Southwest

[UCFBS]

Short Question:

For those of you who fly Southwest, what are some of the reasons you do?

Details:

I had A+ Elite status with AirTran for almost a decade, joining right after they started the program in 2003, and continually until 2013. I've flown Southwest only a handful of times, all awful experiences, including one with UCF AA back in 2006.

In fact, after the AirTran acquisition (a no brainer for Southwest given AirTran's very new 737 feelt), once Southwest fliers exchanged status with AirTran in 2012, I could never get Business Class any more. So that's when I stopped flying AirTran, but didn't bother with Southwest.

So ... what keeps you flying with them, and racking up points, instead of getting status on another airline? Most airlines give you free checked bags once you have status. Some cards even give comp you checked bags, or so many a year, if you don't have status.

Appreciate your opinions, as I'm traveling heavy again. I've been favoring Delta, mainly because ATL is their primary hub, with a couple of others I often bounce through. I also had status with Continental over some of those years with AirTran, but United isn't Continental.

 

[chemmie]

I don't fly Southwest unless I absolutely have to. I hate being around those unwashed masses.

 

[Sir Galahad]

Because they fly into Islip.

 

[LittleMissKnight]

Southwest has been good to us, and they have a free checked bag for every flight. The only thing is there are no assigned seats, only assigned boarding classes (A, B, and C). Through the Southwest card we basically fly for free through the end of this year, and I've been enjoying the benefits of pre-boarding because of pregnancy. Alcohol on the plane is $5 for beer, wine, or hard liquor, and sodas, etc. are free. No meals that we know of, just snacks. As far as service, we have never had a bad experience. 1/2 the time the flight safety instructions are told with jokes thrown in which is always entertaining, if you have any issues they'll usually comp you an adult drink, and if you have any special needs they seem to be great about accommodating them.
In fact, on our way to NYC this last time, our flight there had 1 stop and the layover was like 30-45 mins. The plane from Orlando took off late because of weather so we were getting to the ATL airport with 10-15 mins before the next plane took off (not boarded, but took off), so the head flight attendant got on the airplane mic and asked that anyone NOT making the connection to NYC stay seated so the ones making the switch can get off asap, which totally worked and we made it in time for the flight. So they are pretty good, it's just bare bones because that's how they can offer discounted flights.

 

[LittleMissKnight]

And you can pay a small fee to be moved up to boarding class A if you want to get seated faster.

 

[Dmarino110]

because i know, there will never be a terrorist stupid enough to try s#1t on a southwest flight...you have rednecks on the flights biting at the bit to kill a towel head...

 

[UCFBS]

Because they fly into Islip.

In all honesty, I do have to give Southwest some credit on their direct route options. With AirTran gone, it's almost impossible to get a direct flight anywhere these days. Only Southwest seems to have direct flights to/from Orlando to a lot of decent size cities (and even some major ones), at least of all the major carriers -- i.e., ignoring Allegiant to/from SFB.

I flew Frontier to Las Vegas last month for this reason, the only direct MCO-LAS option, other than Southwest, who had far worse flight times.

And you can pay a small fee to be moved up to boarding class A if you want to get seated faster.

The one time I've flown Southwest with my wife, I got in the C line firs tthing, so we could be together. Otherwise I could care less where I sit ... if it's not Business or First class.

I have no problem with Allegiant Air or Ryan Air for that matter. In fact, Southwest could learn a lot from Ryan Air about customer service, but that's another story.

But when it comes to regular travel, I want a program where the points actually mean something. Hence why I created this thread, because someone mentioned points on Southwest. In my view, Southwest status is an useless benefit, at least compared to other programs -- let alone all the AirTran A+ Elite flyers like myself, that went to other airlines after 2012.

I really liked AirTran, especially when my employer did not cover expenses for some of my consulting work (yes, even as an employee). Part of the reason I also went back to working for myself, like before.

