Rapid Reward Tickets & Companion Tickets
 

I spoke to Southwest customer service about companion pass tickets and Rapid Reward free tickets. I am concerned about the new rule that a passenger must be able to prove he is on a flight to get through security.

Southwest insists that the possession of the Rapid Rewards certificate constitutes a paper ticket. The only concern I have is that the certificate has nothing written on it.

The most concerning thing she said was that the companion pass flyer (and the person who earned the companion pass) must go to the ticket counter on the day of travel to have the companion pass ticket issued. According to the agent, the ticket will not be issued prior to the day of travel.

This will be a significant inconvenience for early morning flights. Why in the world can't they issue electronic tickets in their system and print iteneraries in these situations? At the gate, they could require that the rapid reward certificate and/or companion pass be shown.

I have never understood there refusal to generate printed iteneraies for rapid reward certificate travel. It is convenient for a traveller to have a stored e-mail summarizing his or her travel plans and it would seem that Southwest would want to treat its most frequent travellers well.

You can now go to the WN website and print out an official confirmation of any reservation, including RR reservations and companion pass reservations.

http://www.southwest.com/travel_cent...Itinerary.html

[This message has been edited by JerryFF (edited 09-15-2001).]

I must be doing something wrong. I can get an itenerary for my paid reservations using the link, but not the rapid reward reservations or campanion pass reservations.

Sorry if it's not working the way I posted. I don't have any RR or Companion Pass reservations at the moment to test it myself. I was told by a WN agent that it would work, but that was obviously incorrect.

No, it does not work for RR reservations. I tried it with my RR reservation for next week, and it said it couldn't find it, and then explained that the online reservation callup can only print confirmations of ticketless travel, not printed tickets, and I guess they consider RR reservations not to be ticketless travel.

And then when I called the RR reservations 800 number to ask about it late Friday, they said that my reservation was still valid, that there's no way to get a printout of the reservation, but that I don't need it, all I need to get through security is the printed reward ticket. I explained that at LAX (where I'm flying out of) they're supposedly not even letting people on shuttle buses without a ticket, and will the security (that's not terminal-specific) know that an open reward ticket is enough, and they said yes, in fact it's no different from an open employee pass, that all they're looking for is evidence of a reason for you to go the airport, not evidence of a SPECIFIC flight.

Still, I'm wary (about the airport shuttle phase), and may decide to pay extra $ for a walking-distance private parking since I have the first flight out Wed morning and I won't necessarily have to time to fight with shuttle bus security (I'm concerned I may need all that extra time for the airport itself, and I do want to get SOME sleep that night http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif!).

[This message has been edited by Stefan Daystrom (edited 09-15-2001).]

Do what I do and take the MTA bus to Sepulveda and Century and walk 4 minutes to Terminal 1. Or take the Supershuttle.

LA public bus schedules can be found at www.mta.net

Unfortuntely, that doesn't seem practical (as a way of saving time) in this case, because this is a 5:30 am flight, and two hours before that is 3:30 am. And I want to SLEEP that night at least SOME! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I just checked the MTA schedule and from where I live (a few blocks from SM Blvd & Bundy in West L A), I'd have to take 3 buses all over creation starting just after 1 am!

Similarly, my experience with the shuttles is that at odd hours like that, since they don't have much combining traffic in any particular area, they're likely to take a longer route and want to start out much earlier, again cancelling out any time savings over remote parking.

I'm therefore leaning toward Park One (the parking lot right across the street from Terminal 1 that's a steep $14.95/day plus tax but does give a 20% discount with a Rapid Reward card and does take Diners Club, at least), assuming it's open and has spaces (which I'd have to call to find out, as they have no website). That would allow me to leave home about 20 minutes before I walk ino Terminal 1.

[This message has been edited by Stefan Daystrom (edited 09-16-2001).]

Arrival at LAX 60 minutes before flight time is more than enough. For Southwest, if you're not checking luggage, you can be checked in at the gate 10 minutes after you open the front door. Just like it always was, but with shorter lines.

I am flying out of LAX this weekend. Can I bring luggage onboard? I heard some airport won't allow it. Can I use some of the private airport parking? if so, which one is good?

thanks guys

Bellwilliam

Carry-on size and such seems to be the same as before. ParkOne is nearest Terminal One, and for a short trip they are worth the few extra $, since you can walk right over and back. User your Rapid Rewards card for a discount when you check out.

I don't PLAN to check luggage, but since I know so little about the new security and also how consistent the security checkers are about what they allow, I'm not confident if they'll allow we to check everything or not.

My luggage is more electronics than clothes. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif Several uncommon (DAT/MD) portable recorders, radios, batteries and battery chargers, laptop with swappable parts separate, etc. If they make me turn everything on to demonstrate that it works just THAT might take an hour. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

And what is a knife? Is a nail clipper with a swingout piece that has a sharpish point (but no "blade") a knife? What about different kinds of razors (electric, blade, spare blades, etc)?

Will they think the security cable for my laptop could be turned into a weapon? (I remember a trip where security almost didn't let me on the People's Express plane at Newark because I had a screwdriver in my briefcase -- I had been on a troubleshooting trip -- and that was about TWO DECADES before Sep 11!)

Just one thing (that I can't throw away) that they don't let me carry on would require me to back out of security, go to the endless ticket line, check one of my two bags, and then redo security with the other one, no?I wouldn't be so worried if I knew there was always a Southwest representative at security ready to "instant check" a bag that can't be carried on (the way they "instant check" roller bags as you enter the plane when they find they've just about run out of overhead space on the flight you're boarding)...

They will indeed make you break the nail file implement off your nail clipper. The other stuff should be OK. I think they concentrate on a few types of items, same as always except with a few items added to the list.

Also, you don't need to worry about running out of bin space. The planes are quite empty this week.

Back to the original question of needing some paperwork to get through security. WN agent advised me today that a RR coupon, the one they send in the mail, is sufficient in lieu of a printed confirmation. For companion pass tickets, you need a paper ticket from the counter anyway, so that doesn't add any extra burden. Though I really don't understand why companion pass reservations still require a paper ticket.