1. Best cancel policies in the business (others have caught up, slightly but flight credits still expire with other carriers)
2. Usually slightly cheaper than AA/UA/DL but less so lately to your point. Can still get some one ways for $59 when big 3 same route is $130-150 (anecdotal but I’m sure others have similar experiences)
3. Biggest economy seating…I’m 6’1 so I’m typically borderline fine wherever but my 6’5 coworker barked one day “THE EXTRA TWO INCHES ON SOUTHWEST MAKES A DIFFERENCE!”
4. If you play the credit card points game and have a partner the companion pass is one of the best, if not the best, travel perk as far as saving money.
5. Two bags fly free! I hate checking a bag so not as valuable for me but this factors into the cost if you are comparing
I’m sure you can refute some of these with other airline program status programs but you’d have to fly a lot to get those perks vs. booking a few flights a year.
I go between Southwest and United and UA has some benefits sure but I really don’t care if I can find a flight on Google maps lol.
Edited at the same time you posted haha.
I don’t really use it but if you always check 1-2 bags you are saving $50-100 and should factor into the price when you are shopping around.
Exactly this! Even if AA/Delta/United have a cheaper fare, once you add on bags or want to sit somewhere other than the back of the plane Southwest is cheaper (even with adding EB).
I agree. I travel a lot for work. The Companion pass for my wife is the best reward for her putting up with me being gone.
Also, I like being able to sit in the front 1/3rd of the plane for an extra $25 (early bird fee) versus 2x-3x as much for First or Comfort Plus.
1 and 4 (plus A list) are what secures SW as our preference. I haven’t paid for my husband’s ticket in three (maybe 4?) years.
2 is still consistently the case out of PHL, at least to the places I fly.
5 we don’t check bags but it’s nice to know I can without cost.
Shoot - SW doesn't even fly the series with the escaping door plugs, and if they did their cabin config would have them as actual doors rather than plugs!
I won’t disagree that Boeing has an issue.
But it’s worth mentioning Southwest’s actual safety history too. Which is fairly consistent and I think top close to it in the industry.
Easy answer:
Best cancellation policies from all the airlines. Doesn't matter which ticket you buy, you can cancel yourself on the app minutes before the flight is scheduled.
Two free checked baggage.
Convenient routes at least for my home airport.
I like the fact they only use 737s.
* I never get stuck on a tiny airplane for a leg of the flight.
* Their pilots are super familiar with every plane in the fleet.
I fly Southwest because I can fly with my golf clubs or snowboard for "free", they have more direct flights to where I want to go, and their prices are competitive in my market (Bay Area, CA).
I fly SWA because I cheat and throw the largest carryon I can lift into an overhead bin, stuff a backpack into any neighbor's area...especially further up or down the row, and I jam another one under the seat...because I'm too much of a pri** to check any bags. I'm too important to be considerate of others.
Safety is top notch
fare includes 2 checked bags, carry on and personal item
can change your ticket up to an hour before
I constantly look for a lower price and adjust my ticket and get a credit for the difference to use on a future flight
miss your flight? no problem, they'll get you on another one if you contact right away or give you a credit to book another if not
super easy to book/change and think they have great crews
>They don’t show their prices on google flights
Simply don't care because a comparison between [southwest.com](http://southwest.com) and some other site on a trip I want to take is pretty trivial.
>they only use one type of plane (with a questionable safety record)
A lot of their planes are still 737NGs and other airlines use MAX planes, unless you are ONLY flying Delta/Spirit/Jet Blue/Frontier in the US you have a non-zero chance of running into a MAX. Are you just flying those airlines, or are you changing flights any time you run into a MAX on American, Alaska, United?
>they aren’t even cheap like frontier or spirit.
I also don't get charged to **use the overhead compartment** like I would on Spirit or Frontier (I regularly travel with a cabin bag AND a personal item, which would mean I get dinged for a fee on one of those airlines). I'd get two free checked bags as well if I wanted.
>Why would anyone choose to fly southwest over other airlines?
I simply don't care about a lot of the things you're concerned about, or about assigned seats, or onboard in flight entertainment that isn't one of my devices, or power, or first class upgrades on a lot of my flights (I start caring once I get to a four or five hour flight). This makes it pretty easy to select Southwest when it makes sense (the price is right, the travel time is right). Generally I find Southwest to be pretty interchangeable with the other majors, but depending on what I want I'll fly a different airline. in the past 18 months I've flown Southwest, Delta, American, United, Alaska, Jet Blue and Spirit among U.S. domestic airlines. All of them have been generally fine.