 

[UCF w00t]

Southwest has been good to us, and they have a free checked bag for every flight. The only thing is there are no assigned seats, only assigned boarding classes (A, B, and C). Through the Southwest card we basically fly for free through the end of this year, and I've been enjoying the benefits of pre-boarding because of pregnancy. Alcohol on the plane is $5 for beer, wine, or hard liquor, and sodas, etc. are free. No meals that we know of, just snacks. As far as service, we have never had a bad experience. 1/2 the time the flight safety instructions are told with jokes thrown in which is always entertaining, if you have any issues they'll usually comp you an adult drink, and if you have any special needs they seem to be great about accommodating them.
In fact, on our way to NYC this last time, our flight there had 1 stop and the layover was like 30-45 mins. The plane from Orlando took off late because of weather so we were getting to the ATL airport with 10-15 mins before the next plane took off (not boarded, but took off), so the head flight attendant got on the airplane mic and asked that anyone NOT making the connection to NYC stay seated so the ones making the switch can get off asap, which totally worked and we made it in time for the flight. So they are pretty good, it's just bare bones because that's how they can offer discounted flights.

tl;dr

 

[LittleMissKnight]

But when it comes to regular travel, I want a program where the points actually mean something. Hence why I created this thread, because someone mentioned points on Southwest. In my view, Southwest status is an useless benefit, at least compared to other programs

You asked "what keeps you flying with them, and racking up points, instead of getting status on another airline?" and I just explained what attracts us to it- the SW card came with point bonuses to achieve the free flights status fairly quickly, more so than other airline cards. Plus you can get a free companion pass if you rack up the right amount of points (so when you book a flight using your points, you can add on a second traveler for no cost, money or points)

 

[UCFBS]

You asked "what keeps you flying with them, and racking up points, instead of getting status on another airline?" and I just explained what attracts us to it- the SW card came with point bonuses to achieve the free flights status fairly quickly, more so than other airline cards. Plus you can get a free companion pass if you rack up the right amount of points (so when you book a flight using your points, you can add on a second traveler for no cost, money or points)

Okay, thanx for the clarification/re-emphasis then. I'll look again at their program.

Guess I just miss AirTran too much, and using your comment, it is true that it takes far longer to get status with other airlines.

 

[LittleMissKnight]

Okay, thanx for the clarification/re-emphasis then. I'll look again at their program.

Guess I just miss AirTran too much, and using your comment, it is true that it takes far longer to get status with other airlines.

http://thepointsguy.com/2015/05/southwest-airlines-50000-points-sign-up-bonus-returns/

I don't know how old this post is but we were able to easily meet the points bonus by paying rent and all bills using the card. Then again, this was during the time of amazon payments, which has been discontinued because people would abuse it (couples would send payments to each other using the card to rack up points)

 

[ReginaeUCF]

BC i can fly direct almost anywhere from JaxIA

 

[UCFRogerz]

I've been really happy with US Airways lately. They always seem to have cheap direct flights to places I fly for work. The planes always seem to have been updated in the last decade vs with Delta, you probably get a plane that still have smoking stains.

Now that US Airways is going away and will be American I guess that's who I'm going to stick with. I hate that every Delta flight out of MCO has to connect in ATL, it irritates the shit out of me.

 

[CommuterBob]

SWA's points are probably the quickest way to free flights among major carriers. Typically, 5 flights and you can qualify for a free one-way with them. I like their seats over other carriers and I find their cattle call boarding is faster than most carriers zone boarding (which if you think about it, really isn't all that different except the assigned seats). Plus, they're usually cheap and offer more direct flights to the places I fly to.

US Airways is a good riddance for me. I've never had the amount of delays and cancellations with any other airline that I have experienced with them.

Delta is good, but I have the same issue as Rogerz about ATL. I am not a fan, but the airline has been good to me for most of my trips.

 

[UCFBS]

I hate that every Delta flight out of MCO has to connect in ATL, it irritates the shit out of me.

ATL is just irritating, period. AirTran had the same issue with them. ATL will switch gates 30 minutes before take-off, literally boarding time. I was on an AirTran flight once that was half-full, but was supposed to be booked, because of that.

