Originally Posted by
featheroleather
The leisure traveler (80%) is all about price.
Yes and no. Even infrequent leisure travelers are becoming price savvy and are starting to figure out that A->B on major airline 1 is not the same total cost as A->B on major airline 2.
Southwest is really pumping this differentiation in their recent marketing campaigns.
WN rightfully points out that their price of $200 might be $35 more than a sample major airline, but after checking a couple bags, ordering lunch onboard and watching a movie in both directions, the total cost on that major airline suddenly becomes $75 more than Southwest.
This is the Achilles heal of a low base price + a la carte service model. Once the savvy consumer calculates their spend on bags, meals and a movie, they'll likely decide to spend slightly more in base airfare on an airline that doesn't nickel and dime.