leeinct

I was traveling out of PVD today going to BNA via BWI. I booked two round trips (PVD-BWI and BWI to BNA). When I went to check my bags as normal today (and have done dozens of time before) I was "scolded" by the ticket counter personel for trying to "scheme" for double credits! She told me that she would do it today, but would not in the future. I asked her to produce the written policy where she is claiming that it is not allowed and she could not (I doubt it exists!)

Is this a legal thing to do as far as WN is concerned? My main reason for doing this is that sometimes, I get better fares than they offer for a traditional booking (usually not more than $10-20 less). It also is OK that I get the two credits for each direction!

Did they change their policy concerning this? I am sure they aren't thrilled to give out extra credits.

lewisc

Some (most?) airlines will only check your bags as far as is show on your first ticket/reservation. You can always go with carry on bags.

curbcrusher

The agent was way out of line. If you happened to note her name, please write a letter of complaint.

Strictly speaking, the only thing she can reasonably do is refuse to check your bags through to BNA (thus forcing you to deplane at BWI, claim and recheck your bags, and then reclear security), though the experience of many here, myself included, is that no WN agent ever refuses to do so.

She has no grounds to complain about you how choose to get from point A to point B. WN is the most permissive of all major carriers in this regard, and it is clearly spelled out on page 5 of their Customer Service Commitment:

http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/c...commitment.pdf

vaikinas2

Shame on that BWI ticket agent! Maybe you're travelling with somebody who's only flying one of your two legs, or maybe you're meeting up with somebody at BWI for a quick coffee, or maybe you're flying Southwest instead of another carrier because you can get double credits. What business is it of hers? She should thank you for flying Southwest, and be happy she has a job. I would definitely write to Customer Relations about this, maybe the computer can track her name by who checked you and your baggage in.

grain

i wouldnt go as far as complaining, unless she denyed doing the tagging. but you should have told her to bring her supervisor over, and have the agent be told directly from the sup; that its ok to do the tagging that way. then she would understand. if anyone has ever traveled to dal from outside the wright restrictions before it was edited a few months back, you had to do the same as you did with the tagging of bags.

if i did csa work instead of ramp, i'd tag your bag to where ever you wanted it to go.

leeinct

Thanks for the pdf Curb.

I will print it out and bring it with me next time I am flying. Just in case she busts my chops next time. Which is this considered (hidden city, etc)?

deltaflyer256

This is known as an "end-on-end combination" and is allowed by most airline fare rules (not just WN).

vaikinas2

It sounds like the OP was more upset about being "scolded by the ticket counter personel for trying to "scheme" for double credits. The agent apparently knew the passenger was ticketed to BNA, since she checked the bags to there. As another poster pointed out, Customer Service Commitment allows end-to-end ticketing, and seems to imply that baggage will be checked to the passenger's final destination. So yes, I would definitely complain about the agent's attitude and rudeness!

leeinct

Exactly. She was not only rude, but also was fairly adamant about the existence of a policy!

peanutsplease

Just a thought -

From http://www.southwest.com/rapid_rewar..._and_regs.html
perhaps she was referring to this rule:

7. The following are ineligible for credit in Rapid Rewards: nonrevenue (free) and service-charged tickets, unless specifically designated as eligible; charter flights; tradeout tickets; stops at intermediate cities on connecting or through flights; ATA flights booked through online travel agency; Rapid Rewards Awards; Rapid Rewards Companion Pass travel.

technically speaking, you are on a published connection and making a stop. The fact that you want to check the bags through probably shows the agent that you are indeed traveling as a connecting passenger regardless of how you booked.

I think the rules for buying tickets (ie: hidden city, end to end, etc.) are not necesarrily the same rules for earning credits.

curbcrusher

That is referring to connecting or direct flights under the same PNR.

iluv2pilot

Let's not forget that most of the time the cost of the tickets in this case are more than a direct and or round trip!

leeinct

Unless you get ding fares and then book them. That was the instance many times when I do this. Sometime it can be as much as a $50 difference. Over the course of a year, that can really add up.

xanthuos

Since your profile says Long Island, I'll give you an example ex-ISP.
I can book ISP-BNA for $99 at the lowest, which is $108.80 all-in. All flights route either via BWI or MDW. I can fly ISP-MDW for $39, and MDW-BNA for $49. Total? $108.80! Twice as many credits though!