Attention Southwest People

[mmouse50]

I am sorry but I think that I am in the minority of liking to be able to pick my own seat. The price difference between the lowest fare and the second to lowest fare (where I get to pick a seat towards the back of the plane) isn't much more than the price that I had to pay for "Early Bird" which I always paid for. Me knowing that I have my seat already picked for my entire party and I don't have to fight the seat saving because only 1 person in a party of 5 or more with kids bought early bird but they all want to sit together or that I bought early bird but ended up in Group B after all the family boarding (which didn't buy the early bird} out of Orlando is much better for me. Assigned seating was the only reason I would fly United but the cost would always draw me back to Southwest and make me purchase the early bird along with free bags. I do have a Southwest credit card so I still don't have to pay for bags. Paying for my suitcase to go on its own vacation with United irked me to no end.

 

[longboard55]

We have credit cards for Hawaiian, Delta and American mainly for the free bags and discounts. Usually one trip more than pays for the yearly fee. Always pay to pick your seat. Had a vacation totally ruined when I tried to go cheap on airfare. Not really worth it.

What I would like to see is airlines enforce the carry on size rules, I see these huge back packs all the time

 

[focusondisney]

Had this happen to me on a Southwest flight and I just sat down anyway lol don't really have the patience for that nonsense. The person didn't say anything to me but they glared at me like I was the most evil person on earth. Not like I care honestly.

I can be pretty assertive, but my husband is a Don’t Make a Scene type person. I had already seen the group arguing & getting nasty with the gate agent. The daughter would definitely have made a scene if I tried to do that. Sure, it ticked me off at the time. But starting my vacation upsetting my husband, stressing myself & spending over 2 hours getting our seats kicked from the group members behind us wasn’t worth being a few rows forward.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I was reading the other day someone reported that with the assigned seats, he finally experienced a flight that wasn't overrun with pre-boards. Sounds like the pre-board stuff got way out of control.

Yes, the pre board stuff was way out of control. Some flights had more than 25 people "needing" to pre board, then when they got to their destination, those same people just walked off the plane, ignoring the wheelchairs. But pre boarding got them a nice seat near the front, plenty of overhead bin space, and often people would also try to save seats for their friends. On one recent flight, they announced that there was a shortage of wheelchair pushers for pre board so if you could walk, please do so. About 90% of the people jumped up from their wheelchairs and hustled down the jetway as fast as they could go. Meanwhile, the few of us who were physically unable to walk were blocked in by the numerous abandoned wheelchairs.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I will pay to choose seats. DS30 has autism and although he could sit away from us, he would be very uncomfortable. He gets anxious being close to or bumped into by people he doesn't know. I always reserve a row of 3 seats so he can be with DH and me. When we flew Southwest in the past, I bought the Early Bird Check-in to ensure we could get a row together.

 

[Dznypal]

Interesting reading--we just flew home on SW from wdw--we were in the old system going down and the new asigned system coming home--
I always booked EBCI so paying for seats wasnt that big of a deal--its one or the other
I did do the upgrade when booking for the extra legroom anf the seats were real nice--we were happy with them--we were in row 4 aisle and middle
We also liked not having to have family boarding between A and B--between B and C would have seemed like a better idea--since usually its mom dad 1 kid and great aunts uncles and cousins twijce removed all getting to board before B
Unto to the WC group we always have to laugh we went to vegas a few years ago and when we landed they brought out 3 people in WC and said someone will come to pick you up--well it seems no one was coming fast enough so all 3 got up and just walked away like all was fine with the world--
I really would have liked if perferred seats had a better benefit then just being a bit closer to the front--a bit more legroom then basic but maybe not as much as extra legroom

am I correct in this that if you buy the lowest fare that your only option is to just take what they give you at checkin theres no option to upgrade from basic

happy flights

 

[pweyl36]

We fly Southwest a lot out of BWI and will be boarding our first flights since they changed things in about two hours into Fort Myers. We both have Southwest credit card so we get free seats and free bags and don’t feel any great change. I’ll report back!

I dont know how far from Delaware you are but have you tried Avello in new castle