bullsfan1227

I'd like to ask whether
1. This is in violation of Southwest terms and conditions
2. If this is likely to get one or both tickets cancelled

I am flying from A - B - C, with a companion.
My companion would like to get off at B, and fly from from B - D, about 1.5 hours after landing at B.

Is this doable?

synergistic

I have not actually tested the autocancel system like this, and don't recall reading any data points, so I don't actually know if this would get caught by the system.

I would call WN, as I believe they can put your companion on just one leg of your trip. That might require them to split your itinerary into multiple PNRs, I'm not sure. I do seem to recall that someone had some problems with a similar situation recently, though I do not recall the details.

If I were in this situation and WN customer relations (not just the normal phone number! CR has at least some magical powers) was completely unable to help me... I'd probably book the onward travel (B-D) for my companion without including their RR number. I'd also postpone adding the companion to the A-B-C trip until the last possible second - preferably until after midnight the night before the trip, if availability allows. I'd be somewhat nervous about the whole situation until my companion was safely seated on the correct final leg.

toomanybooks

synergistic

It definitely should be possible, but I really do think I remember someone complaining that they weren't able to do the split recently. I don't see the thread now, of course =/

I really don't think this is a situation that would be claimed as abuse, but you're right - probably better not to risk something as valuable as a CP and associated points.

birdiedouble

I recently set up a flight BUF>TPA>RDU where my wife is my companion and only flying BUF>TPA. It took about 15 minutes on the phone to take care of. I also did a slightly different flight last December where I flew ROC>BWI>CHS and my son had a paid flight from TPA>BWI and was my companion on the BWI>CHS flight. Also did the same on the return trip where he flew CHS>BWI as a companion and had a paid ticket to go BWI>TPA. All requires the assistance of a rep on the phone. With auto cancel I don't think I'd leave the flight she wants to take from B>D vulnerable.

bullsfan1227

Thank you for the suggestions to call and the data point! I can't attempt it until I change my companion a month from now, but I will report back on this thread with hopefully another successful data point.

birdiedouble

Not to confuse matters here, but I am also the person who recently asked about changing my companion mid trip and was told that is not possible. That might be the thread others are thinking of.

On another note, you should also be able to get your companions bags checked all the way through D. That was done by my son on the TPA>BWI flight (bags checked to CHS) and on the return CHS>BWI, we were able to check his bags through to TPA.

nsx

I have had a companion accompany me on the first of two legs. It required some effort for the counter agent to check his bag to the intermediate stop, which was a favor to me. Normally that's not allowed. But getting off with no bag is easy. Just get off yourself and tell the second leg gate agent that the companion is gone.

bullsfan1227

How did you get WN to issue a companion ticket on only one leg of the ticketed itinerary? Did you call the regular customer service number? Does every agent know how, or did you have to speak to multiple people to find someone who could do it? Thanks.

birdiedouble

bullsfan1227

Thanks!

bullsfan1227

Update:

I was unable to accomplish this with a 1 stop flight where there was no plane change. I talked to three agents and they all told me the same thing. Since it was a direct flight (A-B-C with no plane change at B and the same flight number for both segments), they said they couldn't split it. One agent told me I could rebook it as 2 one ways, but I would have to pay the point difference, which was significant. She said that if there was a plane change at stop B, it wouldn't be a problem to split it and book the companion on just one leg.

nsx

If the trip is still in the future, I would try it anyway. You should be able to fool the autocancel bot by including some errors in the B-D paid trip booking. Spell the name differently and goof up the birth day or month or year. Book B-D using points to avoid any possibility that funds will be locked to an incorrect name.

After arriving at airport B tell the flight attendants that the count will be low by 1 because your companion got off. The companion should not need to show ID at B unless the flight is canceled or otherwise changed.

IMHO this is the rare case where you are tricking the system in order to accomplish what the system's designers would have liked the system to be able to do, so I regard it as win-win.

LBJFlight23

just confirming that i was able to book for gf A=>B=>C and be added as companion for only B=>C with rep over phone still. just a more recent dp

i believe if your A-B-C route did not change planes though, this may not be possible.