Southwest or every other airline in the history of the world?

[TXSooner518 2439]

yeah I don't mind the seating. haven't had a middle seat ever b/c I check in at 24h. I also have the SWA credit card, so have 4 upgrades to use for times when I'm not checking a bag for example and would really prefer being off early.

It would adjust the calculus some if they started charging for bags, but for AA to be paying $100 round trip for bags is a pretty deep hole to start in. Also more nonstop flights on SWA IME. 

[Nueces River Rat 5608]

18 hours ago, mdmost said:

Same. When we're looking at taking a family trip, SWA is never the cheaper option. They ceased being a cheaper option out of Love a while back which is disappointing because I'd much rather fly out of there than DFW. I miss flying Virgin America out of Love. Those flights were so enjoyable. Alaska took over their gates so that's an option if you're going to LAX, SFO, PDX, or SEA. 

Really they kind of ceased being the lower option when they took over Air Tran and became a coast to coast carrier and then added international routes.   When they were truly more of a regional airline (IE serving primarily the southern tier of states from Southern California to Florida with most of their flights originating or at least making a stop at Luv or Hobby on the way to another destination) ,  AA, United/Continental, Delta,  etc. couldn't beat them and pretty much utilized their Texas routes to get you where SWA didn't have a presence at the time such as the Northeast, Upper Midwest, and the Pac Northwest and/or connect you with their international routes or partners who now fly out of Bergstrom , Bush and DFW which can eliminate  the need to fly to NYC, LAX , Chicago , etc.    The only thing SWA does have going for them is promotional sales that pop up from time to time, but you to have flexibility to maximize the savings. Plus like I noted a few post above, they tend to hold off on cancelling flights vs United who likes to cancel on the mention of drizzle falling, especially if you are flying out of a smaller airport. 

Edited June 14, 2021 by Nueces River Rat

[mchookem 16591]

um...SWA is expensive 😮

just booked 4 tickets roundtrip Philly-Austin (kids coming to visit)...that's not cheap to start with, but SW was more than TWICE the total price of what Travelocity spit out (combo of AA and Delta). i was rather shocked at the difference! that's WAY more than the cost of checked bags, and we got them a non-stop on the way down, too. yowza. SWA is all grown up now! lol

Edited June 14, 2021 by mchookem

[6th Street 6609]

You guys are all neglecting a very key aspect of SWA which is the ability to fly in and out of smaller airports like Midway and Hobby which are much more convenient, closer to the city center, and easier to get in and out of.

[mapplewhite132 309]

Used to be a fanboi but southwest is expensive now and a PITA to get seats together with family. 

[BearSchlong 8142]

You guys are all neglecting a very key aspect of SWA which is the ability to fly in and out of smaller airports like Midway and Hobby which are much more convenient, closer to the city center, and easier to get in and out of.

This. My next flight is actually between those airports. HOU is so much easier than IAH even though the distance is equal.

[Shaddie 1675]

Uhhhhhh.

AA does DFW-HOU

Edited June 14, 2021 by Shaddie
Spelling

[Nueces River Rat 5608]

You guys are all neglecting a very key aspect of SWA which is the ability to fly in and out of smaller airports like Midway and Hobby which are much more convenient, closer to the city center, and easier to get in and out of.

Yep. It was their MO to avoid the newer airports or the big hubs. For the longest time if you wanted to fly SWA to Miami, the closest airport was Ft Lauderdale. Same goes when they started flying to California. Flight to LAX might have come after Burbank and Long Beach got service from SWA.

[RPM 26432]

Southwest Airlines implements ground stop 

Southwest Airlines said early Tuesday that it implemented a ground stop due to "intermittent performance issues" from a third-party weather data provider, but flights are beginning to resume.

The company said in a statement that the glitch prevented the "transmission of weather information that is required to safely operate our aircraft."

 

[midtown 3348]

You guys are all neglecting a very key aspect of SWA which is the ability to fly in and out of smaller airports like Midway and Hobby which are much more convenient, closer to the city center, and easier to get in and out of.

