<p>I can completely understand why airlines came up with the frequent traveler incentives of priority boarding and priority seating. The business traveler’s loyalty is very important to an airline’s bottom line. I can see where business travelers would hate SW’s system because they are used to being treated extra special. If I had to travel a lot for business, I would LOVE those extra perks! </p>
<p>But since I don’t travel frequently or for business, on most other airlines I feel like I’m not as important as the travel weary salesman who is seated in the front row of the plane as I trudge back to row 44. I guess I’m not and I get that. However, I probably paid about the same for my flight as he did. If I have an issue, I know that as an infrequent traveler, I have no clout, so I don’t even try. Need to re-book? re-schedule? have any kind of unusual issue? go the back of the line behind the more important customers. </p>
<p>At least with SW, I feel like I have the same value as everybody else on the plane. I do pay the extra $10 for the early boarding option, but so can anybody else on the flight, and it’s not prohibitively expensive to do so. I will never attain the miles that many business people rack up, but I do fly 5-7 times a year, and my money is just as green as theirs ;)</p>
<p>I also read recently that SW is the only airline that operates in the black, so they must be doing something right.</p>
<p>I always use Southwest for all of the reasons above; I’ve frequently rebooked at lower prices and saved the difference for future flights. They have just become a teeny bit less egalitarian - for a $40 fee, you can guarantee a place in the first 15 to board. (These are the boarding slots previously reserved only for A list status.) This was probably done to make those business travelers happier.</p>
<p>But the main reason I prefer SW is that we live halfway between O’Hare and Midway - SW flies out of Midway and I can’t begin to explain how much better that is for us!</p>
<p>Cattle boarding still exists. They only divided the cattle in smaller holding groups. It is still open seating. And open seating in a plane that could be filled with passengers from a previous flight. </p>
<p>xiggi - I don’t get it. Having a pre-assigned seat doesn’t guarantee you more legroom or more agreeable seatmates. On some airlines, you’re not even guaranteed that particular seat - or any seat - if they’re overbooked. You may have a better chance of getting a window or aisle seat, but not necessarily unless you book the flight really early and/or are willing to pay an extra $15 - $30 for choosing that seat. </p>
<p>Flying in business class is very different but it’s a separate argument from open seating or not open seating.</p>
<p>A reservation with an assigned seat allows you to print your BOARDING pass with the exact seat on it. While you cannot “screen” your potential travel companion, you know if it is window or aisle seat. The open seating system might leave you only with a middle seat. In addition, some airlines will automatically upgrade the seat if you qualify and have the needed stickers in your account. </p>
<p>I have never been charged for having a seat assigned, but the airlines you have dealt with might. Sounds strange to me, but the airlines are full of resources to extract your last pennies.</p>
<p>“You may have a better chance of getting a window or aisle seat, but not necessarily unless you book the flight really early and/or are willing to pay an extra $15 - $30 for choosing that seat.”</p>
<p>I was booking my parents on a last minute flight last spring to come up for a funeral and when I went to choose their seats I was charged for them! I canceled the reservation and re-booked them on Jetblue even though the tkt price was a bit more. </p>
<p>Also, since no one is putting a gun to one’s head, for those who want to have a seat assignment they don’t need to fly those airlines. I couldn’t care less where my seat is.</p>
<p>Paying the extra $10 on SW pretty much guarantees you’ll be in the A boarding group and can have that window or aisle seat. If you’re with a bigger group and need to be together, then I can understand the need to choose exact seats early.</p>
<p>My recent experience with Delta, United, AirTran and US airways shows that you do pay more for certain seats. US air was the worst offender, with only the middle seats invoking no extra charge. All the airlines charged more for the bulkhead seats or exit row seats with their extra legroom. Ironically, on my US air return trip, it showed only middle seats were available. So there I was, in row 6 or 7, in the middle seat, with no one at all near me! I guess nobody wanted to pay extra. </p>
<p>Air travel can bring on a lot of stress and I wish there were more choices out there. It seems too often that when one airline changes its policy in some negative fashion, everyone else follows suit.</p>
<p>We were on vacation in Florida. The night before we were leaving, my DH became ill, and we spent most of the night in the ER. As we were sitting there, I pulled out my phone, used the Southwest app and changed our flights to the following day. Not only were there no change fees, but our flights were cheaper so we got the credit. I actually couldn’t decide on which flights, so I changed 3 times!</p>
