MikeT

"Got the flu on Southwest too many times for it to be a coincidence, and so did my husband. So had to stop flying them. The 737s that they fly must recycle more air than other jets or something, or their disinfectant is weak. "

This is completely illogical and irrational. SWA is no different from any other airline when it comes to the factors that could cause you to catch an influenza.

There are lot of reasons not to fly SWA, but this level of irrationality isn't one of them.

ChristieP

I fly Southwest, especially for intra-state trips here in Texas, because their prices are very competitive, and their service is efficient. I could care less that they don't assign seats since I am usually in the seat for less than an hour, and it is nice to be able to avoid sitting next to a crying baby!

mlm59

I have flown Southwest many times because they usually have the best fares. After my experience last August with Frontier, I have decided that I will only fly Southwest, unless I want to go somewhere where they do not fly.

We planned a trip to Denver over Labor Day last year. For our schedule, Frontier had the best times and their flights were non-stop. I paid $215 each for the tickets. Three days before our trip my husband became ill and was admitted to the hospital which meant we had to cancel our trip.

We would like to use these tickets for a trip to Colorado over Memorial Day weekend. The current price is $320. Plus I will have to pay $100 each to rebook the tickets. My $215 trip to Denver will now cost us $420 each. If the price doesn't come down I will probably loose the tickets. Had I booked with Southwest I would only have to pay the difference in the price from the original tickets.

starrsville

Count me in as a new Southwest fan. I booked a return because I didn't want to run the chance of getting iced in at DFW yesterday. A roundabout way to get home - including a rental car from the closest SW airport - but am so glad I did it.

Great planes. Great service - including snacks that the others have stopped serving. And I found I LIKED the boarding process. I was amazed at how fast they were able to board the planes.

I wish SW flew to someplace closer to me, but I'm a real fan now.

soccr

BeachGirl: How is AA going to settle up your account? Or are you going to have to eat the return part of your ticket?

starrsville

I'm not Beachgirl, but I called AA and canceled the return segment of my flight. I can use the amount (less a change fee) on another AA flight.

I booked the SW return flight (one way)the day before when the news predicted ice at DFW. Folks thought I was overreacting. BUT, 24 hours later, they were scrambling to get home - most on SW!

OO

With sleet and freezing rain predicted for San Antonio today, I'm hoping they get me back home this afternoon! Not that I would mind another couple of weeks in Phoenix, but...

We use them often, San Antonio-->Phoenix, San Antonio-->Tampa, and have done the long Tampa-->Vegas route several times. They are normally on time, seats are terrific with plenty of room and what on earth is so terrible with boarding procedures?? A, B, and C is no big whuh, really! Today I have no boarding pass, my SIL's computer having crashed yesterday, so I'll be a C. Do I care if I have a middle seat? Yes...but I'm often in that seat on AA or the others as well. SW is friendly and efficient. I'm thrilled that they now are doing routes out of state from Dallas too, opening new horizons for us.

starrsville

Safe travels home OO!

I was VERY impressed with SW's leather seats, roominess, flight service, and speed of boarding.

OO

Oh yes, no fee for cancellation is fabulous too. What is not to like about SW?

BeachGirl247

OO, you don't have to have a computer to get your place in line for the boarding pass. Can you access the internet through your cell phone? If so, go to their website which is set up for cell phones and you can put your 5-digit code and sign in. Don't have to print it out at all. When you get to the airport, go to the counter or kiosk and get your pass.

tracys2cents

Southwest doesn't have any agreements with other airlines...so if you get stuck, you're there overnight...you won't be able to get out on the next United or Delta flight as protection.

Gekko

No Televisions = Not Interested


(plus the whole can't-assign-a-seat thing)

brushfire

Orbitz has teamed up with United to take off 15% of any flight within the US, or to Canada/Asia/Europe, and the Middle East! If you're a member of the Orbitz mailing list, just sign in with your email address and that's it! My $165 from LAX to Providence is now only $150!! Too bad I already bought it.

joesorce

"Got the flu on Southwest too many times for it to be a coincidence, and so did my husband. "

You might find this more often on other airlines as well, as Southwest perfected the art of "quick turnaround aircraft" and other airlines are following suit. If you tend to fly full planes, and turn them around quicker, then more people are in and out of your jets on a daily basis. That means more people with the FLU are on those jets, too. And less time spent for cleaning and disinfecting everything, probably.

