Tell me about Southwest

[connorlevismom]

We are considering flying Southwest to MCO in December but I know absolutely nothing about this airline.

So please tell me the good, the bad and the ugly. I want to know all about it before I buy tickets. I don't want to make a bad decison on airlines. We love Sun Country but they are not flying they days we want to go and after my 14 hour fiasco that it took to fly to MCO last week on Delta, I am not onboard with them at all.

Kristine

 

[goofy4tink]

I fly either Jetblue or SW.....from Mass to MCO...all the time.
I like SW, especially now that they have fine tuned their boarding proceedure.
You book your flight....then, you can buy, for an addtl $10 pp each way, Early Bird checkin. This allows SW to automatically check you, and anyone else who has bought EBCI, in at the 36 hr mark, before departure. If you don't do that option, then you need to be online, at the 24 hr window, to check you and your group in. This simply means that if you have a flight that departs at 2:45pm on Sat, you need to be on the computer, ready to get checked in, no later than 2:45pm Friday.
So.....what does all this mean? It means that SW boards by group...A,B and C. Within each group are smaller groupings...1-5, 6-10, 11-15, and so on..up to about 50 (for each group). Your boarding pass (from when you checked in) will have a letter group as well as a numerical group....A23, or B13..or whatever. When you get to the airport you will line up, according to your boarding pass groupings. A1-15 slots are held for business select passengers or passengers who have paid the fully refundable fares..usually pretty expensive.

Anyone with children under 4 is allowed to board inbetween the A group and the B group...but only immediate family!!

When you board, you are allowed to choose whatever seat you want, from those that are currently not taken. So, obviously, the lower a number you have, gets you a better selection of seats. A16 gets you a huge choice, while C45 is going to be pretty much take whatever is left!! Each person in your group will get a boarding number of their own...and there could possibly be a break in between the numbers, but that's not usually an issue. You can save a seat or two.

Other good stuff....SW allows 2 checked bags for each person that has purchased a seat. SW seldom makes any changes to it's flights once they are posted. Yes, they do wait longer to post fares, but once done, they are pretty set in stone.

I really like SW....I have had very few bad experiences with them. The boarding process can sound daunting but it's really easy to figure out. Sounds worse, when being described, than it really is.

 

[travelin' tigger]

First off, I just wanted to say that Diane did an excellent job of giving the basics of flying SW.

I fly SW at least 4x RT per year, maybe more. Most are from Providence to MCO, but also have flown into Tampa a few times. I love this airline because they are usually on-time or early to their destinations. Also their flight crew are good and have great personalities.

I have 2 more trips lined up with them, and hope to do many more!!!

 

[connorlevismom]

So if I have a family of 4, my DH and I and our two kids (6 and 8 months) and I pay an extra $10 per person, we will get seats next to each other? I just want to check because I will not take the chance that we will be split.

Also - it does not look like they fly non-stop from Mpls to MCO, does this ever change? I think that will be my major issue because I have a child who hates to fly so getting him on the plane once is hard enough.

Kristine

 

[goofy4tink]

So if I have a family of 4, my DH and I and our two kids (6 and 8 months) and I pay an extra $10 per person, we will get seats next to each other? I just want to check because I will not take the chance that we will be split.

Also - it does not look like they fly non-stop from Mpls to MCO, does this ever change? I think that will be my major issue because I have a child who hates to fly so getting him on the plane once is hard enough.

Kristine

In all probability? Yes, you will find seats together, but someone is going to have to sit alone...the seats are in rows of three. In any case....when SW does the EBCI, those who booked, and paid for, EBCI first will get checked in first. So basically, those who booked their August flights (with EBCI) back in Feb will get lower boarding numbers than those who booked in March. But the March people are going to get lower numbers than those who booked in April...see how it works?
With that being said....there have been instances where the EBCI has gotten the passengers a high boarding number in the A group. BUT...don't panic. Those with high B numbers have been able to find seats together. It's usually only those with mid-Cs that have a hard time finding two seats together.
You'll be fine.

