expert7700

I am not a COS ,but I feel the reimbursement policy is slightly unfair. SW says they issue refunds ~99% of the time because flights did not go out full+denied boarding to standbys. Yet to the infrequent traveller it can be a craps shoot with a 1-in-100 shot of getting stuck with NO refund at all. Anyone who believes 1 in 100 is nothing to worry about must not buy any daily number , lottery tickets, or play a slot machine.

Scenario 1: the policy results in me paying DOUBLE my planned budget/the southwest advertised price for the year, because I flew one round trip at $799 and had to buy a 2nd ticket at $799 which did not get refunded. Result: bad experience, I'll bash WN for being overpriced etc.

Scenario 2: as a freqent flyer, the policy costs me only 1% extra on top of my planned travel budget for the year, I flew 100 roundtrips at $799 each, and got all but one refunded.

My suggestion is that it's much more fair to issue COS passengers a 97-99% refund based on the OVERALL (quarterly, monthly etc) full+overook rate, that way they always get the blended average. Southwest ends up with the same $$ kept vs refunded in that case, and customers are treated a whole lot better without losing out for booking a full flight, and worrying if they will get a refund.

I feel a guaranteed refund in the 97-99% range is much more fair than a roll the dice and 1-3 times out of 100 come up completely empty handed.

COS passengers will feel good that SW is in effect sellling them their 2nd seat via mail-in-rebate for only a few dollars per trip. The mail-in-rebate helps result in breakage (AND since it requires a passenger fronting the $ for travel, it Helps a bit in detering abuse). The breakage could be used for either a higher refund % for passengers or a higher profit for WN. WN could sell advertising space on a flyer mailed with the reimbursement checks too. (likely rental cars, hotel offers, etc.

WN should also have a 'special seating needs' poster or handout, which points out needs for preboard, boarding with pets, and when to buy a 2nd seat (travelling with large instrument or COS). They could present this at the time of booking--there is already a spot for allergy info, assistance animal, etc why not put a link "do I need a 2nd seat? which when you mouse-over or click gives pointers on if they need to purchase a 2nd seat because the named passenger cannot comfortably sit in one seat with the armwrests down without encoraching at all into the space of the second seat.