lleung1980

I have a work trip pop up this weekend, instead of flying back from BWI to SDF with my gf, I might have to fly direct to LAX. Since my gf is my companion pass ticket, what will happen if I don't show up for the flight?

Since there is a possibility that my work trip will cancel, Is there anyway to convert her ticket into pay ticket? Or should I just buy another ticket for her? Can I book her in the same flight as companion ticket, and cancel it last minute if we don't need it?

olouie

If you don’t fly your companion won’t be allowed to fly. You can’t really double book a flight. Just cancel the CP booking and book that flight for her separately. If it turns out you can make it you can always add her later since she will cancel her ticket opening up a space.

NoStressHere

Same thing came up a while back. (might have been on redditt).

If the paid person is not flying ,they will ask for the freebie to get off the plane. In reality, they would have no idea where this person is and would have to keep asking until that person got up and got off, or they decide to check the ID of everyone on board.

Two option - one of which is not legal (term used loosely)
a) Buy another ticket for her
b) Let her go through TSA with HER boarding pass, but board the plane with YOUR boarding pass.

rsteinmetz70112

As far as I've been able to determine there is no law against using someone else's ticket. It would be a violation of the contract between the purchaser and the airline and possibly a civil matter, as long as the person who flew entered the gate area legally. The airlines like to call it "ticket fraud" but the airline does not actually lose anything of significant value, merely the opportunity to charge someone more. Some airlines have (or had) an option to change the names on already issued tickets. Back when I flew Airtran all the time we had an A2B account - one of the perks was to be able to change the name on a ticket at no cost. All it took was a phone call. We occasionally used that to substitute people flying for business . The airline could of course stop someone from boarding if they suspected that the name on the Boarding Pass didn't match the person holding the Boarding Pass, The most obvious obvious case would be a woman holding a boarding pass with an obviously male name, however many names aren't obviously one gender or the other and some trans people haven't legally changed their identification, I knew someone in that condition.

winston vickers

When she attempts to board the flight, the OPS Agent will get a beep as they are scanning at the gate and they immediately ask where the CP ticket holder is at. They won't allow her to board as a Companion until the CP Holder boards. As suggested you could let her go thru TSA check with her BP and then board with with your Boarding card but why? IF for some reason that you don't change the ticket ahead of time and she boards with your ticket/BP I'm not sure if their system pick up how you're traveling from BWI to SDF and on the same day going to BWI to LAX. I would assume if you get caught that it would put a big red flag on your account. Call the Reservation line, cancel the 2 reservations put her on the paid ticket and she'll get credit for flying, unless you cash in points. If you don't do this in advance it will cost her hassle at the gate. WN isn't going to let your GF travel for free.

danhouston

nah, not sure about the system that might alert or beep... my companion more than once boarded before me fine w/o being questioned or stopped

NoStressHere

cancel my thought.. i was referring to the thing where they used the paid ticket option instead

HPN-HRL

Is there any way that you could fly together to SDF, with you then continuing onward to LAX?

olouie

They can and do remove companions if the main CP holder doesnt show up. Im assuming their system knows what is going on if the main CP holder ticket is not scanned during boarding.

smmrfld

Don't try it. Not worth the risk.

steved5480

Definitely listen to the wise man/woman.

The Companion *will* get pulled prior to doors (closed) if the Companion Pass Holder isn't onboard. Several of us here have witnessed this happening more than once.

m907

IMO it's not worth the risk of Southwest potentially revoking the companion pass. A ticket from SDF to BWI/DCA/IAD would be much cheaper than losing that.
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lleung1980

Thank you for all of the info. I end up getting her a ticket from DCA to SDF and I rebook DCA to LAX.