Flying with Southwest

[bala1130]

There are places where Delta is the same price, but in most cases it is a route that SW also flies. Add to that you have to pay for luggage on most other airlines, and it makes a difference.

 

And good luck trying to make a change to your flight with Delta. There charges excessive amounts for doing this. SW doesn't charge you anything over the different in price, or gives you a credit for the difference it the new flight is cheaper. I love Southwest. I don't understand why people are making such a big deal about seats. It's a plane. All the seats get you to the same place. Yes, sometime you get stuck next to a baby. I don't have a problem boarding a SW plane in the "B" group, you can avoid sitting next to the crying baby.

[fridaythe13th]

I had some girl try to "save" a seat. I think she just wanted it empty. DH and I asked if anyone was sitting there. She said no, moved her stuff AND herself to the row in front of us with her friend. I like SW for their no change fee and no luggage fee. Next check in will be tricky as we have two different reservation numbers!

[mollyeilis]

I'm sorry, but saving seats for people with higher numbers bugs me to no end.

 

 

 

On one flight we were on a woman was trying to save two whole rows. The others joined her in what was probably the high "B" or even "C" groups. It looked like one of the group paid the $15 and then proceeded to cheat. Yes, I said "cheat."

 

 

SW had NO policy on saving seats, meaning that they won’t get involved on either side. So they don’t necessarily think it’s a cheat.

 

People can try to save seats, but another person can come in and sit in the “saved” spot. SW has no opinion either way.

 

Our first flight on southwest we checked in at 24 hours and got an A spot. For the flight home we didn’t want to worry about check in so we did the early bird. Ended up with a high B. The moral of the story....fly Delta and pick your seat for free when you buy your ticket. I will never fly SW again. The find your own seat thing took forever. Snacks were a joke, 6 peanuts isn’t a snack.

 

 

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I’m guessing the other person booked or added early bird late.

 

How did finding a seat take forever?

 

Why ask why?

 

 

 

 

 

The OPs question does remind me one one flight we were B1 for boarding. The told B1-30 to line up and the couple that was B29 and B30 thought that meant anywhere. Deliberately stepped in front of us to be first. I shook it off and made a note for my review.

 

 

You let them in front of you??? Who were you reviewing? At that point SW isn’t part of it as they make it pretty obvious by their gate signs that you get in order.

 

I don't understand the appeal of SW. They used to be super cheap, and you can still score a good fare now and then, but I always find Delta to be one of the cheapest airlines. They offer what I believe to be a superior product, and I don't have to bite my nails off wondering where i'm sitting and if i will be able to sit next to my wife.

 

 

I take it you’ve never had your flight’s equipment changed or flight time changed, causing a total shuffle of pre-chosen seats?

 

While I rarely fly SW now, I started flying them about 20 years ago when the legacies kept changing my pre-chosen seat!

[shred5]

I hate the whole not assigned seats southwest does.

If I pay extra it should be to reserve a seat and not get priority boarding which it does not guarantee either. Matter of fact it does not even mean you get a seat with priority boarding if they over book. My SO arrived 4 hrs early to the airport and payed for early bird. They made her run through the airport (she just had knee surgery too) because they over booked the plane because the person before her was going to get her seat and would not let her check in at check in.

[cruisinfanatic]

I hate the whole not assigned seats southwest does.

If I pay extra it should be to reserve a seat and not get priority boarding which it does not guarantee either. Matter of fact it does not even mean you get a seat with priority boarding if they over book. My SO arrived 4 hrs early to the airport and payed for early bird. They made her run through the airport (she just had knee surgery too) because they over booked the plane because the person before her was going to get her seat and would not let her check in at check in.

A lot more to the story that you don't know about. If your friend paid for early bird, she does not even have to ck in. She can show up 4 hrs or 1 hr before the flight and still does not have to check in anywhere at the airport unless there is luggage. Still makes no difference

[shred5]

:halo:

A lot more to the story that you don't know about. If your friend paid for early bird, she does not even have to ck in. She can show up 4 hrs or 1 hr before the flight and still does not have to check in anywhere at the airport unless there is luggage. Still makes no difference

 

Well they told her she had not checked in so they were giving away her spot because the plane was overbooked. . I was there with her and no reason to lie.

 

 

We figured since I had to get to work I would drop her off to check in and we would have breakfast together at the airport and I would head to work. We didn't check in on the internet because we figured spot was held with early bird and 4 hours should be plenty anyway. When we went to check in the lady at the counter said the plane was over booked and she need to run to get to the terminal since they just sent the person up which was taking her spot.

[Charles4515]

I don't understand the appeal of SW. They used to be super cheap, and you can still score a good fare now and then, but I always find Delta to be one of the cheapest airlines. They offer what I believe to be a superior product, and I don't have to bite my nails off wondering where i'm sitting and if i will be able to sit next to my wife.

 

No change fees. And when I pay with points and cancel a flight all the pionts are refunded. Always get the aisle seat I want. More leg room than the legacy airlines. Southwest is the superior product. I only fly American, Delta and United if no other choice. Southwest is my first choice and Jet Blue my seoond choice. Those other three I named I avoid if possible.