No I didn't. I specifically mentioned that sometimes the airport SWA uses is more convenient.

[gmr548 16645]

I stopped flying SWA in large because they stopped having  the cheapest flights about 10 years ago.  I did pick up one of their bonus offers so I have some pts to and a credit to use up but once they are gone I don't really see the point in flying them.   Unless its because their airport is more convenient.   Plus it's just plain annoying to have to price them separately vs google flights. 

The last sentence is absolutely annoying.

SWA and Delta are the two best run in terms of on time performance, and non coincidentally they have the best reputation as far as treatment of employees. I try to stick with those two if it’s not significantly more expensive or a layover vs direct or something.

[Godzillatron 293]

I’m a SWA fanboy. A-list plus, companion pass, fly into alternative airports to stay on SWA. Today their system outage stranded my wife at OKC and she can’t get home until Thursday. And the only reason she’s at my in-laws house in OKC instead of stranded in Houston without a connection tonight is me calling her and telling her not to get on a plane. Rethinking my position.

[mdleast 8393]

I’ll echo that if you are flying west and especially to SFO, LAX or SD, definitely check Alaska Airlines (formerly Virgin America) as I’ve routinely found them the same or cheaper than SW plus, most importantly, you get to chose your seat.

[Nueces River Rat 5608]

Kind of on topic in regards to SWA and their reputation as THE low cost airline being a thing of the past.

What do you all think about Frontier?   Never flown them...

Checking their fares... I could fly to Denver from San Antonio on Friday and return next Tuesday for $198 non stop round trip....    SWA $495 Non stop round trip

 

Tempting....

[Telegraph_it 3374]

5 minutes ago, Nueces River Rat said:

Kind of on topic in regards to SWA and their reputation as THE low cost airline being a thing of the past.

What do you all think about Frontier?   Never flown them...

Checking their fares... I could fly to Denver from San Antonio on Friday and return next Tuesday for $198 non stop round trip....    SWA $495 Non stop round trip

 

Tempting....

How much do you hate yourself? 

[closetohumping 17571]

44 minutes ago, Nueces River Rat said:

Kind of on topic in regards to SWA and their reputation as THE low cost airline being a thing of the past.

What do you all think about Frontier?   Never flown them...

Checking their fares... I could fly to Denver from San Antonio on Friday and return next Tuesday for $198 non stop round trip....    SWA $495 Non stop round trip

 

Tempting....

Frontier to me is pretty much like Spirit.  Doable, not optimal.  Depends on price.

[Nueces River Rat 5608]

4 hours ago, Telegraph_it said:

How much do you hate yourself? 

If it's a two hour or less flight.... for the price I might hate myself a whole bunch!   LOL

[tx 3 putt 78008]

i flew spirit to cancun last oct. zero issues but i knew the routine 

[BurntOrange&White 40627]

I like being able to choose my specific seats on a plane. Boarding procedures suck and I don't want to be on a plane longer than I have to.

[Telegraph_it 3374]

4 hours ago, Nueces River Rat said:

If it's a two hour or less flight.... for the price I might hate myself a whole bunch!   LOL

I flew Frontier once to Jackson Hole. I ended up in Bozeman instead. Frontier was perfectly fine leaving me in Denver. 
 

For the price difference you are looking at it may be worth the risk. 
 

Edit: I should add the only reason I made it to Bozeman was because I booked through Chase Reserve and called Chase travel to fix. Frontier hold times were estimated at 6 hours. 

Edited June 16, 2021 by Telegraph_it

[CooterBrown 18100]

With frontier, you have to upgrade out of the cheap seats that are a vinyl sheet over a metal frame with no padding at all.

[Chopper 17379]

The big problem with Frontier and other airlines that fly just a few times a week to a destination is that if they have a problem with their metal you could be stranded for days.

[RPM 26432]

Doesn't Frontier fee you to death?

[Js1 85898]

2 minutes ago, RPM said:

Doesn't Frontier fee you to death?

