SW is new to my airport.

[luvdisney00]

SW is a new option for me. I know a lot of people love this airline. I went to check it out this morning because my usual airlines seem to have very little available on my dates. We always fly midweek and I had to book starting on Monday. Anyway they do not have August flights available yet. So is this the norm? What so I need to know about them? Are there hidden fees? Conditions? TIA!

 

[maxiesmom]

Southwest releases their schedule in chunks. So it will be a little while before August opens up.

What do you need to know? Let's see---Southwest doesn't charge any change fee if you need to switch your flight. You only have to pay the difference in the cost of the ticket. Do you know about Early Bird Check In? For an extra $12.50 a person they will check you in 36 hours prior to your flight instead of the normal 24 hours ahead of time. That will put you in a boarding position ahead of all of those who didn't pay the extra fee, and give you a better shot at getting a seat location you like, and of getting seats all together if you are traveling with your family. You are aware Southwest doesn't do seat assignments, right?

 

[Disneylover99]

I believe SW flights for August open up Feb. 18.

 

[tiggergal15]

Southwest gives you 2 free checked bags per person! I love that perk...of course regular size and weight apply..so check their site. There is no assigned seating..but I've never had an issue with that. Their low fare calendar on the site will give you all there current options and current booking dates.

 

[dancemonkey]

At all cost we try to fly southwest exclusively! Great customer service, two bags checked, and they have great deals at times.

 

[jkelly86]

If the price of your flight decreases after booking, you can re-book at the lower cost and receive your points back or a monetary credit to be used within a year of booking.
Also, we have had really great experiences with SW customer service and they rarely change flight times, etc. Once they changed my flight to arrive less than 30 minutes late, and they called me. An actual human being called me! Delta canceled a flight on me once, without so much as an e-mail. I (luckily) noticed that my flight was no longer listed when I was tracking the fares. Anyways, we are big fans of SWA. Get yourself a Southwest Visa and start accumulating extra points.

 

[AngiTN]

Another SW fan here. It's all we fly
Love everything about them, from their customer service when you call them to the flight attendants.
They always seem to have fun doing their jobs
On one of our flights last year we had a comedian doing the flight announcements
It was great.
I love not having to limit what I pack
Don't mind picking my seat when boarding at all
So far we have been able to sit together but if we couldn't we would all survive
I also love that most all their flights, at least out of Atlanta, are on time

 

[luvdisney00]

Thank you all for the info. It's exactly what I needed to know. I will watch for my dates to be released and see if I can book something reasonable.

 

[PatMcDuck]

The flexibility is awesome, to switch flight times or dates without a fee. Getting the credits if fares decrease, easily, online. 2 free bags. Usually the best fares.

If you decide you like SW, you might consider getting the SW CC. Make sure you find a 50,000 free point offer. Me and my husband each got a card, so we got 100,000 points to play with. (there are rules to qualifying, you may need to spend a certain amount within 3 months or something).

Enjoy Southwest, it is our favorite airline overall. (I also like Jet Blue and Virgin America, but SW wins most often for the reasons listed above).