Flight Question (Southwest)

[Gracie09]

Pretty sure JetBlue changed and charges for all bags now.

it depends on the level you purchase. Basic Blue is around $20 for the first bag. Blue Plus and higher free first bag. However, often the price increase for Blue Plus is less than the cost for the first bag.

 

[Narnia_girl]

We are also fans of Southwest and I've found I can save a little more money if I plan a little in advance. Last month Target had SW gift cards on sale, coupled with the redcard I got several $100 SW cards for $90.25 each.
I've also used turned Swagbucks into WalMart cards which I used at Sam's Club for discounted Southwest gift cards. I was able to get a one ticket for free this way.

 

[BCV2003]

I'm a business and leisure traveler and I love Southwest. I'm not sure why people call their boarding process a cattle call. It is anything but that. It is the most organized of any airline I have flown lately. All other airlines I have flown seem to be a cattle call. As long as you are familiar with their processes and are okay with not having an assigned seat they are awesome. I have always been an A or early B by checking in at 24 hours or purchasing early bird check-in if I am not going to be available to check in exactly at 24 hours.

This enables them to board their planes more quickly which helps with their schedule. They do have a good reputation for ontime flights although they had a computer glitch this past Sunday and Monday that delayed a lot of flights.

I have always had great experiences with them and they do not charge penalties for changing your flight. Their staff are typically very helpful.

 

[Chelle's Belles]

I love Southwest. What you give up in frills, you make up for in customer service.

 

[SMD]

It's a trade out. Usually Southwest is the cheapest (but not always) and no charge for luggage. The trade out is their boarding system.
Southwest makes no secret about it, the number one complaint they get is their boarding system. They did try assigned seats for a while a few years ago out of San Diego, but ended it.

Sort of like McDonalds, people love to talk smack about them, but people still go there. I live a mile from a row of fast food restaurants, and 2 Saturday's ago I decided I wanted a Double Cheeseburger. Couldn't get near McDonalds, every parking spot filled, the two line drive up had cars backed up. I ended up at Burger King a block away, not a single customer inside, and 1 car in the drive through.

You do know that DOT releases statistics on consumer airline complaints, right? Southwest is nowhere near the top in boarding complaints, either in number or percentage. And since they carry the most domestic passengers of any airline, having a lower number of complaints in that area is significant. By far the most complaints were baggage, which is also the second highest complaint category across all airlines. They average 4-5% complaint rate for mishandled baggage. I don't know if there are statistics that say that more passengers check bags than on other airlines because it's free.

 

[tvguy]

You do know that DOT releases statistics on consumer airline complaints, right? Southwest is nowhere near the top in boarding complaints, either in number or percentage. And since they carry the most domestic passengers of any airline, having a lower number of complaints in that area is significant. By far the most complaints were baggage, which is also the second highest complaint category across all airlines. They average 4-5% complaint rate for mishandled baggage. I don't know if there are statistics that say that more passengers check bags than on other airlines because it's free.

Came from the mouth of the President of Southwest in 2006 when they tried assigned seating. It is not in this article though.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5547637

 

[tvguy]

I'm a business and leisure traveler and I love Southwest. I'm not sure why people call their boarding process a cattle call. It is anything but that. It is the most organized of any airline I have flown lately. All other airlines I have flown seem to be a cattle call. As long as you are familiar with their processes and are okay with not having an assigned seat they are awesome. I have always been an A or early B by checking in at 24 hours or purchasing early bird check-in if I am not going to be available to check in exactly at 24 hours.

This enables them to board their planes more quickly which helps with their schedule. They do have a good reputation for ontime flights although they had a computer glitch this past Sunday and Monday that delayed a lot of flights.

I have always had great experiences with them and they do not charge penalties for changing your flight. Their staff are typically very helpful.

Any other airline I have the seat I selected waiting for me, even if I am the last person on the plane. Usually one I selected months in advance. On Southwest, I have to hope to get a good seat.
It was a huge issue from the time my kids were too old for pre-boarding.....until the time they could sit alone. Now, not so much.

 

[SMD]

Any other airline I have the seat I selected waiting for me, even if I am the last person on the plane. Usually one I selected months in advance. On Southwest, I have to hope to get a good seat.
It was a huge issue from the time my kids were too old for pre-boarding.....until the time they could sit alone. Now, not so much.

That's not true either. The legacy carriers charge for pre-selecting a seat assignment. Some may offer a courtesy choice, but you can be moved at any time up until boarding if another passenger pays for an assignment and picks your seat. This includes splitting up families traveling on the same booking.

 

[Gracie09]

That's not true either. The legacy carriers charge for pre-selecting a seat assignment. Some may offer a courtesy choice, but you can be moved at any time up until boarding if another passenger pays for an assignment and picks your seat. This includes splitting up families traveling on the same booking.

I'm sorry but in all my years of flying this has never happened to me. A seat moved because new equipment yes, moved because someone paid more than me no. There are seats I cannot select unless I purchase them (extra space in JetBlue, economy plus on united etc). Seat assignments are not 100% guaranteed but 99% you end up in the seat you have chosen. The other times it's an outside issue (change equipment, combining flights etc) that may cause an issue. Even then if you call, customer service will do what they can to get you with your family if you are separated

 

[SMD]

I'm sorry but in all my years of flying this has never happened to me. A seat moved because new equipment yes, moved because someone paid more than me no. There are seats I cannot select unless I purchase them (extra space in JetBlue, economy plus on united etc). Seat assignments are not 100% guaranteed but 99% you end up in the seat you have chosen. The other times it's an outside issue (change equipment, combining flights etc) that may cause an issue. Even then if you call, customer service will do what they can to get you with your family if you are separated

JetBlue is not a legacy carrier. It's simple. If they let you pick a seat for free, the don't stop displaying that seat for passengers who want to pay for an assigned seat. It happens all the time, but it doesn't happen to every courtesy seat assignment or on every flight.

