lougord99

A friend was staying at my house. He was scheduled to fly out in the afternoon and that morning he got an email from Delta: 'Your flight is delayed by 2 hours. If you would like to change to flight xxxx ( it was scheduled 1.5 hours before his flights original schedule ) click here.

steved5480

A) Southwest doesn't allow no-upcharge SDC even when there are delays, except in the rare instance when it's Southwest's "idea". Not even for high-end premium Customers.

B) Southwest's IT folks couldn't collectively program their way out of a broom closet, as has been demonstrated approximately one gazillion times.

Other airlines have it, which is exactly why it's a dream for Southwest. Probably the most accurately titled post on all of FT; the OP deserves an award.

joshua362

How about simply getting the message notification "system" to work? Does it irk anyone else that you are forced to select how to be notified at purchase (it always bombs me back to this field), yet it is useless? (hit or miss if it rings you, and if so, usually well behind the times...)

alggag

I actually have pretty good luck at getting timely alerts. However, where it fails for me is the absolute disregard for the fact that I always select texts but almost always receive a phone call instead.

LetsGoToo

I don't get notifications at all lately. I select text messages and haven't gotten one since early this year.

In my opinion, Southwest needs to up it's game in this (and other) areas with the fares so high.

dlaue

Here are a few item that the Southwest reservation system should store:

1) my login info. Make the "remember me" button work again.

2) my contact information. It is ALWAYS a text message to the same number.

3) my companion's birthdate.

4) an opt-out of "your trip is just around the corner" spam.

5) my companion's information for next year, when I requalify. Why should I have to call and ask for this information to be rolled over each year?

6) the amount of time that I want to elapse before the system logs me off. I would choose 1 hour.

ursine1

Huh? Sure they do. I've done it *many* times.

steved5480

Okay, point taken...semantics perhaps.

YOU have "done it many times". You "doing it" is not at all the same as someone with a H.S. diploma & half a brain programming some scraps of primitive automation to proactively "do it" FOR you. Reliably, consistently, 100% of the time.

Recognize a developing issue down line (be it weather, MX, crew issues, etc.). Recognize evolving/changing issues impacting either clock-time or downline station/destination/connections and push viable options directly to you, the Customer. Proactively, NOT reactively. Just like what the OP outlined. Simple.

ursine1

Well yeah, that's completely different of course. I was just pointing out that your statement was false.

rossrr

I flew Delta last week and the app started buzzing about two hours before my flight saying that my trip was delayed. I had a connection in ATL that was, for some reason, scheduled to arrive 3 minutes late. I appreciate the notification, but 3 minutes wasn't going to make or break anything except instill a slight fear initially when I saw that I had a delay.

Also, because of that 3 minute delay, the app was immediately offering me options to get on different flights. I know Southwest isn't as flexible with changing flights, unless you purchased a BS fare, but I do agree that Delta has their technology figured out.

InkUnderNails

The notification system is broken. Period.

First, and irritating more than non-functional, is that the booking engine absolutely will not permit a ticket to be bought without putting something in the notification area. I get that, but I hate the huge bright red "You have screwed up big time, you idiot!" error messages they use to tell me what an idiot I was for missing something that does not work anyway. How darned hard can it be to make a default notification part of my profile? If I click "Text" the number comes up, so the booking engine is at least smart enough to check my profile to pull up my text number.

Even after this, it never calls. It never texts. It might email, but I do not have a phone data plan and I would only get emails while on the internet before I leave home or at the hotel. I might get them on the plane about connections, if the on board WiFi is working. We all know that is "dependable," if we happen to get a plane that has it.

If calling works, I don't know because I have not tried it. I am hearing impaired and phone calls are torture. I would at least know to check flight status if I got a call I did not quite understand.

I use TripIt just because the WN notification system is broken. It is really good about delays and connections. It tells me that I need to check out of the hotel and turn in my rental car, usually after I have done both, but at least it tells me. WN's system does not even pretend to tell me that. It just pretends to tell me about my flight information.

Finally, and this is just part and parcel of the whole mess, I have to do the same entering of my preference for my companion, which is me. If I don't, I get the "You are an idiot" error for my companion.

Really? In this case who is the idiot?

And does not the Companion have to fly with the Member anyway? Except for being in different parts of the airport when the message is not sent, this feature is redundant. It isn't going to send it anyway. It never does. I mean NEVER.

joshua362

You are correct, Sir! I guess it does irk you too, especially that stupid error message.

carraher

I use onboard wifi whenever it is available. The signup process is tedious. Since there is a field to optionally add one's RR account number, I wish that when choosing to do so, the stored credit card information could be applied without having to enter it manually each time w billing info etc.

robbert

TSA-pre, TSA-pre, TSA-pre, just let us enter the known traveler number, that's all. Flying a lot of AA/UA these days because I can't stand the regular TSA process.

flg8rmatt

I had a flight delay in SMF. About 75-90 minutes or so. The delay way posted on the departure screens and announced at the gate. Once we were finally lined up and ready to board, about 20 phones began ringing almost simultaneously. It was Southwest's automated system calling to let us know our flight was delayed.