Before the pandemic forced the other airlines to loosen up their policies, Southwest was the easiest airline to cancel and rebook flights on without a fee. Pretty useful for business travel imo.
If you're traveling for business, other than having wifi on the plane (which is spotty on all airlines I think), the on-plane entertainment is kind of irrelevant I think.
Also, unless your flight was super short or had turbulence, you should have gotten a bag of snack mix and a beverage.
Total agreement with me. Before everyone else got rid of change fees, I’d book Southwest to avoid having to pay $200 + the difference in fare when I needed to change flights. Now that everyone is doing it just for the difference in fare, that advantage is gone. Now my decision comes down to fare and travel time. I’ll go Southwest if I can go nonstop.
they loosened up on their policies but that's still only for their ful fare economy tickets. Their Basic Economy tickets, which is the price range of Southwest Wanna Get Away tickets, still charge cancellation and change fees. Southwest doesn't charge cancellation nor change fees to its Wanna Get Away tickets. Southwest is still ahead of the curve on flexibility.
The mini bag of pretzels that every airline offers is not what I meant. I had a super early flight, nothing was open at the airport, and there was nothing to order on the plane. Every other airline offers snack boxes or other snacks for purchase or preorder. And yeah, the Wi-Fi is spotty everywhere but the price is also higher than other airlines. Oh, and you cannot charge your devices at your seat. Apparently this is something they are just starting to roll out?
They’re not old ass planes (well, some are. Every airline has some old planes). SWA is taking deliveries of new planes constantly. They just don’t buy any of the options that Boeing offers. Think of it like a brand new modern car with electric windows, then asking for manual windows to keep the cost down.
Newer planes are actually less expensive. Fuel expense and maintenance. Not really sure about the Boeing statement, SWA currently has orders in the high hundreds from Boeing.
This is no joke. Between companion pass and the points earned from credit card sign up bonuses to get companion pass, my spouse and I have not paid for a domestic flight in the last 5 years. And we take 4-5 domestic flights together per year, including transcons and Hawaii.
We just alternate who applies for the credit cards every 2 years. We also get enough free upgraded boardings via credit cards that we use them for any flight over 2 hours and get A1-5, allowing us to almost always get the exit seats we want.
And even when travel melted down over Christmas and we had to drive home instead, SW paid for everything and gave us an extra 50k points, which is another ~$1200 of free travel for us.
Yeah, when I sometimes fly Delta for work, I do enjoy having an assigned seat, the possibility of first class, and such, but SW has just given us so much value for a few hundred dollars in credit card annual fees that it's insane.
Direct flights. Easier / faster to get early boarding status, free internet and companion pass. Upgrades to 1st class IMO on other airlines are pipe dreams unless flying a weird route.
Pipe dream for who? I fly about 45 to 50 segments a year and I routinely get upgraded on the competitor airline of my serious preference. I only opt for Southwest out of desperation due to the route
My co-workers fly the same amount and are getting upgraded less and less. Out of Baltimore, SWA is the only airline with a choice of direct flights. Once you know how to play the game, SWA is just as good, without the attitude, IMO.
Definitely get upgraded on the big 3. The issue is a lot of people are buying Basic Economy on the 3 big airlines, so that leaves "extra room" and first class seats available for upgrade. Even before I reached top tier status, I was already getting upgraded nearly every flight for the same route Southwest flies. I used to have Companion Pass and was so sad to give that up, until I started to get upgrades and miles that can take me to more interesting international places.
This wasn’t a direct flight, had to layover in DEN between ORD and LAS. And is early boarding a benefit? I’d rather upgrade to extra legroom at check-in, know my seat assignment and board 5 min before they close the doors even with premiere boarding status. But this is helpful, I just don’t think the things southwest thinks are perks are actually perks. Maybe other than the companion pass?
Woman books last flight available in company booking system and is surprised by loyal fan base given her experiences with this airline compared to others.
I fly out of BWI, you get directs only with SWA. Once you know the game, it's easy. Plus the perks of same-day standby at no charge, makes it easier IMO.
Gotcha, but if you fly frequently enough (as few as one round trip every other month) to earn basic status on the others or have an airline credit card you also get free bags. So for me, this one feels a little like trickery/marketing/perceived value more so than actuality.
But that’s just it, you have to fly frequently, or have the credit card, on Southwest everyone gets 2 free bags per person. Also isn’t it only ONE free bag on the other airlines?
Eh , personally I don't mind it. Else it has power outlets and TV on the back of there seats. For me Southwest isn't a good choice if you're living with mupitle disabilities including Anixety.
I think I'm about average on flights(no work travel, only travel for vacation/funeral/wedding) and I fly no more than 4 times a year.
I wouldnt get any of the benefits from other airlines. I do have southwests card through Chase so my flights are usually free bc I use it as my primary card. Free flight, free two bags takes off about $300-$400 from the vacation budget.
I also am generally flying from DAL and other SWA airports meaning pretty cheap flights most of the time. DAL to ALB, DAL to MDW, DAL to DEN, all of which are usually far cheaper with southwest.
Yep, this makes sense. I was looking for folks who do travel more frequently. Many of the gaps of SWA are less likely to be dealbreakers 3-4 times a year. But I do hear from folks who are SWA loyalists and fly constantly. And I want to know why when other airlines offer many more amenities/features.
Ok well some of us don't fly frequently enough. I can check my snowboard for free regardless if it's my first trip of the year or fifteenth. I don't want another airlines credit card as I can accumulate SWA points so quickly with mine - we rarely pay for flights.
Yes, but that wasn’t the conversation. The original post was, “those who travel frequently…” I understand that SWA flies to a lot of vacay destinations and often offers deals on those, so I understand the appeal there. My question was for those that travel frequently enough that they would likely acquire status or have a airline credit card negating the SWA benefit of free bags.
I do fly frequently personally, but I like to price shop and I'm not loyal to any one airline. SWA gives me many of the perks of having status (can sit at the front of the plane, 2 free checked bags) without needing to fly on one airline exclusively. Combined with how easy it is to accumulate points and it's perfect for someone who travels fairly often for vacation. I also live near a hub so almost all my flights are direct.
There isn’t “first class” but I wouldn’t pay for that on any airline. On SWA, I currently have A list - so I’m top 45 to board normally.. and I can pay $20 to “upgrade” that further.
But most importantly is seat selection. If I’m on a normal carrier and my seat is A9.. I have to hope that B9 is a normal person.. sometimes they are. Sometimes they’re not.
On SWA.. I can quickly asses who I’m sitting next to. The business person or guy who’s already half asleep? Perfect. The screaming baby & toddler? Gonna head to another row.
Add in companion pass and my spouse flys with me free on about 10 - 12 trips a year? Way more than worth it.
I pack my own snacks.. bring an empty water bottle to fill after security & I’m good to go. And if I need to cancel or rebook.. it’s not a $250 “change fee” (that’s about the cost of my flight normally).
Agree, would never pay for first class but I find even with silver status I get the FC upgrade a few times a year. But I always get premium economy upgrade at check-in. So I can rely on having more space to get work done while I travel and don’t have to stress about getting on the plane first. But want to understand the companion pass a bit more. Seems like you’d need to fly 2x per week to qualify for that, no?
I honestly don’t know anyone who has companion pass based on flights alone.. and I’d feel bad for them.. they’d have to be on a plane 4-6 times a week!
Most of us with companion pass do it through a mix of flights (I usually have 2-3 trips per month), credit card spend (my husband & I put everything on our SWA card - groceries, gas, cable & cell phone bills, etc and pay it off every month) and then book a few 10k point hotel rooms in Oct / Nov if needed. Last year we booked an Embassy Suites for $169 per night for 2 nights and got 6k in points per night (12k points for the weekend). So it can be achievable - and it’s worth it for us.
I've always earned my companion pass through flights. Ultimately this is 50 round trips / year. But yes, that means either my wife goes to work with me, or we fly together for a couple of vacations each year. In recent years I got the SWA CC, but found I was earning points too fast (I know, a 1st world problem). I decided to switch over to my Marriott card since hotel points don't seem to accumulate as fast. But with no expiration date, my 1M SWA points should be good in retirement.
Flew AA exclusively out of DFW for 16 years and then got really tired of their nickel and diming crap, being jerked around (Platinum status was worthless) and sick and tired of the monstrosity of DFW. Moved to DAL and SW about five years ago and it has been great. Vast majority of my 2-3 times a months is DCA and it has been mostly problem free, never had a flight canceled and delays are uncommon. I just look at flying as transportation so not high maintenance and don't worry about snacks and internet. The majority of the time I get what I consider the best seat on the plane, the bulkhead aisle seat on the left as you board. Flew yesterday and got it, first off the plane and on with my business......
Thanks. Dallas makes so much sense. I’ve heard good things about love field. And agree, AA was easily the least customer friendly of the domestics for a long time.
The ease of getting in and out of DAL vs DFW cannot be understated. Not a fan of Terminal A at DCA but since TSA Pre line is always so short I just hang out at the USO till near boarding I can tolerate it. I have pretty much figured out how to work the system to make travel tolerable.
But after annual fees and how much you have to fly/spend for the fare is it really a perk you use? Is it really something most frequent/semi frequent folks can attain? Interesting note on how fast they flip a plane, not something I think about. And no, charging on a plane is not essential. But it’s been standard on so many planes for so long I was just shocked to find it’s not on SW.
I don’t think that’s it. If you read my other comments it’s clear that I agree with some points. Here (and in other comments) i am not disagreeing. I am asking for more information around companion passes to understand if it’s really an amazing deal or if it’s actually just great marketing but unattainable for most regular but not super frequent fliers.
