-paste excerpt is not credible.

I don't buy that an FA would allow a pax to transcribe it during flight.
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Old Oct 22, 2012, 12:21 pm
  #14  
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Originally Posted by LegalTender
No airline would reference loophole exploitation as a policy. Dilemmas are inherent.

This cut-and-paste excerpt is not credible.

I don't buy that an FA would allow a pax to transcribe it during flight.
Then call SWA customer service, get proof and get back with us.
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Old Oct 22, 2012, 1:09 pm
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Originally Posted by SDCA
Then call SWA customer service, get proof and get back with us.
A deleted post with no foundation is hardly anyone else's responsibility.
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