Southwest Airlines Community

Hey Monica, you're not crazy, I also am very new and I can't see the "avatar" option under settings.  it must have been disabled, or maybe it's not available until you attain a certain level of frequency on the board... ... View more

This is my baby Gatsby! He flew on SWA 16 times in 2023 alone! (SWA if you’re reading this… can dogs get RR numbers too please lol?)     It took some training but he now LOVES flying. Neighbors never even know he’s on board until we’ve landed and slip him a little treat for being such a good boy!    See some of the things that were helpful to train him for flights on this post here:  https://community.southwest.com/t5/Travel-Policies/What-is-your-advice-for-flying-with-pets/m-p/169669#M21912   ... View more

I travel extensively for sports and frequently do not know the schedule when I book.  I love, love, love the flexibility of the same day change, I love the companion fare and love the ability to rebook and receive a credit when there is a sale.  ... View more

For most of my day-trippers and one-nighters, with a little help of rolling up my clothing, I can get everything packed into a standard school-sized backpack. For my multi-day trips that require more clothing, I roll with the 50L Carofield backpack duffle (about20x13x8). This piece came complete with packing cubes and a separate compartment for the laptop that allowed me to make the most of the space. I roll the clothes up and pack 'em in the cubes.   Also, I place the 311 bag, laptop/electronics, and any other 'unusuals' in an easily accessible area in case TSA ever needed to look at it.   One key benefit of this Carofield backpack...If there's no overhead bin space next to a vacant window seat, this bag (believe it or not) does fit under the seat in front of me, even toward the front of the plane where the total width is slightly narrower. Also works for middle seat, but not for the aisle seat.     This basically allows me to pick any open window seat regardless of how full the overhead bins are. Plus, a side benefit is I can have access to the bag during all phases of the flight anytime above the 10k' mark regardless of whether the seatbelt light is on.  ... View more

To those who follow SoCalFlyer97's posts regularly well know that this traveler's Free Flight Entertainment portal is enjoying the views straight from the window.   Some of the favorites:     Check out the rest of the Photo Album here: https://community.southwest.com/t5/media/gallerypage/user-id/173487/album-id/24156     ... View more

I choose to use Early Bird because I do not always have the opportunity to "check in" 24 hours prior to a flight. But yes, Early Bird is no longer an effective means of guaranteeing a proper seat.   The biggest problem is that people will pay for one early bird seat and then "hold" seats for the rest of their party. It's ridiculous.   I now go out of my way to challenge people. If somebody is attempting to hold three seats I will tell them that I am sitting there. That person has paid for a single seat and obviously does not have to move. But I'll be darned if they are going to prevent me from sitting there.   If you want to hold a row of seats then go to the back of the plane. Otherwise, I'll be sitting next to you. The flight attendants know the ruse. They know what's going on and they choose to ignore it  and/or be complicent it this ruse. That's unacceptable. Stand your ground I say.    I will not try to break up families or anything like that, but again, you are more than welcome to grab a row in the back of the plane to ensure that you sit together.    I have contacted SWA several times regarding this matter and they consistently fail to remedy the situation. They typically sent out a reply indicating that people enjoy the open seating policy. This response ignores the situation.   I used to really enjoy flying SWA. The employees were friendly. The flights were on time. The experience was good. Things have really taken a 180 degree turn. I am at the point where I am going to cancel my SWA card, burn up all my points, and fly with a different carrier. ... View more

I'm biased toward DEN because I grew up there, but the new renovations are looking nice!   Anyway, I currently have a mission to fly to or connect through SWA's largest airports, so far my favorites apart from DEN are DAL and BNA. I wasn't a fan of HOU when I went through there this past Christmas, but maybe that's because I was in the international gates area and felt far removed from the happenings of the airport. I have yet to try out AUS, BWI, LAS, FLL, MCI, MCO, OAK, SJC, SMF, STL, TPA - clearly I have a long ways to go. Not to mention, it's been awhile since I've been to both LAX and SAN.  ... View more

