Has Southwest Airlines lost the plot?

[TheVTCGuy]

As long as we are dumping on SouthWest, you have to hear my Southwest WTF experience.
Granted this was a long time ago, could be as much as ten years, but anyway..

For whatever reason my company scheduled me on a SW flight. I arrived at the airport very early, about three hours if I remember correctly. Not being familiar with SW I checked in at the Front Desk. The employee said: “You’re early, would you like to take a flight that leaves in an hour?” I said that would be great. She said: “That’s good because the early flight is empty, and the later is over-sold, we are going to have to hand out $300 vouchers for people that get bumped.” I said I was glad it worked out for everyone. She said: “That will be $285.” .. …. … I stared at her in astonishment. Uhmmm… This isn’t standby? Well it was, but the earlier flight was more expensive then the one I was schedule for. I asked her: “So, let me get this straight… If I go on my scheduled flight, the earlier will leave mostly empty, and you will be handing out $300 vouchers on the over-sold one later?” Needless to say, it wasn’t worth $285 (something like that) to get home a couple hours early, so I said “Heck No” or something a little stronger, but what got me is it made perfect sense to her.

I went to the gate and watched the early flight leave with about two-dozen passengers, and on my flight they were handing out $300 vouchers, I counted at least three.

Southwest, WTF!?

[Redfoot]

I just flew SWA from Detroit-Houston-Cozumel and back to do some diving, since Delta has not resumed service to Cozumel.

I was pleasantly surprised. Everything went very smooth, on time, staff were great, planes were not full and baggage arrived quickly at both destinations. The free WiFi for email, text and streaming was fast, and you could request soft drinks and snacks as you wished. I booked the Business Select for priority boarding, and I think my round trip was under $400 with two checked bags.

No complaints here!

[Hollie_Rollie]

Originally Posted by Schmed

Had an odd experience on Sunday flying Frontier with my son. Now, Frontier is a low-end airline in general, but this was really bad.

A large group (25 or so) of adults were traveling together and seated randomly around my area of the plane. All were talking loud, swearing (F-word, mostly), playing music on their phone speaker, taking off their masks, etc.

The women (swearing often) had super long fingernails - like 2" long, beanie hats, overweight, and generally "rough". They were up and down all throughout the 2 hour flight and it really had the feeling of lawlessness. The guys were all tatted up and looked like gang-bangers.

Before we took off, I decided I won't be shopping for flights based on price anymore.

Sounds like you flew out of Philadelphia spirit and frontier …you’ll get lots of that. But I can’t pass on the $75 round trip to west palm beach


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[-dustin]

Lots of WTF moments for me on SWA this year. I just assumed it was an industry-wide issue. I only fly SWA, and it's all domestically. I don't plan on changing, as I don't see too many better options.

[ft laud mike]

Originally Posted by Zoomerang

I stopped flying on Frontier after the left me stranded in Milwaukee.

bad to be stranded, but...Milwaukee?...insult unto injury

[jnelson3097]

Originally Posted by ft laud mike

bad to be stranded, but...Milwaukee?...insult unto injury

I think there are worst places to be stuck. Milwaukee isn’t actually that bad.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by ft laud mike

bad to be stranded, but...Milwaukee?...insult unto injury

"Stranded in Milwaukee", sound like an old Tom Hanks horror flick......er....romcom.

[achenator]

I just generally take the best flight I can that's going where I want when I need it to. Small market (New Orleans) we just don't have much choice. If I can fly nonstop, i'll go on the wing rather than take a "better" carrier with a stop or 2.

[Boopie]

Originally Posted by JasoninDenver

The real problem I see with SWA is the people flying. On our last trip to Maui we had multiple large family groups cut the A line because one member (out of 4-6) paid for Early Bird and then pushed their kids from C group in with them.

I was pissed and said so to the attendants as I did the right thing and paid for my whole family to check in. She actually said they are told not to confront customers about infractions like this as everyone is effing crazy right now.

Sad.

I just flew Southwest to Hawaii (Big Island) a few weeks ago, and have a similar thing to report. But, no one paid the extra $20 that I did for priority boarding…they took advantage of the “anyone with kids who needs to board first…” There was something like one 10-year old (not a baby or toddler) with a group of about 10 adults, and so massive group of people got on board with the kid. So, you’re all needed to strap her in her seat? Some had visible boarding passes so I saw the “C” boarding group.

The SW flight attendants were generally fine, but the flight was also half empty. It did take very long to get my checked bag, but that could have been the fault of the airport ground crew.

