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WN's new reservation system aggressively cancels duplicate bookings

WN's new reservation system aggressively cancels duplicate bookings

Old Feb 23, 2017, 7:05 pm
  #31  
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Overbooking only goes so far and as you point out, it all goes to the fallacy of WN's "no change fee" policy. While there is nothing marked as a "change fee" the fare difference is what causes people to double book and now won't work.

With fewer bookings, but fewer no shows, the system ought to take care of itself.
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Old Feb 23, 2017, 8:11 pm
  #32  
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Originally Posted by ursine1
Since Southwest overbooks, and has a no-show policy they enforce, it's unlikely anyone is "not getting home" due to someone else making multiple bookings for the same day. A fair standby policy/fee for non-elites would eliminate the need stampchez mentioned.

That said, this option appears to be gone now.

One wonders if WN is adjusting their overbooking algorithm accordingly?
My lack of faith in WN's technical abilities leads me to believe that they won't adjust their overbooking algorithm until they (presumably) see an uptick in IDBs after May.... I doubt we'd ever get numbers, but I'm personally really curious about how much WN figures they're losing due to double bookings.

I often do the multiple same day bookings when I'm not sure when a meeting will end, and am disappointed that loophole won't be available going forward, though I recognize it's technically against the CoC (I wonder if the A List same day standby policy was made with this in mind. Would seem to hurt non-AListers who engage in this practice though).

I guess this also means doing "shuttle" mileage runs won't work going forward (e.g. I flew back and forth between OAK & LGB 4 times in 1 day last fall for the 10 flight CP promotion)
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Old Feb 23, 2017, 9:53 pm
  #33  
nsx
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Originally Posted by ryw
I guess this also means doing "shuttle" mileage runs won't work going forward (e.g. I flew back and forth between OAK & LGB 4 times in 1 day last fall for the 10 flight CP promotion)
I think for now the system will only cancel a duplicate if both flights are scheduled to be in the air at the same time. That's a conflict the customer cannot dispute.
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Old Feb 24, 2017, 12:32 am
  #34  
 
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Originally Posted by nsx
I think for now the system will only cancel a duplicate if both flights are scheduled to be in the air at the same time. That's a conflict the customer cannot dispute.
I doubt they will pick a threshold that low. I think it would be at least be double the MCT plus the return flight time. That might be difficult
to program in the revenue integrity system so I bet they will just look for multiple flights from a single origin in a calendar day.

Can you book a 4 segment segment trip between two airports in one PNR? I doubt RI would look for duplicates within a single PNR. I know booking multiple segments in a single PNR is not ideal for a number of reasons but it would defeat the RI mechanism.
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Old Feb 24, 2017, 5:34 am
  #35  
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Originally Posted by ryw
My lack of faith in WN's technical abilities leads me to believe that they won't adjust their overbooking algorithm until they (presumably) see an uptick in IDBs after May.... I doubt we'd ever get numbers, but I'm personally really curious about how much WN figures they're losing due to double bookings.

I often do the multiple same day bookings when I'm not sure when a meeting will end, and am disappointed that loophole won't be available going forward, though I recognize it's technically against the CoC (I wonder if the A List same day standby policy was made with this in mind. Would seem to hurt non-AListers who engage in this practice though).

I guess this also means doing "shuttle" mileage runs won't work going forward (e.g. I flew back and forth between OAK & LGB 4 times in 1 day last fall for the 10 flight CP promotion)
Or possible a courier-type job?
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Old Feb 24, 2017, 10:30 am
  #36  
 
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So, if I'm planning a trip from Tampa to the Rockies (open jaw), and I book same day departures to both Denver and Salt Lake City, because at this early stage, I'm not sure I want to sight see the mountains eastbound or westbound, Southwest will unilaterally cancel one of my reservations?

