Southwest Airlines Community

@gabelogan99 wrote: Ok. Maybe people really are already having that conversation at some point and getting the designation. I've just never had to personally have it when I preboard. But, I do always buy an extra seat. If someone is with me, I just say "they're with me" because they don't have it on their boarding pass either.   I just don't ever see that many people at the desk talking to the gate agent, for any reason, so I just assume that they aren't talking to them and thus not even getting the designation. I guess a lot of them just do it with an agent at check-in.   That's good to know. Most people are getting it at the ticket counter, you can put the request on your ticket when you buy it that you need wheelchair or other assistance, and if the passenger didn't do that then the ticket counter will also add it if you ask for a wheelchair then.   The pushers at the airport are looking for you to have registered your request at the ticket counter although sometimes you can get assistance without requesting it in advance if they aren't super busy, on many days it is a line of people waiting for someone.   The only passengers who might be slipping through en masse would be people using preboard who are ambulatory but have a hidden disability or require a certain seat. These passengers could be requesting preboard at the ticket counter or else at the gate.   Regarding your other comment that you always "buy an extra seat" do you mean Customer of Size? Then that program includes preboarding to ensure that you get access to two seats together, and then your companion would be included so this is normal for the policy, but since you aren't using wheelchair assistance it is fine for you to check in at the Gate rather than the ticket counter.                     ... View more

You are incorrect. This is the story. I requested the police report from the airport because I, too, felt certain I was missing something. I received it last week. The report states the young reporter did not want me removed from the flight and did not feel threatened. This additional information only confuses me more. ... View more

I have been on the phone with multiple agents today, to include speaking to two agents here at the airport.  What a pain.   TSA’s official stance is any minor 17 and younger can go through TSA pre-check with their parent PROVIDING the airline puts the pre-check on the minors ticket.  They do not care if it’s on one reservation, two reservations. backwards reservations, upside down reservations, whatever.  The only policy they have is that the airline confirms the minor is in fact related to the TSA approved parent/guardian.   Southwest’s policy and/or the way they have programmed the computers ONLY allows Southwest to put the pre-check on minors traveling under the same reservation number… and if your minor is the companion then per Southwest policy and/or computer system they will be assigned a separate reservation number… so you are correct, if your minor is your companion, then your minor will never receive the TSA pre-check based upon the way Southwest has structured it’s policy and computer system.   ... View more

No they cannot be connected.  One reason is that the boarding position has already been sequentially established.  They are not going to rearrange the boarding positions just so that your ticket can be connected. ... View more

@TheMiddleSeat wrote: There's no magic way to get a cash refund for any amount currently held in a travel fund.   --TheMiddleSeat And I'm not exactly trying to get a cash refund for the travel funds. All I was saying was that if for any reason I had to cancel the original ticket, I could get the cash that was paid for it back but I already knew I wasn't ever going to get the travel funds back in cash... just wanted to make that clear. It would probably prove useless in the end, but at least it'd be using the travel funds for something rather than nothing.   I have enough credits now to where I can actually switch that particular flight to Business Select and it won't cost me anything at all and I'd be using nearly all of my credits. For some reason, the system is not letting me do it. I get all of the way to the end and get a weird error message after I hit confirm. Any idea why that is? Am I only able to change fare types if I'm changing BOTH flights on a round trip ticket? That's the only thing I can think of. ... View more

If you are pre-boarding, you are allowed to have one person pre-board with you. I saw this enforced a couple of weeks ago. Someone was pre-boarding in a wheelchair, and they had like 6 people who tried to pre-board with them. They got really upset when they were told no. "Never heard of such a thing", they said. However, last week, I saw an elderly lady pre-board with a child of maybe 3 or so on her lap with what I presume to be the child's mother, and the gate agent simply asked if was her grandson and smiled. It is a matter of just what is reasonable.   If your concern is just getting three seats together, and you want to pre-board because the child is autistic, and you want to get settled in with her, just ask. That won't be a problem, and, again, gate agents will be reasonable if you are.   Remember that the child will have to wear a mask on the plane. If they ask, make sure you say they can. Do not be ambiguous or say anything other than a firm yes. ... View more