Companion Pass ever unavailable?
Feb 14, 2019, 9:23 pm
#16
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 35
Obviously if the flight is completely sold-out you won't be able to add your companion to it. But one time WN refused to allow me to add a companion when BS and AT fares were still available. "There are no seats for companions left," a Southwest phone agent explained to me.
"You're saying there's now a special quota on companions? Where's that documented?" I asked.
"It's not documented externally. But there's a special fare category needed for companions, and that category's all sold out on your flight. The military rate is in the same category. We can't sell more military fares on that flight, either."
In retrospect I'm not sure if I stumbled across some arcane WN policy or just a very... misinformed... agent. I figured I'd HUCA the next day, though by then I'd chosen to change my own flight, anyway, and booking a companion seat on it was no problem.
"You're saying there's now a special quota on companions? Where's that documented?" I asked.
"It's not documented externally. But there's a special fare category needed for companions, and that category's all sold out on your flight. The military rate is in the same category. We can't sell more military fares on that flight, either."
In retrospect I'm not sure if I stumbled across some arcane WN policy or just a very... misinformed... agent. I figured I'd HUCA the next day, though by then I'd chosen to change my own flight, anyway, and booking a companion seat on it was no problem.
Feb 15, 2019, 12:07 pm
#17
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SNA
Programs: Bonvoy LTTE/AMB, AmEx Plat, National EE, WN A-List, CLEAR+, Covid-19
Posts: 4,963
Feb 15, 2019, 12:24 pm
#18
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Programs: AC SE100K, F9 100k, NK Gold, UA *S, Hyatt Glob, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 5,191
"You're saying there's now a special quota on companions? Where's that documented?" I asked.
"It's not documented externally. But there's a special fare category needed for companions, and that category's all sold out on your flight. The military rate is in the same category. We can't sell more military fares on that flight, either."
Feb 16, 2019, 9:53 am
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Nashville -Past DL Plat, FO, WN-CP, various hotel programs
Programs: DL-MM, AA, SW w/companion,HiltonDiamond, Hyatt PLat, IHF Plat, Miles and Points Seeker
Posts: 11,072
Jun 4, 2019, 2:44 pm
#21
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 159
How about this.... Wife and I scheduled for a flight in August, on a Tuesday. I've added my companion. We went to add my wife's companion, and now it now shows all fare buckets as sold out. Odd though, as it is nearly 3 months away. I then look at the flexible date calendar, and now all Monday, Tue, Wed, Thur, and Fri dates from 8/12 - 8/30 are Unavailable... in other words, every seat is sold out for nearly three straight weeks. Highly unlikely. Looks more like SW is playing with schedules.
I'm now concerned as I cannot add our final companion to the reservation, and more concerned that our family summer trip will be altered, as Southwest could cancel the Tuesday flight altogether...and since they won't rebook on another airline, just the next available, that would not work for us, as our vacation is 8/27 - 9/1, and the next outbound flight is 8/31...
My plan of course it to check back multiple times a day, but since it appears there is a three week chunk of all flights unavailable, it seems unlikely that on my single day, a single seat will open up.
Thoughts?
I'm now concerned as I cannot add our final companion to the reservation, and more concerned that our family summer trip will be altered, as Southwest could cancel the Tuesday flight altogether...and since they won't rebook on another airline, just the next available, that would not work for us, as our vacation is 8/27 - 9/1, and the next outbound flight is 8/31...
My plan of course it to check back multiple times a day, but since it appears there is a three week chunk of all flights unavailable, it seems unlikely that on my single day, a single seat will open up.
Thoughts?
Last edited by dprocuk; Jun 4, 2019 at 6:21 pm
Jun 4, 2019, 5:00 pm
#22
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: LAX/SMF/PDX/HNL
Programs: Hilton-lifetime diamond, Southwest A+, companion pass
Posts: 1,748
I always book my companion when I book my paid flight.
Advantage: no sweat about available seats. Can get refund of the taxes easily if you have to cancel companion's reservation.
Disadvantage: if you must change your revenue reservation, you must first cancel the companion's first, then re-book both.
Why wait to add companion?
Advantage: no sweat about available seats. Can get refund of the taxes easily if you have to cancel companion's reservation.
Disadvantage: if you must change your revenue reservation, you must first cancel the companion's first, then re-book both.
Why wait to add companion?
Jun 4, 2019, 6:10 pm
#23
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 159
Purely a mistake. I added companion one to the international flight online, but a second companion can only be added to an exisitng reservation containing a companion when calling it it. I did not have time to call it in the same day and then went back later to add the other companion. It was purely a mistake, just never had anything like this appear.
Jun 4, 2019, 7:11 pm
#25
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 159
Companion is not linked to any fare bucket. As long as there is a seat for sale, the companion can be added.