After all, nobody seemed to need AIRBORNE ten years ago, now it's the hottest selling item in any airport. Thanks, Southwest!

radiofanatic

Gekko, you're sounding like a broken record. You've told us the same thing three times.

I like not having assigned seating b/c then I have control over getting the seats I want which is emergency row, the two seats. I get online asap for "a", then I decide what time to get to the airport to get in line for my seats. I've flown SW about 30 times now and I've ALWAYS gotten the seats I want.

With the lovely assigned seating, no matter how hard I try, it's always changed and not where I want to be. And I can't manage to fly USAir w/o it taking 10 times longer than if I had just driven and I'm usually stuck somewhere overnight - but it's never their fault.

And where else can I fly from Albany to Orlando in 2 and a 1/2 hours for about $100?

JJ5

I love unassigned seating. We have twice switched seats at the last minute to give kids access to their mothers, and also once to keep some "sick with colds" kids together.

On a leg with 3 stops once (never again, but we went at the last minute for a ball game) they let us get off to walk our legs and then held those seats for us- let us leave our things. Don't know if they would allow that anymore, it was "pre" a lot of security issues. But I have NEVER had a bad seat.

And ironically I did on my only 1st class seat. I had a 5 or 6 year old tyrant kicking the back of my seat non-stop. Having unassigned seats speeds the entire up so much, it is unbelieveable. I'm going to D.C. soon, NOT on SW and I bet it takes twice as long to get on and off. LOL!

TxTravelPro

IMO there are only just a few great seats on a plane. Exit Row and First Class.
I can't recall flying in any seat other than Exit Row and First Class in many years. I have refused the opportunity to fly home on earlier flights because there were no Exit Row or First Class seats!
Booking early and rarely changing travel plans helps me.
Southwest is not an option.
Suprisingly, I would estimate that 95% of my AA flights board quickly and arrive on time.
Supposedly they have changed the boarding logic... but it still seems to take about 15 minutes to get everyone on. Getting off the plane takes about the same amount of time no matter what the boarding process and on AA I am generally in first, so I save a lot of time GETTING OFF the plane!

starrsville

wow

OO

A follow-up on my experience yesterday with Southwest from Phoenix to San Antonio, in bad weather, plus a bit about the flight to Phoenix.

Yesterday, because of my SIL's computer crash, I couldn't get my boarding pass printed from their home. Assumed I'd be middle seat. Not the case, arrived at the airport, was given a boarding pass at check-in. Got A boarding, much to my surprise! Ended up in 4th row window on flight home. Despite weather, we landed in San Antonio early and I was at baggage claim at the time the plane should have been arriving at the gate. Zero complaints.

My husband spent the prior week in Phoenix too, coming back early to work. He printed his pass online about 22 hrs before departure and got B. In line at the airport, the lady behind him in the B boarding line said she'd tried to print a pass from her home but they evidently have a cut off: print so many passes, then no more. Perhaps it's so those arriving at the airport the day of the flight without boarding passes, as I did, may not necessarily end up in C, but also have a shot at an A or B pass. That's our theory, through her experience then, to some degree verified by mine. It was a full flight...not an extra seat to be had.

Another reason we love SW: our flight out was as last minute as you can get. We were going for the birth of our grandson and there's no good way to plan a trip like that. A first baby can come anytime from a couple of weeks before due date to a couple of weeks after. We decided to bite the bullet and pay full fare at the last minute when we "got the call". Full fare San Antonio to Phoenix was $262 one way per ticket. Not horrible, and we both had reduced fares on our return flights. The call came at 5 AM, and we were on SW's 10:30 flight to Phoenix, arriving there before noon and 6 hours before the baby arrived at his gate. And I hope this isn't TMI, but may I happily announce our 8 lb 14 oz, 22" new grandbaby boy, born New Years Day!! Thanks to SW, it was so easy to be there to celebrate the grand event!

starrsville

Congrats, OO! Now the fun times begin!

My return on SW was full fare too - one way at $260. I didn't think that was bad at all either. I'm sold. Completely sold. Was a bit concerned about the boarding process - but now I wish all airlines used it.