As far as direct flights, you can't know for sure. I would figure that they will keep the routes they have right now...that's what you should figure on doing, rather than hoping for a direct flight.

Barb...thanks for the nice words. Nice to see I can do something right lately.

 

[ChiSoxKeith]

There's just something different about flying on Southwest. And that's not a bad thing. The flight attendants and crew are a bit more fun - it all stems from the original president's sense of humor I guess.

I have a choice of flying from O'Hare or driving down to Midway and will always pick Southwest. They're usually $100 per ticket cheaper than anything I can get out of O'Hare.

I know some people really get annoyed by not having assigned seats, but it's never bugged me and my family.

 

[madmom1030]

We only fly southwest now. The main reason is they are the only airline with nonstops out of St. Louis. The second reason is I hate to pay for check bags. It adds up to another plane ticket for us. I have never had a problem getting seats for the 4 of us together. I always check in as close to the 24 hour before as I can. We have always gotten A or the beginning of B group. One time we were split between the A and B. I got on first and sat on the aisle and then slid over when the rest of the family got there. We sit 2 and 2 with the kids on the window and my dh and I in the middle. So the people who have to have an aisle have a seat.

 

[Huff]

Also - it does not look like they fly non-stop from Mpls to MCO, does this ever change? I think that will be my major issue because I have a child who hates to fly so getting him on the plane once is hard enough. Kristine

Flight schedules change often. If there isn't a nonstop then check for 1 stop with no plane change. That allows you to stay on the plane during the stop which is usually very quick.

 

[gw_lit]

Flight schedules change often.

I would agree on this statement for most airlines... with the exception of Southwest. Southwest generally doesn't make many schedule changes at all once the schedules are released, which is why they tend to have a much shorter timeframe available to book than other airlines. (Right now you can book on Southwest only through November 5.)

 

[ccgirl]

So if I have a family of 4, my DH and I and our two kids (6 and 8 months) and I pay an extra $10 per person, we will get seats next to each other? I just want to check because I will not take the chance that we will be split.

Also - it does not look like they fly non-stop from Mpls to MCO, does this ever change? I think that will be my major issue because I have a child who hates to fly so getting him on the plane once is hard enough.

Kristine

I only fly SW. My most recent flight was 2 weeks ago. I see you have a small child (under 4). That means you will be eligible for family boarding. That is boarding between groups A and B (regardless of your boarding position) for immediate family. That being said, if you do receive an A boarding pass you want to board then, if not you can board before B. Also, you do not have to check in exactly 24 hours in advance. If you do not purchase EBCI, you cannot check in more than 24 hours in advance but you can also wait until the airport if you would like. The danger with that is that you would get a higher boarding number. We checked in 24 hours in advance 2 weeks ago and ended up getting a C boarding pass. I think that was because so many people purchased EBCI. As a matter of fact, I heard people that paid for EBCI and got "B" boarding passes. Since I had a small child; I was able to board before them even though I did not purchase the EBCI. As others have said, the rows are 3 across. On the way down, I sat with my DS2 and my DH sat with my DD7 2 rows ahead of us. On the way back, I sat with both children and my DH sat just across the aisle from us. As others stated, you can also check two bags for free per person. I know this sounds complicated but once you have done it; it makes a lot more sense. They really are a wonderful airline. Oh...if the price goes down after you book, you can get a credit for the difference and use that towards another flight within 12 months of the original booking date. If you go on their website, there is a section called Travel Tools that I find helpful. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Taja]

Overall, I love Southwest! *LOL*

Things that are different from other airlines:

When you book airfare, you are not assigned seats. You have the option to check in online 24 hours prior to your flight to obtain a boarding pass, which will assign you to Group A, B or C, which board in alphabetical order. Groups A & B are fine--you most likely will be able to sit together (seats are 3 x 3 configuration on all SWA planes); Group C can be a bit iffy, particularly on crowded flights. So check in at T-24 to get the best boarding pass(es) available for your flight--or use ECBI at $10 per person each way.

All seats are the same class--no upgrades available!