[Charles4515]

And good luck trying to make a change to your flight with Delta. There charges excessive amounts for doing this. SW doesn't charge you anything over the different in price, or gives you a credit for the difference it the new flight is cheaper. I love Southwest. I don't understand why people are making such a big deal about seats. It's a plane. All the seats get you to the same place. Yes, sometime you get stuck next to a baby. I don't have a problem boarding a SW plane in the "B" group, you can avoid sitting next to the crying baby.

 

Exactly. No change fee. Had a family emegency last May, had to fly back early and paid zero fee. The fare was the same so no added cost at all. I will always pick Southwest over Delta if they fly the same route. Always get B group or above and get the aisle seat I want if I check in 24 hours in advance. On the changed flight I mentioned the change was eight hours before the new flight so I was in C group, still got an aisle seat.

[cruisinfanatic]

:halo:

 

Well they told her she had not checked in so they were giving away her spot because the plane was overbooked. . I was there with her and no reason to lie.

 

If she really had early bird, she was checked in. Apparently she didn't and also didn't print her boarding pass, so they considered her a no show even 4 hrs before

 

Even if I have early bird, I ck to see my number assigned

[shred5]

If she really had early bird, she was checked in. Apparently she didn't and also didn't print her boarding pass, so they considered her a no show even 4 hrs before

 

Even if I have early bird, I ck to see my number assigned

 

She had early bird we always do when we fly southwest which we do several times a year.

[cruisinfanatic]

She had early bird we always do when we fly southwest which we do several times a year.

Then why were they ready to give her (A group probably) seat away before other later arrivals?

 

She did not have an assigned group letter because she was not earlybird and did not ck in online. That can be the only reason

[CleverFirst]

Our first flight on southwest we checked in at 24 hours and got an A spot. For the flight home we didn’t want to worry about check in so we did the early bird. Ended up with a high B. The moral of the story....fly Delta and pick your seat for free when you buy your ticket. I will never fly SW again. The find your own seat thing took forever. Snacks were a joke, 6 peanuts isn’t a snack.

 

Actually the find your seat thing is the fastest way to board.

 

Flight costs have always been least expensive with Southwest, and you can't beat the first 2 bags flying free deal. Huge fan of them.

[ATC cruiser]

Plus with SWA, if the price of your flight goes down, they will give you the difference in credit, good for a future flight.

 

 

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[geomancer]

I've only seen SW have a cheaper fare than one of the big three, or JetBlue, once. While it ended up working out, I will say that flying as a family was fairly stressful for us since there is absolutely no guarantee we'll be able to sit together. "It's only $15" just means the fare price is really $15 higher per person which often makes them ever more expensive than the alternatives.

 

The added perk of free baggage is nice, but we pack light and for a week only need a single bag. The the difference in fare times 3 is usually far more than $25 that another airline will charge us. Especially when we add on the extra $45 to lessen the nail biting from wondering if we'll even be sitting next to each other.

 

Southwest is a perfectly fine airline, and may be a great choice with only 1 or 2 people, but as your party size increases so does the worry over seats, especially with younger kids as is our case.

 

For a Seattle cruise next year we're flying Delta out and American home, ended up being vastly cheaper to do the two one-way flights. I have status on American from work so we get Main Cabin Extra for free, and with Delta they actually serve meals on the flight (yeah, that's making a comeback).

 

Competition is a good thing.

[TNcruising02]

I prefer flying on Delta since I can choose my seat, but sometimes SW is a lot cheaper from where I live. I don't mind SW. I always get the EB. The only thing I really dislike about SW is their waiting area in Fort Lauderdale. It is miserable and that's where I am flying out of in January after my cruise. Even with EB, I will check in 24 hours before my flight. I like SW's policy about changing your ticket and also the free bags. We try to sit in the exit row, then we know nobody will ask to switch seats to be with a child, the row is roomy, and there will be no babies in our row.

[cruisinfanatic]

I've only seen SW have a cheaper fare than one of the big three, or JetBlue, once. While it ended up working out, I will say that flying as a family was fairly stressful for us since there is absolutely no guarantee we'll be able to sit together. "It's only $15" just means the fare price is really $15 higher per person which often makes them ever more expensive than the alternatives.

 

The added perk of free baggage is nice, but we pack light and for a week only need a single bag. The the difference in fare times 3 is usually far more than $25 that another airline will charge us. Especially when we add on the extra $45 to lessen the nail biting from wondering if we'll even be sitting next to each other.

 

Southwest is a perfectly fine airline, and may be a great choice with only 1 or 2 people, but as your party size increases so does the worry over seats, especially with younger kids as is our case.

 

For a Seattle cruise next year we're flying Delta out and American home, ended up being vastly cheaper to do the two one-way flights. I have status on American from work so we get Main Cabin Extra for free, and with Delta they actually serve meals on the flight (yeah, that's making a comeback).