I'd prefer Southwest establish a time threshold, like T-21d when the enforcement occurs, accompanied by an email at T-25d allowing the traveler to cancel the unwanted leg on their own.
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Old Feb 24, 2017, 11:05 am
  #37  
 
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Originally Posted by nsx
I think for now the system will only cancel a duplicate if both flights are scheduled to be in the air at the same time. That's a conflict the customer cannot dispute.
That's somewhat bearable but to quote Number 5 from Short Circuit (1986 movie) , "need input..."
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Old Feb 24, 2017, 12:38 pm
  #38  
 
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This explains my cancellation. I booked two flights to LAS, one from DTW and one from FNT for June. For the return, the FNT is the day after the DTW return, so they aren't duplicates, but the departures are. They are all booked as one-way and on points. Last week, I cancelled and rebooked the DTW-LAS for a refare. Two days later, it was cancelled without explanation. I rebooked it last night, but now I wonder if it will be cancelled again.
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Old Feb 24, 2017, 4:22 pm
  #39  
 
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Originally Posted by shadow520
This explains my cancellation. I booked two flights to LAS, one from DTW and one from FNT for June. For the return, the FNT is the day after the DTW return, so they aren't duplicates, but the departures are. They are all booked as one-way and on points. Last week, I cancelled and rebooked the DTW-LAS for a refare. Two days later, it was cancelled without explanation. I rebooked it last night, but now I wonder if it will be cancelled again.
Is this the first example of a duplicate being defined as same destination instead of same origin?
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Old Feb 24, 2017, 5:55 pm
  #40  
 
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Ugh. Yes. But it does seem to be within the terms of the (purposefully vague) CoC:

(v)
Multiple Reservations. Southwest prohibits multiple reservations for the same Passenger departing from the same city on the same date. Furthermore, without notice to the Passenger or purchaser, Southwest may cancel such reservations or any other reservations that it believes, in its sole discretion, were made without intent to travel.
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Old Feb 26, 2017, 6:20 am
  #41  
 
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Yep, it got cancelled again. Sucks.
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Old Feb 26, 2017, 10:10 am
  #42  
 
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New system too aggressive? I have back to back trips lined up where I need to fly to the same city twice in one day so I have a full RT setup and then a way one on the last flight out (retuning the next day). Southwest cancelled one of the flights out from the same city. With the flight timing its completely possible to make all of them and I am sure I am not the one person with a need to do this type of schedule. Sigh ...
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Old Feb 26, 2017, 11:59 am
  #43  
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Originally Posted by olouie
New system too aggressive? I have back to back trips lined up where I need to fly to the same city twice in one day so I have a full RT setup and then a way one on the last flight out (retuning the next day). Southwest cancelled one of the flights out from the same city. With the flight timing its completely possible to make all of them and I am sure I am not the one person with a need to do this type of schedule. Sigh ...
Well this dispels the hope that WN's system only cancels overlapping flights. Any luck calling in and explaining your situation? Would be interesting to know if the auto cancellations can be overridden by an agent for people who need to fly same city pairs more than once per day.
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Old Feb 26, 2017, 12:39 pm
  #44  
 
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SWA (WN) Cancellations

I had this actually happen to one of PRE-MAY tickets (Flight is in March 2017). I booked our flights on RR Points last year (2016) when the MARCH 2017 schedule opened up. Then I qualified Companion Pass this year (2017). Added my daughter as Companion. Then booked the Companion flight to mine. Well - last week saw emails of Flight Cancellation - noticed it was for the flight I booked on my daughter on Points. But it left the Companion Pass booking. I called to find out what is going on. Was told that 'Corporate' noticed the duplicate booking and cancelled the Duplicate. Wise enough to know that the CP flight was the one to keep. The agent said that Corporate has been busy with that because too many people keep booking multiple flights, 'then forget' they have multiple bookings, and making it difficult on agents either on day of flight or after when trying to rectify credit, points, etc. for flights the were note cancelled ahead of time correctly. I suspect it is also starting to mess with their capacity planning for butts in seats too.

I have some flights in late May with the same situation, but nothing cancelled yet (fingers crossed - they let me be to manage myself)
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Old Feb 26, 2017, 12:41 pm
  #45  
 
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Originally Posted by etna
So, if I'm planning a trip from Tampa to the Rockies (open jaw), and I book same day departures to both Denver and Salt Lake City, because at this early stage, I'm not sure I want to sight see the mountains eastbound or westbound, Southwest will unilaterally cancel one of my reservations?

I'd prefer Southwest establish a time threshold, like T-21d when the enforcement occurs, accompanied by an email at T-25d allowing the traveler to cancel the unwanted leg on their own.
Hear, hear!!!!
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