Get TWO MONTHS FREE with Skillshare by clicking this link: skl.sh/winginit Join in the fun with me elsewhere online! Follow me on Twitter: @paul_winginit Follow me on Instagram: paul_winginit My website: www.winginit.me
You missed one other benefit of flying Southwest Airlines. There is NO charge for changing your flights once booked. For example, I can book a flight six months out today. Should their be a fare sale in two months, I can cancel the first booking and rebook without charge. If I get sick and cannot travel, I can cancel the flight up to about 20 minutes before the flight and can use the flight credit for up to a year from the date of original booking. This gives me a lot of flexibility when booking trips far in advance.
jlawrence01 yep, you wouldn’t even have to cancel your reservation to get a lower price, just press a button! The free cancellation and changing is great but it’s too bad that they give you a credit and you have to use that credit within 12 months which sucks for people who don’t travel often but it’s still a huge benefit to be able to cancel up to 10 minutes beforehand!
There is no change fee, BUT, 1) you pay any difference in fares, and 2) you don't get any refund. You get a credit for a future flights (usable only by you,) that I think, is good for only one year. I have actually forgotten about more than one credit, and lost them (or cannot find them...) or simply didn't have any reason to travel SWA in that time... It's better than most airlines, but not terrific.
Yeah I forgot about that. I used it the first time I used them to fly. I didn’t want to take off in a storm and they rebooked me on the later flight for free because there was a weather delay. ☺️
But at the same time you have to pay the fare difference even for a same day change which most of the time is way more than a same day change fee on a legacy carrier
Southwest have been profitable almost every year of their existence and give you 2 checked bags. They must be one of the most successful business ventures of all time. A lesson for all in how to do it right.
I agree for the most part but I think the key is they are a lesson on how to do THEIR thing right. I love SW don't get me wrong, so much so that Herb's death hit hard, but their model would be a difficult lesson for other airlines to match.
There is no change fee, BUT, 1) you pay any difference in fares, and 2) you don't get any refund. You get a credit for future flights, that, I think, is good for only one year. I have actually forgotten about more than one credit, and lost them (or cannot find them...) It's better than most airlines, but not terrific.
I love southwest! I live in on the big island of Hawaii and southwest has completely changed the inter island market for flying I remember when hawaiian airlines was charging over 300$ to fly 30 min to Honolulu I use to never go to Honolulu because of that. Southwest came here with tickets starting at 29$ each way!!! It’s been a HUGE game changer and I’ve gone to Honolulu more in this year then the past 10 years because of southwest. I couldn’t thank Southwest more for destroying the monopoly of hawaiian airlines that kept our islands disconnected. Thank you southwest!!! ALOHA!
I'm a Southwest loyalist....I don't fly much but I've never had a bad experience on Southwest. A few delays can't be avoided, but whenever something comes up communication has always been good. Biggest thing that I appreciate is that they don't nickel-and-dime for all of the extras. Even if the ticket is a bit more expensive, you're still getting more for it. Did you happen to notice the free inflight music as well?
You got to LGA in the nick of time with the renovations. LGA Terminal B was probably one of the worst airports in the entire world beforehand. Also, with the wifi, it's $8 for the entire day if you have connecting flights! Not just on one flight. Southwest continues to be the best.
@@jree78 it is truly great. I in fact only live a 15 minute from LGA but I preferred to go to JFK because of the nicer terminals and features that LGA just lacked.
I love SWA. The flight attendants can be quite amusing sometimes and they are always super friendly. I can't wait to fly to Hawaii with them, although this will be a super long flight on a 737.
Southwest is my absolute favorite airline that I've ever flown, the service, snacks, great wifi and seating make it an almost unbeatable low cost carrier.
Love southwest! As a college student who has to fly home, it's great to have flexibility in when I fly home and 2 free checked bags is great when I fly home for the summer with 90% of my belongings. The flight attendants are consistently the nicest of all the other airlines I've flown! Great video :)
Budget airlines in Europe are much cheaper than Southwest. Southwest is beaten by the US3 legacy carriers in price from time to time and is obliterated by ULCCs like NK and F9
Calling Southwest a low cost airline is a bit of a stretch. Their fares are often as expensive as legacy carriers. You would never find a fare as low as €10 pounds like on Ryanair on SW. So while they might be better and more services are complimentary their business model can no longer be equated to European LCC. I'd rather pay 10 quid for a fare like they do in Europe and choose my optional add ons. Cheap fares are a thing of the past in the U.S.
Southwest is one of the most expensive carriers in the USA, so I wouldn’t compare them to European budget airlines. But for the money you get a good flight with 2 checked bags, fantastic customer service, and great onboard service so people pay the premium to not have a bad flight.
Southwest has always been great for me. I have usually gotten a bit of a laugh out of the flight attendant's preflight spiel. They seem to enjoy working for the company.
