A-List Preferred status gone from reservations today
#62
Join Date: Oct 2016
Programs: Southwest Airlines
Posts: 20
My next flight isn't until next month, but it does show that I can Add Early Bird Check-In so I'm affected as well. Given that I have a month, I'm not all that concerned at the moment, but I'm sure if I had several flights already planned like some of you do I'd be incredibly disappointed.
#63
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 1,855
I feel a little guilty, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy EBCI for my other half on his flight this Friday if the problem keeps dragging on. He has no status but I'd bet that we're still in the stage where most people are only discovering this problem when they go to grab their boarding pass for their first flight in a couple weeks. Plus it's an early morning flight and I don't want to set my alarm to check him in =p
#64
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,164
#65
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: MCI
Programs: DL PM, WN A List, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 26
Plan B data point
This morning MCI-DEN GA handled things extremely well. He announced that boarding procedures would be a little different this morning. He had A1-15 line up normally, then A-list Preferred in one single file line, and A-list in another single file line, and everyone else by their boarding pass position like normal. He boarded A1-15, AP, A, then A16 and on. I doubt that all gates are configured to allow this approach, but for my flight, I think the GA honored the intent for their best customers just great!
EDIT: I can also confirm that A-list bonus miles posted just fine on my account post-flight, although I did have my status added to my boarding pass at the airport.
EDIT: I can also confirm that A-list bonus miles posted just fine on my account post-flight, although I did have my status added to my boarding pass at the airport.
Last edited by kcmo57; Aug 14, 2017 at 1:09 pm Reason: Additional info
#66
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 1,855
Brilliant to hear! That should have been the plan as soon as they became aware of the problem. I was getting worried that the reason they hadn't done something like this was because gate agents didn't have the ability to even tell who has status or what sort.
#67
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: MCI
Programs: DL PM, WN A List, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 26
The GA did ask that people show their status via their plastic card, or the app, or their boarding pass if it had been added there.
#69
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: STL
Programs: Southwest A+/CP, Hilton Diamond, National Executive Elite
Posts: 170
Email just in from WN:
We are currently experiencing challenges with priority check-in (automatic check-in 36 hours before your flight). This has resulted in boarding positions that are less typical than what our A-List and A-List Preferred Members have come to expect. For any adverse impacts to your travel because of this issue, we sincerely apologize. Our Technology teams are working feverishly to restore priority check-in as soon as possible.
In the interim, if you are traveling within the next several days, we advise that you manually check-in 24 hours in advance of your scheduled departure to receive your boarding position, either at Southwest.com or via our mobile app. If you do happen to receive a boarding position in the B or C group, remember that as always, your Tier status enables you to board between Groups A and B. If your A-List status is not printed on your boarding pass, please inform a Southwest gate agent at the airport, who can reprint your boarding pass accurately.
Thank you for your continued patience as we work toward resolution.
Sincerely,
Your friends at Rapid Rewards
ie...your status doesn't mean crap to us, and we will allow those without status to board before you until we decide to figure this out.
We are currently experiencing challenges with priority check-in (automatic check-in 36 hours before your flight). This has resulted in boarding positions that are less typical than what our A-List and A-List Preferred Members have come to expect. For any adverse impacts to your travel because of this issue, we sincerely apologize. Our Technology teams are working feverishly to restore priority check-in as soon as possible.
In the interim, if you are traveling within the next several days, we advise that you manually check-in 24 hours in advance of your scheduled departure to receive your boarding position, either at Southwest.com or via our mobile app. If you do happen to receive a boarding position in the B or C group, remember that as always, your Tier status enables you to board between Groups A and B. If your A-List status is not printed on your boarding pass, please inform a Southwest gate agent at the airport, who can reprint your boarding pass accurately.
Thank you for your continued patience as we work toward resolution.
Sincerely,
Your friends at Rapid Rewards
ie...your status doesn't mean crap to us, and we will allow those without status to board before you until we decide to figure this out.
#71
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 5
No LUV
So the first report of this BP issue on FlyerTalk was 12Aug, but tonight 14Aug at 8:10 Central Time SWA RR decides to fess up in an email. Warning me to manually login for my boarding pass for my flight tomorrow at 5:20pm. "Nice", I am B33.
I called customer support and was told my only option to board where I was supposed to be boarding was for me to buy a business select fare.
Two questions for the soon-to-be former VP of Customer Service,
1. Really, your only solution for the mess is to upsell the customer base?
2. Why did you decide to wait so late to send the message to your very best customers?
I love the good people at Southwest, but it is clear there are some bad apples. Apparently some people at Southwest do not "care" and so the people in the "offices" running Southwest no longer understand "IT" or "Customer Service". Maybe it's time for some changes in the office.
Until then for some mid-level managers looking to move up here are some solutions that should have been initiated when the issue was first terminated.
Better solutions:
1. email issues early
2. a free drink coupon for all A listers
3. 1000 extra points
I called customer support and was told my only option to board where I was supposed to be boarding was for me to buy a business select fare.
Two questions for the soon-to-be former VP of Customer Service,
1. Really, your only solution for the mess is to upsell the customer base?
2. Why did you decide to wait so late to send the message to your very best customers?
I love the good people at Southwest, but it is clear there are some bad apples. Apparently some people at Southwest do not "care" and so the people in the "offices" running Southwest no longer understand "IT" or "Customer Service". Maybe it's time for some changes in the office.