But ATL is a hub that goes everywhere else, and is only a hour flight, so there are constant ATL-MCO flights in case one is cancelled. EWR, IAD and a few others can be worse, at least in my experience, and are much farther away.

 

[Whataknight]

try living in a US Air /AA hub city. I still fly Delta out of CLT because US Air wants stupid rates. Last time I had to go to Philly, they wanted $677 for me to fly they're direct on a Sunday and home the next night. I paid $228 to fly Delta from CLT-ATL-PHL and my hotel and my food and still saved $200. That, and they're horrible updating you on delays. I knew about my delayed flight out of JFK last night a good 90 minutes before the airline contacted me.

The US Air planes are mostly older in the cabins as well, or maybe it is because Delta's are mostly newer and it really stands out.

 

[UCFEE]

First, because they're almost always the cheapest option out of Denver. 2nd, they're by far the easiest to deal with if you have itinerary changes. No change fee BS, etc. Plus, these days the status doesn't mean much if you're not platinum. When I used to fly a lot, gold on Continental and Delta would get me upgraded on just about every trip between Orlando and Houston/Atlanta/Cincy/LA... now gold will rarely get you an upgrade, because airlines are pushing to sell those seats by making the first class fares or upgrades cheaper.

I officially made SWA my main airline when a couple years ago I wanted to terminate my trip at a layover point to spend a few days with friends, and Delta informed me that if I gave up my seat on the connectiom, it would cost me over $1000, or they would cancel my return trip. No such BS on Southwest...

 

[UCFBS]

I paid $228 to fly Delta from CLT-ATL-PHL and my hotel and my food and still saved $200.

In the good'ole days, that would be a lot of mileage. But Delta, like many others, now track the cost of the fares, in their programs. Ahhh, the good'ole days.

The US Air planes are mostly older in the cabins as well, or maybe it is because Delta's are mostly newer and it really stands out.

I think US Air was the last airline to retire the DC-9. If I ever booked US Air, I did my best to avoid any flight that listed the DC-9 as equipment. They also bought the E-190 series, which I don't trust, but has become inevitable. I.e., Boeing stupidly undermarketed the 717 (MD-95), preferring to sell the 737, so when they ended production, Embraer was in an ideal position to suck up that segment of the market.

In general I avoid US Air, unless they have a direct somewhere, like their hub, and I have to absolutely be there to justify the price (and not even then sometimes).

Southwest leased their former AirTran 717s to Delta, and I've already flown one, part of the reason I defaulted to Delta. Southwest still got the deal of the century buying AirTran, who already got the deal of the century on those brand new 737-800s at a major discount when Boeing ended the 717 line without fulfilling their remaining options. AirTran consistently maintained one of the best departure rates in the industry, the absolute top 3 years straight for just the 717 alone IIRC.

I remember watching one of their techs on those RR engines, and later read they can replace most parts within 15 minutes.

Still, ATL is a delay and mess on its own. But at least it's an airport I know in and out, along with EWR. I'll never forget being on the tarmac over a hour after landing at EWR on New Year's Eve, because there were no gate crews working. For DC, if I could fly into BWI instead of IAD or DCA, I'd do it. But with Southwest charging 2x now for BWI versus AirTran prior, it's usually IAD on Delta or JetBlue now.

 

[UCFBS]

First, because they're almost always the cheapest option out of Denver. 2nd, they're by far the easiest to deal with if you have itinerary changes. No change fee BS, etc.

Yeah, but they get you back with the price of the flight when you're changing closer to the date. That's how Southwest "gets back" it's lack of change fees, they are 2-3x as much when you're within a week or two of the flight date, like when one makes a change. It makes some "change fees" seem quite "reasonable" in comparison.

Plus, these days the status doesn't mean much if you're not platinum. When I used to fly a lot, gold on Continental and Delta would get me upgraded on just about every trip between Orlando and Houston/Atlanta/Cincy/LA... now gold will rarely get you an upgrade, because airlines are pushing to sell those seats by making the first class fares or upgrades cheaper.

