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

[Js1 85398]

17 hours ago, Gil Bang said:

That seatback stuff has weight and it all adds up.  Everybody has a smartphone or ipad these days anyway. 

If you're in a premium long-haul seat, you still get the screen. 

Didn't have screens flying CDMX to DFW or CLT to YYZ.  But flying over an ocean? You betcha. Had it MIA-CDG and CDG-DFW. 

[Biff Tannen 45691]

On 5/25/2023 at 10:29 AM, mdmost said:

So I'm flying SWA tomorrow for the first time in forever. Paid the $20 for the early-bird check in. Went to app and it hadn't checked me in yet. Clicked check-in and got B26. Why do I feel like I was taken for $20? I'm flying solo with just a backpack so it's not that big a deal for overhead storage but should I have gotten a better boarding position?

Figured out recently that it’s better to not get early bird and just upgrade after you check in. It’s like $10 more than early bird and guaranteed A 1-15 (if available, which I’ve only had it not be available once out of like 10 flights). Worst case scenario, if you check in right at the 24 hour mark, you’re getting pretty much what you would’ve gotten with early bird anyway. 

Edited May 30, 2023 by Biff Tannen

[Wally Pryor 5261]

SW, least in my experiences, has a sporadic and arbitrary pattern of comping drinks (not asking for credit cards). I'm obviously not complaining when it occurs but on some occasions the flight attendants are rigid on collecting and charging a card and in some cases, like last night coming home from Baltimore, they didn't even bother. We had four total drinks. Flight was on time, so they weren't trying to compensate for that. 

[kevwun 15797]

That happened to us going to Vegas once. 

[Firemans4Horn 18106]

50 minutes ago, Wally Pryor said:

SW, least in my experiences, has a sporadic and arbitrary pattern of comping drinks (not asking for credit cards). I'm obviously not complaining when it occurs but on some occasions the flight attendants are rigid on collecting and charging a card and in some cases, like last night coming home from Baltimore, they didn't even bother. We had four total drinks. Flight was on time, so they weren't trying to compensate for that. 

I think since the massive SW fuck up in December I’ve been asked for a coupon/card on 1 out of 20 drink orders. 

[NeverMarryAStripper 21907]

Their drink payment system was probably designed by the same guy that designed their scheduling system, so it probably doesn't work most of the time

[gyroprotagonist 2594]

On 5/26/2023 at 9:49 AM, CowboyFred said:

Will they ever do assigned seating? 

read an article the other day that said they tried a pilot program with assigned seating a few years ago.  I think out of San Antonio and one other city.  Said it increased boarding time by 1-4 minutes.  Which i guess every minute counts.  I don't think it's written in stone though.  I think the other airlines have figured out that they can advertise their economy seats' low fare, but then rake in more dollars by charging for window/aisle, premium economy etc... 

 

 

[Biff Tannen 45691]

21 hours ago, Firemans4Horn said:

I think since the massive SW fuck up in December I’ve been asked for a coupon/card on 1 out of 20 drink orders. 

I would say they ask for my card like 10% of the time, but it is a small sample size. Either way, it’s a nice surprise. 

[Wally Pryor 5261]

I recall dual jet bridges in Austin and / or Dallas a long time ago but it was only for a short time seemed like. Obviously expedited unloading but I'm guessing cost and / or mechanical issues were the reason(s) for them being short-lived?

[4th&Five 41558]

31 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

I would say they ask for my card like 10% of the time, but it is a small sample size. Either way, it’s a nice surprise. 

i've been using the same expired coupon since last september. i've probably had 8-10 drinks on it.

[MonkeyDoughnut 10301]

33 minutes ago, Wally Pryor said:

I recall dual jet bridges in Austin and / or Dallas a long time ago but it was only for a short time seemed like. Obviously expedited unloading but I'm guessing cost and / or mechanical issues were the reason(s) for them being short-lived?

had friends fly out of west coast somewhere this summer that had dual bridges and said almost came to blows with each side trying to get to the prime seating middle areas first

[Ag with kids 581]

On 7/31/2023 at 4:21 PM, Wally Pryor said:

SW, least in my experiences, has a sporadic and arbitrary pattern of comping drinks (not asking for credit cards). I'm obviously not complaining when it occurs but on some occasions the flight attendants are rigid on collecting and charging a card and in some cases, like last night coming home from Baltimore, they didn't even bother. We had four total drinks. Flight was on time, so they weren't trying to compensate for that. 

You'd been in Baltimore.  They were sympathy drinks...

