Changes coming to SW
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This will be good in eliminating the 24 hr check in process. I just hope they keep the initial purchase process as simple as it currently is. Itās so frustrating to price out other airlines with all of the hoops and clicks and information to provide before even getting the price.
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This is a big change! I wish the focus of the change wasnāt so they could charge more though! I fly SW, even though I donāt like the seating because it is the most affordable without any ābaggageā issues - like Spirit or Frontier
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Initially, what made SW special was the lower cost and so many bags covered. But they havenāt been low cost for years now. And not everyone needs a carry on and two checked bags. Plus, open seating was a pain with families unless you threw more money at it and then it was even less low cost.
Recently our family members have flown Spirit and Avelo and we really like the a la carte purchases and the low fees. We like picking seats. We liked Avelo for my mom especially. She canāt manage a carryon, and prefers to just check her bag and that wasnāt any more expensive than a carryon and personal item. I hope we see more flights offered locally. Right now we have Breeze and Avelo, with Spirit and Frontier nearby.
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Wow. Iām flying SW in January and I loathe the open seating with small kids. Iām glad they are moving in that direction but I wonder when it will roll out.
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I agree. I hate that I will have to pay to choose a seat. Arenāt they going loose all that Early Bird revenue? If they make us pay for bags they are going to lose so many customers.
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For me the prices were disappointingly high for awhile but recently they have come down significantly. Jetblue is their main competitor from my favorite airport.
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This has nothing to do with the article, but it reminded me. Remember when Southwest had a reality show?
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Iām really not happy about this change, primarily because it means the prices will be going up. We live between PHL and BWI but choose to drive the extra 20 minutes to BWI because of the incredible number of SW flights around the country. I transfer Chase credit card points to SW and use my Chase SW card to get 4 upgraded boardings reimbursed per year. With the additional change to charging for extra leg room seats (read: the exit and bulkhead rows) the upgrading boardings benefit will most likely go away. I use those upgraded boardings for when we fly to visit family across the country so that dh and I can get the 2 person exit row.
If we flew only to MCO Iād investigate Frontier and Spirit, but with flying to DEN and SMF/SF airports at least once a year each, Iām going to have to start looking elsewhere if the prices go up too much.
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As someone who woke up at 4:45AM this morning for a 5AM check in, I endorse this opinion.
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I was thinking about this too - hopefully the modify those credit card perks to extra leg room upgrades or something. But, in the age of devaluations, they could just as easily let those perks just drop off completely.
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Last time I flew SW from FL there were at least 30 people in āfamily boarding.ā Now that your kids are out of that range Iām sure that assigned seats will help a lot.
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Yeah, we will still qualify for family boarding in Januaryā¦luckily. He will be 6 on that flight, so I wonāt pay for early bird and just do FB.
But I remember the chaos that was family boarding 2 years ago. The whole flight felt like it was full of families with small kids.
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This is too true! I used to be able to fly to MCO for $89 each way (or less). Now tickets āstartā at no less than $165 each way!! Unless itās an incredible sale in which itās still going to cost $125 each way!
I totally forgot about that!! Iām not much for reality TV, but I do remember it being on AMC or somethingā¦
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From the Washington Post article I read about this: āāWhen a Customer elects to stop flying with Southwest and chooses a competitor, open seating is cited as the number one reason for the change,ā it said in a news release."
That resonates with me, and I generally would not consider flying them because of the open seating. It will be interesting to see what other changes it brings, and how it affects the market. I have just recently seen SW flights that were competitively priced for my potential flights, but I would dismiss them out of hand for that reason. Their being on google flights also puts them back on my radar as well.
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Still overly high here, though if youāre a stalker (like me) you an often catch a brief fare drop and rebook to that.
But generally, I am looking at $189 ONE WAY from MHT to MCO on most Southwest flights. And the schedules suck. And nonstop is almost nonexistent
Maybe this change will help them turn the rest of it around. More recently I am flying discount airlines. In August I will be round trip for less than $100 across two carriers on NONSTOP flights.
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This summer I have finally started seeing one ways under $100. But that is true for Jetblue and AA on the same routes, so maybe it is a local competition thing.
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Possibly
Though SW out of BOS is even worse - almost always more expensive than MHT and never nonstop
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I have been flying Southwest from ISP to various FL airports since the early 2000ās and I like the open seating. I think I just got used to it and I like the ease of booking. So while my sister was spending time comparing flights from EWR to PBI amongst various airlines with all their baggage and seat fees, I just choose the cheapest ISP Southwest nonstop ($79 one-way!), bought Early Bird, and was done with it. Also when I have flown JetBlue or Delta, I get decision paralysis when trying to decide on the best seats in advance. I need the pressure of the boarding - get on the plane, find the closest empty row and/or the emergency exit row, and sit down, quick, quick, quick! Granted Southwest has gotten a little more complicated now that they have three pricing tiers but at least you can easily see all of the fees.
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Yep. I am watching it on YouTube right now. Reminds me of how stressful flying can be.
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