Wow...Where do I begin?   First, I echo what everybody else mentioned. Agree 100%. SW's unique business model makes it stand out from the competition.     One of my personal hobbies involves me taking day trips to various places and letting somebody take me there: Go in early in the morning, relax for the ride up, spend the day there, and come back in the late afternoon or evening. In the picture above, I'm boarding a local regional train bound to downtown Los Angeles. For the longest time, I've always loved taking train and bus rides aboard SoCal's local regional rail system, the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, and numerous regional and inter-city bus routes. SoCalFlyer97 not only likes to go to places; he tries to make most of the journey to/from too!   Yes, driving is would have been much quicker than taking buses and trains but I would then miss out in the opportunities gifted to me during the journey to/from while I battled hectic and congested freeways.     Back in 2021, my job required me to make periodic business trips to my company's production plant in Tijuana Mexico; thus I got Global Entry so I can cross back into the USA quickly via the SENTRI pedestrian lane. With short waits at the border coming home, that meant I could do day trips down south and not have to spend the night in Mexico during my daylong business trips there.     Global Entry also includes TSA PreCheck, and I wanted to see if I could take advantage of any new day-trip opportunities with this benefit via the airline industry.     The following year, when I found out that Southwest offered multiple hour-long departures daily from SoCal to destinations in Northern California, Vegas and Phoenix from early morning 'til late night, I learned there was a possibility to complete day trips to these destinations both for work and pleasure via the LUV airline for affordable rates that I could not find anywhere else:           Combine that with having Global Entry to get through TSA quickly and with plentiful public transit options to feed me from a suburban park & ride lot into my primary airport at SAN (or decent 24-hour parking rates at my convenience airport at ONT), I saw new opportunities thanks to Southwest for both work and play.     I would have to say that my short-haul day trips that I post throughout this forum would not be possible on any other carrier. ... View more

We have been through about five of these! Southwest Stroller Bag (swathestore.com)   They usually have them at the counter though, you don't have to buy them online.   I don't mean to say they aren't durable - they are definitely getting a workout.    Now we are only bringing the booster seats so on the tail end of it. No more strollers.     ... View more

I could always go for some M&M’s, pretzels, or BBQ chips but usually I try to snack before I get on the flight same with drinks as those inflight lavatories aren’t made for the bigger guys like myself and I don’t want to make that trip unless it’s a true emergency.  ... View more

Excellent tips, @danielleprice !! Thank you for posting. ... View more

I’ve navigated the world of traveling with a baby/toddler over the past two years! Our almost 2 year old, James, has been to 19 states, so I feel like I’ve picked up some good tips!   Here are some of my best tips for traveling with babies: ● Pick morning flight times or flight times that work with nap schedule. When James was younger, I picked flights that coincided with his nap since the plane would lull him to sleep. But now that he’s older, I try to pick flights when he’s awake since now he just wants to explore and look at everything. ● Bring lots of snacks and entertainment. New toys or toys that they only get when they travel are a game changer. I know TV can be a controversial topic when it comes to toddlers, but this has been life-changing for us: we don’t let James watch screens at home... we save that for traveling and when we eat out at restaurants. Since he rarely gets screen time, he sits quietly and is entertained by kids shows for SO long (especially if we put Ms Rachel on). ● If you have a baby, wear them through security so that your hands are free! ● Don’t forget an extra outfit in your diaper bag! I once forgot and majorly regretted it when James had a blow out. ... View more

@khudspeth wrote: It's an Evenflo Dualride Shyft: https://www.evenflo.com/products/shyft-dualride-car-seat-stroller-combo-carryall-storage?gclid=CjwKCAiAxaCvBhBaEiwAvsLmWJ15GjythiRm-Z8PcVSLIREHTS462U5qhA7Eo1M04wV0FpEpJrVjNRoC3twQAvD_BwE&gad_source=1   It is TSA approved and I purchased an extra seat for him. It's similar to the Doona and I've been able to find several posts about people taking Doonas onto the plane, so I'm feeling hopeful that we'll be ok.  I don't remember any front-facing/back-facing requirements, the only requirement is that it is TSA approved.   It is up to you of course to have the correct arrangement for your kid's age and size, it sounds like you are on top of that.   We mostly went as lap children, without car seats and then when kiddos were big enough we used the CARES harness - one kiddo took to it really well, kiddo #2 pretty much straight to the lap belt, YMMV.      ... View more

I completely agree that sitting close to the front of the plane is key! Being one of the first people to exit the plane will save so much time! If you want to make sure you get an early boarding position, set an alarm to remind yourself to check in exactly on time, and if you still don’t get an A Group, you can always pay to upgrade. You can also check your bag so that you don’t need to potentially run through the airport while lugging a suitcase! Checking your bag also makes it so that you can ride in the very front row if there’s a seat available. ... View more

Hey there! It may be more helpful to contact Chase about your question. Start here: https://creditcards.chase.com/southwest/contact-us ... View more

It's nice to have someone who REALLY likes to fly in the community.   Thanks for another fun trip report, SoCalFlyer ... View more