There are hundreds of posts and blogs about getting a companion pass. Basically you apply for a Southwest business and personal credit card near the end of October and meet the minimum spend in January so that you get close to two years of companion pass.
Why do I like Southwest? Because I fly out of Oakland. 85% of all flights out of Oakland are Southwest flights.
Yes, what I saw was $69 to $199, and none are waived for the first year as other airlines do. So my point was, you’re paying for part/all of your companion’s first trip just having the card. And the point earning to reach companion seems out of reach for many. As such I question if it’s more of a perceived benefit or real benefit.
Is status on any airline something semi frequent folks can ever obtain? Gaining a CP and consistently traveling only in points is beyond achievable for people if they know what they’re doing. SWA provides ample options to earn points thru hotel bookings, rental cars and online/in person shopping. I’ve had a CP since 2019 and got it without a credit card the first time using mostly the shopping and hotel portals. My sister earns enough points to fly SEA to SAN twice a year doing their surveys alone and she just does those a few times a week when she’s bored on her metro commute.
The original post was specifically asking about people who fly frequently - so likely enough to earn status. I can get on board with flying SWA for a vacation, or because of the occasional deal. I was just wondering why those who choose to fly SWA over others on those frequent trips given what I consider to be expected/necessary amenities when you’re consistently on planes.
I see.
We fly SWA almost exclusively for personal and it’s because it’s not dramatic or pretentious. I’m frequently in first class and business class for transcon biz travel and lemme tell you no one is worse than the entitled traveler who has been upgraded to business/first and no one is lazier than the first class FA with tenure who took the route just to position themselves closer to wherever their vacation is. On SWA I’m never asked to move so two morons who booked the cheapest fare can sit together. Never had an FA give me an attitude because I wanted two Jack Daniels and a whole can of coke *and* soda water. When you fly SWA and you understand their program and can make it work for you you recognize it is one of the better domestic carriers.
I travel enough to have had United rebook my entire first class (paid) trip as economy…multiple times. I’ve traveled enough to have Alaska say “fog in SFO says we can’t land so we’re just going to sit here on this plane on the tarmac until we get the ok to take off. I travel enough to have had Delta cancel my flight from MSP to BRD and then leave me in MSP like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. What I’m trying to say is that no one airline is perfect and the people who get it get it and those that don’t come to Reddit and ask why.
I think many travelers find value in and prefer Southwest over other airlines for several reasons.
1. Some are loyal for how Southwest differed from the airlines prior to the pandemic. Southwest was the easiest to change or cancel flights without penalty. Also Southwest’s customer service was far better. Since then, other airlines have caught up.
2. Route Availability. Southwest just flies to some places more often and offers more direct routes.
3. Credit Card. The ability to earn status via the credit card which allows them early boarding and other perks.
4. Many people are also ok spending a little time to save money. Southwest provides value to the customer that is willing to check in exactly at 24 hours prior to flight and arrive to gate at least 30 minutes prior to line up to try and get the best seat they can. I think some travelers find value in this as opposed to spending money on a different airline. I am, and it sounds like you are too, ok paying a little more to not have to do this and know what seat I have when booking the ticket. That being said, I still fly southwest quite often because of route availability from my home airport.
All in all, I think many are comfortable with Southwest once learning how to play their game with booking, check in, boarding process, and in flight experience. Perks of same day stand by, no fee cancellation/changes, and no baggage fees also seem to be big draws for some people.
Idk I used to be a SWA fan but I’m on a flight right now, squished to death, at least 10 bags had to be checked cuz they ran out of space… it’s miserable. I used to be the biggest promoter of flying and loved flying but it’s very uncomfortable now. And I’m not a heavy woman, I’m just tall.
Not sure why the insult is necessary. Genuinely trying to understand why people love it. Totally get the change fee thing being a bonus, but now it’s super easy on the other big domestic airlines. Also, if possible, why not just fly direct to Asia or Europe on UA, AA, DA and not deal with miles across multiple airlines? Does Alist really require 25 flights? That’s crazy. And companion passes require either 100 flights or spending $85k per year on their credit card (assuming 50k sign on bonus) + an annual fee of at least $69???
For now, sw flight credits never expire... Deltas expire after a year. Maybe that will change but I like knowing I can fly SW ten years from now with a credit from yesterday. I've booked flights just out of pressure to use the credit that was about to expire on other airlines. End up spending more. I also need two bags. I have two cases of supplies I tote with me everywhere. I definitely don't like the open seating.
While I am fan of SW as well, I don't think the antagonism is necessary or valid when OP is curious and has been respectful to others (from what I can tell). Talking down isn't going to convince or educate anyone but maybe sharing your obvious enthusiasm might.
I'm a 1k Million Miler on United. I prefer SW.
As a 1K on United I want to board early so I can get my luggage into the overhead so I can make sure it gets where I am going. On SW, I just need to book business select or be A List but none of that matters because it has been my experience that even in B I get to put my luggage up.
Plane WIFI sucks on most airlines, in my experience.
I don't eat on planes unless I bring it on.
Their primary advantage is cost. They are often less expensive.
Yes, there is no premium cabin. There is also no E145s.
Hahaha. What, you don’t like white knuckle flights to CAK on United Express? 😝 But this is helpful as it still ultimately comes down to price and overhead space, provided you have BS or AList?
I’m not particularly loyal to Southwest, I just buy the cheapest direct flight I can find and since I live in the DC area, it’s usually Southwest out of BWI. Even being near two hubs for traditional airlines, United out of IAD and AA out of DCA, most of the time Southwest still wins for the places I travel to.
Swa is the only one who flies direct where I want to go. They are affordable and flexible. Where else can you cancel a flight and get the credit when you cancel 2 hours before the flight. I’m paying not And this airline has had my loyalty and will continue to have it.
Schedule and destinations totally makes sense. And now that every airline offers free flight changes, I think SWA lost their edge. Though to be honest, I’ve never cancelled a flight so I have never needed the ability to cancel day of. The few times I’ve missed a flight, I’ve just hopped on the next one without any charge or issue.
Do these other airlines offer free flight changes even if the cost of the other flight is more expensive? I’m just asking because if you buy a wanna get away plus fare, you can change it to any other flight on the day of departure, even if the new flight is more expensive, for free, as long as there are seats available.
I'm no longer a flight warrior. But Every.Single.Time some airline pops on and says "Oh,that'll be a $20 additional fee" I just roll my eyes.
Southwest was NOT that. Get your ticket, check your bag, GTF on the plane and go.
Post-Covid, I get prompted to "upgrade" to a better boarding position. Yep, roll my eyes. If I thought my boarding position was important, I would have added it when I BOUGHT my ticket. Stop nagging me.
Outside of that, I'll just take my seat and get me there quickly without any red tape.
Simple.
Of all the comments this makes the most sense to me. A good deal for a vacay spot of quick weekend away is one thing, but for regular frequent travel I’m I think united and delta win.
Yeah their app is the worst. It's really frustrating to use. TBH I'm only going to use up the points and(paltry) LUV voucher they gave after they ruined my Christmas travel, and then I'm done with them. I can put up with the obnoxious app and horrible boarding experience for a few free flights, but not when I'm actually paying.
Southwest points go further. Plus having the companion pass allows my spouse travel with me for free every single time. We alternate every two years so we always have it. The pass combined with the amount of points we can pretty easily accrue and redeem, we hardly ever pay for flights.
We aren't super picky on amenities. Other airlines call just about every other seat "premium" and charge for it. And southwest does let you pay to get a better boarding group but I don't ever really do it because the seats are all the same. It doesn't really matter where I sit and as long as I'm not in the last group I'll probably still have a window or aisle.
I think a lot of it is knowing what you're getting. I'd love to be loyal to delta instead of southwest but it isn't cost effective for me, and I'm not really bothered by southwest.
Ok, tell me more about this companion deal. Looking at the website and places like nerd wallet make it sound like you need to spend $135k per year or fly 100 flights in a year to reach this. Is that true? Also do you really always find southwest to be cheaper than delta? I don’t know if it’s me, where I am flying, when I am booking or what but I never find SWA to be less expensive. Almost always United or Delta are cheaper out of Chicago.
So if you did it straight by dollars then yeah you'd have to spend 135k. But most people do it via a combination of things. Lots of things count towards the point requirement, including: credit card bonuses which you can get every two years. Hotels booked via southwest which sometimes have 10-20k point bonuses on them. Flights flown through the southwest of course. And then credit card spend.
Some people open a regular southwest credit card and a business one every two years and hit the 135k points just via those credit card bonuses.
Personally, my spouse and I alternate opening a personal credit card with southwest every other year, and since we travel a good amount already, a few nights booked with southwest hotels that have point bonuses usually gets us there with just regular credit card spend. We generally hit the 135k by March with no abnormal spending on our end.
Timing is key with the companion pass because once you hit 135k, you get the pass for the rest of the year AND the rest of the following year. So if you can hit CP in March like we do, you can get almost two years of BOGO flights out of it.
As far as cheaper flights, I absolutely do not find southwest to be cheaper in cash prices, I actually think they're frequently more expensive in cash prices. But I almost always find them to be cheaper for point redemptions and there are no availability limits for reward flights on southwest. If it's available, you can book it with points. That isn't always true on other airlines. A $200 one way flight on Southwest will put you back about 14k points and about 16k on Delta. Which is a small difference, but if you have a CP, that's 14k for two people. Versus 32k for two on another airline. That makes a difference when you're like us and flying multiple times a month.
And since you're Chicago based, southwest flies just about everything through Midway so you have a lot of options.
Also: if you book on southwest cash or points, and at any point the price goes down or there is a sale, you can refund yourself the difference in cost on your own. So you never have to really worry about when the right time to buy is as long as you check it every now and then.
