Delta Hog

Had to stay last night in Dallas due to missed connection, WN fault for mechanical. Received free hotel + $100 voucher + flight out in the morning.

Flight out in the morning I was C-23. For the flight I missed, I was in the A group. Seems to me that my seating position should be no worse and in fact, priority boarding for the next flight should be a perk/compensation for a missed flight due to WN's fault. (Not a missed flight for your own fault, of course).

Counter personnel told me, "there is nothing we can do, the computer spits out the number." Is this correct? Could they have given me priority boarding if they wanted to? Should they have?

Wingrider

You didn't have any status to be able to board at the end of A group?

synergistic

They probably could/should have allowed you to board with family boarding between A and B groups. They don't really have the ability to give you a better boarding number, though - the computer does indeed spit those out. If A-35 had been available due to a cancellation, you would have received A-35. Honestly, my problem would have been the voucher amount - I think I'd expect more for an overnight delay, though a proactive hotel booking would have kept me from protesting loudly.

Delta Hog

The hotel (La Quinta) had its own set of issues, most relevantly that its morning shuttle doesn't start until 6 am, which is a litttttttttle late for a 6 am flight. So why would WN use it as a hotel to send stranded passengers to? Complaining about that and other issues brought an additional $150 ($250 total), so I am fine with the voucher. But seems to me that bumping you to a later flight should automatically place you into some kind of priority boarding list.

​​​​​​​Not yet. But I'm headed that direction.

Often1

That is asking way too much of WN's antique IT architecture. Agents don't have the ability to force specific numbers.

It's probably way down the list of flaws to be corrected because it only matters for passengers disrupted for a reason within WN's control and who don't have status.

ursine1

The fact that you were given/able to get a hotel room is surprising. You made out quite well, given the circumstances, actually.

PAX62

Overnight delays due to mechanical is one case that they DO give you hotel and usually a taxi voucher. Weather or ATC delays you are on your own.

Problem is that by time you were re-booked boarding positions were already assigned. No way to "insert" you to a better position.

Prior to the A list tag alongs being able to board after A60 I was in a similar situation and the GA hand wrote on my BP and allowed me to board between A and B...so it CAN be done, but lacking status a seat in the next available position is all they are gonna do for you.

ursine1

My experience:

When WN accepts responsibility (MX or ops) they MAY give you a hotel voucher. Or they may be "out of them." Or they may give you a voucher that you discover the hotel won't accept when you arrive. Or that the hotel is full when you arrive. All of these things have happened to me on Southwest.

And I have never once been given a "taxi voucher." It's much more likely you'll be directed to the hotel shuttle.

Getting a hand-written position, or boarding between A and B, still can happen, but has gotten infrequent. I've been denied.

All you can usually still depend on is a travel voucher. But lately that may require a call/tweet to CAR after the fact.

Allan38103

"Complaining about that and other issues brought an additional $150 ($250 total), so I am fine with the voucher."

So OP got $150 extra from the airline due to a HOTEL issue? (Plus the hotel free) And a savvy traveler should be able to figure out to get from an airport hotel to his flight.

It sucks being stranded like that, but it looks like they covered your inconvenience as well as they could.

uastarflyer

If you had purchased Early boarding call Customer service and ask for a refund

i had an overnight mechanical this summer and my party got $200/person plus hotel room. Boarding after a group.

jeffandnicole

To look at it from another point of view: For everyone that checked in at T-24 or close to that for the 6am flight you were reassigned to, or bought EBCI, should they be inconvenienced on a flight due to an issue they had nothing to do with? Should we expect someone to say they were given B1 when they checked in at T-24 for that 6am flight(or B1 even after purchasing EBCI), only to have numerous people from another flight board before them, effectively giving them a C boarding position?

Or, even more direct to your complaint: EBCI nets a A25 position for the 6am flight. T-24 netted a A40 position. Should those people be forced to board after numerous people from another flight who believe they should now be the first to board?

Sounds like you made out pretty well - getting a $250 voucher, a free hotel stay, and a seat on what was probably the first flight the next morning. Sounds like you're trying to reach for the stars though.

Delta Hog

Nah, I'm not reaching any more. I am satisfied with the result EXCEPT for the fact that I think if you move to a later flight through no fault of your own, you should always be guaranteed a boarding position as good or better than the one you had. That just seems like a given to me if I was running the business. Not too worried about the people already on the later flight. I always see all kinds of people pre-boarding ahead of me for reasons I can't quite fathom.

birdiedouble

Allowing you to do what you're asking puts you in this group.

Delta Hog

We are in 100% agreement. Others are in that group, why shouldn't a nonfault delayed pax be in it?

synergistic

This is what I consider to be standard compensation on Southwest for an overnight delay.