us1549

I flew from ISP-MCO on 3/14 and ran into something very unusual and I was hoping someone here can shed some insight.

I was supposed to fly from ISP-MCO on 3/14 on flt#368 (4:15PM departure), but wasn't too sure if I could make that earlier time, so I also had a reservation booked for flt #627 (6:35PM departure). I figured that if I made it to the airport early, I would take the earlier flight and just cancel the later one.

Well, I did get to the airport early enough to make the earlier flight, but the flight was delayed to 5:30PM. Since I paid a BS fare for the earlier flight, I figured I'd just wait another hour and take the later one (award ticket) to save some money.

I had already checked in for both flights at home, and reprinted the boarding pass for flight #368 at the ticket counter and went on my way. The flight boarded, and they called my name at t-10 minutes and I just let the plane leave without me. I then proceeded to take my later flight (which didn't depart until 10:40PM) and thought I would call reservations to ask for a refund on the flight I didn't fly.

Low and behold, I called the WN on Tuesday, and was told that their gate scanner shows that I boarded flt #368, and that they cannot issue a refund. I explained my story to them, and told them I had two reservations that day, and there is no possible way I could have been on both of these flights at the same time. The supervisor agreed, but she couldn't do anything either and ask that formally file a complaint either by mail or fax.

I have already written a letter and faxed it in, but am concerned that if I wait longer than 60 days and the resolution isn't in my favor, I can't dispute it on my credit card any longer.

curbcrusher

There is no reason why you shouldn't dispute the charge now to protect yourself. You can rescind the dispute later, and getting your fare refunded would have the same effect.

expert7700

You do realize that this all would have been prevented if you'd have had the courtesy to cancel your reservation or even just deleting your boarding pass, up to the point in time while the flight you purposely missed was boarding? by calling, going to the gate agent, using a phone to go to mobile.southwest.com, or calling a friend or family member to have them go to southwest.com for you?

I wouldn't jump to do a cc dispute or worry about a 60 day limit since the flight was only on 3/14.

Did you receive rapid reward credit for both flights? That's really the definitive test for whether they show you travelled on both. If not I'd keep checking to see if your earlier reservation # shows available travel funds. If it does, then you can call back to request a refund.

Keep in mind that booking two flights the same day is not permitted, under their speculative booking policy. So definitely go easy on telling them you took the later flight to save $ etc...

us1549

I checked, and I definitely received RR credit for the flight in question.

and yes, I realized I should have canceled the one I wasn't planning to board - but since it wasn't full, I figured it didn't matter as much.

As for the CC dispute, I am hoping to get this resolved without going that route.

Normally, I wouldn't book two flights - but since it was a sunday, i didn't want to leave it to chance standingby on the later flight should I miss the early one. and that was the last flight of the day too.

nsx

I had something similar happen once. IIRC, Southwest issued me a travel voucher to refund the extra flight.

This can happen if the Gate Agent selects the wrong name when printing a BP for someone.

Come to think of it, the same kind of error could explain the phantom cancellations that have been mentioned here recently.

toomanybooks

Well, that's the problem.

If everyone did as you, WN would revisit its policies, stop allowing 100% reuse of credit from canceled flights, and we'd all lose out.

I think if I were WN, I'd keep all your money for both flights and let you keep your RR credit. If you pushed it, I'd probably get nasty.

us1549

I apologize if I wasn't more clear in my OP. I paid BS fare for the earlier flight. I have every right to receive a full refund to my credit card if I didn't take the flight.

JerryFF

And WN would have every right to cancel one of your reservations because you were double booked.

us1549

Next time, I definitely won't do this again, as I now know the complications that can arise from it. But that still doesn't change the fact that I should be getting a refund for a flight I never flew. And if WN did cancel my flight, It probably would be saving me a lot of trouble.

us1549

Even if they print the wrong name, I'm still confused as to how WN would equate printing a BP to actually boarding the a/c?

formeraa

Here's a secret: on flights with empty seats, the flight counts are not as accurate as one might think. The discrepancies have been greatly reduced but not eliminated with the use of BP scanners.

joshua362

Throwing this out there for giggles, as a life long LI resident who travels out constantly, the general populace who take clerical type jobs at ISP are not the brightest and usually have a chip on their shoulders when performing such duties. Go into most home depots and ask for help from anyone under 50. But I did think WN hiring was above this!

Recently at ISP in full business attire I was accosted by TSA after I handed my boarding pass at the gate when I was my turn to board. I was whisked aside and questioned as to "what I was hiding in my sock" and heavily patted down. The only thing I could think of was that I misplaced my PDA phone stylus after security and looked through my carry-ons for it and then maybe scratched an itch?

All tongue in cheek!

returnoftheyeti

Its not allowed ?

I fly SFO to SNA fairly regularly for work. There is a 6:10 flight and an 9:00 flight. I usually buy a (BS) ticket for each flight. If I wake up in time, or the 6:10 is delayed, I take that one. If I sleep in, I take the 9:00 one.

Why is this "not allowed"?

toomanybooks

If a large number of people did this, it would completely screw up WN's planning. More seats would go out empty, then they'd overbook more, then unpredictably more people would be denied boarding, then they'd have to give out more compensation AND annoy their customers, etc.

Before all that happened, though, they'd probably do away with unlimited 100% credit for unused PNRs.

Southwest specifically does not allow it. Read here:

http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/terms_and_con.html

"You may not use Southwest’s Sites to make any speculative, fraudulent, or false reservation or any reservation in anticipation of demand. If you have made multiple reservations to one or more destinations on or about the same date, Southwest reserves the right to cancel all such reservations without notice."

I wish they'd enforce this strictly. People who engage in this behavior hurt all of us.

poiz01

Comparing TSA employees to SWA employees? Come on now.

To the OP: Do you have a somewhat common name? One that, possibly, someone else on the earlier flight also had? If they were missing you and went on board to page you, and this other person with the same name answered, they could've thought that was you, and boarded you.