Skip to main content

Southwest Airlines Community

“I’m sorry for your **bleep**ty experience”

Fransoc
Explorer C

This was the response from a southwest employee at the Phoenix airport when I was sharing my frustration and ‘**bleep**ty experience’ with the boarding process.

 

my boyfriend and I flew for the very first time with southwest. On the flight outbound we weren’t aware about the boarding process or that if we wanted to sit together we should have done the early boarding option. On the flight out I asked a southwest employee how we could get a better chance of sitting with each other and he said to set an alarm

and exactly 24 hrs in advance to check in- I should get at least a B spot. We took that advice and unfortunately that didn’t work. 

 

Immediately after I called customer service and told them the situation and she wasn’t able to help me- she just said I should have done the 36 hr early bird check in. I said I wasn’t made aware of that otherwise I would have done it. 

 

At the airport I tried to get help again. At the end of it I was only to be confirmed that I was indeed having a **bleep**ty experience and 80 dollars later we will be sitting together but not because of southwest. Because I bought my way out of a **bleep**ty experience. And will never be flying southwest again. 

12 REPLIES 12

Re: “I’m sorry for your **bleep**ty experience”

dfwskier
Aviator A

Sorry to hear that you had a bad expeience. If you've never flown Southwest before, it can be a bit confusing since the process is not like the process at most airlines.

 

At the point you called customer service, there was probably nothing they could do to improve your boarding situation. Why? Answer: because other A List and Early Boarding purchasers already had the "better" boarding positions. Customer service can't give you what it does not have.

 

(One of) you could have bought into A1-A15, if one of those positions was still available.  It's advertised (upgraded boarding) at every  gate. I suspect that it is fairly pricey, but since I'e neve done it, I don't know. That would have let one of you board the plane before almost anyone else, and then saved a seat for the other..

 

Anyway, since  you now better understand th process, it would be easier another time.

Re: “I’m sorry for your **bleep**ty experience”

Fransoc
Explorer C

Thanks for the advice. As the saying goes- hindsight is 20/20

 

However since I was given misinformation by a Southwest employee at the beginning of my flight on how to avoid this on the return trip, and how another Southwest employee repeated back to me that I was indeed having a shi**y experience, I’m done with Southwest. If they don’t care about the quality of their customer service then I don’t care to endorse the company. 

Re: “I’m sorry for your **bleep**ty experience”

dfwskier
Aviator A

Well, no airline is perfect. All fail occasionally, and passengers swear off airlines because of it (I won't fly American unless the options are to die or take American). It took more than one American Airlines failure for me to swear off AA. It took thee of 'em -- all much more severe than that which you experienced with Southwest.

 

My experience is that Southwest in general is bettter than the rest.It isn't perfect, either. But that's just my view.

 

Try the competition, and if it works for you, that's good for you. If not, come back to Southwest.

 

Good luck.

 

 

Re: “I’m sorry for your **bleep**ty experience”

Fransoc
Explorer C

Thanks for your feedback. Everyone has unique experiences - and it's relative in how each one makes the individual feel. 

 

Hoping to speak to Southwest about this soon. 

Re: “I’m sorry for your **bleep**ty experience”

bec102896
Aviator A

@Fransoc

 

To speak to southwest directly feel free to reach out to customer relations at 855-234-4654 but this is a customer to customer forum so unfortunately southwest won't be able to reach out to you from here. 

 

You can also message southwest on Twitter or Facebook for assistance or email them from the contact us link at the bottom of the southwest airlines homepage 

 

Hope this helps

Blake 

Re: “I’m sorry for your **bleep**ty experience”

spacecoastbill
Frequent Flyer B

You mean you can try to save a seat.  If you are going to cheap out and only one person buy the A1-A15 boarding, realize that if someone wants to sit in the seat you have tried to save, they can and will.

 

I had a guy try that in a bulkhead row, he just about went to physical confrontation, and after the Captain came out of the cockpit, he calmed down before he was removed.

Re: “I’m sorry for your **bleep**ty experience”

dfwskier
Aviator A

@spacecoastbill wrote:

You mean you can try to save a seat.  If you are giong to cheap out and only one person buy the A1-A15 boarding, realize that if someone wants to sit in the seat you have tried to save, they can and will.

 

I had a guy try that in a bulkhead row, he just about went to physical confrontation, and after the Captain came out of the cockpit, he calmed down before he was removed.


It's easy to save a seat and not provoke a confrontation. Put your computer case, briefcase, purse, or a piece of clothing on the seat. People see that and move on to another seat. They don't even ask if the seat is taken. They assume it is.

 

When I leave my seat during boarding to visit the lav, I leave my computer case on my seat. No one has ever removed the bag and taken my seat - even when I'm traveling solo and there is no one to say "that seat is taken."

Re: “I’m sorry for your **bleep**ty experience”

spacecoastbill
Frequent Flyer B

Not always the case.

 

I let someone know that they could either remove the item from the seat I was going to sit in or I could hand it to the FA as abandoned property.

Re: “I’m sorry for your **bleep**ty experience”

wordsmith1313
Explorer A

@spacecoastbill, with all due respect, your attitude is confrontational and aggressive. (I've seen you post this same thing on multiple threads, so you obviously believe strongly in your position.) While of course that's your right, the vast majority of SWA passengers are very understanding and willing to flex on seating, and that's what we like about it.