With fewer directs and more hub flights, this is also a contributing factor. But it still depends on when you fly. If you're flying on the busy days, you're not going to get upgraded versus the top status. But if you fly Saturdays and Thursdays, like I do often, I'll get upgraded.

I officially made SWA my main airline when a couple years ago I wanted to terminate my trip at a layover point to spend a few days with friends, and Delta informed me that if I gave up my seat on the connection, it would cost me over $1000, or they would cancel my return trip.

That's why I try to book a lot of one-ways, to avoid that BS. At the same time, they also track you if you do this. This is especially if you are flying to a smaller airport that is subsidized by the FAA. I believe the airline doesn't gets the subsidy if you don't make the leg.

I got myself flagged once for doing this, booking a flight on to MCO, when I wanted to just go to ATL, because the cost was $99 for the IAD-ATL-MCO flight, but $289 for IAD-ATL. Lucky I lived in Orlando, and just said I ended up having to cancel last second for business. I also called beforehand, so they had little excuse, especially when I asked if a standby passenger was able to fly it. It's not a FAA subsidized route so they had no argument.

No such BS on Southwest...

Oh no, Southwest has other BS. I've seen people have to rebuy their tickets if they are printed, but lost (I think the FAA made them stop doing that a few years ago). They've also been well behind on integration. Even the AirTran merger took forever, and a colleague of mine with IBM said it's because Southwest was way, way behind AirTran, yet wouldn't leverage them, not even after an audit exposed such.

In fact, if I were to read into this ... I think what you're really talking about is non-status v. status. I.e., I've seen how Southwest treats its passengers like dirt if they don't have status when it comes to these things, hardly any different than other airlines who don't. But if you have status, they take care of things for you, even just a low status level. It's part of the reason to get any status with any airline, just to make the convenience easier.

 

[Knightro2003]

Yeah, but they get you back with the price of the flight when you're changing closer to the date. That's how Southwest "gets back" it's lack of change fees, they are 2-3x as much when you're within a week or two of the flight date, like when one makes a change. It makes some "change fees" seem quite "reasonable" in comparison.

With fewer directs and more hub flights, this is also a contributing factor. But it still depends on when you fly. If you're flying on the busy days, you're not going to get upgraded versus the top status. But if you fly Saturdays and Thursdays, like I do often, I'll get upgraded.

That's why I try to book a lot of one-ways, to avoid that BS. At the same time, they also track you if you do this. This is especially if you are flying to a smaller airport that is subsidized by the FAA. I believe the airline doesn't gets the subsidy if you don't make the leg.

I got myself flagged once for doing this, booking a flight on to MCO, when I wanted to just go to ATL, because the cost was $99 for the IAD-ATL-MCO flight, but $289 for IAD-ATL. Lucky I lived in Orlando, and just said I ended up having to cancel last second for business. I also called beforehand, so they had little excuse, especially when I asked if a standby passenger was able to fly it. It's not a FAA subsidized route so they had no argument.

Oh no, Southwest has other BS. I've seen people have to rebuy their tickets if they are printed, but lost (I think the FAA made them stop doing that a few years ago). They've also been well behind on integration. Even the AirTran merger took forever, and a colleague of mine with IBM said it's because Southwest was way, way behind AirTran, yet wouldn't leverage them, not even after an audit exposed such.

In fact, if I were to read into this ... I think what you're really talking about is non-status v. status. I.e., I've seen how Southwest treats its passengers like dirt if they don't have status when it comes to these things, hardly any different than other airlines who don't. But if you have status, they take care of things for you, even just a low status level. It's part of the reason to get any status with any airline, just to make the convenience easier.

TLDR LASER HEAD!!!

T L D R

 

[UCFKnightfan08]

Because they fly into Islip.

That's it for me too.