On the quickie flights between LA and Vegas I thought Southwest’s no assigned seating was a good idea, but after seeing so many people take advantage (like the guy who had priority boarding like me and my husband, but told me he was saving the seat next to him for his wife, who didn’t) I don’t think so any more. Plus, because there are no assigned seats on Southwest, order of boarding makes all of the difference in the world. Obviously no one can take my assigned first or business class seat on another airline. I think the Southwest system was designed when most people played by the rules.

I think as more people decide to ditch rules, airlines don’t want to be “confrontational.” I’m certainly not going to mix it up with people I’m going to be flying with, at the baggage claim area with, etc.

[Boopie]

Originally Posted by -dustin

Lots of WTF moments for me on SWA this year. I just assumed it was an industry-wide issue. I only fly SWA, and it's all domestically. I don't plan on changing, as I don't see too many better options.

I think it depends on the leg, and agreed you are limited by the airlines that service your airport. I always go for the nonstop option. I’ve been flying Alaska a lot, and they’ve generally done a good job. I took Southwest to Hawaii recently only because Alaska didn’t have a nonstop from LAX to Kona.

[SDGT3]

Originally Posted by ft laud mike

bad to be stranded, but...Milwaukee?...insult unto injury

Detroit... just saying.

[JasoninDenver]

Originally Posted by Boopie

I just flew Southwest to Hawaii (Big Island) a few weeks ago, and have a similar thing to report. But, no one paid the extra $20 that I did for priority boarding…they took advantage of the “anyone with kids who needs to board first…” There was something like one 10-year old (not a baby or toddler) with a group of about 10 adults, and so massive group of people got on board with the kid. So, you’re all needed to strap her in her seat? Some had visible boarding passes so I saw the “C” boarding group.

The SW flight attendants were generally fine, but the flight was also half empty. It did take very long to get my checked bag, but that could have been the fault of the airport ground crew.

On the quickie flights between LA and Vegas I thought Southwest’s no assigned seating was a good idea, but after seeing so many people take advantage (like the guy who had priority boarding like me and my husband, but told me he was saving the seat next to him for his wife, who didn’t) I don’t think so any more. Plus, because there are no assigned seats on Southwest, order of boarding makes all of the difference in the world. Obviously no one can take my assigned first or business class seat on another airline. I think the Southwest system was designed when most people played by the rules.

I think as more people decide to ditch rules, airlines don’t want to be “confrontational.” I’m certainly not going to mix it up with people I’m going to be flying with, at the baggage claim area with, etc.

Thanks for being one of the considerate human beings still out there.

[golftime]

Originally Posted by Blansky

The Costco of airlines??

Let me fix that. The Walmart of airlines.

[zengineer]

I haven't flown SW since they gave me a free voucher through AmEx around 1992.

I'm not sure why anyone would expect their seating process to bring out anything but the worst in people.

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[Griswald]

I travel for pleasure about 3-4 times a year. While I have modest means, I have sprung for first class tickets for every one of these trips-to me, it is worth it. It is not about free drinks, but it is about the experience-way more pleasant. Alaska has been great, and as I live just outside of Seattle, they are my primary go to airline. It is sad that folks can't (will not) remember the golden rule, and use common sense when out in public. I do not understand bad, entitled behavior or anger with the rules of flight.
Griswald

[sgarrity]

I fly Southwest a lot for work. With their schedule I can get to most places I need to go direct from San Diego. As an airline, they poorly reacted to covid and badly planned for travel to increase. Most of their issues lately are directly related to horrible planning around staffing. The government bailed out the airlines and Southwest wasn’t smart about it.

Now look at United. They kept most of their employees. They required pilots to be trained and ready to fly at a moments notice. Their CEO positioned them to be ready for the travel surge. And overall, they’re doing pretty good so far.

[BroncoOne]

I am a Mosaic flyer with JetBlue and took two long round trip flights in the last 3 months.

The experience was mostly normal except for masks and nearly full flights. The on,y bumpiness was due to COVID in the airline canceling flights an putting me on a different one but this was weeks in advance. I did lose my mint and extra legroom seats due to the plane being a different configuration but that was it. Everything else went as usual.

I have a friend who went to the same conferences on southwest flights. He share similar experiences about people rushing the gate, breaking the rules and trying to take him laid for seat. No thanks. Travel has enough challenges to deal with that.

[Wes911]

Southwest has long had a corporate culture that encouraged a lack of professionalism because the wanted to seem like the fun and cool airline. That is catching up with them now.

[shaunylw]

Southwest is one step above spirit. I unfortunately fly them quite a bit but when I’m going to Los Angeles on a $120 round trip flight, it’s a no brainer. It’s an additional $700 or more for 3 of us to fly delta. My primarily flight to LA is almost never delayed, and if it is, it’s never that bad. I would never fly southwest for a long flight, or a flight with layovers, not worth the hassle.


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