[closetohumping 17447]

Man. It’s like double the price of the other airlines to fly from SoCal to Dallas

[Aqua Buddha 14598]

On 8/1/2023 at 2:59 PM, Wally Pryor said:

I recall dual jet bridges in Austin and / or Dallas a long time ago but it was only for a short time seemed like. Obviously expedited unloading but I'm guessing cost and / or mechanical issues were the reason(s) for them being short-lived?

Flew out of Florence, Italy this summer on one of those European airlines and they did dual boarding.  It was a complete cluster fuck of cluster fuckian proportions. People with seats in the front boarded in the back and vice versa.  Granted, it was 99% Americans and we weren't used to it so there's that.

[kevwun 15797]

I was gonna say it's because you were in Italy until I read the last part.  Many of the craziest or dumbest things I have witnessed while flying involved Italians.  They like to pretend to not understand how anything works when they get on an airplane.

Edited September 14, 2023 by kevwun

[Sam Lin 3559]

38 minutes ago, kevwun said:

They like to pretend to not understand how anything works when they get on an airplane.

<Vietnamese have entered the chat.>

[rage-a-holic 4402]

59 minutes ago, kevwun said:

I was gonna say it's because you were in Italy until I read the last part.  Many of the craziest or dumbest things I have witnessed while flying involved Italians.  They like to pretend to not understand how anything works when they get on an airplane.

Do they sprint to the front of the plane after landing, trying to cut to the front of the exit queue like most stupid mexicans do?

[Aqua Buddha 14598]

2 hours ago, kevwun said:

I was gonna say it's because you were in Italy until I read the last part.  Many of the craziest or dumbest things I have witnessed while flying involved Italians.  They like to pretend to not understand how anything works when they get on an airplane.

What makes them different from Americans?  

[kevwun 15797]

I have seen an Italian racing team hang out in front of the restroom drinking on a flight from London to Austin.  They got wasted and started harassing any ladies that went to the bathroom.  The FAs told them to stop several times.  After one of them crawled down the aisle to try to scare a friend, a FA finally told them something that made them sit down.  It was a British Airways flight.  I have never seen Americans pull that. They would have ended up in Guantanamo if they had been on a US flight.

 

Edited September 14, 2023 by kevwun

[kevwun 15797]

Also, you haven't lived until you've boarded with a plane full of Italians pretending to not understand the concept of assigned seating.

[CooterBrown 18014]

17 hours ago, rage-a-holic said:

Do they sprint to the front of the plane after landing, trying to cut to the front of the exit queue like most stupid mexicans do?

A few years ago, I was sitting halfway back in the aisle seat and in the window seat was an Asian guy.  When we landed, I saw him pull out a Chinese passport and tense up. I knew it was about to be fucking ON.  He anticipated the stand up beep like an Olympic sprinter. He fucking flew over the two occupied rows in front of us, jumped down to the aisle, and moshed his way out the door like he was on speed at a Motorhead concert.  

 

[Skipper 6136]

17 hours ago, kevwun said:

Also, you haven't lived until you've boarded with a plane full of Italians pretending to not understand the concept of assigned seating.

Back in '06 on a guys Euro trip, we flew from Greece into Milan then had to take a bus from Milan airport to catch a train.  We show up and are relatively close to the "line" to get on the next bus.  Bus shows up and all hell broke loose with a mad dash to the front "scuuzi" "scuuzi" with elbows flying.  We were not prepared for that and missed that bus.  Were prepared for the next one.  Then at a later airport, yeah, a bunch of Italians on vacation with assigned boarding groups tried to pretend they didn't understand and make their way to the front to cut in line one after another.  We made friends with people from pretty much every single country over that 6 week trip except Italians that kept in their own groups and were total assholes pretty much across the board no matter what country we were in.   They were the worst.

[Mother mopar 3319]

Thoughts on Delta's new changes to their loyalty program?

They've ditched the MQM, MQS, and MQDS thresholds for tiered status all in favor of your spending by way of overall MQDs. This very closely aligns with what AA does, just spend.

As Delta loyalist status is going to be rough, even silver with the new changes. Here is the link for those not familiar.
https://thepointsguy.com/news/delta-skymiles-changes/

[kevwun 15797]

2 hours ago, Skipper said:

Back in '06 on a guys Euro trip, we flew from Greece into Milan then had to take a bus from Milan airport to catch a train.  We show up and are relatively close to the "line" to get on the next bus.  Bus shows up and all hell broke loose with a mad dash to the front "scuuzi" "scuuzi" with elbows flying.  We were not prepared for that and missed that bus.  Were prepared for the next one.  Then at a later airport, yeah, a bunch of Italians on vacation with assigned boarding groups tried to pretend they didn't understand and make their way to the front to cut in line one after another.  We made friends with people from pretty much every single country over that 6 week trip except Italians that kept in their own groups and were total assholes pretty much across the board no matter what country we were in.   They were the worst.

