A-List Preferred status gone from reservations today
Aug 13, 2017, 2:28 pm
#31
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K, MR LT Plat
Posts: 48
They were able to add status back so BP says A+ and told to board after A-60 which I was going to do. Based on others comments I checked my upcoming trips and all have link to add EBCI. This is going to be a pain to call and have them fix. Good thing I only have 6 currently booked. But 1 is tomorrow and and it's already less than T-36 so probably hosed on that one.
Aug 13, 2017, 2:55 pm
#32
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: PHX?
Programs: WN CP, A list+; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Platinum Premier; Hertz PC; National Executive Elite
Posts: 156
Doesn't really matter what caused the glitch. Southwest screwed up and it is impacting their best customers.
It is frustrating to spend a lot of time and money doing business with a company and then when they can't deliver on what they promise (and they accept that the screw up is their fault) the response you get is - tough luck - you will probably get a window or aisle, not the end of the world.
It is even more insulting when they offer to SELL you a better boarding pass.
So Southwest - you are telling me that your IT system melted down and you can't deliver on a loyalty perk for your best customers, so instead of offering to comp those effected - you would rather try to milk me for an extra $30 bucks?
In the long run, I'd think that comping someone who flies your airline 50+ times a year a better boarding pass would make a lot more sense than trying to get an extra $30 out of someone who might fly your airline twice a year.
Yes - I do these Southwest melt downs to be quite frustrating.
It is frustrating to spend a lot of time and money doing business with a company and then when they can't deliver on what they promise (and they accept that the screw up is their fault) the response you get is - tough luck - you will probably get a window or aisle, not the end of the world.
It is even more insulting when they offer to SELL you a better boarding pass.
So Southwest - you are telling me that your IT system melted down and you can't deliver on a loyalty perk for your best customers, so instead of offering to comp those effected - you would rather try to milk me for an extra $30 bucks?
In the long run, I'd think that comping someone who flies your airline 50+ times a year a better boarding pass would make a lot more sense than trying to get an extra $30 out of someone who might fly your airline twice a year.
Yes - I do these Southwest melt downs to be quite frustrating.
Aug 13, 2017, 3:07 pm
#33
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 34
Unless ash they come up with a way to automate the fix - I think you might have to have them al adjusted manually.
The reason I say that is because the agent who added my status to my flight for tomorrow - went out of her way to tell me that the fix will only fix that specific reservation - not any future reservations. Then she asked me if I had time to go through all of my future reservations to fix those.
I didn't ask about future reservations - she brought it up - which makes me think they know this is impacting all future reservations as well.
Aug 13, 2017, 3:34 pm
#34
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: AUS, SAN, EDI, BA F, WN Exit Row
Programs: Southwest Airlines AP & CP; BA Gold
Posts: 169
A bit of update...
1. The Customer Service Agents and Operations Agents (I usually call them Gate Agents) in both San Diego and Phoenix were aware of the issue, empathetic, and took steps to ensure I was happy. By far, better treatment than I received from the A-List Preferred phone agents or the Rapid Rewards agent.
2. The Ops agent said that they have a fix in place and reservations for tomorrow (Monday) should be OK. Hope that's good info and I'm going to be really grumpy again if I need to be on the phone to update 28 tickets....they never seem to have access to my reservations without the confirmation number. Lastly, if I need to update by phone, you often lose the ability to manage that reservation on the web site and need to call again.
We'll see what comes this week. If my Thursday night fight doesn't look right (offering EBCI) by Tuesday evening (T-36 boarding position assignment would be 9AM Wednesday) I'll be on the phone again.
1. The Customer Service Agents and Operations Agents (I usually call them Gate Agents) in both San Diego and Phoenix were aware of the issue, empathetic, and took steps to ensure I was happy. By far, better treatment than I received from the A-List Preferred phone agents or the Rapid Rewards agent.
2. The Ops agent said that they have a fix in place and reservations for tomorrow (Monday) should be OK. Hope that's good info and I'm going to be really grumpy again if I need to be on the phone to update 28 tickets....they never seem to have access to my reservations without the confirmation number. Lastly, if I need to update by phone, you often lose the ability to manage that reservation on the web site and need to call again.
We'll see what comes this week. If my Thursday night fight doesn't look right (offering EBCI) by Tuesday evening (T-36 boarding position assignment would be 9AM Wednesday) I'll be on the phone again.
Aug 13, 2017, 7:25 pm
#38
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Bay Area
Programs: UA 1K, AA Plat, WN A-list, AS MVP 75K, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 380
Aug 13, 2017, 8:56 pm
#39
Join Date: May 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Gold, WN A+ & CP, HH Diamond, Hyatt Platinum, National Executive Elite
Posts: 3,246
Aug 13, 2017, 9:15 pm
#40
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Delighted to no longer be in Illinois
Programs: SW A List Preferred, Delta Gold, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 703
All of my future reservations are offering to sell me Early Bird even though I'm A List Preffered. There is no "A" by my name on any of them. Crap.