A parent with a child under age 4 may board between groups A & B. The policy is for one adult with the child, which will be enforced if there are a number of families with young children. Depending on the flight and the number of families, they may suspend special boarding for young children. I've only seen that a few times, but it's apparently more frequent in some areas than others.

Snacks. Bring your own. Short flights have a small bag of peanuts (pretzels if there is a known peanut allergy on board), and your choice of coffee, water, soft drink or juice (orange only, I believe) at no charge. There is a fee for alcoholic drinks--can't remember what it is, but it's pretty average with other airlines. Longer flights may have a snack box with highly preserved foods in them--I think I've seen summer sausage, those mini breadsticks with spreadable cheese and fruit roll-ups in the boxes.

Entertainment. None. Bring your own.

Checked bags fly free. Two per person to a maximum of 50 lbs. per bag. Check their website for dimensions. It sounds as though they may impose a fee on a second bag a some point in the future, but nothing has been announced as of this time.

Flight crews. Many of them have a great sense of humour--really depends on the situation. Even on a rough flight, I've never seen them less than courteous!

 

[travelin' tigger]

Flight schedules change often.

As a pp said, SW rarely, if ever, changes their schedule once it's released. That's why they only release their schedules 6 months in advance. Another reason I love SW. Flew Delta 2 years ago and had my flight times changed 2x!!! Never again!!!

 

[princessmorgan]

I used to be a Southwest fan, but I've found their customer service to be lacking the last couple of trips I've taken. Honestly though, I've found that to be the case with most airlines. I would say the good for me is being able to check 2 bags for free. The boarding process is kind of annoying. It's just a little stressful worrying about that number you'll be assigned unless you want to pay for EBC which kind of negates the free baggage.

They were unable to resolve a credit issue I had in a timely manner, which was their fault, and then I had to pay a much higher fare. It was my fault for waiting and not just purchasing, but I had this credit that was about to expire. The thing that irked me was that they knew it was their fault, admitted it, and still couldn't do anything for me quickly.

We went to Disney last month and the plane was really dirty and old. Something that really surprised me. We found all kinds of trash on our seat and on the floor when we boarded. Also we gate checked our double stroller and when we picked it up when the flight was over, they handed us thefront wheel with the stroller They broke the entire wheel off with no apology or anything. And they broke off a foot of our checked luggage. So any savings from flying them went down the tube since we had to purchase a new stroller and rent one from Disney. Now this kind of stuff can happen on any airline. I'm just saying Southwest is not immune. In the past I thought they were.

 

[SaraJayne]

I flew SW for the first time last week from MKE to MCO. I was a bit apprehensive about the boarding procedure, but once you get there, it's pretty self-explanatory and it goes very smoothly.

I paid for EBCI and got A-17 on the way to Disney and A-16 on my flight home, so I was pretty happy about that.

For snacks, we got a bag of peanuts and also a 100 calorie bag of something similar to Cheez its...along with our choice of juice, soda and water. Alcohol could be purchased by credit card only.

The flight crew was courteous and very fun ~ it was a very enjoyable flight for me, as someone who doesn't really enjoy flying.

 

[zamboniman333]

We are considering flying Southwest to MCO in December but I know absolutely nothing about this airline.

So please tell me the good, the bad and the ugly. I want to know all about it before I buy tickets. I don't want to make a bad decison on airlines. We love Sun Country but they are not flying they days we want to go and after my 14 hour fiasco that it took to fly to MCO last week on Delta, I am not onboard with them at all.

Kristine

We are with you thinking about flying southwest for our trip. Looks like we are going a week before you also flying out of MSP (assuming you are?) Sounds like they will release flights for our dates on 06/15/2010. Best of luck. . We are hoping to find a good deal!

 

[*Seanaci*]

LOVE SW.

I think the best part is not having to pay for checked luggage. Means more souvie money for Disney. lol

Also, the 24 hour check in is really easy. Last year when we flew SW to California, we got A boarding group both ways...and I think I checked in at around the 20 hour mark.

 

[zamboniman333]

Do you think when SW releases the Dec flights it will cause all other airlines to lower their prices? if only for a day or 2? Also anyone knwo why SW waits so long to release their flights? Just wondering no big deal.