Originally Posted by
Flying for Fun
Yes, in fact I did. The date should have been 1/3. Southwest also has a $69.00 WGA fare that date on their non-stop but their anytime fare is almost twice the price of the AS P fare. Southwest's 8 hour 15 min two-stop first flight of the day is already sold out on WGA. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Sorry, but this comparison has a hole in it. An Anytime Fare is Refundable. The AS P fare is subject to a $125 change fee for non-elites. More importantly, it goes to the travel bank regardless of status. Anytime fares are refunded to the original payment. In your example, you should compare WN's Anytime Fare ($305) to AS's Refundable Fare in Main ($420).
Also, I would suggest doing SF Bay Area vs. picking SFO or OAK alone. It's a bit misleading not to have any WN non-stops (most likely out of OAK) in that comparison.
However, overall, you have valid points and I am changing my short haul to WN. You're right that it won't get me international travel, but at legs earning 750 RDM at most each go, I think I can get just as much value out of RR. I don't actually care about the front or premium seat as much for short haul (esp-intra CA), so everything else being equal to me WN's generous change policy is the decider for me and is easily worth a $10-20 premium.