jamesteroh

What happens if the FA's can't do a service due to bad weather? Is WN going to give me a credit for the $5 value of the drink or give me a coupon to use later?

swag

I know many here prefer to buy one ways instead of roundtrips, but given the new rules, it might be a nice small gesture to allow someone buying a BS roundtrip to use either drink coupon on either leg, so you could skip the drink Monday morning, and then have two when flying home on Friday.

joshua362

+1. SWABrian, if there is one thing I wish you would communicate back to whomever is running the show, this is it!

Why now be petty and change all the multiple niceties that used to make WN so different at very little real cost to you and hide behind an old COC or policy that wasn't enforced.

auggie doggie

I was always under the assumption that BS Fare drink coupons were valid for one year.

jamesteroh

THey aren't suppose to allow you to take alcohol off the plane but a trick I found out from a friend is if you want capped alcohol to go, just go to the AFT lav gallery area after they have completed their service and ask for a couple bottles of whatever kind you want and they always either leave them capped or losen the cap and simply retighten it. I have a lot of the coupons and enjoy coffee and baileys as a night drink or on the rocks and will just take a couple coupons back and ask for two bottles and just put them in my my bag if I know the hotel I am going to has a coffee maker or coffee in the EL or for sale. I guess with this change I will start having to ask for it on the way home as well and use their baileys instead of my own

mritty

Brian, please read this sentence you wrote again, and explain to us how it makes sense to you. Coupons without an expiration date do not expire. That's what without an expiration date means. How does SWA plan on justifying not accepting them?

Thank you,
Paul Lalli

SAT Lawyer

Drink up. You've got five days.

Considering that the drinks were ostensibly paid for with the Business Select fare premium, sure, why not? If I buy enough Business Select fares that I can buy rounds for my fellow passengers, remind me again: why is that a bad deal for WN?

Heck, if WN is really troubled by the theoretical use of Business Select drink coupons by someone other than the original traveler including the hyperbolic "whole airplane," wouldn't it make more sense to limit their use to the named individual, rather than enforce a use-it-on-the-day-of-travel-or-lose-it policy?

The alternative of only allowing the use of the Business Select drink coupon on the day of the flight is difficult to defend for reasons already discussed in this thread. First, who imbibes alcohol in the morning before heading to a business engagement? Second, what about passengers who would like to use their coupons on a future flight which won't be followed by them driving a vehicle, something which may not apply to "today's" flight? Third, what is WN going to do when a Business Select drink coupon becomes effectively un-usable because the flight attendants don't serve drinks due to turbulence?

jrpaguia

Ok, aside from the ultra-short notice, I see no problem with BS drink coupons only valid for day of travel. This is where fraud prevention is a valid concern and like other airlines, riding in F one day does not entitle you to a free drink on the next day.

I have no problems with my regular coupons expiring, neither. For some reason, I can never really accumulate a big stash.

Having said that, the tenor of this WN forum has definitely changed. It's no longer a LUVfest....the kool-aid has been diluted. Instead of fantastic $25 Dings, what we get now is Da Daily Devaluation.

What's next?

I won't be surprised if switching to a lower fare will no longer be possible. It won't be a change fee but booked itineraries will be subject to restrictions like switching to an earlier flight at the airport.
We won't be able to cancel and re-book on the same flight...it will use the same "logic" as "hey, that was the same password you used 6 months ago, use another one."
I mean after all, these things constitute "speculative bookings" which have been prohibited all along.

jamesteroh

And when I fly BS it is usually for business. Both those reasons are ones I don't use the coupons for. Going it is usually too early to drink, and even if it wasn't I am going to be going for business purposes and make it a policy never to drink before, even if it is only one drink. Coming back I will sometimes use the one I have for that flight but that is it. I have a 50 minute drive home from the airport and only want one drink.

I am going to just start asking for a couple bottles of baileys or vodka from an FA at the AFT galley and hope I can get them capped or with the cap loosened so I can just recap them and take them home on return flights. I know it's petty but so this is this policy.

Once at a skyclub a girl in my office saw someone dump vodka in an empty water bottle And I know someone else that told me one time he had an empty minute maid individual OJ bottle and DL had really delayed a flight of his and when the club was getting ready to close he mixed up two screwdrivers and then dumped them in the OJ bottle I can see people doing stuff like this just to spite WN.

nsx

Yes, I agree with the BS change for this reason. It's the same as free drinks in F on other airlines.

jamesteroh

True but in F on other airlines you are getting a lot more things than a free drink. Like WN you get priority boarding but you are guaranteed a larger mor comfortable seat with plenty of leg room. You typically get a pretake off beverage and it isn't limited to one drink Your jacket gets hung up which is nice for a business trip if you are flying in a suit. If you don't want to preboard you can be the last one on board and have one of the best seats in the plane and have room for your carry on rollar bag. If you check a bag in F it comes out before Y. And you have a meal service.

If I fly F on DL I will take advantage of the free drinks if it's a pleasure trip I don't have to drive on But otherwise I would rather they give me a foucher to use in Y on another trip if I chose to avoid alcohol on a F business trip.

jamesteroh

If WN is going to use this as the basis for their argument then they should give you unlimited drinks like they do Y on other airlines

jrpaguia

Or bring a "medically required" syringe and some oranges. Depending on segment length, you can use the syringe to infuse the oranges with as much vodka as time allows.

alanh

I'm guessing that reprinting one BS drink coupon 50 times would be the main issue they're concerned with. Making it valid only the day of flight would effectively eliminate that, or at least make them resort to Photoshop.

DontCallMeShirley

It's not that it is just our rules and regulations. For us to allow you to carry a closed container of alcohol off of our planes is breaking the law and we could be fired. I never serve drinks without caps, some do, but they risk more than I am willing to. TABC is our ruler here, so you might take it up with them, but I don't think you'd get very far.

I really am sorry that these changes are causing such a stir, but honestly, what I found the most disturbing was the amount of BS coupons that I was having to accept that were being reprinted. Just on my last trip one guy gave me 6 BS coupons all for the same day. I felt like someone was stealing from my home and I couldn't do anything about it. It's a flaw in our system, and someone didn't think that out very well, but every one reprinted BS coupon is $5 out of our profits.

IMO, the tan ones (with no exp) should be accepted until people run out of them, but I am just the flight attendant and I will following the rules. I HAVE to do MY job, and I hope that someone does not take their frustrations out on ME, but instead vent in a more effective way and contact someone who can actually DO something about it, like HQ.

Comping for reasons beyond our control (WX) is also being monitored and, although it will vary (a little) from CPT to CPT (he/she is ultimately who is supposed to authorize delay comps) you will not see it as much as you used to.

It is disappointing, I get that, and I am sorry. I don't speak for Herb, but ultimately he is a businessman too, and a VERY rich one at that. He didn't get that way from giving things away for free (I am still referring to BS fraud in this statement).

PS. I think not accepting coupons for Monsters is complete BS. But again, I gotta comply. But truly, it is just so silly.

PSS. I honestly hope that the BS coupon is replaces with WIFI coupons when our planes are equipped. I think everyone would be MUCH happier, IMHO.