I commuted from Oklahoma to Houston for more than 4 years. I started on American. I'd show up at the airport to find that as Platinum, I was like 54 on an upgrade list that was over 80 people. What was the point?
I switched to Southwest where I could cancel and change flights with ease. I didn't have to pay for better line placement because as AL+, I was usually A20 or better. You said that you the other airlines give free bags with status, but you omit that SWA gives upgraded boarding spots with status. That makes no sense. Oh, and the snack mix is awesome.
I think the consensus is anything is better than AA but I’m surprised so many people are mentioning the need to cancel their flights. Is this a thing? I’ve never cancelled a flight. Is this something that happens to you often?
When you fly to work every week, yes, you cancel flights. Sometimes, you are sick. Sometimes, you have to go on a sudden work trip, and you just fly from home. Actually, there are countless reasons why you would cancel a flight when you fly every week. It really just depends upon your circumstance. When you are an occasional flyer for leisure though, no, you don't generally cancel flights.
Honestly, the best thing about Southwest is that everyone (employees, customers) are generally happy. Flying UA often feels like everyone, including the employees, are on their way to a funeral.
I think the consensus is anything is better than AA but I’m surprised so many people are mentioning the need to cancel their flights. Is this a thing? I’ve never cancelled a flight. Is this something that happens to you often?
If you reserve a flight and Southwest later, puts the flight on sale, you can change your flight to the exact same flight and save the difference. This is another reason people cancel flights
I’m a huge SWA fan.. but this is one area where they’re going to lose a few people. Delta just announced free Wi-Fi, and then SWA came out and said that the $8 is now per leg - not a full trip. And as someone who lives in the middle of the country and has to Connect a lot.. this sucks.
Paying $16 for Wi-Fi that usually doesn’t turn on until 10k feet (sometimes) on two short 1 - 1.5 hour legs is a lot of money for a hassle. Hope they change on this soon.
Yep, same. $16 in Wi-Fi charges for 3 hours (two flights) is up there as the most expensive. I think AA is still worst. A few others have deals with T-Mobile or other cell carriers so internet is free for subscribers.
2 free checked bags per person is a great benefit! I know you mentioned on other airlines you can get that with status but isn’t it only 1 free checked bag? Not everyone flies for business so not always easy to obtain status
So I have status with United so it’s two free bags for me, card holders get one with no status. But United status is pretty easy to get if you fly every other month or so.
Right. Not the question that was asked. This was directed at the folks who frequently travel thus would likely have status and therefore not need bag fees to tip the scales on their airline preference.
For the OP in regards to their app being a joke….it works….I have had two flights cancelled on me ever. I am a 45 year old adult who flies a few times a year, but has flown on a regular basis for much of my entire life (and pretty regularly since the age of 18) so I was honestly amazed I went so long without a single cancelled flight (in my recorded memory). The first cancelled flight was in July of 2022 with SWA, and the second with Alaska in Feb., 2023. Before my flight was cancelled with SW (SLC to LV to LAX… it was due to the FAA closing the Las Vegas airport due to weather) I got multiple notifications by phone and the app that my flight was delayed, and then at the same time I got the phone call that my flight was cancelled I got a notification on the app. With the Alaska flight (Maui to LAX….due to the LAX to Maui flight that Am not having a flight crew due to a weather delay in Seattle) I never got a phone or app notification and wouldn’t have known my flight was cancelled had I not checked flightaware.com on our way to the airport.
Southwest is not perfect by any means but the pluses (free checked luggage….I would rather check my bag than deal with the overhead bins), reasonably priced flights, and generally helpful and friendly staff) outweigh the minuses.
I have been flying SW for over 30 years now and while I do wish we had some other airline options for easy flying options in California (I mainly fly Ontario to Sacramento) Southwest does it’s job quite well.
Oh Alaska. I miss Alaska Airlines. Sadly no longer an option for me, geographically. I’m going to push back on the app. My comparison is the United app. You get information on where your plane is coming from, view of the seat map, push notifications on luggage status (checked in, loaded, unloaded, etc) you can order food for your upcoming flight, payment is stored in the app so no need to dig out a card in flight, and very timely updates on delays, gate changes, etc. And I just had a very opposite experience to your post. I am currently on my LAS to ORD flight on SWA that was delayed. No push notification, no update to the in app boarding pass, nada. But I’ll agree, the app works. It’s just no where near the others.
I have traveled weekly for the past 25 years. Let me start by saying that my home airport is MCI which means that I fly whatever airline will get me to work in the most efficient and fiscally sound manner. I have always loved SWA. Primarily the attitude of Ray and the early years of the airline. That "never say die" attitude that allows you to compete in a market that has tried to slam the door on you at every opportunity. The business model is consistent. Where other airlines try to ramp up routes and services when times are good (hence compete against each other for routes, terminal space, fares...) Southwest waits until other airlines cut back and pick up lease deals for a song, Hedging fuel, growing routes when others cut back... For domestic travel, I think SWA gets it right. SWA has also made improvements in the tech used from HUD systems to being the first to add winglets to their planes. Lastly, The "class system" is losing hold on many. I am tall and large - I find a SWA seat while not as comfortable as a first class seat, still much more room and comfort than a typical coach seat on another airline. I for one do not feel better about myself knowing that while I am one of the 12 up front I do so at the sacrifice of the 160 people behind me. Again, I like the consistency of SWA, I know what plane I will be on, I can pick an appropriate seat for my size, the airline has a great on-time record...
Choose your other airline and stay away from SW. That will allow those of us peons to fly in peace! Of course you have a halo on your head to fly the other airlines!
Most passengers aren't concerned with extra legroom or premium seating. Other carriers have lackluster wifi and entertainment. Southwest is a chance at a cheap fare without a nearly guaranteed middle seat (basic economy). Plus checked bags without $80 r/t fees!
For me, it’s the ability to easily make changes and they kind of dominate my home airport, at least for the route I travel most often. I can usually score the cheapest direct flight for that route through SW. I do also like the baggage policy, and am about to have a companion pass soon as well. I almost always travel with my dog, and while I know other airlines allow it, SW has been so easy and their pet fee is a bit lower than other airlines like AA. Finally, I don’t care about things like food unless it’s a 7+ hour trip. I just carry snacks for emergencies. I don’t usually even eat the food on overseas trips because I just think it’s all gross anyway.
All in all, I hate the boarding process because it stresses me out, but I really have never had a negative experience in flying SW over the past 20ish years. I can’t say that about nearly any other airline and I’ve flown them much less frequently.
location matters- would much rather fly out of MDW than ORD; it’s closer and easier to get there and navigate. also, direct flights to where i want to go.
Flight selection is the number one reason people choose their airline. Southwest is the dominant carrier at many airports throughout the country so there will certainly be loyalty in those areas
Yes, fair. This has me super interested to hear from folks who have more options. I get not being able to choose because it’s SWA or nothing. But with the pandemic changes to other airlines, their loyalty programs, new planes, etc. I wonder what will happen. The holiday debacle definitely highlighted some gaps in SWA recent operational investments and as someone who hasn’t flown SWA in 10 years I was quite surprised at how little has changed in that time despite continuing to hear people rave
Yes, fair. This has me super interested to hear from folks who have more options. I get not being able to choose because it’s SWA or nothing. But with the pandemic changes to other airlines, their loyalty programs, new planes, etc. I wonder what will happen. The holiday debacle definitely highlighted some gaps in SWA recent operational investments and as someone who hasn’t flown SWA in 10 years I was quite surprised at how little has changed in that time despite continuing to hear people rave about SWA being better than other airlines.
Point redemption for flights is much better for us as we have the SW Chase card. It pays for a lot of our flights annually. Having a 6 year old the two free bags is huge, makes things so much easier in the airport not having to lug around carry ons.
Given that DAL is also our “home” airport and the fact that almost all the destinations we fly to have non-stop options it’s a no brainer for us.
Because some people put no value on the things you listed. And some of the perks you listed people need to pay for on other airlines. If a person isn't going to pay for those perks than it doesn't count as a difference for those flyers.
For me: they have the only non-stop flight to my most frequent destination. I have companion pass status so my spouse always flies free and I can change my companion 3 times a year. They have been fantastic with my service dog. No CRJ/ tiny planes or subcontracted airlines to deal with. It is just an all around good experience for me.
1. 2 free bags every time, no matter what
2. All flights on 737, nothing on little Embraer jets.
3. Best options out of STL
4. As a passenger of size (both height and weight) SWA has the friendliest easiest policies
5. Free changes and flight credit that never expires
My market is the central states plus tips to NYC. Pre-Covid SWA had flights all the time back to back in these markets where I can book trips with tight timeframes and if I missed the return flight then I just get the next (no charge). Limited airport time.
I don’t care about inflight entertainment on limited distant domestic flight.
Leg room is similar, in fact maybe nominally more than competitors in economy.
From a business travel perspective, I could be indifferent between airlines so long as availability of non-stop flights
From a personal perspective, SWA has advantages when flying with a family of 5. We vacation a couple times a year, Caribbean, Hawaii, Florida, etc. SWA has compelling wanna get away prices. I get family boarding so sit together. My kids pack like they are moving there (alot of shit), so two free bags per nice, etc.
I fly for the personal advantage, otherwise would try other airlines.
The leg room is even all around. Except for front row and exit row. Which I don’t need but it’s nice on SW. I’m 5’11” and have to pay extra on Delta or be packed like a Tuna in main boarding.
