Call customer service at 214-932-0333 during Dallas daytime business hours who can definitively say if any policy has changed. My $ is on no, it hasn't.

I believe agents who respond to email are actually reservations agents. As such they are not trained for as many situations as customer service reps or supervisors. What they are good at doing, however, is cutting and pasting what appears to be a correct answer. (and, of course, the obligatory "Sharing your concerns at an upcoming management meeting").