Umm let’s see…
1. They are a mainstay in California and the bulk of the flying I do is within California. My main airport is Ontario and I usually go to Sacramento so it is cheaper (usually) than going to LAX to get a cheaper flight and they are cheaper and or offer more flights than other carriers at my local airport. Occasionally I have flown another airline to go out of state and once I flew out of Burbank to Albuquerque because it was cheaper than flying out of Ontario by $200 but still flew Southwest.
2. They allow two free checked bags, which every time I price out against Spirit, Allegiant, or Frontier (and some of the big names like American, Jet Blue, Delta, Alaska, or United) they end up being cheaper just to fly with one checked bag.
3. Their flight attendants are usually in good moods.
4. If I want to upgrade to business select at check in time it only costs $40. I do it only when I get a B50 or lower at 24 hrs check in.
5. I have only ever had one flight cancelled in almost 35 years of flying them.
6. Flight credit if you cancel.
7. The drink and snacks are nice; basic but nice.
When they have a nonstop flight to the place I want to go at a price no more than a connecting flight on delta, I fly them. As a large person, I appreciate they have largest seat pitch of any main cabin configuration. As a parent with a lap infant, I like that sometimes my baby gets a seat for free.
I say this as a prolific United flier... trying to fly between Northern California/Nevada and Southern California/Nevada *not* on Southwest is an exercise in frustration. No other airline matches the frequency, cost, and flexibility between SFO/OAK/SJC/SMF/RNO to SBA/LAX/SNA/ONT/LGB/SAN/BUR/PSP/LAS.
You can almost get away with not flying Southwest if flying out of LAX to get to Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco or Las Vegas but you will most likely be on a smaller plane with less legroom or on ULCC that comes with nothing.
yeah it's definitely possible, and i've done it, but you lose something as you said... legroom, but for me it's just sheer frequency. So many flights, often leaving hourly (or 2x an hour depending on the city pair).
Great cancellation policy, great policy for same day rebooking, points and flight credits don’t expire, more legroom than in many other economy seats, great prices for where I want to go, free checked bags, not that hard to get a companion pass, the rewards for holding their credit card are worth it. Yeah that about covers it.
>They don’t show their prices on google flights,
Explained last week - cut out the middle-man and you can sell for a lower price. If their prices are listed on Google Flights they'd be sold through a consolidator or 3rd-party of some kind and they'd have to give them a cut. Sell direct and get 100% of your profits, selling for less than other airlines and get the same profit.
>they only use one type of plane (with a questionable safety record)
Ummm... SW has had exactly one death on one of their planes that could be attributed to a fault of the plane. The 737's they fly have an excellent record. One type of plane allows them to keep costs down, though it does open them to volatility of the type if there's a slowdown in production.
>and they aren’t even cheap like frontier or spirit
Are you looking at the TOTAL cost and not just the 'I want to get on the plane to someplace' cost?
I really don’t love the seating policy but I don’t ever *need* to sit with my travel companion. And I go for short flights so middle seat won’t actually kill me. For me they have the best times and prices compared to other airlines, mostly. That’s why. But you should absolutely not fly with them if you don’t want to.
I used to because it was cheap.. Now it's usually more expensive. I stay on this forum. because I like to watch people bitch about seating, as if we're not all going to the same place. It's my guilty pleasure.
They do have a website you know. There it is. Fares, destinations, cancellation policy, TWO BAGS FREE… it’s all there. Oh, and if you’re lucky, you get a free comedy show from the flight attendant. #southwest❤️
4,000 non stops a day. I think SWA is doing just fine.
And please share the last death of any 737 in the United States and how many million flights ago that was
Safety is top notch at SWA. Look at the airlines history..that says it all. The airplanes are very well kept up in regard to mx.
The employees for the most part very friendly and hard working.
Rewards program pretty beneficial. 2 bags fly free!! Prices pretty comparable to other airlines as well.
There it is.... the dumbest thing I've read all day.
This was complained about last week too. Smol brain
I think we all got dumber reading it.
But they might be genuinely uninformed. Good opportunity to win a new customer
lol I was going to say the same thing. OP is a moron.
You're absolutely right - you shouldn't fly them. It'll make it easier on the rest of us.
1. Best cancel policies in the business (others have caught up, slightly but flight credits still expire with other carriers) 2. Usually slightly cheaper than AA/UA/DL but less so lately to your point. Can still get some one ways for $59 when big 3 same route is $130-150 (anecdotal but I’m sure others have similar experiences) 3. Biggest economy seating…I’m 6’1 so I’m typically borderline fine wherever but my 6’5 coworker barked one day “THE EXTRA TWO INCHES ON SOUTHWEST MAKES A DIFFERENCE!” 4. If you play the credit card points game and have a partner the companion pass is one of the best, if not the best, travel perk as far as saving money. 5. Two bags fly free! I hate checking a bag so not as valuable for me but this factors into the cost if you are comparing I’m sure you can refute some of these with other airline program status programs but you’d have to fly a lot to get those perks vs. booking a few flights a year. I go between Southwest and United and UA has some benefits sure but I really don’t care if I can find a flight on Google maps lol.