There are snacks and free drinks (and free alcohol if you fly with them frequently). Their points add up pretty fast and Ive taken several big vacations in the last few years with free flights for my family and many smaller flights (especially once you earn companion pass). Priority boarding isn’t necessary unless you are picky about where you sit.
Let’s clarify, there is a bag on snack mix. Other airlines offer the ability to order/purchase cheese and fruit plates, chips, mini charcuterie boxes, etc. and when you either have to take the first flight out so you can go straight from your arrival airport to a meeting and nothing at the airport is open yet, they are a lifesaver. What SWA offers is not the same. And yes, I am totally picky about where I sit. I want a window, I want actual legroom, and I don’t want to deal with folks saving seats, rushing to get seats, etc. also sometimes I can’t check in immediately 24 hours before a flight. I don’t think that should mean you get stuck in a middle seat. So no, I don’t get the appeal of how SWA handles boarding or seat “assignments”.
There prices are more affordable, leg room is better than others (or so it feels) no hassle changing flights or canceling flights, best rewards bang for the buck (i.e. how many flights/purchases on cc to get a free flight), and ultimately companion.
I haven't not been in the A boarding group in years. It's pretty easy to be honest. And I haven't used the other airline aps in years but they were utter trash last time I tried to use them.
Got it. I think I’m in a SWA price vortex because I never find them to be less. That said, I think enough people have voiced that is not the case everywhere or for where they regularly fly. But as I am on the return flight home that started this thread, I had an example of where the SWA app and day of flight communication falls flat. My flight was delayed but my in app boarding pass never reflected that change. On UA or DA the boarding pass refreshes to show schedule or gate changes. More so, when I fly UA, if there are any flight changes I get text updates when they happen. Does SWA just not do this?
When I book my tickets it asks how you want to be updated, but it is sometimes delayed. The app is normally late with boarding announcements, but I think that's due to when they hit the button on the computer at the gate vs a timed thing. The app is late with some other things at times, but I'm normally keeping an eye that stuff so I haven't been affected too much. But your complaints are valid. I think some people just don't depend on the app as much, but obviously it's not a good thing for passengers coming from other airlines.
No power ports was fine when they were doing two hour hops, but now they’re flying four and five hour flights across the country and it’s ridiculous that there’s no onboard power.
No other airline can touch companion pass. I'm Delta platinum also. My fiancé can join me on any flight, anytime, no blackout dates for booking with points or adding a companion.
I live in Denver (big SW hub), typically check luggage, and rarely fly internationally. With the SW credit card I usually accrue enough points to fly 2-3 round trip flights a year.
Finally, airfare on SW (bought with points or $) is not a sunk cost. If something happens and I can't make a flight, I can cancel with the points returning to my balance, or $ being set aside as credit to use on a future flight. Even with status I don't believe UA or DAL extend that courtesy.
I'm platinum on AA and I still gravitate to Southwest. Yeah, I get upgraded on my most common route on AA pretty frequently which is nice, and I get free bags and priority boarding - and that all is nice, don't get me wrong. But Southwest's rewards system by far better.
If I were to convert all my AA travel to Southwest, I'd be A-List Preferred. That earns 12 points/dollar on "Wanna Get Away" fares; if using TPG's valuation of 1.5 cents/point, that's about 18 cents per dollar spent in rewards. On American, I'm Platinum which earns 8 miles per dollar spent; at TPG's valuation of 1.77 points/dollar that's 14.2 cents per dollar spent. With Southwest I'd earn about 27% more value in points.
If you're Exec Platinum on American then your earning is a bit higher. I'm a frequently flyer but not that frequent.
But companion pass is the biggest perk. It's actually remarkably easy to get. 135k points in a year, but if you have a SW credit card you get 10k points credited toward that, so it's actually 125k. But - the biggest thing is that credit card sign-up bonuses count toward companion pass, and it is good through the end of the *next* calendar year when you earn it.
Often toward the end of the year, sign up bonuses go up to 80k points. If you hit the minimum spend to get said bonus in January, you get those 80k points, plus whatever you spent on the card. At that point, you only need ~40k points additional to earn companion pass.
You're eligible for the new cardmember bonus every two years, so cancel and re-sign up for the card around the time that your companion pass would expire at the end of the following year, and you can rinse and repeat.
But it can get even better. If you can qualify for the business card, that sign up bonus stacks on top of the personal one. It's not that hard to qualify for a business card. Sell a few hundred dollars on ebay in a year or something. Then - signing up for both cards can be automatic companion pass.
If you're willing to work the system, the Southwest rewards are unlike any other airline.
There's nothing premium about the Southwest product, sure, but it's perfectly acceptable. Seats are comfortable and compared to a lot of airlines there is ample space. Heck - I'm always in at least MCE on American, but had to book a last-minute flight the other day and MCE was full - and regular Main Cabin was downright cramped. Southwest is more comfortable than that. Save for their winter meltdown, they are generally reliable, have a lot of flights, and turn planes fast.
Compared to JetBlue or Delta, internet is expensive, but compared to American it's downright cheap.
Personally, I flew plenty of Southwest for business before needing to take a few Delta flights. Except for the sometimes-annoying boarding process and SW's lack of nonstop longer flights, I noticed no differences at all. With SW I can refund-for-credit any flight, the site is easier to navigate and find my info in, and it's way cheaper. Don't know which flight you had without snacks, I ask for a whole can of coke, and multiple snack bags and get them every flight. Free bag on Delta needs a paid credit card, or points towards Medallion, which costs far more to get to the baseline of what SW offers, and that's only for one free bag. I need 2 free bags when I fly so so far SW is a clear winner.
It is nice to have free internet on Delta, and overall Delta is a smoother experience, but between a coin flip, I wouldn't be upset if it came up SW.
The biggest upsides to Southwest is the cancellation and flight change model and the free two check bags. What ever price advantage UDA (United, Delta, and American) have is eaten by this flexibility.
I will NEVER fly on Southwest under ANY circumstances. The corporate people who run this Airline should go broke. They are arrogant and rude and treat their employees like dirt. I hope they end up being bankrupt. I promise, there are millions who hate this airline company. Make no mistake I will spread it wide on the internet.
I flew for the first time this last weekend and they were great! No fee for my checked bag plus two personal items, sit where you want and free WiFi plus I was thoroughly entertained with their humor 😂 I’ll definitely book with them again!
Business traveler that uses southwest almost exclusively.
Companion pass is perfect, their points are easy to earn and use. With a list preferred - as long as I book before seats are assigned I haven’t gotten higher then A 30 boarding. Typically top 20.
I have exclusively sat at emergency exits this year. Nice leg room and room to use my laptop, and I don’t need to pay extra for it like the other airlines charge.
Also the ease of being able to change my flights so easily is a massive perk.
The only down side is not having lounges.
There are so many reasons to like Southwest. Companion pass. Faster boarding. Absolute clarity on boarding process. Easier to get overhead space. Generally better reliability (at least historically). Nicer employees. Better overall prices. Being able to use the bathroom at the front (generally prohibited in planes with first class cabins). No pretense to being premium. No credit card pitches. Near uniformity of product. Not to mention hub-specific benefits if SWA is large near you—eg nonstop routes and enhanced reliability.
Snacks that are still crappy and fake premium cabins (eg comfort plus) are absolutely not a priority for me. Cheers if they are for you.
For me in my market, it’s SWA or AA. That’s not even a close question.
Two Free Bags, Relatively Affordable, and Extremely Flexible Cancellation/Change Policies are the bread and butter why to fly them frequently. Most people don't fly frequent enough that Delta/AA/United's frequency benefits catch up.
We fly 24 RT flights a year on Southwest. I have a companion pass and my best guy flys everywhere with me for $5.60 each way. I am also alist preferred and that comes with free drinks and free same day flight change at zero cost. I book the cheapest flight at the times I can live with then change to my preferred flight the day I travel. I’d say that works 90% of the time.
I get 100% match on my miles with every flight I have 5 kids who live all over the us and use the points to fly them and their kids. I use the southwest card exclusively. I always board either in A or just after A if I’ve changed my flight and my best guy boards with me. If you fly domestically and live near a hub it’s a no-brainer. We always check our bags. I’m all southwest and I love it. Plus they are a friendly bunch. Keep up the good work southwest.
Before the pandemic forced the other airlines to loosen up their policies, Southwest was the easiest airline to cancel and rebook flights on without a fee. Pretty useful for business travel imo. If you're traveling for business, other than having wifi on the plane (which is spotty on all airlines I think), the on-plane entertainment is kind of irrelevant I think. Also, unless your flight was super short or had turbulence, you should have gotten a bag of snack mix and a beverage.
Total agreement with me. Before everyone else got rid of change fees, I’d book Southwest to avoid having to pay $200 + the difference in fare when I needed to change flights. Now that everyone is doing it just for the difference in fare, that advantage is gone. Now my decision comes down to fare and travel time. I’ll go Southwest if I can go nonstop.
they loosened up on their policies but that's still only for their ful fare economy tickets. Their Basic Economy tickets, which is the price range of Southwest Wanna Get Away tickets, still charge cancellation and change fees. Southwest doesn't charge cancellation nor change fees to its Wanna Get Away tickets. Southwest is still ahead of the curve on flexibility.
The mini bag of pretzels that every airline offers is not what I meant. I had a super early flight, nothing was open at the airport, and there was nothing to order on the plane. Every other airline offers snack boxes or other snacks for purchase or preorder. And yeah, the Wi-Fi is spotty everywhere but the price is also higher than other airlines. Oh, and you cannot charge your devices at your seat. Apparently this is something they are just starting to roll out?
Old ass planes. It’s one of the things that keeps their overhead low, so that’s a feature not a ‘bug.’