 

[Sir Galahad]

try living in a US Air /AA hub city. I still fly Delta out of CLT because US Air wants stupid rates. Last time I had to go to Philly, they wanted $677 for me to fly they're direct on a Sunday and home the next night. I paid $228 to fly Delta from CLT-ATL-PHL and my hotel and my food and still saved $200. That, and they're horrible updating you on delays. I knew about my delayed flight out of JFK last night a good 90 minutes before the airline contacted me.

The US Air planes are mostly older in the cabins as well, or maybe it is because Delta's are mostly newer and it really stands out.

Hated living in Charlotte for that reason. It would cost me $500 for a flight to Orlando or Tampa no matter what time I flew.

 

[LittleMissKnight]

yeah, but they get you back with the price of the flight when you're changing closer to the date. That's how Southwest "gets back" it's lack of change fees, they are 2-3x as much when you're within a week or two of the flight date, like when one makes a change.

I've had the SWA app for over a year now and I've bought last minute (relatively last minute, like a week and a half out) and have not seen this be the case. I also sometimes look for fun to see how cheap it would be for us to randomly take off the upcoming weekend and it really hasn't been that crazy.

Oh no, Southwest has other BS. I've seen people have to rebuy their tickets if they are printed, but lost

Why are you taking into account an action that is no longer in practice? That's like not mentally allowing a company to improve in your eyes. Maybe they used to do that, but they've improved and they no longer do.

In fact, if I were to read into this ... I think what you're really talking about is non-status v. status. I.e., I've seen how Southwest treats its passengers like dirt if they don't have status when it comes to these things, hardly any different than other airlines who don't.

I've flown with and without "status" and have never been treated like dirt and have seen flight attendants and gate attendants go above and beyond for other passengers without any knowledge of their status. Maybe you've seen a few bad apples but Dingy and I have flown a bunch this last year and a good amount throughout the last 5 and speaking just for myself, the only problem I've ever had is with Delta or the ATL airport. In fact, twice that a single passenger has offered to give up his/her aisle or window seat so Dingy and I can sit together and we've told the flight attendant to put a drink for them on our card, the flight attendant just said they would comp out a drink for that person who moved as a courtesy. I've seen them comfort nervous passengers who aren't good with flying, and always be sweet and often times quite funny. Even the gate attendants (where I've usually seen attitude) are super sweet.

But, all that being said, you make whatever decision works best for you. I just want to make sure you don't only see the negative sides.

 

[UCFKnight85]

Southwest is the absolute worst. Cattle car for the traveling newbs.

 

[CommuterBob]

Southwest is the absolute worst. Cattle car for the traveling newbs.

Because standing in the Zone 3 queue for United is really any different. Whatevs.

 

[UCFKnight85]

Because standing in the Zone 3 queue for United is really any different. Whatevs.

It's a lot different. You at least have a seat waiting for you when you get on, no matter when you board. And you can pick that seat before you get on the plane. On Southwest, if you're one of the last to board, you're absolutely getting the shittiest middle seat on the plane next to the guys weighing in at 300 lbs.

 

[Gwoz]

Direct Flights, if I can save 1-2 hours if not more by flying direct. That to me is most valuable.

Credit Card, Sign up for 2 Southwest Cards during Signup Bonus time (Business and Personal or two with Significant Other) January, associate both Cards to 1 Southwest Account, 100K points. Earn 10K additional points. Acquire Companion pass. Companion flies for free for the remainder of the year and additional year after that.

Total value to me, $3600+ in free flights for nearly two years. I think we squeezed out 8 round trips.

 

[CommuterBob]

It's a lot different. You at least have a seat waiting for you when you get on, no matter when you board. And you can pick that seat before you get on the plane. On Southwest, if you're one of the last to board, you're absolutely getting the shittiest middle seat on the plane next to the guys weighing in at 300 lbs.

Sometimes you get that too even when you get to pick your seat ahead of time on other airlines. My last flight from Houston to Orlando, I actually even paid up to get the economy comfort on United and was squashed the whole flight by a roly-poly woman who had to have weighed more than I do. Some comfort.

