When Southwest employees don't know the policies
Mar 13, 2024, 10:18 pm
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 3,706
At exactly T-24 A-List boarding pre-assignments are done and everyone else who wasn't auto-assigned a boarding position can now check in and grab them, which is why your same-day flight change results in B/C Boarding scraps. But really, the requirement for a non-status Companion to get an A boarding position with their A-List CP holder is to be booked on the flight before T-36. And regardless of all that, you seem to be arguing that your non-status Companion should be entitled to board with a B or C boarding position after the A Boarding group with A-Listers who are entitled to that benefit, there is no such policy/benefit for non-status Companions; only for those with status. The only free early boarding benefit to a non-status Companion is to be booked on the flight with an A-Lister before T-36 to get the good pre-assigned A Boarding position. After that, they're stuck with their B/C boarding position, or pay for A1-15.
Mar 14, 2024, 8:29 am
#17
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: TOL
Posts: 749
T-36 is when the preassigned boarding positions are assigned. Southwest needs to be able to account for customers on connecting itineraries who are eligible to checkin at T-24 before their first flight and they want to make sure boarding positions are assigned to A-list customers before the connecting customers begin to checkin and receive boarding positions. Allowing companions to board out of their assigned position would cause the boarding process to become more complex and chaotic.
Mar 14, 2024, 10:15 am
#18
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 341
T-36 is when the preassigned boarding positions are assigned. Southwest needs to be able to account for customers on connecting itineraries who are eligible to checkin at T-24 before their first flight and they want to make sure boarding positions are assigned to A-list customers before the connecting customers begin to checkin and receive boarding positions. Allowing companions to board out of their assigned position would cause the boarding process to become more complex and chaotic.
Mar 14, 2024, 1:31 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 3,706
T-36 is when the preassigned boarding positions are assigned. Southwest needs to be able to account for customers on connecting itineraries who are eligible to checkin at T-24 before their first flight and they want to make sure boarding positions are assigned to A-list customers before the connecting customers begin to checkin and receive boarding positions. Allowing companions to board out of their assigned position would cause the boarding process to become more complex and chaotic.
Mar 14, 2024, 4:00 pm
#20
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 28
T-36 is when the preassigned boarding positions are assigned. Southwest needs to be able to account for customers on connecting itineraries who are eligible to checkin at T-24 before their first flight and they want to make sure boarding positions are assigned to A-list customers before the connecting customers begin to checkin and receive boarding positions. Allowing companions to board out of their assigned position would cause the boarding process to become more complex and chaotic.
I understand that current policy doesn't allow that, but this seems inconsistent. In 2020, Southwest made a change to allow the companion to get the A-List benefit of T-36 checkin even though they're not on the same PNR, but that doesn't apply to other cases (T-24, same day change, etc).
A person who has A-List and Companion Pass is someone who is very loyal to Southwest. Why not extend the adjacent boarding benefit to include other situations besides T-36?
Mar 15, 2024, 6:25 am
#21
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards. Tha... that's about it.
Posts: 4,332
I have only encountered this once, probably eight or ten years ago.
I'm a COS, so I book two seats (and pay for them) in advance. I get the "Seat Reserved" card, pre-board behind the disabled folks, and follow all the policies.
On this particular flight, I pre-boarded and sat in row 5 or 6, seats A-B. I was seated mostly in A and only overflowed a little into B, but had the reserved card sitting on the seat. Another passenger took C, so I was set, just patiently waiting for the boarding process to finish.
Along comes a dead-heading WN pilot. I heard him mutter something about coming back to get that open middle seat (i.e. my reserved second seat), but he continued down the aisle too fast for me to get his attention. He stowed his carry-on al the way in the rear of the cabin; I mean, I think he was in maybe the second or third bin from the back. Then he made his way all the way back up to my row.
"Excuse me, can I get in there..."
"Sorry, but I this seat is taken." <note: I'm holding the Seat Reserved card up, pointed toward him so he can see it, and in those days the words SEAT RESERVED were printed in very large bold, all-caps type that could be read from a good distance>
"Taken?"
"Yes, I don't fit in one seat, so I booked two." <I pointed with my free hand at the Seat Reserved card, which he hasn't looked at, as his eyes are boring into mine with laser intensity>
"You mean you actually purchased two seats?" <his voice didn't get any louder, but his tone got angry at this point>
"Yes, I booked and paid for two seats because I can't fit in one and don't want to inconvenience anyone else."
I really thought I was going to have to push the button for the FA and have one of them explain the whole COS booking policy to this guy. His expression was... let's just say he seemed discontented about not getting that middle seat.
At that point he turned without another word, and stalked toward the rear of the cabin to find one of the other open middles.
I never understood his logic behind stowing his bag all the way in the back of the cabin and returning to the front for a middle seat. On landing he'd have to walk against traffic all the way to the back to get his bag and be one of the last off the plane anyway, OR stay in his middle seat, blocking the person in the window seat from getting up until the rest of the cabin emptied anyway, so why not just sit in the back and be done with it?