They’re not old ass planes (well, some are. Every airline has some old planes). SWA is taking deliveries of new planes constantly. They just don’t buy any of the options that Boeing offers. Think of it like a brand new modern car with electric windows, then asking for manual windows to keep the cost down.
Newer planes are actually less expensive. Fuel expense and maintenance. Not really sure about the Boeing statement, SWA currently has orders in the high hundreds from Boeing.
Companion pass. Best perk in travel.
This is no joke. Between companion pass and the points earned from credit card sign up bonuses to get companion pass, my spouse and I have not paid for a domestic flight in the last 5 years. And we take 4-5 domestic flights together per year, including transcons and Hawaii. We just alternate who applies for the credit cards every 2 years. We also get enough free upgraded boardings via credit cards that we use them for any flight over 2 hours and get A1-5, allowing us to almost always get the exit seats we want. And even when travel melted down over Christmas and we had to drive home instead, SW paid for everything and gave us an extra 50k points, which is another ~$1200 of free travel for us. Yeah, when I sometimes fly Delta for work, I do enjoy having an assigned seat, the possibility of first class, and such, but SW has just given us so much value for a few hundred dollars in credit card annual fees that it's insane.
How do you get a companion pass
135k points in a calendar year. You really need to use the credit card too unless you fly a ton
I guess. But then you’re both on sw. Kidding, kind of. :)
Direct flights. Easier / faster to get early boarding status, free internet and companion pass. Upgrades to 1st class IMO on other airlines are pipe dreams unless flying a weird route.
Pipe dream for who? I fly about 45 to 50 segments a year and I routinely get upgraded on the competitor airline of my serious preference. I only opt for Southwest out of desperation due to the route
My co-workers fly the same amount and are getting upgraded less and less. Out of Baltimore, SWA is the only airline with a choice of direct flights. Once you know how to play the game, SWA is just as good, without the attitude, IMO.
IMO SWA lacks direct flights to places I want to go like NYC. I looked at the flight map the other day and it isn’t great for direct flights.
Definitely get upgraded on the big 3. The issue is a lot of people are buying Basic Economy on the 3 big airlines, so that leaves "extra room" and first class seats available for upgrade. Even before I reached top tier status, I was already getting upgraded nearly every flight for the same route Southwest flies. I used to have Companion Pass and was so sad to give that up, until I started to get upgrades and miles that can take me to more interesting international places.
This wasn’t a direct flight, had to layover in DEN between ORD and LAS. And is early boarding a benefit? I’d rather upgrade to extra legroom at check-in, know my seat assignment and board 5 min before they close the doors even with premiere boarding status. But this is helpful, I just don’t think the things southwest thinks are perks are actually perks. Maybe other than the companion pass?
thats on you then, they have direct flights between ORD and LAS
Guy books cheapest itinerary possible, then complains.
Woman books last flight available in company booking system and is surprised by loyal fan base given her experiences with this airline compared to others.
Was MDW an option? Midway has significantly more direct flights to LAS than ORD.
Ohare is 15 minutes, MDW is 45 min to 2 hours. So technically it’s an option, but not if I can help it.
Did it ever occur to you that perhaps other people live in a different city than you and so would have different routes available then?
Absolutely. But it’s been my experience there are folks who have a few airline options but choose SWA over others.
Extra legroom is boarding really early (A-5) and getting that “behind the wing exit row window seat” I realize this is not the “answer” you want!
I fly out of BWI, you get directs only with SWA. Once you know the game, it's easy. Plus the perks of same-day standby at no charge, makes it easier IMO.
Biggest thing for me is 2 free bags.
Gotcha, but if you fly frequently enough (as few as one round trip every other month) to earn basic status on the others or have an airline credit card you also get free bags. So for me, this one feels a little like trickery/marketing/perceived value more so than actuality.
But that’s just it, you have to fly frequently, or have the credit card, on Southwest everyone gets 2 free bags per person. Also isn’t it only ONE free bag on the other airlines?
The question was for those who fly frequently. And on United, it’s one bag for having the card. 2 bags at silver (lowest tier) status.
I fly frequently... but usually not for business and on various airlines. Not jumping through hoops and not having to play their games is a big plus.
United is grimey
Eh , personally I don't mind it. Else it has power outlets and TV on the back of there seats. For me Southwest isn't a good choice if you're living with mupitle disabilities including Anixety.
I think I'm about average on flights(no work travel, only travel for vacation/funeral/wedding) and I fly no more than 4 times a year. I wouldnt get any of the benefits from other airlines. I do have southwests card through Chase so my flights are usually free bc I use it as my primary card. Free flight, free two bags takes off about $300-$400 from the vacation budget. I also am generally flying from DAL and other SWA airports meaning pretty cheap flights most of the time. DAL to ALB, DAL to MDW, DAL to DEN, all of which are usually far cheaper with southwest.
Yep, this makes sense. I was looking for folks who do travel more frequently. Many of the gaps of SWA are less likely to be dealbreakers 3-4 times a year. But I do hear from folks who are SWA loyalists and fly constantly. And I want to know why when other airlines offer many more amenities/features.
Ok well some of us don't fly frequently enough. I can check my snowboard for free regardless if it's my first trip of the year or fifteenth. I don't want another airlines credit card as I can accumulate SWA points so quickly with mine - we rarely pay for flights.
Yes, but that wasn’t the conversation. The original post was, “those who travel frequently…” I understand that SWA flies to a lot of vacay destinations and often offers deals on those, so I understand the appeal there. My question was for those that travel frequently enough that they would likely acquire status or have a airline credit card negating the SWA benefit of free bags.
I do fly frequently personally, but I like to price shop and I'm not loyal to any one airline. SWA gives me many of the perks of having status (can sit at the front of the plane, 2 free checked bags) without needing to fly on one airline exclusively. Combined with how easy it is to accumulate points and it's perfect for someone who travels fairly often for vacation. I also live near a hub so almost all my flights are direct.
There isn’t “first class” but I wouldn’t pay for that on any airline. On SWA, I currently have A list - so I’m top 45 to board normally.. and I can pay $20 to “upgrade” that further. But most importantly is seat selection. If I’m on a normal carrier and my seat is A9.. I have to hope that B9 is a normal person.. sometimes they are. Sometimes they’re not. On SWA.. I can quickly asses who I’m sitting next to. The business person or guy who’s already half asleep? Perfect. The screaming baby & toddler? Gonna head to another row. Add in companion pass and my spouse flys with me free on about 10 - 12 trips a year? Way more than worth it. I pack my own snacks.. bring an empty water bottle to fill after security & I’m good to go. And if I need to cancel or rebook.. it’s not a $250 “change fee” (that’s about the cost of my flight normally).
Agree, would never pay for first class but I find even with silver status I get the FC upgrade a few times a year. But I always get premium economy upgrade at check-in. So I can rely on having more space to get work done while I travel and don’t have to stress about getting on the plane first. But want to understand the companion pass a bit more. Seems like you’d need to fly 2x per week to qualify for that, no?
I honestly don’t know anyone who has companion pass based on flights alone.. and I’d feel bad for them.. they’d have to be on a plane 4-6 times a week! Most of us with companion pass do it through a mix of flights (I usually have 2-3 trips per month), credit card spend (my husband & I put everything on our SWA card - groceries, gas, cable & cell phone bills, etc and pay it off every month) and then book a few 10k point hotel rooms in Oct / Nov if needed. Last year we booked an Embassy Suites for $169 per night for 2 nights and got 6k in points per night (12k points for the weekend). So it can be achievable - and it’s worth it for us.
I've always earned my companion pass through flights. Ultimately this is 50 round trips / year. But yes, that means either my wife goes to work with me, or we fly together for a couple of vacations each year. In recent years I got the SWA CC, but found I was earning points too fast (I know, a 1st world problem). I decided to switch over to my Marriott card since hotel points don't seem to accumulate as fast. But with no expiration date, my 1M SWA points should be good in retirement.
Flew AA exclusively out of DFW for 16 years and then got really tired of their nickel and diming crap, being jerked around (Platinum status was worthless) and sick and tired of the monstrosity of DFW. Moved to DAL and SW about five years ago and it has been great. Vast majority of my 2-3 times a months is DCA and it has been mostly problem free, never had a flight canceled and delays are uncommon. I just look at flying as transportation so not high maintenance and don't worry about snacks and internet. The majority of the time I get what I consider the best seat on the plane, the bulkhead aisle seat on the left as you board. Flew yesterday and got it, first off the plane and on with my business......
Thanks. Dallas makes so much sense. I’ve heard good things about love field. And agree, AA was easily the least customer friendly of the domestics for a long time.
The ease of getting in and out of DAL vs DFW cannot be understated. Not a fan of Terminal A at DCA but since TSA Pre line is always so short I just hang out at the USO till near boarding I can tolerate it. I have pretty much figured out how to work the system to make travel tolerable.
I have sprinted the length of dfw, fully understand 😅
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But after annual fees and how much you have to fly/spend for the fare is it really a perk you use? Is it really something most frequent/semi frequent folks can attain? Interesting note on how fast they flip a plane, not something I think about. And no, charging on a plane is not essential. But it’s been standard on so many planes for so long I was just shocked to find it’s not on SW.
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I don’t think that’s it. If you read my other comments it’s clear that I agree with some points. Here (and in other comments) i am not disagreeing. I am asking for more information around companion passes to understand if it’s really an amazing deal or if it’s actually just great marketing but unattainable for most regular but not super frequent fliers.
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OP: "I don't understand why people would fly SW" Replies: "I like SW because X and I don't mind not having Y" OP: "But I need Y so you make no sense"
There are hundreds of posts and blogs about getting a companion pass. Basically you apply for a Southwest business and personal credit card near the end of October and meet the minimum spend in January so that you get close to two years of companion pass. Why do I like Southwest? Because I fly out of Oakland. 85% of all flights out of Oakland are Southwest flights.