 

[UCFBS]

I've had the SWA app for over a year now and I've bought last minute (relatively last minute, like a week and a half out) and have not seen this be the case. I also sometimes look for fun to see how cheap it would be for us to randomly take off the upcoming weekend and it really hasn't been that crazy.

Maybe my experiences are out of date then. I'll price check Southwest the next few times I fly.

Why are you taking into account an action that is no longer in practice? That's like not mentally allowing a company to improve in your eyes. Maybe they used to do that, but they've improved and they no longer do.

As I mentioned, I think the FAA made them change IIRC.

But, all that being said, you make whatever decision works best for you. I just want to make sure you don't only see the negative sides.

No, no, this is good, and what I asked for. I'm looking for Southwest flyers who have good experiences, different than my own and what I've heard that only re-enforces them.

Because standing in the Zone 3 queue for United is really any different. Whatevs.

As I mentioned before, I've never had a problem with Southwest's zoning. Especially since I usually fly alone and don't care where I sit, if I'm going to sit in coach any way.

It's the other things that have always been my beef with Southwest in the past.

 

[LittleMissKnight]

As I mentioned, I think the FAA made them change IIRC.

But why does it matter why they improved? Sorry, I'm just confused as to how that's a factor. The bottom line is they improved something that would have otherwise been a negative for you, so now it's a non-factor.

 

[UCFBS]

But why does it matter why they improved? Sorry, I'm just confused as to how that's a factor. The bottom line is they improved something that would have otherwise been a negative for you, so now it's a non-factor.

Some of it does go a long way towards explaining things behind their operations over time, where they are able to recapture money. Policies and differences add up, and it's one of the many things that used to keep me from flying Southwest in the past.

AirTran used to do this with people who purchased their flights from PriceLine or another, pre-paid site. It made things extremely inflexible, and travelers used to get pissed at their customer service reps. In reality, it was just the policies they used, which is why I never, ever booked anything AirTran except directly from them.

In any case, I'm going to hit some Airline Pilot forums again on Southwest. Pilots are often really honest on those forums. The pilots often have lots of viewpoints compared to other airlines on consumer policies, plus the mechanical ones.

E.g., I won't fly Spirit any more, based on their pilot's complaints about how the aircraft are serviced. But I do fly Allegiant, despite their average airplane's age and Gallagher (ValuJet) being involved, because their experiences are the opposite (plus their FAA ratings too).

Southwest pilots used to complain about those 737-300 models, and some of the -500s too. But after an incident, the FAA made them retire all -300 models immediately, and they had to phase out -500s within a few years of that. And as I mentioned, they have one of the newer -800 fleets thanx to AirTran, so that's a concern that has been removed.

 

[Knightro2003]

Some of it does go a long way towards explaining things behind their operations over time, where they are able to recapture money. Policies and differences add up, and it's one of the many things that used to keep me from flying Southwest in the past.

AirTran used to do this with people who purchased their flights from PriceLine or another, pre-paid site. It made things extremely inflexible, and travelers used to get pissed at their customer service reps. In reality, it was just the policies they used, which is why I never, ever booked anything AirTran except directly from them.

In any case, I'm going to hit some Airline Pilot forums again on Southwest. Pilots are often really honest on those forums. The pilots often have lots of viewpoints compared to other airlines on consumer policies, plus the mechanical ones.

E.g., I won't fly Spirit any more, based on their pilot's complaints about how the aircraft are serviced. But I do fly Allegiant, despite their average airplane's age and Gallagher (ValuJet) being involved, because their experiences are the opposite (plus their FAA ratings too).

TL;DR!
TL;DR!
TL;DR!
TL;DR!
TL;DR!

 

[Good Knight Sweetheart]

I've flown Southwest Airlines a number of times and have had excellent service every single time.

I'm not worried about collecting air miles, since I don't currently fly enough each year to make that a priority in choosing my flights. I'm focused on prices, and ease of getting there (i.e. number of flight changes). The free bags part is also nice.
And every time I've flown them, I've had an enjoyable experience...and that's even on the flights that didn't involve funny safety instructions or singing to the passengers.
If you do the check in 24 hours beforehand (when you're permitted), you usually get in the A or B boarding section. I've never had a problem getting a good seat.

