Southwest Opinions Needed!!!!!

[DebbieB]

Southwest is not always the cheapest option for us. I don't/won't pay for early bird check in and I e always gotten A priority 24 hours before.

It's not as easy to get A anymore. On my recent trips, 24 hours has given me a B, last time B26. With family boarding increased to 6 and under, it's hard to find a decent seat. I'm now buying EBCI.

 

[ParrotBill]

Southwest is almost always our cheapest option to anywhere from Rochester NY, especially when planning ahead since they still offer consistent lower advance fare. Last week I sat on my 24 hour advance check-in time, hitting enter over and over until it was accepted and got B34. There were about 60 people boarding ahead of me. Coming home I did not get online until 30 minutes after my 24 hour window opened and I got C16. This time my wife and I would have been separated if not for a friend saving us adjacent spots.

Lesson: be there when your check-in window opens!

Oh, and with these flights to Orlando and back there was no family boarding offered.

 

[quagmire0]

I've never had a bad Southwest flight. *knock on wood*. Staff are usually awesome, cabins are good, free live TV, they pour stiff drinks. I think you *can* beat their prices, but when you start to add on extra charges on other airlines like baggage and change fees, you start to see the value of Southwest.

 

[jenmsmith]

Another vote for Southwest. We fly frequently and choose them whenever possible. FWIW, I've never paid for the early check-in and, if you're willing to sit near the back and check in at the 24 hour time, you'll be fine to sit with your group. Almost all of our flights have been sold out flights and our family of five (no children younger than 6) has never been separated.

 

[theme_park_mom]

we love southwest. sign up for the rewards program. you always get two free bags. you will not have any problem with the open seating. have fun!

 

[Lothlórien]

We always fly Southwest. We actually will not fly any other airline unless we do not have a choice. Their employees are friendly and helpful. They are almost always on-time in our experience. The prices are great. No bag fees, so even if you find a comparable price you still have to pay for your bags.

Just a note.... if you can get online right at 24 hours before your flight to check-in, save yourself the money on early bird check in. Some people swear by it, but we have found when doing it for only one person (somebody who can grab the seats for the rest of the family), the person who gets early bird and those that check-in at 24 hours are not that many boarding positions apart. Southwest assigns boarding positions to Business Select, then A-List preferred, then A-list and then Early Bird. My husband is A list and usually gets something between A 22 and A26. When I check in at 24 hours without EBCI, I usually get A 29 - A35. When I do EBCI, I usually get A 26 - A31. And just as a side note, our flights we take are always full (sold out).

 

[Shanti]

Pros for us are:

• Offers nonstop flights from our city to MCO
• Cheaper than legacies for the most part
• 2 checked bags fly free
• No change fees
• You can adjust your fare & save the credit for another flight

Cons:

• No reserved seating (I hate this)
• You must either buy Early Bird check-in or check-in online exactly 24 hours before flight (not 3 minutes later) to avoid being put in a bad boarding group
• Jet Blue also flies non-stop on our route, & sometimes offers a better deal (& you can get assigned seats)
• On-time record has gotten shaky in the past few years
• They misdirected our bags the last time we flew with them

Bottom line: When I really want comfort, I fly first class. Short of that, I'll book the airline that gets me there fastest & cheapest, which is sometimes Southwest. If you can get a great deal with them that you can't get elsewhere, take it. If the price is close to the price of another airline but just a little bit below, then I'd stick with the airline that lets you reserve a seat.

 

[Shanti]

EBCI is $15. It checks you in at 36hrs instead of 24hrs. That could possibly get you an A for boarding but there is no guarantee. It all depends on how many people have purchased it. You could get an A,B or even C. So far I have not heard of anyone getting a C but it is not outside the realm of possibility.

We always purchase it and were rewarded with B group once.

 

[Debbie Jean]

I'm taking the plunge. Always swore by Jet Blue but their fares for July have continued to border on the ridiculous. Scored a midday nonstop flight from Newark to Orlando for less than HALF the price on Jet Blue even adding in EBCI which I purchased.

I've been a loyal Jet Blue customer for years and could not have imagined anything that would sour my opinion. But recent experiences have really opened my eyes. it isn't just the money grabbing charges for extras but the tangible decline in customer service. Example, I have spent hours on the phone with them trying to iron out a transfer of reward points from a partner airline and got nothing but a run around for months. "Oh, yes, I see... you are right... we'll escalate this and fix it for you". NOT! if you won't do it, it's false advertising to say you will. Example, spent literally 90 minutes on a line at the airport to check my luggage in... already had a boarding pass... while 3 incompetent desk attendants fiddled, twiddled and diddled. Finally gave up in disgust and paid to have my bag curb checked. Example, flight delay of over 4 hours... no announcements, no gate communication... nothing. After 3 hours they roll out some water and terra chips... sorry, what I want is to know what is going on and when my flight might leave. And yes, I did file complaints with the airline. They gave me a total of $75 for my "inconvenience". while that's nice, it doesn't solve the problem with their change in attitude and obvious decline in customer service.

The fares at Southwest as opposed to JetBlue were the final stray. Even with the EBCI, the free luggage makes this a way better deal. I'm more than ready to deal with the new boarding process!

 

[Meandnevaeh]

I don't think you will be disappointed, I love southwest, and while I am disappointed that they discontinued the direct flights to Orlando from both of my airport options this year I will most likely still fly with them, but I'm going to miss the non stop.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

not sure what the size of the passengers has to do with anything. Those passengers would have been the same size if they were traveling on another airline.

I don't pay for EBCI. I usually get low B and sometimes a high A. I don't care if I have to sit in the back of the plane, though, or who I sit next to.

 

[quagmire0]

It's been a while since I've checked in with Southwest - if I purchased multiple tickets with points, does it allow me to check in all the guests at once, or do I have to do it one at a time? We'll be eligible for family boarding, so it's not a big deal if we get B or later.

 

[georgina]

It's been a while since I've checked in with Southwest - if I purchased multiple tickets with points, does it allow me to check in all the guests at once, or do I have to do it one at a time? We'll be eligible for family boarding, so it's not a big deal if we get B or later.

Reservations booked with points are separate confirmation numbers and therefore separate checkins.

I have found several instances recently where SW was not the cheapest option. I have an American Airlines card which gives me a free checked bag, but they rearrange flight schedules much more than SW, which is annoying.

I am too cheap to buy EBCI, but have no small children so it is not crucial where we sit.