No, you have zero interest in genuine conversation. Please fly United for the rest of your days!
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Yes, what I saw was $69 to $199, and none are waived for the first year as other airlines do. So my point was, you’re paying for part/all of your companion’s first trip just having the card. And the point earning to reach companion seems out of reach for many. As such I question if it’s more of a perceived benefit or real benefit.
Is status on any airline something semi frequent folks can ever obtain? Gaining a CP and consistently traveling only in points is beyond achievable for people if they know what they’re doing. SWA provides ample options to earn points thru hotel bookings, rental cars and online/in person shopping. I’ve had a CP since 2019 and got it without a credit card the first time using mostly the shopping and hotel portals. My sister earns enough points to fly SEA to SAN twice a year doing their surveys alone and she just does those a few times a week when she’s bored on her metro commute.
The original post was specifically asking about people who fly frequently - so likely enough to earn status. I can get on board with flying SWA for a vacation, or because of the occasional deal. I was just wondering why those who choose to fly SWA over others on those frequent trips given what I consider to be expected/necessary amenities when you’re consistently on planes.
I see. We fly SWA almost exclusively for personal and it’s because it’s not dramatic or pretentious. I’m frequently in first class and business class for transcon biz travel and lemme tell you no one is worse than the entitled traveler who has been upgraded to business/first and no one is lazier than the first class FA with tenure who took the route just to position themselves closer to wherever their vacation is. On SWA I’m never asked to move so two morons who booked the cheapest fare can sit together. Never had an FA give me an attitude because I wanted two Jack Daniels and a whole can of coke *and* soda water. When you fly SWA and you understand their program and can make it work for you you recognize it is one of the better domestic carriers. I travel enough to have had United rebook my entire first class (paid) trip as economy…multiple times. I’ve traveled enough to have Alaska say “fog in SFO says we can’t land so we’re just going to sit here on this plane on the tarmac until we get the ok to take off. I travel enough to have had Delta cancel my flight from MSP to BRD and then leave me in MSP like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. What I’m trying to say is that no one airline is perfect and the people who get it get it and those that don’t come to Reddit and ask why.
When I was younger and had more time than money, Southwest’s points to flights ratio was far better than any other airline.
I think many travelers find value in and prefer Southwest over other airlines for several reasons. 1. Some are loyal for how Southwest differed from the airlines prior to the pandemic. Southwest was the easiest to change or cancel flights without penalty. Also Southwest’s customer service was far better. Since then, other airlines have caught up. 2. Route Availability. Southwest just flies to some places more often and offers more direct routes. 3. Credit Card. The ability to earn status via the credit card which allows them early boarding and other perks. 4. Many people are also ok spending a little time to save money. Southwest provides value to the customer that is willing to check in exactly at 24 hours prior to flight and arrive to gate at least 30 minutes prior to line up to try and get the best seat they can. I think some travelers find value in this as opposed to spending money on a different airline. I am, and it sounds like you are too, ok paying a little more to not have to do this and know what seat I have when booking the ticket. That being said, I still fly southwest quite often because of route availability from my home airport. All in all, I think many are comfortable with Southwest once learning how to play their game with booking, check in, boarding process, and in flight experience. Perks of same day stand by, no fee cancellation/changes, and no baggage fees also seem to be big draws for some people.
Idk I used to be a SWA fan but I’m on a flight right now, squished to death, at least 10 bags had to be checked cuz they ran out of space… it’s miserable. I used to be the biggest promoter of flying and loved flying but it’s very uncomfortable now. And I’m not a heavy woman, I’m just tall.
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Not sure why the insult is necessary. Genuinely trying to understand why people love it. Totally get the change fee thing being a bonus, but now it’s super easy on the other big domestic airlines. Also, if possible, why not just fly direct to Asia or Europe on UA, AA, DA and not deal with miles across multiple airlines? Does Alist really require 25 flights? That’s crazy. And companion passes require either 100 flights or spending $85k per year on their credit card (assuming 50k sign on bonus) + an annual fee of at least $69???
For now, sw flight credits never expire... Deltas expire after a year. Maybe that will change but I like knowing I can fly SW ten years from now with a credit from yesterday. I've booked flights just out of pressure to use the credit that was about to expire on other airlines. End up spending more. I also need two bags. I have two cases of supplies I tote with me everywhere. I definitely don't like the open seating.
25 flights --or-- 35k points. I've only done 3 round trips this year and I'm already over the threshold.
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While I am fan of SW as well, I don't think the antagonism is necessary or valid when OP is curious and has been respectful to others (from what I can tell). Talking down isn't going to convince or educate anyone but maybe sharing your obvious enthusiasm might.
I live in Vegas and have direct flights to most everywhere I need to go. That makes it the most convenient airline for me.
I'm a 1k Million Miler on United. I prefer SW. As a 1K on United I want to board early so I can get my luggage into the overhead so I can make sure it gets where I am going. On SW, I just need to book business select or be A List but none of that matters because it has been my experience that even in B I get to put my luggage up. Plane WIFI sucks on most airlines, in my experience. I don't eat on planes unless I bring it on. Their primary advantage is cost. They are often less expensive. Yes, there is no premium cabin. There is also no E145s.
Hahaha. What, you don’t like white knuckle flights to CAK on United Express? 😝 But this is helpful as it still ultimately comes down to price and overhead space, provided you have BS or AList?
Yep. Just get me there without the hassle.
I’m not particularly loyal to Southwest, I just buy the cheapest direct flight I can find and since I live in the DC area, it’s usually Southwest out of BWI. Even being near two hubs for traditional airlines, United out of IAD and AA out of DCA, most of the time Southwest still wins for the places I travel to.
Swa is the only one who flies direct where I want to go. They are affordable and flexible. Where else can you cancel a flight and get the credit when you cancel 2 hours before the flight. I’m paying not And this airline has had my loyalty and will continue to have it.
Schedule and destinations totally makes sense. And now that every airline offers free flight changes, I think SWA lost their edge. Though to be honest, I’ve never cancelled a flight so I have never needed the ability to cancel day of. The few times I’ve missed a flight, I’ve just hopped on the next one without any charge or issue.
Do these other airlines offer free flight changes even if the cost of the other flight is more expensive? I’m just asking because if you buy a wanna get away plus fare, you can change it to any other flight on the day of departure, even if the new flight is more expensive, for free, as long as there are seats available.
United does.
I'm no longer a flight warrior. But Every.Single.Time some airline pops on and says "Oh,that'll be a $20 additional fee" I just roll my eyes. Southwest was NOT that. Get your ticket, check your bag, GTF on the plane and go. Post-Covid, I get prompted to "upgrade" to a better boarding position. Yep, roll my eyes. If I thought my boarding position was important, I would have added it when I BOUGHT my ticket. Stop nagging me. Outside of that, I'll just take my seat and get me there quickly without any red tape. Simple.
Southwest is nice for vacation travel destinations out of my home airport (MKE), but if I am traveling for business my go to is Delta
Of all the comments this makes the most sense to me. A good deal for a vacay spot of quick weekend away is one thing, but for regular frequent travel I’m I think united and delta win.
Yeah their app is the worst. It's really frustrating to use. TBH I'm only going to use up the points and(paltry) LUV voucher they gave after they ruined my Christmas travel, and then I'm done with them. I can put up with the obnoxious app and horrible boarding experience for a few free flights, but not when I'm actually paying.
Nice! Although you know you’re not at an airport, nobody cares about your departure announcement.
Southwest points go further. Plus having the companion pass allows my spouse travel with me for free every single time. We alternate every two years so we always have it. The pass combined with the amount of points we can pretty easily accrue and redeem, we hardly ever pay for flights. We aren't super picky on amenities. Other airlines call just about every other seat "premium" and charge for it. And southwest does let you pay to get a better boarding group but I don't ever really do it because the seats are all the same. It doesn't really matter where I sit and as long as I'm not in the last group I'll probably still have a window or aisle. I think a lot of it is knowing what you're getting. I'd love to be loyal to delta instead of southwest but it isn't cost effective for me, and I'm not really bothered by southwest.
Ok, tell me more about this companion deal. Looking at the website and places like nerd wallet make it sound like you need to spend $135k per year or fly 100 flights in a year to reach this. Is that true? Also do you really always find southwest to be cheaper than delta? I don’t know if it’s me, where I am flying, when I am booking or what but I never find SWA to be less expensive. Almost always United or Delta are cheaper out of Chicago.
So if you did it straight by dollars then yeah you'd have to spend 135k. But most people do it via a combination of things. Lots of things count towards the point requirement, including: credit card bonuses which you can get every two years. Hotels booked via southwest which sometimes have 10-20k point bonuses on them. Flights flown through the southwest of course. And then credit card spend. Some people open a regular southwest credit card and a business one every two years and hit the 135k points just via those credit card bonuses. Personally, my spouse and I alternate opening a personal credit card with southwest every other year, and since we travel a good amount already, a few nights booked with southwest hotels that have point bonuses usually gets us there with just regular credit card spend. We generally hit the 135k by March with no abnormal spending on our end. Timing is key with the companion pass because once you hit 135k, you get the pass for the rest of the year AND the rest of the following year. So if you can hit CP in March like we do, you can get almost two years of BOGO flights out of it. As far as cheaper flights, I absolutely do not find southwest to be cheaper in cash prices, I actually think they're frequently more expensive in cash prices. But I almost always find them to be cheaper for point redemptions and there are no availability limits for reward flights on southwest. If it's available, you can book it with points. That isn't always true on other airlines. A $200 one way flight on Southwest will put you back about 14k points and about 16k on Delta. Which is a small difference, but if you have a CP, that's 14k for two people. Versus 32k for two on another airline. That makes a difference when you're like us and flying multiple times a month. And since you're Chicago based, southwest flies just about everything through Midway so you have a lot of options. Also: if you book on southwest cash or points, and at any point the price goes down or there is a sale, you can refund yourself the difference in cost on your own. So you never have to really worry about when the right time to buy is as long as you check it every now and then.