<p>It was really nice not to have to worry about how much it was costing us while I was worrying about DH.</p>
<p>I agree with Xiggi–last time we flew SW, got a good boarding number, picked our seats as we got on the plane, however, those will lesser numbers actually ended up in the “better” seats, why, the flight attendants made everyone move toward the window to allow for smoother boarding…um, no, I want an aisle seat thanks…</p>
<p>I kind of like Southwest when traveling alone. Check in early am day of the flight and get a “C” boarding pass so I get to choose my seatmates. We haven’t used them for family travel, but I see where it would be OK if you needed checked bags and paid for an “A” slot.</p>
<p>Flew SW home yesterday and just before the doors closed a family with 4 young children, twins under age of 2 and grandparents boarded. Needless to say there were no seats together anywhere on the plane. The flight attendants worked the plane until all children were with an adult and at least one whole row was theirs. Bribes of adult beverages were provided. Rowmate and I volunteered but were not needed so many had volunteered.</p>
<p>Green, I am not trying to convince you of anything! You happen to like the open seating. Plenty of people do! I do not like it, and I also consider paying the extra fee to get advanced boarding a necessity, although it does not always work that well when needing to connect. </p>
<p>It is a matter of taste and preferences. MOWC has stated that despite being a lifetime Plat member on AA, she prefers to travel on SW. Great for her, although she might have a different view if her travel was from SFO to the East Coast, and her choices were SW versus AA or Virgin. I think I’ll stick to my preferred seat on AA and hope that the magic of selecting the right flight might get me one of those free sticker upgrades. I am sure that MOWC might remember how nice it sounds when the gate agent says. Here we go, your seat is 4A and I hope you will like the warm peanuts! </p>
<p>And again, I do not dislike SW. Not all. The airlines has served me well and often between Texas and Ontario, especially when they started offering direct flights from my home area. I have enjoyed the no baggage fees as I hauled half my house to California. I used to love their reward program with great flexibility, especially when my parents dumped tons of miles from other places in my account --something that is pretty much dead by now. I used to like how their fares were often among the lowest. That is rarely the case now. </p>
<p>But I still like SW, except for the cattle herding and boarding, the fact that they have amnesia for everything except your last 24 months or 12 months history, and that the giggling flight attendants try to make you place a bag from the bins in front of your seat. </p>
<p>Xiggi- I agree. American served me well in Dallas and I loved my first class upgrades. From Nashville most of my flights are pretty short (to PA, Houston, Chicago, etc) and SW works really well.</p>
<p>I agree that there is a herding atmosphere to SWA boarding, but I feel that way about other airlines as well. I think flying these days is stressful, unless you’re willing to pay the big bucks and go first class. Even with assigned seats–flights tend to be crowded, you’re usually standing in line with lots of people (I rarely fly on a flight that isn’t completely full these days). An assigned seat doesn’t mean you avoid a seat mate who’s 700 pounds, won’t shut up, snores through most of the flight or brings on a huge salami sub with everything on it (this happened to me the last time I was on a plane–I smelled the salami for the entire flight. Ugh). For lots of people Southwest is cheap and easy–especially if you’re flying from one of the SWA hubs like BWI.</p>
<p>Why is this necessarily unexpected? Because neither Boston nor Fort Lauderdale is a United hub, one would expect that any United itinerary between the two has to stop at a United hub. Chicago O’Hare and Washington Dulles are the obvious ones for pre-merger United; the merger adds Newark and Cleveland as possible hubs in the region.</p>
<p>Generally, for non-stop flights, availability is best on airlines where at least one of the end points is a hub for the airline.</p>
<p>Jet Blue has hubs at both Boston and Fort Lauderdale, with four daily non-stops between the two.</p>
<p>Love SouthWest will only fly with them, if given the choice. Easy online booking. Rewards membership. Seating is first come first served…for a small fee you can board early and choose seats and calmly put bags overhead prior to the masses boarding. Save $…Pay early bird fee for 1 passenger, board ahead of others and save companion a seat next to you. Free baggage. Free snack & non-alcoholic drinks. Most recent trip to St. Louis we were blessed with a comical flight attendant. Had us laughing all the way home. Never a problem with flight time changes and have not been left on tarmac for hours on end as I have endured long ago when flying Continental.</p>
<p>We love you, you love us. We’re much faster than a bus. We hope you appreciate our hospitality; marry one of us and you’ll fly free. ( sung to Barney tune, which I know you all know).</p>