And they were awesome when I had a medical emergency during a flight to Houston and missed my connection to the next city(because I went to the ER). Not only were they great during the medical emergency, they made sure customer service had excellent notes so I could easily rebook my connection the next day without any drama. And they let me and my family pre-board in case I had a repeat incident (which I didn't, thank goodness).

tl;dr - I like Southwest

 

[knight1982]

I'm not sure what I hate most about SW. The cattle herding, wannabee comedian flight attendants, or the fact that 95% of the people that fly SW are rare travelers that are clueless. I get why families that don't travel often fly SW. But for someone like myself hat travels all over for business- I'd lose my mind.

I fly 95% of my flights on American/US and the Exec Platinum status really makes travel much more tolerable.

 

[UCFBS]

I'm not sure what I hate most about SW. The cattle herding, wannabee comedian flight attendants,

Those things don't bother me much. I mean, coach is coach, similar experiences everywhere.

or the fact that 95% of the people that fly SW are rare travelers that are clueless.

This is why I started the thread. I wanted to see what experiences people had who do regularly fly Southwest. Because, yes, I'm always afraid people only fly SWA intermediately, and have some allergy to checked bag fees and other things, and weren't being objective. But a post like GKS' was type I wanted to hear about. LMK's experiences are good as well, especially being more recent than my own.

BTW, I have to fly to MKE next week, just confirmed today, and SWA is almost double Delta, with far less desirable times (even the outbound flight alone is far more than the roundtrip). Considering MKE, like BWI, used to be one of AirTran's secondary hubs (ATL being the primary), I just have to shake my head.

So I'm just re-reminded me why I uninstalled the SWA app by early 2014 and let my SWA "status" (via AirTran) expire. I honestly wanted to like SWA, as they bought AirTran, but their continued, week (or even two) before pricing is just nuts for someone like me who cannot book at least 3 weeks ahead most of the time.

I get why families that don't travel often fly SW. But for someone like myself hat travels all over for business- I'd lose my mind. I fly 95% of my flights on American/US and the Exec Platinum status really makes travel much more tolerable.

Yeah, but they are making it more and more difficult to get status and any upgrade for most of us who don't get the top tier. So I'm largely in coach any more.

Hence why quandary. If SWA is going to continue to be 50%+ DL for most everywhere I travel, with worse times (so even when it's not my money), even flying coach on SWA isn't worth it to me.

 

[Good Knight Sweetheart]

Here's my next tl;dr - Southwest isn't for everyone. If you like another airline better, go on that airline.

I have friends that love Mt Dew. I hate it. Therefore, I don't drink it.

 

[Game_Day_Sports]

Charlotte is a private airport that is why it is so expensive to fly there. They control the gate fees and jack them up. It isn't the airlines fault in that instance.

I fly whatever airline can get me to my destination in the shortest flight for the least amount of money. I typically don't care brand and often times that flight is Southwest. If you are flying into and out of Orlando, you are flying with families. Just practice a little patience and embrace the chaos and make the best out of it. I could care less who sits next to me.

Now if I was going overseas, I would pay to fly something with more room and whatnot only because as a big dude, I don't mind being cramped for a few hours but transatlantic, I am not going to put up with being cramped.

 

[chemmie]

I could care less who sits next to me.

Dude, you're 6'8", 430 lbs. You're the person EVERYONE fears when getting on the plane! You should be forced to buy two seats.

 

[Game_Day_Sports]

Dude, you're 6'8", 430 lbs. You're the person EVERYONE fears when getting on the plane! You should be forced to buy two seats.

6'2" 300 thank you very much and I don't man spread or anything. I take what is allotted to me and don't spill over into other people's areas

 

[UCF11and1]

SWA+$15 early check in = pick any seat you want. Pick a window seat at the front of the plane and you won't have to worry about anybody else (families, clueless people, etc)