No one mentioned SW's incredible frequent flyer program. If you book on line you receive double credits so it takes only 4 roundtrips for a free ticket. Unlike other airlines you can use that ticket like a full fare on any flight within 1 hour of departure. No hassles. I use mine for all the minor emergencies that come up with kids living in different parts of the country. Be sure to sign up for it before you fly. Have fun!

From "Susan": I have a hard time understanding people complaining about the lack of food service. Airplane food is the worst! Who boards a plane looking forward to eating?......<BR><BR><BR>Ummmm.....anyone who has ever flown on a real airline, like Midwest Express, or on a pleasant intercontinental flight witha foreign carrier like Singapore Air, Cathay Pacific, etc.<BR>The food is actually good, restaurant quality food, like it should be.<BR>MWE even serves warm cookies during the flight, free drinks including champagne on some early flights, etc.<BR><BR>SWA has many of you buffaloed into thinking all this no frills stuff is necessary to run an airline. It's not.<BR>I respect what SWA has accomplished and their impact on the US airline industry has been very favorable. But it's still a cattle car, "Greyhound of the skies" airline.

I don't really care about how fancy-shmancy an airline is...if it gets me to where I'm going SAFELY and if it has a good reputation, I'm booking with them!!!

Southwest is a very good friendly airline. The reason I seldom fly them is ONLY because they don't assign seats ahead of time and I hate wasting time at the airport just to get there so early that I can sit near the front. I generally make reservations way in advance so get good "reserved" seats. If the price is substantially less, than I will still fly Southwest once in awhile. They are a very good airline and the seating thing is my only gripe. Carrie

Well, Carrie, that's what the free-enterprise system is all about. You're willing to pay more for your ticket in order to get a service (reserved seats) that SW doesn't offer, and the rest of us can save some money by just taking any seat. Why does it matter to you so much to sit up front, anyway?<BR><BR>And regarding SW's approach to food: Not only do they usually not offer meals, but they seem to not even OWN those obnoxious food/drink carts that seem to block the aisles half the time on other flights. They take drink orders and then bring them back on a tray, which IMHO is more civilized. <BR><BR>Something for everyone, ain't it grand!

I fly SW often if it's a short flight which most of theirs are. Yeh, the no seat reserved drives me crazy but I get to the airport very early as to get a decent seat...you MUST do this, otherwise if you're in the last 1/3 to board you get the worst seats generally in the back of the plane or a center seat and all the overhead storage space is taken and you will have to check your carry on (this has happened to me twice when I arrived too late). As long as you're aware of the need to arrive earlier than other airlines who give out seats ahead of time, you will have no troubles. As someone mentioned, they do have a great frequent flyer program. If you're flying coast to coast with a short connection time, bring something to eat. Some folks have complained "How can I fly from West Coast to East Coast without getting a meal" They're starved because they didn't realize they wouldn't get a meal and it was such a tight connection that they didn't have a chance to buy something while changing flights. Many times the fares are best on Southwest, and it's great when they are the lowest sometimes forcing the other major airlines to reduce their fares to match SW fares. I love it when this happens! The attendants are all so nice and bubbly on SW! Trish