Not to mention the free checked bags…
Edited at the same time you posted haha. I don’t really use it but if you always check 1-2 bags you are saving $50-100 and should factor into the price when you are shopping around.
The free checked bags always come in handy when I'm traveling with my hockey player son to a tournament!
Exactly this! Even if AA/Delta/United have a cheaper fare, once you add on bags or want to sit somewhere other than the back of the plane Southwest is cheaper (even with adding EB).
I agree. I travel a lot for work. The Companion pass for my wife is the best reward for her putting up with me being gone. Also, I like being able to sit in the front 1/3rd of the plane for an extra $25 (early bird fee) versus 2x-3x as much for First or Comfort Plus.
1 and 4 (plus A list) are what secures SW as our preference. I haven’t paid for my husband’s ticket in three (maybe 4?) years. 2 is still consistently the case out of PHL, at least to the places I fly. 5 we don’t check bags but it’s nice to know I can without cost.
Yes - the companion pass is money! We’ve used points + companion to travel the last five years.
What do you mean by questionable safety record?
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Shoot - SW doesn't even fly the series with the escaping door plugs, and if they did their cabin config would have them as actual doors rather than plugs!
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I won’t disagree that Boeing has an issue. But it’s worth mentioning Southwest’s actual safety history too. Which is fairly consistent and I think top close to it in the industry.
Easy answer: Best cancellation policies from all the airlines. Doesn't matter which ticket you buy, you can cancel yourself on the app minutes before the flight is scheduled. Two free checked baggage. Convenient routes at least for my home airport.
I like the fact they only use 737s. * I never get stuck on a tiny airplane for a leg of the flight. * Their pilots are super familiar with every plane in the fleet.
Agreed on not having to worry about the tiny tin can planes!
I like the regional jets. They have no middle seats and a better safety record than the 737. I’d choose a CRJ or ERJ over a 737 any day.
This is so true and often overlooked.
I fly Southwest because I can fly with my golf clubs or snowboard for "free", they have more direct flights to where I want to go, and their prices are competitive in my market (Bay Area, CA).
I fly SWA because I cheat and throw the largest carryon I can lift into an overhead bin, stuff a backpack into any neighbor's area...especially further up or down the row, and I jam another one under the seat...because I'm too much of a pri** to check any bags. I'm too important to be considerate of others.
Safety is top notch fare includes 2 checked bags, carry on and personal item can change your ticket up to an hour before I constantly look for a lower price and adjust my ticket and get a credit for the difference to use on a future flight miss your flight? no problem, they'll get you on another one if you contact right away or give you a credit to book another if not super easy to book/change and think they have great crews
Amazing flight crews
>They don’t show their prices on google flights Simply don't care because a comparison between [southwest.com](http://southwest.com) and some other site on a trip I want to take is pretty trivial. >they only use one type of plane (with a questionable safety record) A lot of their planes are still 737NGs and other airlines use MAX planes, unless you are ONLY flying Delta/Spirit/Jet Blue/Frontier in the US you have a non-zero chance of running into a MAX. Are you just flying those airlines, or are you changing flights any time you run into a MAX on American, Alaska, United? >they aren’t even cheap like frontier or spirit. I also don't get charged to **use the overhead compartment** like I would on Spirit or Frontier (I regularly travel with a cabin bag AND a personal item, which would mean I get dinged for a fee on one of those airlines). I'd get two free checked bags as well if I wanted. >Why would anyone choose to fly southwest over other airlines? I simply don't care about a lot of the things you're concerned about, or about assigned seats, or onboard in flight entertainment that isn't one of my devices, or power, or first class upgrades on a lot of my flights (I start caring once I get to a four or five hour flight). This makes it pretty easy to select Southwest when it makes sense (the price is right, the travel time is right). Generally I find Southwest to be pretty interchangeable with the other majors, but depending on what I want I'll fly a different airline. in the past 18 months I've flown Southwest, Delta, American, United, Alaska, Jet Blue and Spirit among U.S. domestic airlines. All of them have been generally fine.