I have two fav must-do's to look forward to when I have a long connection:   1.) Bring my Kindle to binge a book (**and the charger!!**) When buried in a good book, you're not at C19 waiting for your plane to arrive! You're in a make-believe forest or the 1930s or on a tropical vacation. Reading is the fastest way to make 4 hours feel like 15 minutes. I'm obsessed that Kindles don't take up much space or weight in my tote bag. Fellow Fourth Wing lovers, I know you know what a difference it makes.    2.) Talk to someone older and wiser to learn a lesson!  I know most people are blocking out the world with top-of-the-line earphones and endless texts to answer. But at almost every gate is going to be an older gentleman or lady who would be so happy to chat and have someone to tell their stories to. Over the years, I've met the most incredible people who have had the most wild lives who are patiently waiting out their long layover near the pre-boarding area. It's so special to share a connection with them and just ask about their lives, experiences, and lessons.     ... View more

They say to allow up to 8 weeks to post;  The last couple of promotions for me didn't get posted until very close to the 8 week mark;  Also, on this specific promotion I think that I personally got confused on the terms, but not sure if that is the case for you.  I initially thought it was for any purchases but as I read the details, I think it is only for southwest purchases. ... View more

I'm not sure about zedding policies, but if you're nonrevving with Southwest, you'll just go to the ticket counter. Make sure you allow plenty of time between your arrival to the airport and the departure of your ideal flight. ... View more

Love hearing this! Glad you had a great experience. ... View more

Additionally, when a flight disruption occurs, an AOM will be sent to affected Customers using the contact method the Customer selected at the time of booking. If they are not receiving an email, it may not be marked as deliverable in our system, going to junk, etc. ... View more

SoCalFlyer97 can't speak for the entire year, but later this winter, the destination I'm looking forward to the most will be a combined Business Trip and Personal Trip to LAS with a stay at one of Vegas' historic landmarks.   Usually my trips to LAS are day-trippers purchased during a sale; I fly in early in the morning from SAN, take care of my business, check out some sights if time permits, and return home in the late afternoon or evening. However this time I will be staying in LAS with a three-night stay at an inn that many people including the hotel's website itself say is "haunted"--The old and original Hotel Apache in Downtown Las Vegas that once catered to the builders of the Hover Dam.     Looking at the pictures, Apache resembles a depression-era interior design. Built in the early 1930's, the rooms are small and chances are I'm going to need to use either the room's HVAC system or my phone as white-noise to muffle out all the late-night partygoing down on Fremont Street. However, Apache's low prices combined with its rich history showed me that this place was a great deal.   During my hotel shopping, I learned that Apache proudly boasts that the place is "haunted" with anonymous quotes describing various noises and things magically getting moved. I don't believe that haunted spirits are going to move my things from one corner of the room to the other, nor are they the source of when the building creeks or groans due to settling. I often find my things in odd places simply because I was tired and forgot that I left them there.   The business portion of the trip involves a two-day, dual-convention at the LV Convention Center. That meant all of the big hotels in the area were charging huge room rates. Westgate for example is located next door to the convention center; a few weeks ago, it posted a $1,420 price tag for the three nights on Southwest Hotels which excluded taxes and $119.97 in resort fees for the stay (although those 19,000 CP-Eligible points looked very tempting). At the time of the post, Westgate was sold out.     Both at the time of reservation and at the time of this post, the "haunted" Apache hotel is still priced at $133 for all three nights with no resort fee ($150 total after taxes) with 1,000 points with a short RTC bus ride to the convention center area; 3-day bus pass is only $20 which also covers travel to/from LAS airport. Looking at the pictures and reviews, this little inn above the old Binion's has my name on their reservation list through Southwest Hotels.     For the record, I also reviewed the nearby Downtowner Boutique Hotel with similar base pricing and a modest $22.60 resort fee. That too looked like a nice little place to stay; however its location was a few blocks east of the Fremont Experience and little too far of a walk from the RTC bus route that would have fed me into the convention center. The Four Queens was my second choice at $236 total after taxes for the stay with no resort fee.     I booked the SW flight a few weeks ago during an "As low as $44" Fare Sale and locked in a $59 SAN-LAS flight each way. Amazingly enough, the fares from last week's WOW40 sale were actually priced higher than the $44 sale.   Looking forward to to this trip. ... View more

I'm back, it's all working now. Thank you to everyone who helped in getting my account back up and running! ... View more

@SoCalFlyer97 -- Fixed it! The issue was something on our back end, so you should be receiving a direct message shortly! ... View more

Thanks for sharing, @StAugustine! Please check your Community inbox for a little holiday surprise.   Kindly, Carlye  ... View more