Stunningly positive web site change re: Award seat searches
Jul 23, 2013, 12:21 am
#1
Moderator, Southwest Airlines and Choice Privileges
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 3,039
Stunningly positive web site change re: Award seat searches
I was amazed this weekend to see an active "Award Availability" link on the certificates page of an account with no bookable Standard (or Transition) Awards.
I almost fainted when, after viewing the fully functional SeatFinder calendar in that account, on the next screen I was then able to see the holy grail:
Both Standard and Freedom Award availability were shown. I've just confirmed the same functionality still exists in a different account with no available Award. As far as I can tell at this point, these features have not been enabled for users who are not logged in to MySouthwest.
I now wonder whether the glitch observed by nsx:
occurred while this change was being implemented.
As stated in the other thread:
:-: ^
As a result of this happy development, I will now lock and un-sticky the http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/south...st-thread.html.
I almost fainted when, after viewing the fully functional SeatFinder calendar in that account, on the next screen I was then able to see the holy grail:
Flight level Award seat availability in an account with no Awards!
Both Standard and Freedom Award availability were shown. I've just confirmed the same functionality still exists in a different account with no available Award. As far as I can tell at this point, these features have not been enabled for users who are not logged in to MySouthwest.
I now wonder whether the glitch observed by nsx:
As stated in the other thread:
:-: ^
As a result of this happy development, I will now lock and un-sticky the http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/south...st-thread.html.
Jul 23, 2013, 1:20 am
#2
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 2,400
Holy crap! Thank you thank you thank you ftnoob! Now I will be up all night trying to cobble my way home from SJU before they "fix" it. 
Woo Hoo. And I was finally able to book it after about a month of beating my head against the wall. SJU-SEA thru ABQ. I wonder why it is not bookable on their website as a regular fare. Only 13 hrs, much better than the original 19 hour I had.
Woo Hoo. And I was finally able to book it after about a month of beating my head against the wall. SJU-SEA thru ABQ. I wonder why it is not bookable on their website as a regular fare. Only 13 hrs, much better than the original 19 hour I had.
Last edited by tatterdema; Jul 23, 2013 at 3:07 am
Jul 23, 2013, 2:19 am
#3
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: AA EXP (owe), BA Silver (ows), AB Silver (owr), WN A+/CP, IHG Spire AMB, Avis First
Posts: 1,414
I was amazed this weekend to see an active "Award Availability" link on the certificates page of an account with no bookable Standard (or Transition) Awards.
I almost fainted when, after viewing the fully functional SeatFinder calendar in that account, on the next screen I was then able to see the holy grail:
Both Standard and Freedom Award availability were shown. I've just confirmed the same functionality still exists in a different account with no available Award. As far as I can tell at this point, these features have not been enabled for users who are not logged in to MySouthwest.
I now wonder whether the glitch observed by nsx:
occurred while this change was being implemented.
As stated in the other thread:
:-: ^
As a result of this happy development, I will now lock and un-sticky the http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/south...st-thread.html.
I almost fainted when, after viewing the fully functional SeatFinder calendar in that account, on the next screen I was then able to see the holy grail:
Flight level Award seat availability in an account with no Awards!
Both Standard and Freedom Award availability were shown. I've just confirmed the same functionality still exists in a different account with no available Award. As far as I can tell at this point, these features have not been enabled for users who are not logged in to MySouthwest.
I now wonder whether the glitch observed by nsx:
occurred while this change was being implemented.
As stated in the other thread:
:-: ^
As a result of this happy development, I will now lock and un-sticky the http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/south...st-thread.html.
Edit: ok never mind, after looking at it, seems intentional...
Southwest... listens?? After RR1.0 is dead of course, but still ....although this might be a ploy to stop us from converting points into SAs! And then they'll cut it off when it's too late!
Last edited by no2chem; Jul 23, 2013 at 7:23 am
Jul 23, 2013, 6:02 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Evergreen Park, IL
Posts: 1,384
Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet. I was hoping to change my August RR 1.0 from Air Tran to Southwest but alas the few available WN flight times are not to my liking. It appears just the WN flights are shown so if you wanted to see if you could use any RR 1.0 on FL you need to do it the 'old way'?
Jul 23, 2013, 6:26 am
#5
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 86
You have not needed a reward to check availability on AirTran. Just login to the site and then the "book a reward flight" link will appear.
Jul 23, 2013, 6:33 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: IND
Programs: SPG Plat, WN CP, Many Others
Posts: 538
Its about time! ^
Jul 23, 2013, 7:37 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 751
As a result of this happy development, I will now lock and un-sticky the http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/south...st-thread.html.
Jul 23, 2013, 8:08 am
#8
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,625
Jul 23, 2013, 8:13 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA 1M
Posts: 31,475
What took them so long? 9W also has this restriction.
Looks like they are still limiting searches to one person per search. Is there a reason for this? Any workaround?
Looks like they are still limiting searches to one person per search. Is there a reason for this? Any workaround?
Jul 23, 2013, 10:57 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Intermountain West
Programs: Too many to list
Posts: 12,089
Good news and thanks mods & WN.
Jul 23, 2013, 12:34 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA 1M
Posts: 31,475
I noticed that they also put a column for Freedom Awards. I need to book a flight for next and while fares are high I am not seeing any Standard awards, so can book it. I had forgotten about this till I saw it today.
Jul 23, 2013, 1:09 pm
#13
Moderator, Southwest Airlines and Choice Privileges
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 3,039
Jul 23, 2013, 1:15 pm
#14
Moderator, Southwest Airlines and Choice Privileges
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 3,039
The lastExpirationDate=undefined part of the advanced search URL suggested to me that an ancillary change may have been made: when you have do have an (expiring) Award, can you now see availability beyond the Award's expiry date without resorting to any shenanigans? A test found the answer is "No" (it only works as far as the Award calendar; flight-level availability is not shown). That is a quirk we can hope will soon be rectified. In the interim, the workaround is to log out and repeat the search in an account with no available active Award.
(As to why I have an Award expiring before the end of the booking window: it's a single coupon, so I haven't yet refreshed it.)
(As to why I have an Award expiring before the end of the booking window: it's a single coupon, so I haven't yet refreshed it.)