Southwest Airlines- good or bad?

[shefor24]

I've heard so much back and forth- I am thinking of using my Hersheys coupon for this trip and still not sure if I should do the Southwest thing or not. If we do- I heard you don't get served beverages on board- so do they mind if I break out a Mountain Dew halfway there?? Or is that a no no? So what is YOUR opinion on SW airlines?? Going from Indy to MCO or Ft Myers (undecided). Myers is cheaper right now. Only 179 x 4 = 716 - 150 from Coupon = 566. Not bad.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

I love SWA. They serve drinks (soft and hard) on all flights. Soft drinks, juice, coffee, tea, etc. are free. Mixed drinks 4.00 beer and wine 3.00.
Yes, it is a no no to bring your own.
Except for the no reserved seating policy (which I really do not mind) they are a fantastic airline. Lots of fun also.

 

[AZKathy]

We had wonderful flights on SWA when we flew to MCO. I found the flight attendants were much more friendly on our flights and the snacks were not just peanuts. We got a box with an assortment of snacks. I would fly with them again if given good fares! (which they do seem to have quite a few)

 

[mark & sandra]

Hello shefor24-
We've flown them many times and never had problems withbringing our own snacks. Whenever we fly home from Orlando Airport we pick up food at the McDonalds in the airport and eat on the plane.

 

[Diz-Me]

We just flew SWA roundtrip from New Hampshire to Orlando and back. These were the best flights we have ever taken - left on time both ways!

We expected long lines when we departed Orlando on Saturday April 27. But we used SWA curbside checkin and were done in 10 minutes. The security check before going to the terminels was also very quick. (The area the SWA terminels are in seemed to be much less busy than the other security check area we saw.)

There were beverages as well as a 'snack pack' on the flight. And then there are those humerous flight attendents.

And we found the no reserved seating to be less of a hassle than expected.

 

[DVC-Don]

I use Southwest for nonstop flights. Yes, they do serve drinks and a snack. On connecting flights it is too much of a pain to get off a flight and get right in line for a pass to get on the connecting flight.

 

[ct2wdw]

I have used SW dozens of times out of Hartford (Bradley) and have nothing but praise.
It was you pay for, no luxury etc, but I pack a sandwich and a bottle or 2 of water and get in line.

Aside from thinmgs out of their control (weather, etc) they have always been on time and economical!

 

[denisenh]

Hi shefor24! SWA is great! Its the only airline that we use so I can't compare it to anything..but we love it. It has an excellent safety record and a great reputation, knock on wood.
(My DH applied for a position as a flight attendant and on Monday recieved an invitation to go for an interview...... It would be a dream come true for him to have that career! It involves a month of unpaid training across country and getting hired would require him to relocate without me and our kids.....he's willing!! hmmmm....maybe I should be more worried?)
ALSO, you could use SWA friends fly free fares and pay less than your posted final price BEFORE using your Hershys certificates....just call and get your friends fly free flights at the 800 number and go to your airport SWA ticket counter and pay there within 24 hours of your SWA call. You can't use your certificates for internet purchase. I just used my Hersheys promo certs. too. No problem.

 

[nwdisgal]

Has anybody ever taken SWA from the West Coast to MCO? What is that like? I am wondering what kind of snacks they offer on the longer flights? So far, SWA has the best fares to MCO for the August time frame.

 

[Gary M]

shefor24:

I believe SWA does have non-stop flight R/T between IND and MCO. I have flown SWA out of Indy several times and have found them to be a good airline. The only complaint I have with SWA is the lack of assigned seats, but it really hasn't been that big of a problem.

 

[CarolA]

Snacks don't vary much. For a cross country flight pack food!!! Other than that no problems.

 

[miksicnarf]

nwdisgal, We fly Southwest from LAX-MCO almost every year. The price is right, no complaints. The snacks are nothing too memorable; I hit Subway the night before (we always have a very early a.m. flight) and we carry those and drinks onboard. We always have a stop somewhere along the way...sure, I'd rather fly non-stop but for $99 each way, I'm not complaining .

 

[shamrock30]

I fly SWA to Florida becasue it allows me to go to a quieter airport with more convenient parking. I don't like the fact that they don't give seat assignments, but it is a small price to pay.

Like others mentioned, it is a good idea to bring extra food if you have a long flight. We always bring water on flights to fight dehydration. I personally wouldn't bring food from the terminal that had a strong odor, though. Your neighbors might not appreciate it in such closed quarters.

 

[debster812]

I just flew Southwest for the first time on business. I thought they were great. The snacks are fine, just snacks. Soft drinks were plentiful, they even came and asked if we wanted refills.

The no assigned seating was not a big deal, got to sit with my colleague both times.

If the fare is good, and it's non-stop, I say go for it!

 

[nwdisgal]

micsicnarf - thanks for the West Coast info. I'll plan to pack up on the sandwiches if we take SWA. I am still waiting for SWA prices to go down a bit from SEA. Best I can find is $250 per person with the Friends Fly Free. I am bummed because I paid $150 per person on Delta this past April.

 

[Otisp]

I fly SWA all the time solo on business and love it, but I do wonder how they handle families with kids on connecting flights (since they don't reserve seats). Funny, for all the times I've flown, I've never taken the time to notice!

 

[bicker]

Southwest is a commercial airline, so has to comply with all the same rules regarding safety. The only significant differences involve comfort and customer service. Of course, Southwest can't compare to American for comfort, but then again, neither can US Airways or Delta. Regarding customer service, the clincher for me is that Southwest has no standing arrangements with other airlines to accommodate Southwest passengers in case Southwest has a problem. Many times when I've encountered long delays, they've been cut short by my airline (typically NW, US, AA or CO) simply calling another airline and having me accommodated. That typically doesn't happen with Southwest -- you have to wait until Southwest can accommodate you themselves.

 

[barbeau]

SWA has the most accommodating and friendly employees. I have been totally please with the several flights I have mad e with this airline.