Southwest + bumping/standby

[dvcbeachclub]

thinking of last minute plane tickets for october 6th on southwest
on that ding fare that has become a nightmare for me tracking since my last post here.....anyways...

october 6th seems last minute for myself and makes me think that if i do go ahead and purchase what are the odds of being bumped from the flight?
I heard from a family member that SW likes to overbook their flights sometimes
and when you are at the gate they ask for volunteers to go on standby and try to entice them with goodies for doing so...and then if they dont get enough of em they just bump however many people they need to....
so i just figure keep in mindset of driving and ferget about it....
but also heard that If I am one of the ones to show up early enough then my chances of getting bumped are slim...
is this all true....
When I used to fly delta i never had encountered this situation and I am afraid to even bother with SW knowing this could happen

 

[PSU_Princess]

I always thought they did their bumping based on when you check in not on when you bought your ticket. If you get there early and check in you should not have a problem....if you are one of the last people to check in and the flight is already full you have a chance of being bumped.

I think a lot of airlines overbook if possible to account for no shows.

 

[Nemo14]

You can print your boarding pass out 24 hours ahead of time. It is my understanding that you cannot be bumped if you have the boarding pases.
You mentioned the Ding fares - keep in mind that they are for a very limited time only. If you saw a Ding fare you liked yesterday, it probably is not available today.

 

[Yellow Shoes]

EVERY airline overbooks. We just know more about Southwest's policies because we can watch them in action on "Airport."

The best single piece of advice is always ARRIVE EARLY.

If you notice on "Airport," most often the people with problems are the last minute folks.

 

[Nemo14]

EVERY airline overbooks. We just know more about Southwest's policies because we can watch them in action on "Airport."

The best single piece of advice is always ARRIVE EARLY.

If you notice on "Airport," most often the people with problems are the last minute folks.

OT, but when are you going Yellow Shoes? I was wondering if we'll be there at the same time (we leave here on the 29th!)

 

[BRER STITCH]

You can print your boarding pass out 24 hours ahead of time. It is my understanding that you cannot be bumped if you have the boarding pases.
You mentioned the Ding fares - keep in mind that they are for a very limited time only. If you saw a Ding fare you liked yesterday, it probably is not available today.

NEMO's got it right!

Print your Boarding Pass 24 hours before your trip an you'll have no problem!

Also, some of the DING fares are only for a few hours and once the time has expired, you'll never see them again. That's the nature of the program. It works for some but does not work for others.

HAPPY TRAILS!

:wave:

 

[dvcbeachclub]

so if the next ding comes and I do it.....is it too late for magical express?

 

[Nemo14]

so if the next ding comes and I do it.....is it too late for magical express?

No, you just call the CRO and tell them the change in your reservation.

 

[DznyGrlSD]

You can print your boarding pass out 24 hours ahead of time. It is my understanding that you cannot be bumped if you have the boarding pases.
You mentioned the Ding fares - keep in mind that they are for a very limited time only. If you saw a Ding fare you liked yesterday, it probably is not available today.

Even if you have a boarding pass...Southwest has a 10-minute rule. If you're not at the gate 10 minutes before your flight leaves they can re-sell your seat and bump you. So my advise is BE IN THE GATE AREA!! :wave:

~11 Days, 21 Hours, 22 Minutes