Why will you fly Southwest in 2017?
Dec 29, 2016, 11:08 am
#16
Join Date: Oct 2015
Programs: HH Dia, Marriott Titanium, AA Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 192
Why will Southwest be your airline of choice in 2017?
(There are plenty of threads where you can file your complaints about the airline; this thread isn't one of them.)
As a long time UA flyer, I only saw the light of Southwest about three years ago after a job switch. Since then, I've fallen in LUV with Southwest, and they have become my airline of choice for work and fun.
What are the reasons Southwest will be my airline of choice in 2017? I have several:
- No change fees. The flexibility to cancel and change tickets is huge. I save my company money, and the added flexibility saves me time.
- More nonstop flights. I only travel domestically for work, and Southwest has more nonstops nationwide than any of the other carriers. As a DC-based flyer, Southwest has grown a great set of nonstops from DCA, and I can head to BWI for anything else I need.
- Consistency. I know exactly what to expect on Southwest. No worrying about aircraft swaps or being stuck on a dreaded ERJ145--737s all day, every day. No wondering if my upgrade will clear. I can get the exact seat I want 90% of the time (aisle seat row 9).
- Self service. People love to complain about Southwest's IT, but I think it's way more reliable than the other legacies out there. I've only had to call Southwest for help a few times with 150+ flights this year. When I flew UA, I was on the phone or service counter dealing with unsynchronized tickets all the time. The app is also great for making changes or cancelling flights on the go.
- Companion pass and Rapid Rewards in general. My partner and I get extraordinary value out of CP. The ability to prospectively book multiple RR flights when sales occur and cancel later on with no fees brings even more value to CP.
- Service. Everyone at Southwest from ticket counter agents to FAs to pilots actually seem happy doing their jobs. That happiness leads to great service. The few times things didn't quite go right, the Customer Relations team more than made up for it. That group that staffs that line is magical. They know how to make things right.
(There are plenty of threads where you can file your complaints about the airline; this thread isn't one of them.)
As a long time UA flyer, I only saw the light of Southwest about three years ago after a job switch. Since then, I've fallen in LUV with Southwest, and they have become my airline of choice for work and fun.
What are the reasons Southwest will be my airline of choice in 2017? I have several:
- No change fees. The flexibility to cancel and change tickets is huge. I save my company money, and the added flexibility saves me time.
- More nonstop flights. I only travel domestically for work, and Southwest has more nonstops nationwide than any of the other carriers. As a DC-based flyer, Southwest has grown a great set of nonstops from DCA, and I can head to BWI for anything else I need.
- Consistency. I know exactly what to expect on Southwest. No worrying about aircraft swaps or being stuck on a dreaded ERJ145--737s all day, every day. No wondering if my upgrade will clear. I can get the exact seat I want 90% of the time (aisle seat row 9).
- Self service. People love to complain about Southwest's IT, but I think it's way more reliable than the other legacies out there. I've only had to call Southwest for help a few times with 150+ flights this year. When I flew UA, I was on the phone or service counter dealing with unsynchronized tickets all the time. The app is also great for making changes or cancelling flights on the go.
- Companion pass and Rapid Rewards in general. My partner and I get extraordinary value out of CP. The ability to prospectively book multiple RR flights when sales occur and cancel later on with no fees brings even more value to CP.
- Service. Everyone at Southwest from ticket counter agents to FAs to pilots actually seem happy doing their jobs. That happiness leads to great service. The few times things didn't quite go right, the Customer Relations team more than made up for it. That group that staffs that line is magical. They know how to make things right.
Dec 29, 2016, 11:53 am
#17
Join Date: May 2016
Location: ATL
Programs: DL GM, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,241
* No change fees - a lot of my travel changes by a few days between booking and the travel date. Even though WN doesn't always have the lowest prices, I've saved a lot by not having to pay change fees that I would have on legacy carriers.