Until then for some mid-level managers looking to move up here are some solutions that should have been initiated when the issue was first terminated.
Better solutions:
1. email issues early
2. a free drink coupon for all A listers
3. 1000 extra points
Last edited by yessam; Aug 14, 2017 at 9:07 pm
#72
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SF Bay Area (East Bay), CA, USA
Programs: WN CP/A-List
Posts: 151
Email just in from WN:
We are currently experiencing challenges with priority check-in (automatic check-in 36 hours before your flight). This has resulted in boarding positions that are less typical than what our A-List and A-List Preferred Members have come to expect. For any adverse impacts to your travel because of this issue, we sincerely apologize. Our Technology teams are working feverishly to restore priority check-in as soon as possible.
In the interim, if you are traveling within the next several days, we advise that you manually check-in 24 hours in advance of your scheduled departure to receive your boarding position, either at Southwest.com or via our mobile app. If you do happen to receive a boarding position in the B or C group, remember that as always, your Tier status enables you to board between Groups A and B. If your A-List status is not printed on your boarding pass, please inform a Southwest gate agent at the airport, who can reprint your boarding pass accurately.
Thank you for your continued patience as we work toward resolution.
Sincerely,
Your friends at Rapid Rewards
ie...your status doesn't mean crap to us, and we will allow those without status to board before you until we decide to figure this out.
We are currently experiencing challenges with priority check-in (automatic check-in 36 hours before your flight). This has resulted in boarding positions that are less typical than what our A-List and A-List Preferred Members have come to expect. For any adverse impacts to your travel because of this issue, we sincerely apologize. Our Technology teams are working feverishly to restore priority check-in as soon as possible.
In the interim, if you are traveling within the next several days, we advise that you manually check-in 24 hours in advance of your scheduled departure to receive your boarding position, either at Southwest.com or via our mobile app. If you do happen to receive a boarding position in the B or C group, remember that as always, your Tier status enables you to board between Groups A and B. If your A-List status is not printed on your boarding pass, please inform a Southwest gate agent at the airport, who can reprint your boarding pass accurately.
Thank you for your continued patience as we work toward resolution.
Sincerely,
Your friends at Rapid Rewards
ie...your status doesn't mean crap to us, and we will allow those without status to board before you until we decide to figure this out.
The email is extremely insulting and very infuriating. WN is terrible at handling these situations. Unbelievable.
Great job of blowing off and diminishing your best customers, WN.
#74
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
Email just in from WN:
We are currently experiencing challenges with priority check-in (automatic check-in 36 hours before your flight). This has resulted in boarding positions that are less typical than what our A-List and A-List Preferred Members have come to expect. For any adverse impacts to your travel because of this issue, we sincerely apologize. Our Technology teams are working feverishly to restore priority check-in as soon as possible.
In the interim, if you are traveling within the next several days, we advise that you manually check-in 24 hours in advance of your scheduled departure to receive your boarding position, either at Southwest.com or via our mobile app. If you do happen to receive a boarding position in the B or C group, remember that as always, your Tier status enables you to board between Groups A and B. If your A-List status is not printed on your boarding pass, please inform a Southwest gate agent at the airport, who can reprint your boarding pass accurately.
Thank you for your continued patience as we work toward resolution.
Sincerely,
Your friends at Rapid Rewards
ie...your status doesn't mean crap to us, and we will allow those without status to board before you until we decide to figure this out.
We are currently experiencing challenges with priority check-in (automatic check-in 36 hours before your flight). This has resulted in boarding positions that are less typical than what our A-List and A-List Preferred Members have come to expect. For any adverse impacts to your travel because of this issue, we sincerely apologize. Our Technology teams are working feverishly to restore priority check-in as soon as possible.
In the interim, if you are traveling within the next several days, we advise that you manually check-in 24 hours in advance of your scheduled departure to receive your boarding position, either at Southwest.com or via our mobile app. If you do happen to receive a boarding position in the B or C group, remember that as always, your Tier status enables you to board between Groups A and B. If your A-List status is not printed on your boarding pass, please inform a Southwest gate agent at the airport, who can reprint your boarding pass accurately.
Thank you for your continued patience as we work toward resolution.
Sincerely,
Your friends at Rapid Rewards
ie...your status doesn't mean crap to us, and we will allow those without status to board before you until we decide to figure this out.
It took three days to craft this double-speak piece of crap.
"Challenges." Let's not even acknowledge what is actually happening.
"Less than typical." Let's downplay the effects on our most loyal customers.
"Next several days." We have no idea how long it will take to fix this mess.
"Accurately." Except for your boarding position, which remains incorrect.
And of course: Let's continue to refuse to offer the simplest, most fair solution (boarding A-Listers after BS), even though it would cost us nothing to do so.
Southwest has never been good at responding appropriately when their tech fails -- which is ironic given how often it happens -- but this is a new standard in stupidity.
I'm assuming they aren't inacting the obvious short-term remedy simply because they lack the ability to communicate it to their agents in timely manner. Which is truly sad.