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Flying to your Cruise on Southwest? Have a backup plan!

Ozark_Kid

By Ozark_Kid,
in Royal Caribbean International

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Ozark_Kid "Live from...." Rare

Ozark_Kid

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Here’s the short version. Last weekend friends flying Memphis to Atlanta to Miami.  Canceled on their way to the airport.  $1,500. Later a flight with Delta the next morning got them on Symphony on time.  This weekend we get back yesterday. Flying from Miami to St. Louis to Little Rock, canceled less than 2 hours out with no flight to LR until Monday   Thinking Southwest is just canceling flights to Florida?  A friend flying Arizona to Little Rock today canceled.  No flight available until Tuesday.  Have a plan B.  It’s a mess.  Hope it works better for you but be aware.  Safe travels to all.

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CruisingHusker

CruisingHusker

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I just changed my flight for next month to Delta today for this very reason. I’m not risking it because Southwest can’t get it together. This summer, due to their delays, I missed the whole first day of a Jamaican vacation. After saying they couldn’t get me there for 3 days I bought a ticket with Delta and spent the night in Chicago. It cost me an extra $2400 and all I got from Southwest was a $200 voucher total for 4 of us. They used to be my favorite airline. I am now willing to pay more and pay baggage fees to make sure I get to my destination. 

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twangster "Live from...." Rare

twangster

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3 minutes ago, CruisingHusker said:

I just changed my flight for next month to Delta today for this very reason. I’m not risking it because Southwest can’t get it together. This summer, due to their delays, I missed the whole first day of a Jamaican vacation. After saying they couldn’t get me there for 3 days I bought a ticket with Delta and spent the night in Chicago. It cost me an extra $2400 and all I got from Southwest was a $200 voucher total for 4 of us. They used to be my favorite airline. I am now willing to pay more and pay baggage fees to make sure I get to my destination. 

 

Get a Delta branded Amex card and no checked bag fees.

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Ozark_Kid "Live from...." Rare

Ozark_Kid

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1 hour ago, Merion_Mom said:

That's just awful.  I have never had a problem with SW.  Just the opposite.  But I shall now be alert! 😮 

That has been our experience with SW in the past and why we used them this trip.  I certainly wasn't going AA.  This crazy time is really going to hurt them. 

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Ozark_Kid "Live from...." Rare

Ozark_Kid

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1 hour ago, ReneeFLL said:

Unfortunately this happens with ALL airlines. It’s just a matter of time when it happens to you if you fly enough, but it sucks either way.

I have had cancels and delays with SW in the past but was always satisfied with how they handled it.  This week is a train wreck!  It is going to hurt them.  Loyal SW flyers flying through this will look more closely at alternatives after this. 

Edited by Ozark_Kid
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Mom*3

Mom*3

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Not just Southwest this weekend. We had problems this weekend with both Delta and American. We arranged flights for our children to fly to St. Louis for their grandmother's funeral. My daugter's American Airlines flight to St. Louis was delayed so many times she was never going to make it. She was 5 hours away and managed to drive there in time. My son's return flight to Minneapolis on Delta was delayed about 22 hours. (He said people were freaking out about missing their cruise and yelling at the Delta agents.) 

We normally fly Southwest, but couldn't get flights that worked with their schedule and a funeral on such late notice. But, I guess it wouldn't have been any better with SW this weekend.

 

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sargenet

sargenet

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I leave in a little over a week…coming in Sunday for a Monday cruise ..flying southwest.  I actually just booked a cheap backup flight that same night on frontier airlines.  I usually with never fly Frontier airlines before a cruise because one time they cancelled us 7 hours before a flight during thanksgiving and we had to pay a fortune to fly Southwest to get there for our cruise.  So right now I am holding 2 flights that day!  Glad they were cheap!

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RoyalC

RoyalC

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2 minutes ago, sargenet said:

I leave in a little over a week…coming in Sunday for a Monday cruise ..flying southwest.  I actually just booked a cheap backup flight that same night on frontier airlines.  I usually with never fly Frontier airlines before a cruise because one time they cancelled us 7 hours before a flight during thanksgiving and we had to pay a fortune to fly Southwest to get there for our cruise.  So right now I am holding 2 flights that day!  Glad they were cheap!

Don't they have sky high bag fees of all sorts?

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Coralc

Coralc

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19 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

Does anyone know if today was better.?  We heard some canceled but wondering if has been as bad as yesterday.  Holding out hope for tomorrow. 

Actually worse today, "According to Flight Aware, Saturday saw some 800 cancellations. Sunday morning it’s worse with more than 1,000 flights canceled."

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cruisinfanatic

cruisinfanatic

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22 minutes ago, neverbeenhere said:

With all the love for Southwest here. I’m going to say we will never fly the Southwest buses in the sky. 
 

Enjoy the ride and rapid rewards.*

 

*(registered trademark) 

and if your next cruise isn't so great you'll never again in Royal? See how that sounds?

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