Aug 13, 2017, 9:23 pm
#41
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,512
I know that, that's why I said "whatever reason" however I had to explain myself because 760Devilfan felt the need to point out that it's not "whatever", it's a particular reason. Then they went on to post that it doesn't matter. Which is what I said in the first place. :rolleyes
Apparently, agents are able to generate printed boarding passes with A-list on it so you're able to board at the end of the A's. Having the flight earn the A-List points bonus is another mire.
Aug 13, 2017, 9:58 pm
#42
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: MCI
Programs: CBP Global Entry, WN A-List Preferred, WN Companion Pass
Posts: 2,007
Same here. I have about a dozen future flights out there, it all looked "normal" last week sometime. The AP has vanished & the sale of EBCI is now "offered" on each reservation.
Aug 14, 2017, 5:02 am
#43
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Likely Not at Home
Programs: WN RR A-List Preferred & CP, Alaska Air MVP Gold, HH Diamond, Hertz Pres. Circle
Posts: 111
The SWA IT department is, perhaps, the worst I have ever seen. It is beyond ridiculous for a company as large as SWA to have such an inept IT department that continually causes problems for all of its customers.
I had a B-42 boarding pass when I want to pull it down on Saturday for a flight on Sunday. Wondering what happened, I contacted SWA and was told of the SWA IT-created issue.
I was put on hold so that she could ensure that my A-List Preferred status would show on the boarding pass, so that I could board between the A and B groups.
I then asked about my numerous future reservations, and she said she'd check with the Help Desk, but that she believed they would have to be checked one-by-one.
Upon confirmation from the Help Desk that this was, indeed, the case, we proceeded to do that, which took me over 1 and 1/2 hours.
While I was pretty annoyed at this situation, I am now really pissed.
I just went to look at a reservation I have for Wednesday and it does NOT have my status on that reservation. Upon checking the other reservations, 16 of them that were 'fixed' on Saturday, are now without the status, again.
This is ridiculous. It was bad enough it happened once, but then after I took the time to get them all 'fixed', whatever the SWA IT staff is doing/did messed them up again.
Come on SWA, you can be better than this! Stop wasting your customer's time!
I had a B-42 boarding pass when I want to pull it down on Saturday for a flight on Sunday. Wondering what happened, I contacted SWA and was told of the SWA IT-created issue.
I was put on hold so that she could ensure that my A-List Preferred status would show on the boarding pass, so that I could board between the A and B groups.
I then asked about my numerous future reservations, and she said she'd check with the Help Desk, but that she believed they would have to be checked one-by-one.
Upon confirmation from the Help Desk that this was, indeed, the case, we proceeded to do that, which took me over 1 and 1/2 hours.
While I was pretty annoyed at this situation, I am now really pissed.
I just went to look at a reservation I have for Wednesday and it does NOT have my status on that reservation. Upon checking the other reservations, 16 of them that were 'fixed' on Saturday, are now without the status, again.
This is ridiculous. It was bad enough it happened once, but then after I took the time to get them all 'fixed', whatever the SWA IT staff is doing/did messed them up again.
Come on SWA, you can be better than this! Stop wasting your customer's time!
Aug 14, 2017, 7:07 am
#44
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: AUS, SAN, EDI, BA F, WN Exit Row
Programs: Southwest Airlines AP & CP; BA Gold
Posts: 169
So, likely too early to tell, but curious if anyone has had their reservation changed by an agent from "hoi polloi" to A-List (or A-List Preferred) prior to the T-36 deadline and actually received the associated benefits (boarding position, points multiplier)?
Aug 14, 2017, 7:14 am
#45
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: AUS, SAN, EDI, BA F, WN Exit Row
Programs: Southwest Airlines AP & CP; BA Gold
Posts: 169
.......Upon confirmation from the Help Desk that this was, indeed, the case, we proceeded to do that, which took me over 1 and 1/2 hours.
While I was pretty annoyed at this situation, I am now really pissed.
I just went to look at a reservation I have for Wednesday and it does NOT have my status on that reservation. Upon checking the other reservations, 16 of them that were 'fixed' on Saturday, are now without the status, again......
While I was pretty annoyed at this situation, I am now really pissed.
I just went to look at a reservation I have for Wednesday and it does NOT have my status on that reservation. Upon checking the other reservations, 16 of them that were 'fixed' on Saturday, are now without the status, again......
Maybe I'll change my screen name to In Denial.