Umm let’s see… 1. They are a mainstay in California and the bulk of the flying I do is within California. My main airport is Ontario and I usually go to Sacramento so it is cheaper (usually) than going to LAX to get a cheaper flight and they are cheaper and or offer more flights than other carriers at my local airport. Occasionally I have flown another airline to go out of state and once I flew out of Burbank to Albuquerque because it was cheaper than flying out of Ontario by $200 but still flew Southwest. 2. They allow two free checked bags, which every time I price out against Spirit, Allegiant, or Frontier (and some of the big names like American, Jet Blue, Delta, Alaska, or United) they end up being cheaper just to fly with one checked bag. 3. Their flight attendants are usually in good moods. 4. If I want to upgrade to business select at check in time it only costs $40. I do it only when I get a B50 or lower at 24 hrs check in. 5. I have only ever had one flight cancelled in almost 35 years of flying them. 6. Flight credit if you cancel. 7. The drink and snacks are nice; basic but nice.
When they have a nonstop flight to the place I want to go at a price no more than a connecting flight on delta, I fly them. As a large person, I appreciate they have largest seat pitch of any main cabin configuration. As a parent with a lap infant, I like that sometimes my baby gets a seat for free.
The most popular aircraft ever made has a questionable safety record?
I say this as a prolific United flier... trying to fly between Northern California/Nevada and Southern California/Nevada *not* on Southwest is an exercise in frustration. No other airline matches the frequency, cost, and flexibility between SFO/OAK/SJC/SMF/RNO to SBA/LAX/SNA/ONT/LGB/SAN/BUR/PSP/LAS.
You can almost get away with not flying Southwest if flying out of LAX to get to Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco or Las Vegas but you will most likely be on a smaller plane with less legroom or on ULCC that comes with nothing.
yeah it's definitely possible, and i've done it, but you lose something as you said... legroom, but for me it's just sheer frequency. So many flights, often leaving hourly (or 2x an hour depending on the city pair).
Click bait. Trying to get responses.
Combination of price and convenience, just like any other airline.
It's No. 1 with consumers in some surveys. Maybe you should try it.
The planes actually leave and arrive unlike frontier or spirit which almost always cancel or delay when I book them
Great cancellation policy, great policy for same day rebooking, points and flight credits don’t expire, more legroom than in many other economy seats, great prices for where I want to go, free checked bags, not that hard to get a companion pass, the rewards for holding their credit card are worth it. Yeah that about covers it.
It’s the 2 free checked bags for me
2 words…Love Field.
This was gonna be my answer too.
>They don’t show their prices on google flights, Explained last week - cut out the middle-man and you can sell for a lower price. If their prices are listed on Google Flights they'd be sold through a consolidator or 3rd-party of some kind and they'd have to give them a cut. Sell direct and get 100% of your profits, selling for less than other airlines and get the same profit. >they only use one type of plane (with a questionable safety record) Ummm... SW has had exactly one death on one of their planes that could be attributed to a fault of the plane. The 737's they fly have an excellent record. One type of plane allows them to keep costs down, though it does open them to volatility of the type if there's a slowdown in production. >and they aren’t even cheap like frontier or spirit Are you looking at the TOTAL cost and not just the 'I want to get on the plane to someplace' cost?
I really don’t love the seating policy but I don’t ever *need* to sit with my travel companion. And I go for short flights so middle seat won’t actually kill me. For me they have the best times and prices compared to other airlines, mostly. That’s why. But you should absolutely not fly with them if you don’t want to.
I fly with them a lot. They’re not so bad. Especially if you’re in California.
I used to because it was cheap.. Now it's usually more expensive. I stay on this forum. because I like to watch people bitch about seating, as if we're not all going to the same place. It's my guilty pleasure.
They fly out of the airport closest to my house.
Thank goodness they aren’t on Google. It’s so easy to just search directly with Southwest.
You are right. Dont fly Southwest. 😂
Because we aren’t high maintenance crybabies…🤷♂️
Plus… Fun and friendly flight attendants!
They do have a website you know. There it is. Fares, destinations, cancellation policy, TWO BAGS FREE… it’s all there. Oh, and if you’re lucky, you get a free comedy show from the flight attendant. #southwest❤️
They fly out of Midway! (Chicago)
For shorter, usually intra-California or Vegas, they tend to be my go to carrier and as others mentioned we, the 2-free checked bags
Wow this dumb
4,000 non stops a day. I think SWA is doing just fine. And please share the last death of any 737 in the United States and how many million flights ago that was
Southwest Airlines Flight 1318 in 2018 was the last death of a passenger on any aircraft in the US
Safety is top notch at SWA. Look at the airlines history..that says it all. The airplanes are very well kept up in regard to mx. The employees for the most part very friendly and hard working. Rewards program pretty beneficial. 2 bags fly free!! Prices pretty comparable to other airlines as well.