Southwest is a well-run company, but I don't consider it to be a low fare airline. I routinely find lower fares on American, Delta, and United when I'm traveling.
Yes you can but then you ad the fee's the other airlines charge and lots of times Southwest is same price or lower again. not just the bag fee's but like economy plus and picking what seat you want.
I love SW. I prefer open seating personally. Faster boarding time, and you can get the best seat in the plane without paying extra. Free 2 checked bags and free overhead compartment space is also a big plus. AND free cancellation and change flight up till I think mins before your flight departs. With low prices, easy to use frequent flyer program, nice staff, what is there to hate?
Southwest is pretty decent as airlines go, just I don't like the open seating - gotten stuck with the dreaded middle seat more than once; even when checking in exactly 24 hours before the departure time...
I mainly fly southwest mostly because my father flies with em for buisness trips so he gets points. SWA is one ofmy favorite airlines, I just wonder if they'll get IFEs for the Hawaii flights
@@michaelsharp3615 I think they used to codeshare years ago. Would be interested to know what the differences are between Southwest's offerings and WestJet's.
Almost all the time mainline is cheaper than SWA for me. I don’t need any checked bags, I always have a carry on sized bag. I just don’t like southwest, they shouldn’t be considered budget and shouldn’t charge what they do.
Southwest is a really nice carrier overall. I don't think that anything is super special about them except for their service, every southwest flight that I have been on has a fabulous crew. But a note on the food for shorter 2-1 hour flights they usually serve pretzels and drinks. Not any of the special crackers and stuff.
Southwest is my favorite airline to travel. I’m glad you had the time to review it!!! I’m actually flying on a Southwest Airlines flight tomorrow night from Salt Lake City, Utah to Phoenix, Arizona
I call Southwest flights the “cattle car”. Jostling and fighting for a seat when you’re in the last few boarding groups is a sport! Bring a cattle prod! Denver is always a bumpy, turbulent approach and landing. Love SWA prices, though
Southwest is more expensive out of most airports, I don't know what people are smoking when they call it low-cost. You do get 2 checked bags though which is like a $40 fee on legacy airlines, and families with toddlers get priority seating which is why families love Southwest.
Because RDU is a hub for AA they price cut SWA on the limited routes that they have out of RDU to keep the market share, and in turn make up for the operating costs on the shared routes as southwest that they are taking a loss in on other routes.
Keep up the great reporting, I enjoy it very much. I am myself a frequent flyer with Southwest and I have to correct you on one minor thing. People with disabilities go first, then the A group, then families with toddlers and military in uniform, then the B and C group in that order. Also you can pay extra to be placed in the A group. Thanks again.
I love flying Southwest. I do not like the boarding process though. I would rather just pick my seat. It gives me anxiety to board like that, and now with the corona virus even more so. So if they dropped that, which they should of anyhow, it would be my number one airline. I dont think it saves much time, just board back to front. Depart front to back. It seems like a really simple idea and it is. SO why not try that SOUTHWEST?
I recently booked a round trip from LaGuardia airport to Houston (Hobby) for $188 dollars with the free drinks and 2 checked bags. It’s my first time flying with them and this video really helped me out with what to expect 👍
I love how they have open seating! Yesterday I flew from IND-DEN and when I got on the plane I wanted to sit behind the wing. When I got to my first seat there were fingerprints all over the window and then decided to move two rows behind. If I were on United or Frontier I wouldn't be able to do that.
Glad you enjoyed the famous Southwest hospitality! 10 year veteran of Southwest Airlines, Worked both as an Operations Agent and now Ramp Agent for SWA at Chicago-Midway, San Diego, Los Angeles (LAX) and now currently at Hollywood-Burbank Airport. Great review yet and safe travels!
Just check in 24 hours before departing. It's not that hard to get B1-30, sometimes even A30-60. I guess it depends on where you are though. You get the chance of getting emergency exit rows, or front rows without paying extra.
Essex Flyer I agree with you. The whole open seating concept is very stressful for me. I want to know where I’m sitting before I ever set foot on the aircraft. Gives me much more peace of mind.
FINALLY. I hate the cattle car boarding, too. My flight to Dallas with them was dirty air much of the way, similar to Paul’s flight in the video. Are their pilots instructed not to request a different flying altitude to try and remedy the situation? My nerves were half wrecked by the time we landed. I literally changed my tix on the homeward leg. They were nice about that, so one positive moment. Other plusses: plane was clean, staff was very pleasant. Side note: when I took that trip to a trade show back in early March 2019, others at the same show flew in on SWA “Max 8’s” and did just fine, but I bet SWA is beyond pissed at Boeing.
More often than not, Southwest is the go-to budget airline and folks pretty much enjoy the experience. It's all about get me there at the cheapest price without any drama. As for the inflight magazine, Fredericksburg, Texas is pretty much in my own backyard. Great place to visit.