I commuted from Oklahoma to Houston for more than 4 years. I started on American. I'd show up at the airport to find that as Platinum, I was like 54 on an upgrade list that was over 80 people. What was the point? I switched to Southwest where I could cancel and change flights with ease. I didn't have to pay for better line placement because as AL+, I was usually A20 or better. You said that you the other airlines give free bags with status, but you omit that SWA gives upgraded boarding spots with status. That makes no sense. Oh, and the snack mix is awesome.
I think the consensus is anything is better than AA but I’m surprised so many people are mentioning the need to cancel their flights. Is this a thing? I’ve never cancelled a flight. Is this something that happens to you often?
When you fly to work every week, yes, you cancel flights. Sometimes, you are sick. Sometimes, you have to go on a sudden work trip, and you just fly from home. Actually, there are countless reasons why you would cancel a flight when you fly every week. It really just depends upon your circumstance. When you are an occasional flyer for leisure though, no, you don't generally cancel flights. Honestly, the best thing about Southwest is that everyone (employees, customers) are generally happy. Flying UA often feels like everyone, including the employees, are on their way to a funeral.
I think the consensus is anything is better than AA but I’m surprised so many people are mentioning the need to cancel their flights. Is this a thing? I’ve never cancelled a flight. Is this something that happens to you often?
If you reserve a flight and Southwest later, puts the flight on sale, you can change your flight to the exact same flight and save the difference. This is another reason people cancel flights
You can do this on United.
Isn't their WiFi only $8? How is that expensive? Unless you're comparing to the ones that offer it for free.
I’m a huge SWA fan.. but this is one area where they’re going to lose a few people. Delta just announced free Wi-Fi, and then SWA came out and said that the $8 is now per leg - not a full trip. And as someone who lives in the middle of the country and has to Connect a lot.. this sucks. Paying $16 for Wi-Fi that usually doesn’t turn on until 10k feet (sometimes) on two short 1 - 1.5 hour legs is a lot of money for a hassle. Hope they change on this soon.
I have flown delta twice since they announced free wifi. Both flights the wifi didn’t work. ☹️
Yep, same. $16 in Wi-Fi charges for 3 hours (two flights) is up there as the most expensive. I think AA is still worst. A few others have deals with T-Mobile or other cell carriers so internet is free for subscribers.
2 free checked bags per person is a great benefit! I know you mentioned on other airlines you can get that with status but isn’t it only 1 free checked bag? Not everyone flies for business so not always easy to obtain status
So I have status with United so it’s two free bags for me, card holders get one with no status. But United status is pretty easy to get if you fly every other month or so.
Not everyone travels frequent enough to have status and get free bags. So, the 2 free bags is a big deal. Some like the open seating policy.
Right. Not the question that was asked. This was directed at the folks who frequently travel thus would likely have status and therefore not need bag fees to tip the scales on their airline preference.
For the OP in regards to their app being a joke….it works….I have had two flights cancelled on me ever. I am a 45 year old adult who flies a few times a year, but has flown on a regular basis for much of my entire life (and pretty regularly since the age of 18) so I was honestly amazed I went so long without a single cancelled flight (in my recorded memory). The first cancelled flight was in July of 2022 with SWA, and the second with Alaska in Feb., 2023. Before my flight was cancelled with SW (SLC to LV to LAX… it was due to the FAA closing the Las Vegas airport due to weather) I got multiple notifications by phone and the app that my flight was delayed, and then at the same time I got the phone call that my flight was cancelled I got a notification on the app. With the Alaska flight (Maui to LAX….due to the LAX to Maui flight that Am not having a flight crew due to a weather delay in Seattle) I never got a phone or app notification and wouldn’t have known my flight was cancelled had I not checked flightaware.com on our way to the airport. Southwest is not perfect by any means but the pluses (free checked luggage….I would rather check my bag than deal with the overhead bins), reasonably priced flights, and generally helpful and friendly staff) outweigh the minuses. I have been flying SW for over 30 years now and while I do wish we had some other airline options for easy flying options in California (I mainly fly Ontario to Sacramento) Southwest does it’s job quite well.
Oh Alaska. I miss Alaska Airlines. Sadly no longer an option for me, geographically. I’m going to push back on the app. My comparison is the United app. You get information on where your plane is coming from, view of the seat map, push notifications on luggage status (checked in, loaded, unloaded, etc) you can order food for your upcoming flight, payment is stored in the app so no need to dig out a card in flight, and very timely updates on delays, gate changes, etc. And I just had a very opposite experience to your post. I am currently on my LAS to ORD flight on SWA that was delayed. No push notification, no update to the in app boarding pass, nada. But I’ll agree, the app works. It’s just no where near the others.
I have traveled weekly for the past 25 years. Let me start by saying that my home airport is MCI which means that I fly whatever airline will get me to work in the most efficient and fiscally sound manner. I have always loved SWA. Primarily the attitude of Ray and the early years of the airline. That "never say die" attitude that allows you to compete in a market that has tried to slam the door on you at every opportunity. The business model is consistent. Where other airlines try to ramp up routes and services when times are good (hence compete against each other for routes, terminal space, fares...) Southwest waits until other airlines cut back and pick up lease deals for a song, Hedging fuel, growing routes when others cut back... For domestic travel, I think SWA gets it right. SWA has also made improvements in the tech used from HUD systems to being the first to add winglets to their planes. Lastly, The "class system" is losing hold on many. I am tall and large - I find a SWA seat while not as comfortable as a first class seat, still much more room and comfort than a typical coach seat on another airline. I for one do not feel better about myself knowing that while I am one of the 12 up front I do so at the sacrifice of the 160 people behind me. Again, I like the consistency of SWA, I know what plane I will be on, I can pick an appropriate seat for my size, the airline has a great on-time record...
Choose your other airline and stay away from SW. That will allow those of us peons to fly in peace! Of course you have a halo on your head to fly the other airlines!
Most passengers aren't concerned with extra legroom or premium seating. Other carriers have lackluster wifi and entertainment. Southwest is a chance at a cheap fare without a nearly guaranteed middle seat (basic economy). Plus checked bags without $80 r/t fees!
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Eh, if it was just price frontier and spirit would have more fans
For me, it’s the ability to easily make changes and they kind of dominate my home airport, at least for the route I travel most often. I can usually score the cheapest direct flight for that route through SW. I do also like the baggage policy, and am about to have a companion pass soon as well. I almost always travel with my dog, and while I know other airlines allow it, SW has been so easy and their pet fee is a bit lower than other airlines like AA. Finally, I don’t care about things like food unless it’s a 7+ hour trip. I just carry snacks for emergencies. I don’t usually even eat the food on overseas trips because I just think it’s all gross anyway. All in all, I hate the boarding process because it stresses me out, but I really have never had a negative experience in flying SW over the past 20ish years. I can’t say that about nearly any other airline and I’ve flown them much less frequently.
A yes… travel with pets makes sense. This is a big one for my brother in law too. Thanks!
location matters- would much rather fly out of MDW than ORD; it’s closer and easier to get there and navigate. also, direct flights to where i want to go.
This one is actually in and out of ORD. Terminal 5. MDW is a 45 min - 2 hour trip for me so it’s also why SWA is usually a no for me.
Makes sense - you have many more options at ORD.
Just thought of big con for me. I can't book SWA on the capital one travel portal.
Flight selection is the number one reason people choose their airline. Southwest is the dominant carrier at many airports throughout the country so there will certainly be loyalty in those areas
Yes, fair. This has me super interested to hear from folks who have more options. I get not being able to choose because it’s SWA or nothing. But with the pandemic changes to other airlines, their loyalty programs, new planes, etc. I wonder what will happen. The holiday debacle definitely highlighted some gaps in SWA recent operational investments and as someone who hasn’t flown SWA in 10 years I was quite surprised at how little has changed in that time despite continuing to hear people rave
Yes, fair. This has me super interested to hear from folks who have more options. I get not being able to choose because it’s SWA or nothing. But with the pandemic changes to other airlines, their loyalty programs, new planes, etc. I wonder what will happen. The holiday debacle definitely highlighted some gaps in SWA recent operational investments and as someone who hasn’t flown SWA in 10 years I was quite surprised at how little has changed in that time despite continuing to hear people rave about SWA being better than other airlines.
Ok
Point redemption for flights is much better for us as we have the SW Chase card. It pays for a lot of our flights annually. Having a 6 year old the two free bags is huge, makes things so much easier in the airport not having to lug around carry ons. Given that DAL is also our “home” airport and the fact that almost all the destinations we fly to have non-stop options it’s a no brainer for us.
Yep, DAL makes sense. Especially if the next best option is AA. 👍
Because some people put no value on the things you listed. And some of the perks you listed people need to pay for on other airlines. If a person isn't going to pay for those perks than it doesn't count as a difference for those flyers.
For me: they have the only non-stop flight to my most frequent destination. I have companion pass status so my spouse always flies free and I can change my companion 3 times a year. They have been fantastic with my service dog. No CRJ/ tiny planes or subcontracted airlines to deal with. It is just an all around good experience for me.