I love Italy, but Italians have probably been the most unfriendly group as a whole that we've experienced while traveling. 

[po elvis 2075]

3 hours ago, kevwun said:

I love Italy, but Italians have probably been the most unfriendly group as a whole that we've experienced while traveling. 

Yup. Definitely a culture shock coming from Texas but next time I know what to expect and won’t give a fuck.

We took a cheap Ryanair flight from Malta to Italy. In front of us several rows before takeoff there was a ruckus. There was an Italian guy standing up at his seat yelling at a lady one row behind him across the aisle. She got up and was yelling back at him. She had a little kid with her. Flight attendants came back and were talking to them. They kept yelling at each other using some hand gestures. No clue what they were saying but it had something to do with the overhead luggage. I joked to my girlfriend they were probably married. We are in the airport waiting for our shuttle bus to come. There is only one other family in there waiting. It was them with their kid.

[closetohumping 17447]

Meh. I get it but you signed up for it

 

lady has headphones and mask on and avoids eye contact.  Gallant try but fuck you you chose that stupid airline

[Sam Lin 3559]

Why is this news.

[Your Mom 4806]

Yeah, that tired joke gets made on the PA on at least half the flights every day.  Not making eye contact and leaving a bag on the seat has been SOP for just about everyone for many years.  

[4th&Five 41558]

My wife is flying today and with early bird got B51 and C32, literally the last one on the flight.  That has to be a fuck up, right?

I know what you're thinking and yes, she sent me a screenshot of her boarding pass and it is indeed early bird.

[rage-a-holic 4402]

11 minutes ago, 4th&amp;Five said:

My wife is flying today and with early bird got B51 and C32, literally the last one on the flight.  That has to be a fuck up, right?

I know what you're thinking and yes, she sent me a screenshot of her boarding pass and it is indeed early bird.

She has 2 seats? That's a lot of woman.

[4th&Five 41558]

[CooterBrown 18014]

48 minutes ago, 4th&Five said:

My wife is flying today and with early bird got B51 and C32, literally the last one on the flight.  That has to be a fuck up, right?

I know what you're thinking and yes, she sent me a screenshot of her boarding pass and it is indeed early bird.

This isn't official but 600+ SWA flights has shown the following pattern for boarding order. I do not believe it is random and a fast check-in 24 hours ahead does not matter.

 

I think boarding is sorted like this:

A1-A15 purchased Business Select Tickets

A16+ is sorted in order by:

1. A List Preferred + Anytime Fares

2. A List Preferred + Wanna Get Away fares

3. A List + Anytime Fares

4. A List + WGA fares

5. Everyone Else

Your Early Bird gets you moved up to the front of which ever tier you fall in.  If you don't have any status at all, you are only moving up to the top of the bottom tier.

 

 

 

Edited October 13, 2023 by CooterBrown

[Carl Spackler 3486]

On 10/5/2023 at 1:05 PM, Your Mom said:

Yeah, that tired joke gets made on the PA on at least half the flights every day.  Not making eye contact and leaving a bag on the seat has been SOP for just about everyone for many years.  

You guys don't use the fake continuous hacking cough method of scaring away potential row partners?

Edited October 13, 2023 by Carl Spackler

[Ghost of LL 15539]

So I was driving home from Fort Worth a couple weeks ago down I-35W, and I see this billboard:

And I honestly thought, "wait--I can get a drag show on my next flight to Vegas?  That sounds awesome!"

But then I realized it's an anti-Southwest group, and I have so many questions.  Like why are you putting up a billboard in southern Tarrant County, of all places?  Nobody from southern Tarrant County is driving over to DAL to fly Southwest, irrespective of the culture-war nonsense.  And how much did American Airlines pay to front this stupid group?  

And seriously--why isn't there an airline that will do a drag show on a flight to Vegas?  

[Biff Tannen 45691]

3 hours ago, Ghost of LL said:

So I was driving home from Fort Worth a couple weeks ago down I-35W, and I see this billboard:

And I honestly thought, "wait--I can get a drag show on my next flight to Vegas?  That sounds awesome!"

But then I realized it's an anti-Southwest group, and I have so many questions.  Like why are you putting up a billboard in southern Tarrant County, of all places?  Nobody from southern Tarrant County is driving over to DAL to fly Southwest, irrespective of the culture-war nonsense.  And how much did American Airlines pay to front this stupid group?  

And seriously--why isn't there an airline that will do a drag show on a flight to Vegas?  

Just seems like a lot of work for something that doesn’t matter at all. 

[Stringer 1439]

Just seems like a lot of work for something that doesn’t matter at all. 

New to the Culture Wars?

