Originally Posted by
eponymous_coward
Also no CRJ-200s, no change fees, no checked luggage fees, a simple to understand boarding system, and a very straightforward redemption system that doesn't require reading FT to understand the byzantine complexity of, plus decades of being well below the legacies in generating DOT complaints (which are a good first-order approximation of being able to resolve service failures).
The more I fly domestically, the more I respect Southwest policies. But that said, I don't believe that AA's boarding system is hard to understand. Maybe understanding the
rationale for each group is beyond most folk's effort, but if it says "6", board with "6". And having a seat assignment is simpler to understand than trying to scout out a seat.
Relevant to this thread, "no change fees" means a day-of change can cost way more than $75. I was coming back from a long trip and flying WN, and to take the 1:30 instead of 3:30 flight was going to cost me $160/each ($205 day of vs $45 wanna-get-away). But for advance purchases and when plans change, I do like how flexible WN allows folks to be.