I am conflicted about SW airlines; sometimes they have the best fares and most direct routes, but it always seems that we must get early in a line, after remembering to print out boarding pass ASAP so as to be in group A. Last trip home from Albquerque, folks started lining up 1 1/2 hour before flight time. we were in group B and ended up sitting apart, but with pretty good seats. By the time the get to C, folks are hunting all over for any seat at all. Wish they would just give us a seat assignment. How do you all feel?

Book the Greyhound of the skies and that's what you get.

Tess <----ducking, running & sitting in first class

Check-in online 24 hours before flight time, and you're set.

Sorry to say, but its fixing to get worse.Not sure I personally will have any need for it,but service in and out of Dallas Love Field will begin tomorrow to some 40+ destinations previously only serviced with flight connections.Fares to and from everywhere Southwest flies are expected to drop dramatically according to the local Dallas TV stations.There was some "official" with WN last night saying they expected ALL their flights to and from everywhere to be full for the "foreseeable future".If I were to fly Southwest I would be on the minute for the 24 Hour check in to be sure to get into the A group.

How do you all feel?

Resigned.

Airlines are no different that any other business. The lower the price, the less you get.

Personally, I never fly Southwest (though I'm close to BWI). It's a simple matter of what's most important to each individual: price or convenience.

What's the big deal? You are guaranteed a seat, and all the seats arrive at the destination at the same time. If you cannot bear to be separated from your traveling partner for an hour or two, you might have some sort of dependency problem.

There are times I wish I would be separated from my children. I'm sure they feel the same way. I put an alwert on my computer to print the boarding pass 24 hrs in advance, no big deal. Almost any hotel where I've stayed will let you print a boarding pass. For what SW offers (great prices, reliable service and the best FF program ever)I really am not concerned about changing a thing.

I too really like Southwest. Print out your boarding pass 24 hours ahead. Unless you have a very special seat in mind...or unless you are travelling in a large group who need to sit together...we have never had a problem sitting together(2 of us) in a reasonable seat if we were A or B.
Super service too!!

Anonymous: Why so hostile? It seems like a reasonable discussion topic. For example, where one sits does matter (a lot) to people who are a) claustrophobic, b)6 feet tall, c) infirm or disabled, d)bathroom issues, e) restless leg syndrome, etc. I know that SW has openly discussed the possibility of seat assignments, and I, for one, think it would be a good idea, and doing that would confirm my business (we travel a lot) whenever their route suits our needs.

I feel this would be a good topic for the Airlines forum.

Samting...Southwest has a program for the disabled...they can board early. Maybe such things as claustrophobia apply too.

Personally, I like the idea of a cheaper airline with good service.

If only Southwest were always cheaper. If I have the choice between Southwesy and a competitor, I am going to take the competitor unless there is a gigantic price difference. I just don't find Southwest to be that cheap.

As for the lines, even being in group A doesn't guarantee a good seat if you are flying from the Midwest or near the end of a five-leg flight. It's great if the flight begins in your city, it's not so great if you are the fourth city the flight has landed in.

Also, is the service that good? I don't want a song-and-dance and jokes, I want room and a seat assignment,

I love Southwest Airlines. But as somebody else pointed out before, it depends on what is more important to you.

My husband and I love to travel and to us, getting more free tickets quicker is more important than a little inconvenience. We got 13 free tickets last year! Not to mention my companion pass which entitles me to travel with my husband for free whenever he flies.

To us, a little inconvenience is a small price to pay for such a huge perk.

Also, we have had great experiences flying with SW in bad weather. There have been more than a couple of times where other airlines cancelled their flights until the next day because of bad weather. And SW waited it out and hubby was able to get back home to be with family!

Finally, a couple of weeks ago we got a $100 voucher in the mail because SW was so apologetic that our plane circled around for 40 minutes in the air because of bad weather. If I got a $100 voucher for every time that has happened with other airlines, I would be rich!

"where one sits does matter (a lot) to people who are a) claustrophobic, b)6 feet tall, c) infirm or disabled, d)bathroom issues, e) restless leg syndrome, etc."

It is my understanding that Southwest allows people with health issues to board early.

This topic has been beaten to death in the past, but here goes:

I like Southwest. If you don't like the "cattle call" seating, don't fly them. Easy to solve the problem! And as others have said, it's TOO EASY to print your boarding pass 24 hours in advance. I just put a little note on Microsoft Outlook to remind me the day before my flight. I'm always in "A" and always get a great seat. "B" usually gets good seats too. The "C" group is usually the infrequent flier who checks in at the airport.

I NEVER stand in the boarding line but many others do. Since I am in "A" I am very happy to just get in the back of that line when it's the "A" turn to board.

I fly Southwest whenever I can- I find their flights are almost always cheaper, I dont mind the A,B C lines but then I usually travel alone so seating arrangement is not a priority. And even when I am travelling with someone I dont feel the need to sit next to them on a flight - dont have any separation anxiety.
I have found their reservation staff to be very friendly and helpful and willing to take time to help me.
I use them whenever I can

anoymous: all but 'infirm or disabled' are not health issues (being 6 feet tall is a genetic issue), so, other than obviously ill, or note from doctor, you don't get any special consideration. My SO, due to an old surgery, needs the b room several times a flight. And it is not nice to disrupt others 5-9 times per short flight. Try explaining that to an agent at the gate. Unless absolutely necessary, I will not fly SW again.

Checking in 24 hours in advance online is a lifesaver with Southwest. It virtually guarantees an A group boarding pass. When I have to do a day trip to Vegas or Phoenix or Tucson or San Francisco, and I have to fly SW, this is great. I'm usually by myself and have no luggage (a laptop and/or briefcase), so I have no real complicating factors.

Having said that, I rarely use SW any more, except when it's a flight of an hour or less AND I can't get a cheaper fare on JetBlue or US Air out of my home airport. The cattle call at LAX isn't that fun, first of all. Second of all, for flights of longer than an hour, SW is invariably MORE expensive and exponentially LESS convenient (three stops, at least one change of equipment).

When Southwest bought ATA, they indicated that they (WN) was considering going to a reserved seat arrangement, but I haven't seen much on it since. I'm 6'4" and the exit row is a significant priority to me so I do endure the line up for longer flights.

And remember, unless you are an elite flyer on most of the major carriers, unless you book months in advance, you are very likely to be stuck in a middle seat somewhere in the back of the plane.

I was a Delta Platinum for years until changes in job requirements allowed me to cease regular travel. Once I lost my Platinum status, I learned real quick that for the ocassional trip, I'll take my chances with the WN lineup rather than a guaranted middle seat From SLC to ATL.

RIGHT ON --Dan & LLindaC
I have used SWA for over 10 years-
Believe me the A,B.C. thing is a great improvement over the early "cattlecall" method.
They even sent me a discount card for a well know motel chain when I had been a member of Rapid Rewards program for 10 years..
Also let me renew a free fight award when i could not us it in the allotted time..
I am first to admit I could use a little more leg room ( I am almost 6 ft. ) but as long as the fares are "bargains" I'll remain a loyal customer..