Originally Posted by
RustyC
Southwest generally plays it straight, much more so than the Big 3 and in ways that SHOULD be common sense but aren't at many carriers.
They acknowledge that it's unrealistic to expect people to travel without any luggage, and with no extra cost for the checked bags there's less pressure on the carry-ons and that mad scramble.
They also don't view change fees as a huge gouge opportunity and profit center, though "difference in fare" can still bite you (but you get that AND the fee with the legacies).
The cabin air is also very dry, typically, and they offer some drinks without charging.
The one exception is IMO how the open seating has devolved. Thirty years ago that was a well-known no-frills feature (PeopleExpress, etc.). It lent itself to an uncivilized boarding process, though, so WN has come up with the boarding groups and the pecking order and a chance to buy your way to the front and all that. But given that NK and F9 (and others) have reserved seats (albeit usually as an opportunity to charge another fee), I think WN's process looks a bit outdated.
With the legacies it's just been one unfavorable thing after another for passengers, especially if you look at the longer view.
I generally agree with WN's straightforwardness. My main bone to pick with them is that they have invested almost nothing in their online and mobile presences. IROPS support is poor at best, and the app and website are both brittle and susceptible to widespread outages.
I had a business trip 2 years ago where a few of us were flying WN. At T-24, I was able to successfully OLCI...but my colleagues waited an hour or so and by then the website had gone down. They were never able to check in, and we arrived at the airport to find a huge queue for the airport kiosks. They had to buy walk-up AA tickets and fight for their WN refunds later, while I flew home on WN on a flight with 50 empty seats - probably because so many people couldn't get boarding passes or buy last-minute tickets. This was ex-LGA and (I think) corresponded to one of their systemwide sales. I remember reading about it on FT that night and people all over the U.S. and in many airports were having similar problems.
I'm still (generally) a WN fan - mainly because they fly a bunch of ex-MCI nonstops that would otherwise be a connection on a legacy - but I don't fully trust them as I once did. 10 years ago, they were a unique brand that I viewed differently from other airlines. Over the years they had attained that unique space where brands emotionally connect with their users. (Apple, Nordstrom, Starbucks, etc.) That's no longer the case: they're just another airline, albeit one that's a bit more user-friendly than others. When the systems are working...