 

Competition is a good thing.

If you have small kids, you get to board right after the A group. No way you would be separated

[goldgirl2]

Actually the find your seat thing is the fastest way to board.

 

 

 

 

Flight costs have always been least expensive with Southwest, and you can't beat the first 2 bags flying free deal. Huge fan of them.

 

 

 

We did not experience fast boarding at all. People were slow to try and find the “best” seat. Even the flight attendants were telling people to just take a seat. I have a Delta gold card so we check bags for free and so can up to nine people traveling with me.

[waterbug123]

A high B still means you get window or aisle choice.

 

No guarantee of that. Depending on your flight there could be a LOT of people from the prior leg staying onboard for the next leg, so you may find a limited number of seats open for "new" passeners.

 

 

I don't understand why people are making such a big deal about seats. It's a plane. All the seats get you to the same place.

 

People have preferences. Some like the window to be able to look out. Some like the aisle, for easy access to the lavatory or overhead bins. Some hate the aisle, because they get timed of getting hit in the head or shoulder by everyone that comes down the aisle with a backpack or large tote over their shoulder. Most people dislike the middle, especially if you end up with a large person on either side of you, who spills over into your seat or hogs the armrests. Some prefer the bulkhead or exit row because of the extra space. Some dislike the exit row because you can't stow your personal item at your feet during take-off/landing, and some are not allowed to sit in the exit row due to age, infirmity or lack of English fluency. You may not care if you get a middle seat in row 45, but some do and there's nothing wrong with that. That said, if seat selection is a big enough deal for someone, they can always book an airline that allows them to select a seat at boarding. If such a flight is more expensive, they have to decide which is more important- lower price or seat selection.

[waterbug123]

:halo:

When we went to check in the lady at the counter said the plane was over booked and she need to run to get to the terminal since they just sent the person up which was taking her spot.

 

4 hours early? That makes no sense. When airlines overbook, they don't randomly kick specific people off that early. They wait til it's closer to boarding time and the gate agent will first ask for volunteers who are willing to be rebooked, usually in lieu of getting a travel voucher.

 

 

More leg room than the legacy airlines. Southwest is the superior product.

 

Not sure where you are getting your information on that. The seat pitch on Southwest is 31". On Delta it varies from 31-34"; on American is varies but is at least 31", and the minimum on Jet Blue is actually 32". United seat pitch starts at 30" but varies up to 34"

[waterbug123]

If you have small kids, you get to board right after the A group. No way you would be separated

 

Again, with Southwest, unless it's the originating leg for that aircraft on that day, there may be any number of people staying on from the prior flight leg. That can limit the number and location of available seats, even for A group. Is it likely that you'd find seats together? Probably, but you certainly can't count on it.

[cruisinfanatic]

We did not experience fast boarding at all. People were slow to try and find the “best” seat. Even the flight attendants were telling people to just take a seat. I have a Delta gold card so we check bags for free and so can up to nine people traveling with me.

I've seen a late arriving SW flight deboard and then 30 minutes later pull away from the gate with full plane. It's sure not slower

[Clarea]

I've seen a late arriving SW flight deboard and then 30 minutes later pull away from the gate with full plane. It's sure not slower

Our experience too. Boarding in general seems faster on SW.

[cruisinfanatic]

Again, with Southwest, unless it's the originating leg for that aircraft on that day, there may be any number of people staying on from the prior flight leg. That can limit the number and location of available seats, even for A group. Is it likely that you'd find seats together? Probably, but you certainly can't count on it.

I've been on plenty of SW flights and this has never happened, Especially for A through at least B30 or so

[Charles4515]

4 hours early? That makes no sense. When airlines overbook, they don't randomly kick specific people off that early. They wait til it's closer to boarding time and the gate agent will first ask for volunteers who are willing to be rebooked, usually in lieu of getting a travel voucher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not sure where you are getting your information on that. The seat pitch on Southwest is 31". On Delta it varies from 31-34"; on American is varies but is at least 31", and the minimum on Jet Blue is actually 32". United seat pitch starts at 30" but varies up to 34"

 

 

 

Southwest and Jet Blue have more legroom than Delta, American and United in economy class. Southwest is 31 but has been increasing to 32. Delta, American and United are 30.

 

http://time.com/money/4819857/airlines-best-seats-most-legroom-economy/

 

 

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[Ocean Boy]

I prefer flying on Delta since I can choose my seat, but sometimes SW is a lot cheaper from where I live. I don't mind SW. I always get the EB. The only thing I really dislike about SW is their waiting area in Fort Lauderdale. It is miserable and that's where I am flying out of in January after my cruise. Even with EB, I will check in 24 hours before my flight. I like SW's policy about changing your ticket and also the free bags. We try to sit in the exit row, then we know nobody will ask to switch seats to be with a child, the row is roomy, and there will be no babies in our row.

Is there any airline that has a nice waiting area at Ft. Lauderdale? It is a very convenient airport to use when sailing from Ft. Lauderdale but the waiting areas are usually packed with people.