ANOTHER Southwest question!!!

[TinyDancer]

I don't think this has been asked before, but I apologize if it has! I was watching Airline (you know, the show about SW), and I thought there was something mentioned about being able to hop on an earlier flight if there was room (I guess that's what, standby or something?). Is this correct? For example, if we plan on a noon flight but we get to the airport in time for an 11:00 flight, can we go on the earlier flight if there's room? I assume you'd have to pay a difference in fees? Then THAT begs the question what is the difference? If I booked this flight at 89$ because I booked early and all that jazz and the cost to book the earlier flight right then is 189$, do I pay a 100$ difference?!? Is any of this making sense? Lol, probably not, sorry. But if anyone can figure out what I'm talking about and has some sort of answer, I'd appreciate it!

Rebecca

[momofdisneyprincess]

If you already have a seat on a later flight, they will usually let you switch, room permitting to the earlier flight with no charge. No guarantees on that though. I just know someone who switched to an earlier flight and they didn't charge them. Good luck!

[BigRedDad]

In April, we had a late flight, but our DD was pooped out. We called to see if they had room on an earlier flight. They told me they did, but it would be a $75 charge per seat to move up. They would only allow changing for free if my flight was delayed by more than 30 minutes.

We may have just gotten a bad rep, but this is what we were told.

[DisneyDadfromPittsburgh]

Stand by on an earlier flight with SWA usually always incurs a charge. That one persone lucked out by doing that with no charge.

[WorldTraveler]

I have used SouthWest many times and have been able to take an earlier flight two or three times. Never at a charge. What they are doing is making room on later flights where they may need to try to find some seats. I always check the schedule of flights the day before I fly to see if there are other flights I may want. It is always helpful to know the flight number that you want. I have also called the airline the day before and asked if there was room and they moved us to the earlier flight.

[MidnTPK]

I was once so frequent a traveler on SW that I had a companion card. Even then it was VERY RARE that SW allowed flight changes without paying the difference between the fare I paid and the full unrestricted fare.

I bet the examples listed on this thread were time when there was an over-sell on the original flight, and the agents noticed this and accommodated the passengers because it prevented a problem for the airline, not to be nice to a customer, though that's a nice by-product.

And there have been other episodes of 'Airline' where people got all snotty when the SW agents explained that SW doesn't normally do standby without upgrading to full undiscounted fare.

[RBrooksC]

Here is the way it works. If you purchase a FULL FARE TICKET you may switch flights without penalty.

If you have type of discounted ticket, you must pay the difference between your fare and the full fare price for each ticket. So, if your ticket for that flight is $69 and the full price of that ticket is $199, you would be required to pay $130 to go standby on an earlier flight.

[chick20679]

Here is the way it works. If you purchase a FULL FARE TICKET you may switch flights without penalty.

If you have type of discounted ticket, you must pay the difference between your fare and the full fare price for each ticket. So, if your ticket for that flight is $69 and the full price of that ticket is $199, you would be required to pay $130 to go standby on an earlier flight.

Exactly.

If you purchased a 'business select' or 'anytime' fare then you may standby with no charge. Otherwise, you must pay the difference in fare.

Some of your other 'discount carriers' allow you to standby for flights on same day of travel at no charge, but Southwest isn't one of them.

[RBrooksC]

Some of your other 'discount carriers' allow you to standby for flights on same day of travel at no charge, but Southwest isn't one of them.

The reason for this is SWA is creating value in their full fare ticket. Why would anybody purchase a full fare ticket if they could purchase the least expensive fare ticket and switch at will? Allowing that would devalue their tickets and not allow for the deep discounted fares that are offered by the airline.

[rookie]

not specific to SWA but my experience has been that most airlines will allow you to go "stand by" for no extra charge, however if you want to get assigned a seat to insure you are on the earlier flight you get charged the difference. Usually this doesn't work very well if you have bags checked since they won't have time to move your bags if you don't get a seat until 20 minutes before departing.