 

[Gracie09]

JetBlue is not a legacy carrier. It's simple. If they let you pick a seat for free, the don't stop displaying that seat for passengers who want to pay for an assigned seat. It happens all the time, but it doesn't happen to every courtesy seat assignment or on every flight.

I know jet blue isn't a legacy carrier but United is (the other one o fly frequently). My seat has always shown up as not available after I select it. I don't know why yours doesn't. Maybe you are flying one of the new super economy fares? Those have no seat assignments. Like I said I've flown hundreds of times and can count on less than one hand the number of times I had a seat assignment issue. All caused by external issues. So I just must be the luckiest girl in the world

 

[tvguy]

That's not true either. The legacy carriers charge for pre-selecting a seat assignment. Some may offer a courtesy choice, but you can be moved at any time up until boarding if another passenger pays for an assignment and picks your seat. This includes splitting up families traveling on the same booking.

I did get moved once on United, but we still had assigned seats.....and they still were together as a family..... and that was because the type of aircraft changed.
I have seen the option to pay for premium seat, but I have never used it and other than that I have never lost a seat I pre-booked.

 

[maciec]

We use to only fly USAir until we found Airtran. We flew Airtran exclusively because they were the only low cost carrier that flew into Portland, Maine. When Airtran was bought by Southwest we had no choice but to switch. The biggest problem I have it the boarding like many others, but there are too many pro's to the airline that outweigh that 1 negative. In terms of which ticket to buy I always buy the cheapest. If you are going to start flying SW I highly suggest you sign up for the Rapid Rewards credit card or the Chase Sapphire. All are Chase cards, but the Sapphire you can transfer your points to SW at a 1:1 ratio or to another airline or even some hotel chains. My Sapphire is well worth the yearly fee. As is the SW card because of the bonus you get on your card anniversary.

 

[tiggerluver12]

Lover of Southwest Airlines! No need to buy the early bird check-in...just check-in for your flight right at 24 hours prior to your flight and you are pretty much guaranteed a low "B" number. Have done that for all of your flights and generally we sit at the front of the plane.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

That's not true either. The legacy carriers charge for pre-selecting a seat assignment. Some may offer a courtesy choice, but you can be moved at any time up until boarding if another passenger pays for an assignment and picks your seat. This includes splitting up families traveling on the same booking.

Not true! None of the legacy carriers charge for advanced seat assignment. Once you pick your seat, it is blocked; no one else can chose it. Yes, it can change if there are equipment swaps, but that's a different issue.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

JetBlue is not a legacy carrier. It's simple. If they let you pick a seat for free, the don't stop displaying that seat for passengers who want to pay for an assigned seat. It happens all the time, but it doesn't happen to every courtesy seat assignment or on every flight.

Again, you are just plain wrong. Once you select your seat on JetBlue, no one else can choose it.

 

[sharona]

Not true! None of the legacy carriers charge for advanced seat assignment. Once you pick your seat, it is blocked; no one else can chose it. Yes, it can change if there are equipment swaps, but that's a different issue.

For Delta specifically but not sure about the others - they offer lower fares on some flights for tickets with no advance seat assignment. You have to pay for the more expensive nonrefundable fare to pick a seat.

 

[SMD]

Not true! None of the legacy carriers charge for advanced seat assignment. Once you pick your seat, it is blocked; no one else can chose it. Yes, it can change if there are equipment swaps, but that's a different issue.

We book employee travel through an agent using Sabre, so not the regular online booking, (sometimes I go to the airport because the agent only takes one type of CC) and that is exactly how it works. Unless we pay extra for a seating assignment, our choice is only a courtesy and remains open for other passengers paying for an assignment. It doesn't remain open for other passengers looking for a courtesy assignment. When we send 10 or employees on a flight, we usually have 1-2 get moved a few hours before the flight, especially if they wanted an aisle seat. Travel forums are full of stories of families who selected a row and got separated at the last minute. I'm sure it's entirely possible that people who take several flights per year never experience this because it happens infrequently relative to the total number of passengers, but it does happen quite often when you look at a large volume of flights.

Again, you are just plain wrong. Once you select your seat on JetBlue, no one else can choose it.

I'm saying what I'm saying about legacy carriers don't apply to JetBlue because they are not a legacy carrier.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

For Delta specifically but not sure about the others - they offer lower fares on some flights for tickets with no advance seat assignment. You have to pay for the more expensive nonrefundable fare to pick a seat.

Yes, this is a recent change.

To the above poster, yes, JetBlue is not a legacy carrier, but once you select your seat, it doesn't remain open for someone else to select. I understand that sometimes your advance seat assignment changes, usually because of equipment swaps, but that's a different issue.

 

[disneypanda11]

We fly almost exclusively Southwest. We've had pretty positive experiences, and only one "major" delay (coming home from MCO, a several hour delay due to some mechanical issues). Sometimes we opt for the EBCI and sometimes we don't. We're only two, and we've always been able to sit together.

We find EBCI more valuable coming/going from MCO for the following reason- Southwest permits families with small children to board after the "A" seating group and before the "B" seating group. Without an "A" boarding pass, this can be problematic on a flight that is predominantly families (e.g. to a destination where Disney is the main draw). In essence, it can make your "B" ticket feel like a "C" ticket.

If you aren't very concerned about where you sit, or are traveling with a smaller party, I would absolutely save the money and not purchase EBCI, rather choosing to check in online right at the minute 24 hours before your flight.