[Aqua Buddha 14598]

On 9/14/2023 at 4:23 PM, kevwun said:

Also, you haven't lived until you've boarded with a plane full of Italians pretending to not understand the concept of assigned seating.

Was on an AA flight from San Diego to Phoenix two weeks ago.  An FA that was dead heading boarded the plane and was one of the last people to board.  Someone was in her seat.  The FA working the flight told that woman to go to her assigned seat.  Someone was there.  So on and so forth for another 5-6 people.

The gate agent then came onto the plane, got on the intercom, and told everyone not in their assigned to move to where that was.  I looked back and saw at least 30 people get up and move.  One guy was in row 12 or something and his ticket was row 35.  

I didn't realize how many people just sat where ever they wanted to....

[Js1 85398]

Covid and some other thing we can’t mention outside of one board absolutely broke people into being the biggest pieces of entitled crap on the planet 

[Mother mopar 3319]

Was on an AA flight from San Diego to Phoenix two weeks ago.  An FA that was dead heading boarded the plane and was one of the last people to board.  Someone was in her seat.  The FA working the flight told that woman to go to her assigned seat.  Someone was there.  So on and so forth for another 5-6 people.
The gate agent then came onto the plane, got on the intercom, and told everyone not in their assigned to move to where that was.  I looked back and saw at least 30 people get up and move.  One guy was in row 12 or something and his ticket was row 35.  
I didn't realize how many people just sat where ever they wanted to....

I did this back in the day, mid-2000s but flying was a different ballgame then. Nowadays flights are too full to pull that off....or so I thought.

[Shaddie 1651]

Jesus H Christ AA. 
 

 EXPLT and yesterdays 6:33 flight from SAT-DFW delayed till 2PM today. 
They give me a lousy 10k miles. 
 

I would be extremely pissed if I hadn’t got on the 4:30 yesterday and made it home earlier than I would have. 👍

[Carl Spackler 3486]

Not sure if this thread is the right place for this, but this is, uh, concerning . . .

Off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot flying in cockpit jump seat basically tried to down the entire airplane while at cruising altitude.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/off-duty-pilot-allegedly-tried-161944316.html

[shakahorn 1645]

1 hour ago, Carl Spackler said:

Not sure if this thread is the right place for this, but this is, uh, concerning . . .

Off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot flying in cockpit jump seat basically tried to down the entire airplane while at cruising altitude.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/off-duty-pilot-allegedly-tried-161944316.html

You remember that skit 'ruining it for everyone' from SNL - Sandler and maybe Farley or someone else from that era.  'One time I asked to use the bathroom at this store and I just started whizzing everywhere...'

Well this guy just ruined it for all jumpseaters.

[Carl Spackler 3486]

There's a good chance that this will spark changes in that practice.  But it begs the question:  If this guy was a pilot in good standing and really wanted to ditch a plane, why didn't he just wait until the next time he was actually piloting a plane? 

[CooterBrown 18014]

There's a good chance that this will spark changes in that practice.  But it begs the question:  If this guy was a pilot in good standing and really wanted to ditch a plane, why didn't he just wait until the next time he was actually piloting a plane? 

He takes his responsibility as a pilot seriously.

[RPM 26322]

On 10/23/2023 at 1:38 PM, shakahorn said:

You remember that skit 'ruining it for everyone' from SNL - Sandler and maybe Farley or someone else from that era.  'One time I asked to use the bathroom at this store and I just started whizzing everywhere...'

Well this guy just ruined it for all jumpseaters.

It's happened before, but on a cargo flight. Talk about holy shit. FedEx705

[Carl Spackler 3486]

16 hours ago, RPM said:

It's happened before, but on a cargo flight. Talk about holy shit. FedEx705

Holy shit is right.  I hadn't heard of that incident.  That crew had major huevos.

[RPM 26322]

3 hours ago, Carl Spackler said:

That crew had major huevos.

 

[closetohumping 17447]

[kevwun 15797]

Or if that $49 flight leaves at 6:00am one time a month and includes 2 stops.

Edited November 8, 2023 by kevwun

[Hermanator 7107]

On 10/16/2023 at 4:36 PM, Js1 said:

Covid and some other thing we can’t mention outside of one board absolutely broke people into being the biggest pieces of entitled crap on the planet 

 

 I haven't boarded a plane in 8 years after well over a decade of flying 15+ times a year. Haven't missed it one bit. Well, now the wife wants to go to Hawaii next spring and I noticed SW goes to Hawaii from DFW. I have a couple hundred thousand Chase Sapphire points I can transfer to SW points so looking at going that route. Anyone have any experience with flying SW to Hawaii? Thinking Oahu since it'll be both of our first time going to Hawaii.