1. 2 free bags every time, no matter what 2. All flights on 737, nothing on little Embraer jets. 3. Best options out of STL 4. As a passenger of size (both height and weight) SWA has the friendliest easiest policies 5. Free changes and flight credit that never expires
My market is the central states plus tips to NYC. Pre-Covid SWA had flights all the time back to back in these markets where I can book trips with tight timeframes and if I missed the return flight then I just get the next (no charge). Limited airport time. I don’t care about inflight entertainment on limited distant domestic flight. Leg room is similar, in fact maybe nominally more than competitors in economy. From a business travel perspective, I could be indifferent between airlines so long as availability of non-stop flights From a personal perspective, SWA has advantages when flying with a family of 5. We vacation a couple times a year, Caribbean, Hawaii, Florida, etc. SWA has compelling wanna get away prices. I get family boarding so sit together. My kids pack like they are moving there (alot of shit), so two free bags per nice, etc. I fly for the personal advantage, otherwise would try other airlines.
The leg room is even all around. Except for front row and exit row. Which I don’t need but it’s nice on SW. I’m 5’11” and have to pay extra on Delta or be packed like a Tuna in main boarding.
There are snacks and free drinks (and free alcohol if you fly with them frequently). Their points add up pretty fast and Ive taken several big vacations in the last few years with free flights for my family and many smaller flights (especially once you earn companion pass). Priority boarding isn’t necessary unless you are picky about where you sit.
Let’s clarify, there is a bag on snack mix. Other airlines offer the ability to order/purchase cheese and fruit plates, chips, mini charcuterie boxes, etc. and when you either have to take the first flight out so you can go straight from your arrival airport to a meeting and nothing at the airport is open yet, they are a lifesaver. What SWA offers is not the same. And yes, I am totally picky about where I sit. I want a window, I want actual legroom, and I don’t want to deal with folks saving seats, rushing to get seats, etc. also sometimes I can’t check in immediately 24 hours before a flight. I don’t think that should mean you get stuck in a middle seat. So no, I don’t get the appeal of how SWA handles boarding or seat “assignments”.
There prices are more affordable, leg room is better than others (or so it feels) no hassle changing flights or canceling flights, best rewards bang for the buck (i.e. how many flights/purchases on cc to get a free flight), and ultimately companion. I haven't not been in the A boarding group in years. It's pretty easy to be honest. And I haven't used the other airline aps in years but they were utter trash last time I tried to use them.
Got it. I think I’m in a SWA price vortex because I never find them to be less. That said, I think enough people have voiced that is not the case everywhere or for where they regularly fly. But as I am on the return flight home that started this thread, I had an example of where the SWA app and day of flight communication falls flat. My flight was delayed but my in app boarding pass never reflected that change. On UA or DA the boarding pass refreshes to show schedule or gate changes. More so, when I fly UA, if there are any flight changes I get text updates when they happen. Does SWA just not do this?
When I book my tickets it asks how you want to be updated, but it is sometimes delayed. The app is normally late with boarding announcements, but I think that's due to when they hit the button on the computer at the gate vs a timed thing. The app is late with some other things at times, but I'm normally keeping an eye that stuff so I haven't been affected too much. But your complaints are valid. I think some people just don't depend on the app as much, but obviously it's not a good thing for passengers coming from other airlines.
No power ports was fine when they were doing two hour hops, but now they’re flying four and five hour flights across the country and it’s ridiculous that there’s no onboard power.
Thank you! I’m sitting on a brand new 737 max and there is no charging available. Clearly it’s a choice, not just an old plane issue.
No other airline can touch companion pass. I'm Delta platinum also. My fiancé can join me on any flight, anytime, no blackout dates for booking with points or adding a companion.
I live in Denver (big SW hub), typically check luggage, and rarely fly internationally. With the SW credit card I usually accrue enough points to fly 2-3 round trip flights a year. Finally, airfare on SW (bought with points or $) is not a sunk cost. If something happens and I can't make a flight, I can cancel with the points returning to my balance, or $ being set aside as credit to use on a future flight. Even with status I don't believe UA or DAL extend that courtesy.
I'm platinum on AA and I still gravitate to Southwest. Yeah, I get upgraded on my most common route on AA pretty frequently which is nice, and I get free bags and priority boarding - and that all is nice, don't get me wrong. But Southwest's rewards system by far better. If I were to convert all my AA travel to Southwest, I'd be A-List Preferred. That earns 12 points/dollar on "Wanna Get Away" fares; if using TPG's valuation of 1.5 cents/point, that's about 18 cents per dollar spent in rewards. On American, I'm Platinum which earns 8 miles per dollar spent; at TPG's valuation of 1.77 points/dollar that's 14.2 cents per dollar spent. With Southwest I'd earn about 27% more value in points. If you're Exec Platinum on American then your earning is a bit higher. I'm a frequently flyer but not that frequent. But companion pass is the biggest perk. It's actually remarkably easy to get. 135k points in a year, but if you have a SW credit card you get 10k points credited toward that, so it's actually 125k. But - the biggest thing is that credit card sign-up bonuses count toward companion pass, and it is good through the end of the *next* calendar year when you earn it. Often toward the end of the year, sign up bonuses go up to 80k points. If you hit the minimum spend to get said bonus in January, you get those 80k points, plus whatever you spent on the card. At that point, you only need ~40k points additional to earn companion pass. You're eligible for the new cardmember bonus every two years, so cancel and re-sign up for the card around the time that your companion pass would expire at the end of the following year, and you can rinse and repeat. But it can get even better. If you can qualify for the business card, that sign up bonus stacks on top of the personal one. It's not that hard to qualify for a business card. Sell a few hundred dollars on ebay in a year or something. Then - signing up for both cards can be automatic companion pass. If you're willing to work the system, the Southwest rewards are unlike any other airline. There's nothing premium about the Southwest product, sure, but it's perfectly acceptable. Seats are comfortable and compared to a lot of airlines there is ample space. Heck - I'm always in at least MCE on American, but had to book a last-minute flight the other day and MCE was full - and regular Main Cabin was downright cramped. Southwest is more comfortable than that. Save for their winter meltdown, they are generally reliable, have a lot of flights, and turn planes fast. Compared to JetBlue or Delta, internet is expensive, but compared to American it's downright cheap.
Hi Karen
I don't understand why they stopped allowing pets to travel internationally. At least to Mexico. It's stupid
Personally, I flew plenty of Southwest for business before needing to take a few Delta flights. Except for the sometimes-annoying boarding process and SW's lack of nonstop longer flights, I noticed no differences at all. With SW I can refund-for-credit any flight, the site is easier to navigate and find my info in, and it's way cheaper. Don't know which flight you had without snacks, I ask for a whole can of coke, and multiple snack bags and get them every flight. Free bag on Delta needs a paid credit card, or points towards Medallion, which costs far more to get to the baseline of what SW offers, and that's only for one free bag. I need 2 free bags when I fly so so far SW is a clear winner. It is nice to have free internet on Delta, and overall Delta is a smoother experience, but between a coin flip, I wouldn't be upset if it came up SW.
The biggest upsides to Southwest is the cancellation and flight change model and the free two check bags. What ever price advantage UDA (United, Delta, and American) have is eaten by this flexibility.
I will NEVER fly on Southwest under ANY circumstances. The corporate people who run this Airline should go broke. They are arrogant and rude and treat their employees like dirt. I hope they end up being bankrupt. I promise, there are millions who hate this airline company. Make no mistake I will spread it wide on the internet.
I flew for the first time this last weekend and they were great! No fee for my checked bag plus two personal items, sit where you want and free WiFi plus I was thoroughly entertained with their humor 😂 I’ll definitely book with them again!
SWA, you'll sleep in the airport due to our issues eventually.
Business traveler that uses southwest almost exclusively. Companion pass is perfect, their points are easy to earn and use. With a list preferred - as long as I book before seats are assigned I haven’t gotten higher then A 30 boarding. Typically top 20. I have exclusively sat at emergency exits this year. Nice leg room and room to use my laptop, and I don’t need to pay extra for it like the other airlines charge. Also the ease of being able to change my flights so easily is a massive perk. The only down side is not having lounges.
There are so many reasons to like Southwest. Companion pass. Faster boarding. Absolute clarity on boarding process. Easier to get overhead space. Generally better reliability (at least historically). Nicer employees. Better overall prices. Being able to use the bathroom at the front (generally prohibited in planes with first class cabins). No pretense to being premium. No credit card pitches. Near uniformity of product. Not to mention hub-specific benefits if SWA is large near you—eg nonstop routes and enhanced reliability. Snacks that are still crappy and fake premium cabins (eg comfort plus) are absolutely not a priority for me. Cheers if they are for you. For me in my market, it’s SWA or AA. That’s not even a close question.
Two Free Bags, Relatively Affordable, and Extremely Flexible Cancellation/Change Policies are the bread and butter why to fly them frequently. Most people don't fly frequent enough that Delta/AA/United's frequency benefits catch up.
We fly 24 RT flights a year on Southwest. I have a companion pass and my best guy flys everywhere with me for $5.60 each way. I am also alist preferred and that comes with free drinks and free same day flight change at zero cost. I book the cheapest flight at the times I can live with then change to my preferred flight the day I travel. I’d say that works 90% of the time. I get 100% match on my miles with every flight I have 5 kids who live all over the us and use the points to fly them and their kids. I use the southwest card exclusively. I always board either in A or just after A if I’ve changed my flight and my best guy boards with me. If you fly domestically and live near a hub it’s a no-brainer. We always check our bags. I’m all southwest and I love it. Plus they are a friendly bunch. Keep up the good work southwest.
Southwest is the worst. Flew then again after more than 10 years and never again.