[CRFQUEEN]

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Early Bird Check in is rip off. You pay ten dollars so that you can check in 36 hours before your flight. You go ahead and pay the amount and instead of getting your place in line you get EB-for early bird check-in. You are not allowed to print your ticket until 24 hrs before your flight anyways. You therefore do not know what you have until 24 hrs before.

I went to print my check in and get B 48. Now according to to SW, you aren't guaranteed an A but you mean to tell me that 100 people checked in before me-paid $10 extra or business class on a weekend and called in at precisely 36 hrs to the minute before the time of the flight?

I was very upset and called SW "Customer" phone number. They sent me to Customer relations...not an 800 number-214-792-4223. I spoke to the agent there who said that they had a "glitch" in the computer system and they would refund my money. I said well, what is Southwest going to do for me? I need my end seat. I then spoke to a supervisor who would not rectify the problem either. NOTHING. I spent the money and made sure that I was at a computer specifically at the time required to get an end seat. I did what Southwest asked of me and I paid for it. What did I get? NOTHING and no help from Customer Relations or the supervisor.

Southwest has always been the cattle car of airlines. So, you sacrificed a little and got to airport early and stood in line to get a decent seat. The change came: Then you had to check-in precisely at 24 hrs. prior to flight. Now there is Business Class, A-list, and the "pretend" Early Bird. Talk about common folk being made to to go to the back of the plane...but we'll throw you a bone~make sure it is a middle seat.

Southwest's Mission statement "We always try to do the right thing" is a LIE. They don't care and don't do the right thing, even when they are at fault.

[jimworcs]

I am not particularly a fan of Open Seating and much prefer a system of booking. However, if you need an aisle seat to be guaranteed, you may have to purchase a business class seat or change airlines, as I do not think SWA will be changing any time soon. They did however admit the problem and offer you a refund. Believe me when I tell you.. many of the legacy carriers charge for services they don't deliver and then tell customers that the service are "non refundable".

[PHXFlyer]

Originally Posted by jimworcs

I am not particularly a fan of Open Seating and much prefer a system of booking. However, if you need an aisle seat to be guaranteed, you may have to purchase a business class seat or change airlines, as I do not think SWA will be changing any time soon. They did however admit the problem and offer you a refund. Believe me when I tell you.. many of the legacy carriers charge for services they don't deliver and then tell customers that the service are "non refundable".

Jim, Southwest aircraft are in an all economy configuration. There is no such thing as a business class seat. "Business Select" is a premium service Southwest sells. For $25 more than the "Anytime" (walk-up) fare you are guaranteed to be among the first to board therefore you get a pretty good shot at getting your preferred seat. You also get a complimentary adult beverage on board and get to use express check-in and security lines at the airport.

To the OP, if seat selection is so important to you then why the heck are you flying Southwest? You were a sucker to pay $10 extra which pretty much guaranteed you nothing. Now you're still upset over the $10 you lost? I'll send you the lousy $10. Use this as a learning experience and take your business elsewhere. Southwest's style isn't for everyone. You now know that it isn't for you.

[jimworcs]

Yeah, sorry, I did actually know that.. I meant the business fare, and you are right the secret then is to buy the first boarders fare. I will be travelling to Madrid next week on Easyjet. I have pre-purchased priority boarding to make sure I get the aisle seat.. it is still considerably cheaper than Iberia. (Who incidently have just been "taken over" by British Airways.

[Leatherboy2006]

214 is Dallas, TX area code were swa is based out of

[rocketman]

I booked tickets on SWA for company business travel for three people, including myself, at three different times. Each time we were offered the "earlybird" check-in option, which we purchased for an extra $20.00 round trip per ticket at the same time each ticket was purchased. All three were the "wanna get away" fare class but the earliest booked ticket, purchased 12/22/12, got the worst boarding postion, B17. A ticket booked on 12/29/11 was assigned A56, and the LAST ticket booked, on 1/4/12, got the best boarding postion, A38. The fare paid for the first and last tickets is identical, all three are the "wanna get away" fare class, and all three purchased the "earlybird check-in" option at the time the ticket was purchased. SWAs FAQs say that the boarding position is time stamped by fare class, so why did this happen? What did we really get for our extra $60? NOTHING, of course. Cattlecar airlines flight 000 now boarding.

[frequentfly]

I purchased the $10 early check in and wound up with a "B" boarding pass to my destination. I called the airlines and found that when I puchased the early check in it was for the return flight. Which I didn't need. I needed the first flight so I could sit with a friend. I asked the Southwest airlines for a refund and she said I would have to call next Monday to the customer service to get the refund. What a racket to screw people out of a few bucksmore.

[The_Judge]

Would it have been a racket if you purchased the correct flight the first time and not written a complaint? May I suggest reading and confirming what you buy before you click accept?