synergistic

After a disastrous and heartbreaking loss of raw product, my my employer - a medical charity, think blood bank - resolved not to use FedEx or UPS to ship large quantities anymore. I can fly out, purchase coolers that fit the size and weight dimensions, and fly then back for the same price - and I think the risk on nonstop flights is no greater than we face with a service. I couldn't find any limit on how many extra bags an individual can check for $75 - a chat rep suggested there is no limit, but couldn't assure me that there'd be any way to know for sure at check-in that my extra coolers would make it on my flight home with me.

I'm hoping the SWA folks (or anyone else) can tell me for sure how this works. I'd be checking at least ten coolers, perhaps a handful more. I'm ok with not necessarily getting on the initial intended flight - easy enough to get the product back in a freezer in the meantime - and I can even let some go ahead of me for someone else to retrieve, but I can't leave any coolers behind when I fly.

Additionally, is there a department that might be able to officially deem our purpose as medical to reduce the cost?

LegalTender

See if your group's a listed partner in Southwest's Medical Transportation Grant Program. The airline offers "complimentary round trip tickets to nonprofit hospitals and medical transportation organizations."

Expect a ton of paperwork. Including documenting that the blood is free of infectious substances.

synergistic

We are absolutely not a listed partner - we're tiny - but it might be worth even a significant hassle to see if we qualify. It is not actually blood we transport, but that's the most parallel organization type. I appreciate having the right terms to Google to give it a whirl!

djp98374

you need to email high end corporate on this.

synergistic

Tagging in the big guns: SWAVictor

Is there a particular department you'd recommend I start with to try to get ahold of an appropriately senior contact? I looked at the transportation grant program and while we partner with all three of our local grant facilities, it is clear that we are very, very small potatoes compared to the organizations they list on their site.

We are not actually looking for free airfare, just some sort of 'pax must fly on same flight as checked baggage' status. An extra few free checked pieces would of course be appreciated, but what we'd value most highly is someone up the chain marking these trips as deserving a bit of extra LUVing care.

Jeff767

I doubt that SWA has a mechanism to insure you always travel with checked bags. You did not mention the city pairs involved but if you’re going to South America there might be additional baggage restrictions.

synergistic

​​​​​​Domestic only. I'd honestly be surprised if Southwest doesn't have a way to flag both cargo/bags and pax as 'must-fly' though I'm less sure that they'd have a way to assure me that my must-fly bags made it aboard.

After some late night searching, I suspect our solution is NFG (next flight guaranteed) cargo - though unfortunately it looks like the new account processing time will rule that out for this particular pair of shipments. Still, I'm glad to know the option exists, and I'll probably go ahead and sign us up on case we find ourselves in this position in the future.

If any of the Southwest folks that post here perhaps have a contract that might be able to speed up the account approval process, or arrange for a medical nonprofit discount in the future, I'd be quite grateful.

djp98374

do you want to accompany or this is a cargo drop off by you and someone else gets at other end? You escort it?

either way special arrangement need to be made through cargo or in business services.

https://www.elliott.org/company-cont...t-airlines-co/

joshua362

Could you tape these coolers together to reduce the number of bags you have to check? I did it once with 4 live plants to qualify as my 2nd checked bag. That might draw less attention and scrutiny than checking 10+ bags. Just a thought, sounds like you are escorting them.

Each checked bag can weigh 50 pounds or less and be 62 inches in size (length + width + height).

synergistic

The original (theoretical) plan was that I would fly up, check twelve coolers at a cost of $750, and either fly home with all twelve or let some go on an earlier flight to be retrieved by a colleague while I waited with any that were potentially pushed to a later flight. Having discovered the NFG cargo option, it may actually be possible to arrange for our sister organization to drop it off without my needing to be involved.

QUOTE=joshua362;35133012]Could you tape these coolers together to reduce the number of bags you have to check? I did it once with 4 live plants to qualify as my 2nd checked bag. That might draw less attention and scrutiny than checking 10+ bags. Just a thought, sounds like you are escorting them.

Each checked bag can weigh 50 pounds or less and be 62 inches in size (length + width + height).[/QUOTE]

The coolers I use for in-state transport and would purchase upon my arrival are 15"x26"x17" (58") and end up weighing close to 50lbs fully loaded - it'll take at least ten of those. I've decided to drive down the Virginia batch, but I'm still trying to figure out how to sort the Boston batch - my business manager has Fridays off but I might try to get the cargo application submitted over the weekend. I don't know the dimensions of the styrofoam coolers our sister organization uses for shipping, but they weigh about 30lbs fully loaded - a little too big to double up as luggage, but maybe perfect for cargo by the pound...

djp98374

The coolers I use for in-state transport and would purchase upon my arrival are 15"x26"x17" (58") and end up weighing close to 50lbs fully loaded - it'll take at least ten of those. I've decided to drive down the Virginia batch, but I'm still trying to figure out how to sort the Boston batch - my business manager has Fridays off but I might try to get the cargo application submitted over the weekend. I don't know the dimensions of the styrofoam coolers our sister organization uses for shipping, but they weigh about 30lbs fully loaded - a little too big to double up as luggage, but maybe perfect for cargo by the pound...[/QUOTE]

this is why you want corporate involved to bypass the stuff you�d run into with the airport personnel ( both airline, and TSA). From here you will likely have special orders or clearance to ship or escort.

synergistic

this is why you want corporate involved to bypass the stuff you�d run into with the airport personnel ( both airline, and TSA). From here you will likely have special orders or clearance to ship or escort.[/QUOTE]

I've submitted an application to participate in their cargo program, I think that's likely our best option to avoid hassles - 600lbs is likely to be much less atypical to the cargo folks than it is to the ticketing staff. Since I'm doing the Virginia run this week, I think we'll be ok to postpone the Boston pickup until the following week, which will hopefully give us enough time to be approved even if we can't find anyone to assist in expediting our application. Fingers crossed either way!

synergistic

Just in case anyone was following along, or ends up finding this thread while searching, I thought I should update.

We were approved for a cargo account less than 36 hours after I applied Sunday night. I did not attempt to get a billable account (I'm always happy to pay myself and be reimbursed) so it's possible that made it move a little faster.

The actual shipping process was incredibly simple. I picked up 28(!) styrofoam coolers full of frozen product, filled out the like two lines on the waybill I knew how to fill out, and drove to the MHT cargo station. They called in the dogs to make sure I didn't have drugs hiding in my drugs, had me swipe my credit card, and gave me a receipt with a tracking number. They were happy to tell me which flight they expected Fast Fresh to go on, saving us an extra 50c/lb over Next Flight Guaranteed.

Between my last minute Easter weekend flights, van rental, gas, hotel, and the shipping charge, we saved 50% over FedEx. If we'd paid a service to get it from Boston to Manchester for us - it was simple enough that I wouldn't fret about that at all - the savings probably would have been more like 75%! We always hope this time will be the last time we need to purchase product from sister organizations, but at least now we have a good handle on how to handle the logistics in the future. Many, many thanks to Southwest and their cargo contractors for making this so easy.

Ragnarok

Awesome to read that OP has a resolution!
For the benefit for whoever stumble upon this thread if they were searching for this info:

The limit is twenty (20) pieces total checked bags per Ticketed Passenger : Southwest Airlines Contract of Carriage English Version Page.35