Yes.  And like Chopper said, if you are the only route that day and something goes wrong (mechanical, weather, crew), you may be SOL.  It's not an issue flying out of Denver since DIA is the main hub, but flying into could be a problem if something goes wrong. 

[DonkeyCigars 143]

I guess I'm an airline snob because a) I would never fly Spirit or Frontier as an adult with an actual job that pays me money. Those flights are full of either students/young rowdy people or people who never travel and don't have any travel etiquette or training, and the experience is like riding on a city bus for a few hours and b) I never fly SWA because I fly enough to routinely get upgraded to First Class and usually use accumulated points for international travel.

Give me Group 1 or 2 boarding or nothing.

Edited June 17, 2021 by DonkeyCigars

[gmr548 16645]

I voted "love" but really there should have been an IDGAF option.  I neither love nor hate it.  I tolerate it and it's fine for me, because I'm usually a solo traveler and can score an aisle or window pretty easily, depending on my mood.  Plus I get 4 boarding upgrades with my SW card, so I just pick and choose based on my boarding group when I check in if I need an upgrade or not. 
Plus the flights are usually cheap enough to just pay the extra money to get an A boarding group automatically. 

What? I didn’t know this was a perk.

Pos rep for Js1 because I have the card and forgot it was a perk until reading this the other day. Got me out of B49 or whatever and into an exit row on my flight today.

Lol. Fly a real airline and fly first class. This is like bragging about being Wal-Mart’s number one customer.

Paying for domestic first class product is the dumbest decision you can possibly make with regard to air travel.

[Sam Lin 3567]

On 6/16/2021 at 4:31 PM, CooterBrown said:

With frontier, you have to upgrade out of the cheap seats that are a vinyl sheet over a metal frame with no padding at all.

This honestly sounds better than the seats on United.

[Chewbacca 7807]

Paying for domestic first class product is the dumbest decision you can possibly make with regard to air travel.

You must be a little guy.

[Chewbacca 7807]

This honestly sounds better than the seats on United.

No, they are awful.

[gmr548 16645]

You must be a little guy.

The contrary. I’m 6’2”. I’m not too fat to fit in a coach seat so that helps. Economy is not comfortable but it can be tolerated for a couple hours. Domestic first is a racket, save maybe for transcontinental flights. All for the lie flats to Europe or Asia. I imagine those improve life immensely both en route and upon arrival.

[Steel Shank 9440]

Is SWA still not selling alcohol? Seems I heard they stopped after unruly passengers were assaulting FAs.

[Js1 85898]

Just now, Steel Shank said:

Is SWA still not selling alcohol? Seems I heard they stopped after unruly passengers were assaulting FAs.

They have not yet reinstated alcohol sales.  AA still hasn’t resumed yet in main cabin (until Sept 13 when the federal mask mandate expires for air travel) 

[Steel Shank 9440]

Just now, Js1 said:

They have not yet reinstated alcohol sales.  AA still hasn’t resumed yet in main cabin (until Sept 13 when the federal mask mandate expires for air travel) 

Can I bring some of those little bottles onboard myself?

[Js1 85898]

4 minutes ago, Steel Shank said:

Can I bring some of those little bottles onboard myself?

Technically no but just don’t get caught. Had a guy next to me in April who did that and no one but me saw him 

[Shaddie 1675]

4 hours ago, Steel Shank said:

Can I bring some of those little bottles onboard myself?

Only if you want to get a little drunk. 

[midtown 3348]

6 hours ago, Steel Shank said:

Can I bring some of those little bottles onboard myself?

Yes you can.   As long as they meet the TSA requirement.   Opening them on a plane is a different story.   Bring 4 or so.  And  once through security go buy a mixer.   Pour out or drink some of your mixer and then pour in the booze of your choice.  You cant get ice on most flights so its going to be room temp.

[After irth 1245]

18 hours ago, gmr548 said:

 

Pos rep for Js1 because I have the card and forgot it was a perk until reading this the other day. Got me out of B49 or whatever and into an exit row on my flight today.