I'm a COS, so I book two seats (and pay for them) in advance. I get the "Seat Reserved" card, pre-board behind the disabled folks, and follow all the policies.
On this particular flight, I pre-boarded and sat in row 5 or 6, seats A-B. I was seated mostly in A and only overflowed a little into B, but had the reserved card sitting on the seat. Another passenger took C, so I was set, just patiently waiting for the boarding process to finish.
Along comes a dead-heading WN pilot. I heard him mutter something about coming back to get that open middle seat (i.e. my reserved second seat), but he continued down the aisle too fast for me to get his attention. He stowed his carry-on al the way in the rear of the cabin; I mean, I think he was in maybe the second or third bin from the back. Then he made his way all the way back up to my row.
"Excuse me, can I get in there..."
"Sorry, but I this seat is taken." <note: I'm holding the Seat Reserved card up, pointed toward him so he can see it, and in those days the words SEAT RESERVED were printed in very large bold, all-caps type that could be read from a good distance>
"Taken?"
"Yes, I don't fit in one seat, so I booked two." <I pointed with my free hand at the Seat Reserved card, which he hasn't looked at, as his eyes are boring into mine with laser intensity>
"You mean you actually purchased two seats?" <his voice didn't get any louder, but his tone got angry at this point>
"Yes, I booked and paid for two seats because I can't fit in one and don't want to inconvenience anyone else."
I really thought I was going to have to push the button for the FA and have one of them explain the whole COS booking policy to this guy. His expression was... let's just say he seemed discontented about not getting that middle seat.
At that point he turned without another word, and stalked toward the rear of the cabin to find one of the other open middles.
I never understood his logic behind stowing his bag all the way in the back of the cabin and returning to the front for a middle seat. On landing he'd have to walk against traffic all the way to the back to get his bag and be one of the last off the plane anyway, OR stay in his middle seat, blocking the person in the window seat from getting up until the rest of the cabin emptied anyway, so why not just sit in the back and be done with it?
Apr 2, 2024, 9:00 am
#22
Join Date: Nov 2004
Programs: HH Diamond, EX-AA Explat, WN Loyalist
Posts: 366
I had a obnoxious gate agent at DAL tell me I don't qualify as a COS as she "could tell that I wouldn't encroach on another seat" I politely asked her what she was basing her decision on is she told me "20 yrs of experience" I proceeded to pull up the policy and quoted it to her and she walked away... I finally went to another gate, found a supervisor, explained the issue and went back to the original gate with him. He told her to re-print the extra seat placard and she said she couldn't as she had added a passenger from the stand by list. The supervisor looked at me and was looking for me to tell him what to do. I simply said "I have an extra seat that you cancelled, now I guess you need to oversell the flight" Which is what they did. By not knowing their policy, she cost Southwest at least $1K. Frustrating...
Apr 2, 2024, 9:16 am
#23
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,512
Is paying for a second seat in advance and requesting a refund afterward also policy?
Apr 2, 2024, 9:22 am
#24
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 341
Apr 2, 2024, 3:56 pm
#25
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SAT
Programs: Marriott Titanium, Hilton and Wyndham Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Delta Plat, United Silver, Hertz PC
Posts: 724
I had a obnoxious gate agent at DAL tell me I don't qualify as a COS as she "could tell that I wouldn't encroach on another seat" I politely asked her what she was basing her decision on is she told me "20 yrs of experience" I proceeded to pull up the policy and quoted it to her and she walked away... I finally went to another gate, found a supervisor, explained the issue and went back to the original gate with him. He told her to re-print the extra seat placard and she said she couldn't as she had added a passenger from the stand by list. The supervisor looked at me and was looking for me to tell him what to do. I simply said "I have an extra seat that you cancelled, now I guess you need to oversell the flight" Which is what they did. By not knowing their policy, she cost Southwest at least $1K. Frustrating...
Apr 3, 2024, 7:56 am
#26
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: Southwest A-List; Alaska MVPG; Hilton Diamond; Avis PreferredPlus; Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite
Posts: 920
Also, one need not board last to hear announcements that the gate agent is looking for volunteers to take another flight. They may also have bumped the standby pax back to standby.
Apr 3, 2024, 2:45 pm
#27
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SAT
Programs: Marriott Titanium, Hilton and Wyndham Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Delta Plat, United Silver, Hertz PC
Posts: 724
I'm not leeinct but once the gate agent printed/returned the extra-seat placard, then the flight was either oversold or the gate agent lied to their manager.
Also, one need not board last to hear announcements that the gate agent is looking for volunteers to take another flight. They may also have bumped the standby pax back to standby.
Also, one need not board last to hear announcements that the gate agent is looking for volunteers to take another flight. They may also have bumped the standby pax back to standby.