Post all SW questions concerns, etc. here...

[EACarlson]

What is the process for a list standby? We have a flight on Saturday afternoon and I’m thinking of trying to get him the early morning flight. How does this work? Will we not get a good boarding position? That is even if it’s available. So far I can still book 8 tickets on that flight but they are super expensive.

Show up at the airport and tell the agent at the check in desk you want to standby for the earlier flight. They print you a new boarding pass, it will be a very bad position if there is a boarding position listed at all. Although with A List, once confirmed onto the flight you'd board at A61. Other airlines don't clear standbys onto the flight until boarding has concluded, I'm not sure whether SW confirms onto the flight right away or if you have to go to the gate and see if you clear onto it.

Depending on the type of ticket you bought stand by may not be available to you without paying the fare difference. Even on the same day. I think that's how it works.

A List and A List Preferred are allowed to fly standby for free on an earlier flight if there is space available.

 

[Erica Ladd]

This is accurate. We originally bought tickets on the Wanna Get Away Fare for a mid-March 2020 trip. It was a two week trip, but the world was shutting down, so we needed to leave early. Even though they were flying empty planes at that point, they still wouldn’t make an emergency exception to let us change our flight or fly standby without charging us $$$ for the upgrade or flight change. We ended up renting a car, driving home and getting credit for the flight.

We’re you A-list at the time?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

What is the process for a list standby? We have a flight on Saturday afternoon and I’m thinking of trying to get him the early morning flight. How does this work? Will we not get a good boarding position? That is even if it’s available. So far I can still book 8 tickets on that flight but they are super expensive.

I did want to point out that the benefits only apply to A-List and A-List Preferred members, meaning if anyone else on your reservation or traveling with you is not also an A-list or A-list Preferred member they don't qualify for the benefit.

***A-List and A-List Preferred Members will have same-day standby benefits free of airline charges, but will be required to pay any additional government taxes and fees associated with changes in their itinerary. On the day of travel, please see a Customer Service Agent at the airport for this benefit and for information regarding any additional government taxes and fees. This benefit is not available at Southwest® kiosks. This benefit will be provided for A-List and A-List Preferred Members traveling prior to the original scheduled departure, between the same airport pairs, on the original date of travel, where a seat is available. On flights that do not meet these qualifications, A-List and A-List Preferred Members will receive priority standby and will be required to pay the difference in fare and any additional government taxes and fees if a seat becomes available. A-List Preferred Members will be prioritized ahead of A-List Members. If an A-List or A-List Preferred Member is traveling on a multiple-Passenger reservation, same-day standby and priority standby will not be provided for non-A-List or non-A-List Preferred Members in the same reservation. For A-List and A-List Preferred Members who have also qualified for a Companion Pass®, A-List and A-List Preferred benefits are not available to the Companion unless the Companion is also an A-List or A-List Preferred Member.

I don't know if my husband has flown standby on an earlier flight but I do know he has taken an earlier flight day of. He is A-list and this has only been done when he's been traveling for business.

 

[Amcd33]

We’re you A-list at the time?

My husband was A-list but the rest of us weren’t. A-list standby only applies to the actual A-list member, not the entire party.

 

[Erica Ladd]

My husband was A-list but the rest of us weren’t. A-list standby only applies to the actual A-list member, not the entire party.

Anyone know if this would apply to my DH who is my CP??????

 

[BelleOftheBall16]

Anyone know if this would apply to my DH who is my CP??????

For A-List and A-List Preferred Members who have also qualified for a Companion Pass®, A-List and A-List Preferred benefits are not available to the Companion unless the Companion is also an A-List or A-List Preferred Member.

 

[perchy]

Is there an FAQ?

I get that there seem to be some good tips for flying Southwest. I need to book a flight for August and I’d love all the tips…

 

[disny_luvr]

Does anyone know if a cooler is allowed as checked luggage? I was on the website and found information about everything else but coolers.

We are going out west for a two week road trip and I’d love to bring our cooler from home and not have to buy one there.

 

[Erica Ladd]

Found my answer. Thx

 

[FCDub]

Does anyone know if a cooler is allowed as checked luggage? I was on the website and found information about everything else but coolers.

We are going out west for a two week road trip and I’d love to bring our cooler from home and not have to buy one there.

Googled and found this: https://community.southwest.com/t5/Travel-Policies/cooler-as-a-checked-bag/td-p/69097

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

Anybody else scared of fare pricing for Thanksgiving and Christmas?

 

[EACarlson]

Does anyone know if a cooler is allowed as checked luggage? I was on the website and found information about everything else but coolers.

We are going out west for a two week road trip and I’d love to bring our cooler from home and not have to buy one there.

Yes it is, I would duct tape it shut but I see it all the time from softball teams heading to FL.

 

[LadybugsMum]

Anybody else scared of fare pricing for Thanksgiving and Christmas?

Yes! I have the feeling that we’ll be driving down instead of flying for the week after Turkey day.

 

[katallo]

Yes, If fares are high we will either drive or postpone. We need our return flight in November so we would only have to cancel one way. Waiting for June 16th to decide. Honestly, the flight TO FL was expensive so I cannot imagine the new fares,

 

[jkelly86]

In my experience, the flight home on Sunday after Thanksgiving is our most expensive flight of the year. Currently, JetBlue is $550 one-way on that date for my daughter returning to Boston. Not a good sign.

 

[LadybugsMum]

In my experience, the flight home on Sunday after Thanksgiving is our most expensive flight of the year. Currently, JetBlue is $550 one-way on that date for my daughter returning to Boston. Not a good sign.

Yeah, that's the day we go down; so I'm thinking we'll just drive and save the cost of flights and a rental car.

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

Even the Monday after Thanksgiving seems higher with airlines that have their flight schedules out.

 

[disny_luvr]

Yes it is, I would duct tape it shut but I see it all the time from softball teams heading to FL.

Great, thank you!

 

[pens4821]

Even the Monday after Thanksgiving seems higher with airlines that have their flight schedules out.

We noticed this too. We are lucky that our families schedules are a little flexible. We booked Monday to Tuesday. It saved us near $1000 for three of us when we booked it. It did end up going down but just looked and coming home Tuesday still saves 500.

We were waiting for southwest fares but decided to book United. It was a price we felt was good (around 400/pp round trip) and non stop (southwest doesn’t do non stop Pittsburgh to Houston). Of course the price dropped 111 after we booked, but now we have a credit good until December 2023.

 

[Cruzin’Sisters]

We noticed this too. We are lucky that our families schedules are a little flexible. We booked Monday to Tuesday. It saved us near $1000 for three of us when we booked it. It did end up going down but just looked and coming home Tuesday still saves 500.

We were waiting for southwest fares but decided to book United. It was a price we felt was good (around 400/pp round trip) and non stop (southwest doesn’t do non stop Pittsburgh to Houston). Of course the price dropped 111 after we booked, but now we have a credit good until December 2023.

Wow! I didn’t know United let you rebook at lower fare. Was there a change fee?