Southwest auto cancelled my reservation 2 weeks out?
Sep 3, 2018, 9:51 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 53
Southwest auto cancelled my reservation 2 weeks out?
I'm a high mile flyer on Southwest (earned CP) who routinely books multiple reservations and rearranges them as my schedule changes. I've read that Southwest has started aggressively cancelling same day reservations but haven't had a problem with it until now. They auto cancelled a reservation for a flight 16 days out. One flight was heading east, the other west at about the same time. I planned to figure which place I needed to be next week and cancel the unneeded ticket about a week out. In the past, I've routinely booked multiple tickets for the same day and cancel them as needed a few days in advance without issue, sometimes at 24 hours out. I guess what's surprising to me about this is how far in advance they cancelled it, given that it's currently not anywhere close to a full flight. I'll submit this as a data point for people who triage tickets like I do. It doesn't bold well for my relationship with Southwest as I value the flexibility.
Sep 3, 2018, 10:17 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,192
Yep, this is a fairly new policy and not surprising at all.
Frankly, seems pretty reasonable to me. They must have been losing a decent amount of business because seats were tied up by people with no intention of using them.
Frankly, seems pretty reasonable to me. They must have been losing a decent amount of business because seats were tied up by people with no intention of using them.
Sep 3, 2018, 10:42 am
#3
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: LAS
Posts: 1,525
I'm a high mile flyer on Southwest (earned CP) who routinely books multiple reservations and rearranges them as my schedule changes. I've read that Southwest has started aggressively cancelling same day reservations but haven't had a problem with it until now. They auto cancelled a reservation for a flight 16 days out. One flight was heading east, the other west at about the same time. I planned to figure which place I needed to be next week and cancel the unneeded ticket about a week out. In the past, I've routinely booked multiple tickets for the same day and cancel them as needed a few days in advance without issue, sometimes at 24 hours out. I guess what's surprising to me about this is how far in advance they cancelled it, given that it's currently not anywhere close to a full flight. I'll submit this as a data point for people who triage tickets like I do. It doesn't bold well for my relationship with Southwest as I value the flexibility.
I certainly get it from a business standpoint. Why should they show a flight as booked full when it really isn't, even two weeks out? They only make money when there are butts in the seats!
Sep 3, 2018, 12:00 pm
#7
Join Date: May 2016
Location: ATL
Programs: DL GM, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,241
While this used to be possible, the auto cancellation of conflicting reservations started both with the no-overbooking policy and the new IT system used for flights starting spring 2017
From what I can tell, and from what others have reported here, it will auto cancel if you have 2 reservations with overlapping flight times, or if you have multiple flights in the same direction between city pairs in the same day (e.g. 2 MDW-BWI flights on the same day at different times).
Depending on the city pairs you were looking at and if you have A list status, it might be possible to book 2 flights on the same day for different city pairs that don't overlap timewise, with one flight being later than your ideal time. If you end up needing the city pair on the later flight, you can use the standby benefit to fly earlier (and cancel the other city pair). I've never tested this though and don't know that anyone has reported that this works.
From what I can tell, and from what others have reported here, it will auto cancel if you have 2 reservations with overlapping flight times, or if you have multiple flights in the same direction between city pairs in the same day (e.g. 2 MDW-BWI flights on the same day at different times).
Depending on the city pairs you were looking at and if you have A list status, it might be possible to book 2 flights on the same day for different city pairs that don't overlap timewise, with one flight being later than your ideal time. If you end up needing the city pair on the later flight, you can use the standby benefit to fly earlier (and cancel the other city pair). I've never tested this though and don't know that anyone has reported that this works.
Sep 3, 2018, 12:35 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: RNO
Programs: AA/DL/UA
Posts: 10,775
I'm a high mile flyer on Southwest (earned CP) who routinely books multiple reservations and rearranges them as my schedule changes. I've read that Southwest has started aggressively cancelling same day reservations but haven't had a problem with it until now. They auto cancelled a reservation for a flight 16 days out. One flight was heading east, the other west at about the same time. I planned to figure which place I needed to be next week and cancel the unneeded ticket about a week out. In the past, I've routinely booked multiple tickets for the same day and cancel them as needed a few days in advance without issue, sometimes at 24 hours out. I guess what's surprising to me about this is how far in advance they cancelled it, given that it's currently not anywhere close to a full flight. I'll submit this as a data point for people who triage tickets like I do. It doesn't bold well for my relationship with Southwest as I value the flexibility.
What you need to do is pick a flight to book, and then change it later if needed. Making multiple reservations and then cancelling the ones you aren't taking ties up seat inventory, and that is bad for business. It is fraudulent and I am glad that Southwest is putting a stop to it.
Sep 3, 2018, 1:28 pm
#9
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: PIT, BWI, or IPT
Programs: Dividend Miles, WorldPerks
Posts: 1,302
I tried double booking exactly once in my life...for upcoming holiday travel this year...since I wanted to talk to the wife about it after schedules opened. Within about 4 hours WN cancelled one of my flights (luckily they picked the desired one to cancel that I was going to cancel anyway)
Sep 3, 2018, 1:59 pm
#11
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,624
Southwest's current (but relatively new) policy is more than fair to customers. It's not as insane as before but still IMHO not sustainable.
Sep 3, 2018, 2:21 pm
#12
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Houston (HOU/IAH)
Programs: WN, UA, DL, AA, Chase UR, Amex MR
Posts: 2,269
I've heard that people actually do this since apps like OpenTable make it so easy to make a bunch of reservations. Not surprisingly, restaurants are like the airlines and are not a fan of this behavior.
Sep 3, 2018, 3:11 pm
#13
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SNA
Programs: Bonvoy LTTE/AMB, AmEx Plat, National EE, WN A-List, CLEAR+, Covid-19
Posts: 4,967
I get what WN is doing, too- but this is really about revenue on their end, as you can't book "overlapping" WGAs if your travel plans aren't certain. I don't like the new policy at all, but at least free standby for A-List helps soften the impact.
Sep 3, 2018, 3:19 pm
#14
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SNA
Programs: Bonvoy LTTE/AMB, AmEx Plat, National EE, WN A-List, CLEAR+, Covid-19
Posts: 4,967
OpenTable doesn't (and as far as I know never has) allow(ed) overlapping reservations. Plus if you cancel too often OpenTable will drop you and you'll lose your points.