* West coast flights - no other airline has as much flexibility for intra-CA flights. Easy to go non-stop from the Bay Area to southern California airports that are not LAX. (ONT, LGB, and SNA though I suspect there'll be less service to the latter). 75% of my travel is within the western half of the US, so there's good non-stop and direct coverage by WN. I'm a little less likely to fly them for transcon flights (though now that there's non-stops from the west coast to BWI and ATL that may change), and for 1 or 2 international flights per year I'll use a different carrier.
* Also as a Bay Area resident, OAK is easier for me to get to (which WN basically controls) but I'm fine with that since OAK's on-time performance really surpasses SFO's due to less fog.
* Companion pass through the end of 2017!
* And I have to use up my stock of drink coupons somewhere!
* West coast flights - no other airline has as much flexibility for intra-CA flights. Easy to go non-stop from the Bay Area to southern California airports that are not LAX. (ONT, LGB, and SNA though I suspect there'll be less service to the latter). 75% of my travel is within the western half of the US, so there's good non-stop and direct coverage by WN. I'm a little less likely to fly them for transcon flights (though now that there's non-stops from the west coast to BWI and ATL that may change), and for 1 or 2 international flights per year I'll use a different carrier.
* Also as a Bay Area resident, OAK is easier for me to get to (which WN basically controls) but I'm fine with that since OAK's on-time performance really surpasses SFO's due to less fog.
* Companion pass through the end of 2017!
* And I have to use up my stock of drink coupons somewhere!
Dec 29, 2016, 4:42 pm
#19
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Sarasota, FL (SRQ)
Programs: WN A-List, AA EXP, Hyatt Top Tier (definitely NOT a Globalist), National Exec Elite
Posts: 491
WN will still have the lions share of my 2017 business as they simply fly nonstop to where I need to be. But I also need to do some international routes and will look to maintain UA gold, which has been valuable for F upgrades to some of the more obscure international destinations. I have to be in Canada a lot and obviously WN is a non-starter.
I like UA but I don't think they have screwed me (yet) like they have many others.
I like UA but I don't think they have screwed me (yet) like they have many others.
Dec 29, 2016, 4:52 pm
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP, WN A+, Marriott LT
Posts: 893
Oops...I didn't mean total number of nonstop flights, I meant total nonstop routes. Southwest also carries way more passengers on nonstops than the legacies.
Dec 29, 2016, 4:55 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Newport Beach, California, USA
Posts: 36,062
Frequently good fares, excellent rebooking capability (and can be done on the website), flies full-size jets to many locations served only by express jet service, big-bus-in-the-sky approach which makes my shorter trips easier with (usually) more departure time options offered than the legacies.
I still don't like the boarding process, but EBCI is worth it to ensure that I get a seat that I am happy with.
I still don't like the boarding process, but EBCI is worth it to ensure that I get a seat that I am happy with.
Dec 29, 2016, 10:39 pm
#27
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: AUS, SAN, EDI, BA F, WN Exit Row
Programs: Southwest Airlines AP & CP; BA Gold
Posts: 169
1. Two direct flights a day between my commute cities
2. No change fees
3. Companion Pass - Great perk and easy to book
4. Rapid Rewards - Easy to book, no blackouts, etc.
5. Always working to get me to my destination. I fly nearly 100 times a year (94 in 2016) and get to see it all; weather, medical diversions, catering deploying emergency slides, mechanical issues, crew delays, etc. Employees usually keep me informed and offer options when available. Never held hostage at the whim of the airline; United and American...never again.
2. No change fees
3. Companion Pass - Great perk and easy to book
4. Rapid Rewards - Easy to book, no blackouts, etc.
5. Always working to get me to my destination. I fly nearly 100 times a year (94 in 2016) and get to see it all; weather, medical diversions, catering deploying emergency slides, mechanical issues, crew delays, etc. Employees usually keep me informed and offer options when available. Never held hostage at the whim of the airline; United and American...never again.
Jan 7, 2017, 2:52 pm
#30
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
WN has a decent presence in RDU still. This week I needed to be in Baltimore for work and WN has 5x nonstops on weekdays. Furthermore, I actually enjoy flying WN so I keep an eye on their fare sales and will often choose to visit a city around their sales.