I'm based in Austin (a Southwest focus city) and used to live in Denver (a bigger Southwest focus city...aka sort of a hub), so I use them plenty. They work well for how I use 'em, though unless you fly them a ton elite status means much less there than on other airlines (fine by me as I don't have much airline loyalty). Also, shout out to Fredericksburg, TX! I used to live there, and my parents still do.
The Bartleys they also have some of the best special liveries like Lone Star One and New Mexico One (just to name a few, but there are lots more special liveries)
they are renovating laguardia should be finished in 2023 i think or 2026 do u know qfs aviation he flies out of there a lot and hope its not third world country in 5 to 10 years from now
Southwest is my go to carrier for business trips and family vacations. Great loyalty program too with the rapid rewards. Family and I are going on vacation in Aug and only had to pay taxes and fees but well worth it. The open seating is not so bad to be honest can be a pain if you are in the C boarding group which is why I always do the early bird check in allows me to get on and get a good seat especially when you got kids.
Free seating is not a great idea. We pay money for a seat and it is only fair for us to know in advance which seat we will be allocated. A flight of 4 hours without the convenience of food is not a great idea. The airline can charge the customers, but denying them food and only providing snacks is not a great solution.
Well in that case you should NOT fly Southwest. No food on Southwest flights seems to work for them. As mentioned in the video, all you have to do is buy food BEFORE you get on the airplane, many people do and it is not that hard to do. There are many places at the airport to buy food. Southwest is not denying you food. They are simply not charging you for it. If food on a flight is THAT important, fly with an airline that feeds you on a flight. With SW you are buying a seat and that is what you will get, a seat. It may not be the one you wanted but you will have a seat on the airplane. If you want an assigned seat, there are plenty of airlines who will do that for you.
As a flight attendant (with another carrier) their boarding process could give me hives. Families split up, having to end up checking carry bags, everyone heading to the back sure that the be lucky enough to get an aisle or window seat. No thanks! The free snacks are 'fun sized' and certainly not generous, nor is a couple ounces of soda. I'd be happy to pay for more options. Mind you, those are small complaints as, even on standby, I almost always get a seat...and it's most often a middle seat forward of row five. Wonderful! The service is almost always pleasant, but I'm a flight attendant, and I bring the crew goodies which always helps.
One thing to note - when you talk about 'low fare airlines' and compare Southwest to Ryanair, etc in Europe, the fares they charge are significantly different. Southwest fares are more in line with United, American, and Delta than they are with the ultra-cheap airlines in Europe. Granted, they don't charge for bags and have free ticket changes, they don't sell $15 tickets like you can find in Europe.
but Euro Budget Airlines dont give you much at all....i mean you can get more amenities on a school bus than a low cost euro airline. Sure their prices are cheap as shit, but you basically get a 5 gallon bucket for a seat and no food or drinks or wifi....that all costs extra
I flew Southwest from Houston to Dallas on their first day of operation (I believe it was 1971). It was a great experience then and has been the same every time. I've flown Southwest on about 90 round trips.
I still fly Southwest almost exclusively in the US even though they aren't necessarily always the cheapest anymore. I think you nailed it when you said it's a simple customer proposition, delivered very well. Their system works, the staff are always friendly, & free checked bags are nice, though personally I rarely check luggage.. If you fly reasonably frequently, their rewards program is also pretty good. It usually only takes me a year or two to get enough points for a free flight. I also fly with my dog fairly frequently and their pet policy is really straightforward . Basically, if you're not an A-list frequent flyer, always just pay the extra $12.50 or whatever it is now for priority boarding - that way you'll never get stuck in a middle seat.
I like the sound of Southwest Airlines they sound better than European low cost however it would be nice if their was an option to additionally pay for seats! BTW great video as always!
There’s a reason Southwest Airlines is routinely declared to be one of the best airlines in America. Living down in Southern California they are ubiquitous and make it amazingly easy to go just about any place nonstop. The fact that you get two free checked bags is a godsend given the price point.
I've flown Southwest several times out of Charleston SC and I think they're the best airline in the USA, low-cost or otherwise. The fare structure is simple, you get more value for your money, the flights are reliable and usually on time, the aircraft are clean and well-maintained and the customer service is the best of any U.S. airline. The only negative is that they're not the best airline if you have to take a connecting flight as they don't use the traditional hub and spoke system, so often times layovers are long and schedules are inconvenient. But for nonstops they're great. Did you try the Rocky Mountain oysters at the Denver airport? There's a restaurant that serves them.
I love everything about Southwest except for the no assigned seating thing. If southwest allowed me to book an assigned seat in advance like other airlines I would fly them much more frequently. Not having an assigned seat stresses me out a bit.
I flew into and out of LGA on last weekend. I was in terminal C and it was nice, but one complaint was that we had to wait a long time for the terminal buses.
Southwest Airlines. No IFE, no chargers, no food even to purchase... And yet despite that I love them. I can rely on them to get the job done more than any other carrier.
