4+ Hour Connections Support
My Digital Experience team extended the booking platform to support connections of 4+ hours, enabling customers to book complex multi-stop itineraries in a single transaction.
The Problem
Southwest’s booking system previously limited connection times, which created friction for customers with specific travel needs:
- Long layovers - Customers intentionally wanting extended time in connection cities
- Business meetings - Travelers needing time for meetings during layovers
- Complex routing - Multi-city trips requiring longer connection windows
- Limited availability - Some routes only available with longer connection times
When connection times exceeded the system limit, customers had to book separate reservations, losing the protections of a single itinerary.
The Solution
We extended the booking platform to support connections up to 12 hours:
Technical Changes
- Updated booking logic to accept longer connection windows
- Modified itinerary display to clearly show extended connection times
- Added appropriate messaging for long layovers
- Ensured fare rules properly applied across extended connections
Customer Experience
- Single reservation for complex itineraries
- Protection for missed connections even with long layovers
- Clearer pricing without hidden booking splits
- Simplified rebooking if schedule changes occur
Results
The extended connection support enabled:
- More booking options for customers with complex travel needs
- Improved customer satisfaction by eliminating forced booking splits
- Better itinerary management with single confirmation numbers
- Reduced support calls for customers needing help with multi-segment trips
Business Value
By removing artificial connection limits, we gave customers more flexibility in how they build their itineraries. This seemingly small change unlocked booking scenarios that previously required workarounds, improving both customer experience and operational efficiency.
Extended booking support for connections up to 12 hours, enabling complex itineraries that previously required separate reservations.
