Southwest?

[dandelion]

I'm another SWA fan, flying out of ALB. I like them for the fares and lately, for the fact they have the only direct flights. We flew to MCO in late October, and as others have said, passengers do start lining up early. The check in (handing out numbers) was incredibly slow though, they weren't done by the time people starting boarding.

In MCO the line up started sooner, but went quicker.

The McDonalds in Albany airport was open at 6:30 a.m.

I wish the fares for Feb. would come down soon - I have a hoped for trip Feb. 7-11.

 

[VickiVM]

I should count myself as another SWA fan. I used to fly SW all the time when my job required more travel. The Rapid Rewards program is the best. We rack up points not just for bookings, but on our MCI long distance, car rental and various hotel stays. Standing in line is no big deal...it's the norm in airports anyway. This is one of only 2 airlines (I believe) that were posting earnings in the black PRE-9/11. They also did not cut out any of their flights immediately after 9/11. Their safety and on-time record is very good. And their fares....they keep the other airlines on their toes to stay competitive. I'm happy to see this Texas company flourish in the east. (As a side note, there was a great article in their flight magazine a few months ago about the history of the airline. I think it was the magazine that was all about their 30th anniversary. If anyone knows how I can get a copy I would appreciate the info. Thanks.)

 

[lawgs]

ok....pluto.....HOW many times have you flown that you get two free flights in a year.....=))

sounds like you have done a lot of internet booking......

btw....we are on our way to baltimore sunday morning......to add to our "free" rapid rewards......and with the one in december .....we will have reached the goal.....

if only i had remembered to book our flight to california last year on the net.....we would not have "added" this lil side trip.....but oh well.....it is fun flying on SW.....sure beats going to toronto to get a good flight to florida....( we fly out of buffalo instead )

 

[Miranda]

I am a recently converted Southwest fan. We just returned yesterday via Southwest from Orlando, and I thought it was great. Admittedly we did not worry about our boarding numbers, as we were travelling with a couple with an infant, so they saved us seats during the preboarding, and we had numbers in the second boarding group, and then just did not worry about being at the front of the line for that.

But the price cannot be beat, and it is great for us because we live in seacoast NH, so we have a choice of going to Logan in Boston (nightmare) or Manchester, NH. I used to fly USAir exclusively and their flights were more expensive from MHT and there were no non-stop ones, so we made the grueling trip into Logan every time we travelled. Now even Logan has no non-stop USAir flights, but Southwest has a hub at MHT, and they fly 4 non-stop flights to MCO every day! I'll take the stress free trip into MHT for a cheap non-stop flight any day...and the seats even had enough room for my long legs! The only downside is that it is a little more inconvenient for when I go to visit my parents. They live in Punta Gorda, and I used to fly into Southwest Florida International in Fort Myers which was about 30 min away, but I'll have to go into Tampa on Southwest, which is about 90 min away.

 

[dcedwards]

Lawgs -- I'm not pluto but I can answer your question...

On SWA to get 2 free trips a year you need to book 8 flights on the internet in a 12 month period (For a roundtrip you get 4 credits if booked on the internet). But, you can also get their credit card and for every $1000 you spend you get one flight credit (16 credits total = 1 ticket). We charge everything and pay it off at the end of each month. It really adds up....If only I could get them to charge my mortgage payment...oh well.

All in all, the free trips add up pretty quick. We could never do this on a true "mileage" type of plan. There are 5 of us flying on free tickets in a week. I earned 3 of those and my son earned one (4 trips in one year). The other we got from a friend. It is a wonderful program. We love it.

 

[VickiVM]

It's way cool when your company books online and pays for it, but you get the points and vouchers!! And the vouchers are transferrable. Talk about a great loyalty program!