Paying for domestic first class product is the dumbest decision you can possibly make with regard to air travel.

 

Unless you like being comfortable. 

Haven’t flown Coach since 2015. And gave up SWA long ago. 

[Steel Shank 9440]

29 minutes ago, midtown said:

Yes you can.   As long as they meet the TSA requirement.   Opening them on a plane is a different story.   Bring 4 or so.  And  once through security go buy a mixer.   Pour out or drink some of your mixer and then pour in the booze of your choice.  You cant get ice on most flights so its going to be room temp.

Sounds like an "experienced" traveler.

[Steel Shank 9440]

1 hour ago, Shaddie said:

Only if you want to get a little drunk. 

what if I bring 72?

[Js1 85898]

2 hours ago, midtown said:

Yes you can.   As long as they meet the TSA requirement.   Opening them on a plane is a different story.   Bring 4 or so.  And  once through security go buy a mixer.   Pour out or drink some of your mixer and then pour in the booze of your choice.  You cant get ice on most flights so its going to be room temp.

And your only mixer options on SW are Coke, Diet Coke sprite or water currently. 

[Godzillatron 293]

SWA had a rough week. With their computer issues Monday/Tuesday they has a ton of displaced passengers. My wife was trying to get home from OKC to AUS. The only reason she didn’t spend the night at HOU sleeping in the airport Tuesday night is because I called her and told her NOT to get on her flight that was delayed past her connection. Then it took two days to get her home.

[midtown 3348]

1 hour ago, Js1 said:

And your only mixer options on SW are Coke, Diet Coke sprite or water currently.

Not on the airplane.   Again that's where you get into trouble.  Do it in the terminal.  Buy whatever you want from a store or restaurant and carry your premade cocktail on.  If somehow you can get a cup of ice that's a bonus. 

Edited June 19, 2021 by midtown

[Js1 85898]

3 minutes ago, midtown said:

Not on the airplane.   Again that's where you get into trouble.  Do it in the terminal.  Buy whatever you want from a store or restaurant and carry your premade cocktail on.  If somehow you can get a cup of ice that's a bonus. 

Like I said, saw it on my flight. No one cared. He just ordered a Coke, waited until the FA walked past and poured in his little bottle. 

[Your Mom 4884]

Freedom One bitches (but yeah, wasn’t our best week) 

[Js1 85898]

 

[Landomatic 3813]

19 hours ago, Js1 said:

 

Guess all the restaurant, factory and now airline workers, found better jobs over the last few months, huh?

[closetohumping 17571]

6 hours ago, Landomatic said:

Guess all the restaurant, factory and now airline workers, found better jobs over the last few months, huh?

That's interesting.  I always thought most of them make a decent living, though I know there have been labor strikes before.

[midtown 3348]

6 hours ago, Landomatic said:

Guess all the restaurant, factory and now airline workers, found better jobs over the last few months, huh?

Tons of airline employees were furloughed.  Not sure if that means they can't come back yet?   I know they have strong unions.   Any labor people in here?

[DaysOff 8024]

1. Any labor strike in this industry is essentially blessed by the government after years of stalemate by the company. When your contract becomes amenable, labor is required to show up for work under the conditions of the Railway Labor Act. Zero incentive for management to come to the table unless they want something from you. This isn't fucking Europe.

2. Nobody was furloughed. Three rounds of government cheese prevented that.

3. AA is a shitbag outfit run by an alcoholic. This is of management's doing.

[Nueces River Rat 5608]

5 hours ago, DaysOff said:

1. Any labor strike in this industry is essentially blessed by the government after years of stalemate by the company. When your contract becomes amenable, labor is required to show up for work under the conditions of the Railway Labor Act. Zero incentive for management to come to the table unless they want something from you. This isn't fucking Europe.

2. Nobody was furloughed. Three rounds of government cheese prevented that.

3. AA is a shitbag outfit run by an alcoholic. This is of management's doing.

Yep…. The last point can’t be emphasized enough.