Just spent 1 hour & 12 minutes on the phone booking travel with an airline that is NOT Southwest. The reservations were made with NOT Southwest, because of a incredibly-fabulous-membership-deal to save us money on 4 out of 5 tickets. Sounds good…right? After 52 minutes of waiting to hear that the tickets were finally booked, and the rules were followed, and the scary details of how much it would cost to re-book any of them, for ANY reason, even death!...were recited to me, we began to pick out seats. I was told the only seats available were scattered around the plane, and for all of us to sit together - or even remotely near each other - it would cost an additional $130. So be it...were all scattered around the plane. I was told theres a coupon I have to mail in within the next 24 hours, or 3 out of 5 tickets are null and void. Ive been searching the house for stamps, so I can get this thing in todays mail. When Im done with this semi-rant, Ill be driving directly to the post office. Heaven forbid I should forget to mail it or miss the deadline. As for my free ticket (using those coveted dividend miles), it seems they dont allow them to be booked by the passenger online, because theyre part of the incredibly-fabulous-membership-deal. Youre required to have an airline agent book it…but they charge for booking it over the phone, so no matter what, you still pay something. My free ticket costs $66. Not so bad, but not free. If any of us check luggage, it will cost $25 each, for one bag. Thats $125. Hmmm four day trip with only carry-ons? I think we can manage it, but no one gets to bring extra underwear. Finally, I was informed that the name on all tickets had to match any passengers with a drivers license. I made sure to get those right. Unfortunately, when I received the confirmation email…my name was wrong. The phone agent renamed me Stacylynn. (Here in Nashville, I guess I could get away with that) Called NOT Southwest back. Took 20 minutes to get my name corrected. Quite an adventure and a pain in the neck. Still, there is one. good. thing. about it... ...while picking out seats, my dividend miles flight restrictions forced the airline booking agents hand. I was REQUIRED to sit in 1st class for the return flight. She said this like it was a bad thing…Im so sorry. My smile reappeared. Next, in a very cheerful voice, she said, However, for an additional $26, I could put you back in coach, to be closer to those you would be traveling with, but still not next to anyone you actually know. Just scattered around, like everyone else. I told her I would suffer in first class.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 19:05:29 +0000