obnoxoid

As a frequent flyer on both DL and WN, I sometimes find that the "cattle call" is much worse on DL when basically half the plane is asked to board in Zone 1 on my ATL-DCA flights.

There are things I like about both airlines. And it is true that the FAs are really nice on both airlines. Much better than I can say for other carriers I've had the pleasure of flying, and I guess that's why I've stuck with DL/WN domestically.

travelingfool23

These days the cattle call is applicable more to what happens inside the plane versus the process to actually board. It's a free-for-all when people step onto the plane, with everyone rushing to get their preferred seat and save two others for their friends.

WebDesignGuy

Since people can only get on the place one at a time, and it's pretty much impossible for someone to pass someone else, I don't understand how rushing to a certain seat would benefit anyone. It might help the plane load faster though

ACEDAD

I've never seen this.

dcAA

I've never seen this either. The aisle on Southwest is no bigger than on any legacy carrier, so everyone pretty much walks, single file, until they find an open seat that they want. Occasionally you do get someone who goes far down the plane to drop off their bag and then tries to wade upstream, but I don't think assigned seating would fix that.

wlau

It's true! I used to fly WN, DL, and NW exclusively. NW's FA were horrible and DL's were great. SLC based crews are often younger beautiful blondes and ATL based crew were somewhat older but impeccablely dressed. NW's MSP based crew all looked sloppy and cranky, NW's SEA crew had a lot of .....y dragon ladies. Right after the merger, I can definitely tell if someone was from NW but wearing DL uniform.

In recent memory, things got much better. The better Delta culture has taken over the old NW crew.

WN on the other hand, just isn't nice in comparison. They dress way too casual, sometimes even sloppy. It's funny if you are on some business-heavy routes, where the Px are well dressed and the FA look like they just came back from a 5-mile run. When I ask nicely for a coffee refill, WN FAs would most likely respond with "...later... i am collecting garbage now", where DL would ask "would you like cream and sugar?

Well, I can tell you the free DL Biscoff cookies wins me over any day to WN's half-bag of salt peanuts.

nsx

You need to fly Southwest this year, while you can get the honey roasted peanuts, essentially peanuts plus sugar. Dry roasteds ended several months ago. I prefer those.

You might also want to check out the latest insurrection on the DL forum. It seems that DL has decided that you will lose 100% of your miles if you cancel an award trip with less than 72 hours' notice. Elites are not exempt. As a matter of fact they are the targets of this unprecedented draconian policy.

If you hurry over to the DL forum, you may be the one to make post number 3000 in that thread. Maybe you can suggest that DL give extra Biscoffs to anyone who loses more than 100,000 miles from this change.

And we thought Southwest's policy on last-minute changes to a points ticket was bad... ATL customers will think it's just peachy!

ftnoob

More importantly: peanuts plus sugar plus WHEAT.

DW, while returning home from an enormously stressful family emergency trip, absentmindedly consumed the honey roasted peanuts without reading the fine print on the back, and ended up with a (luckily minor) ill effect. Putting wheat in peanuts is a dreadfully bad idea, especially when the package does not contain a prominent warning.

707Flyer

I love it, DL flyers are all saying they're going to a new airline because of lost miles from award cancellations, UA flyers are all going to a new airline because of the Mileage Plus degradation, AA is barely solvent, and US is still.....US. Meanwhile, on WN, a zero mile BS flyer boards ahead of a 100,000 mile A-List Preferred pax.

The airlines are rewarding yield, not loyalty. Paying fees for better seats is going to be the future, especially for mostly domestic flyers, status is quickly becoming very 2009.

travelingfool23

What if you were selling your house, and there were multiple buyers. You would take the highest bid and turn the others away. Then after all other buyers had gone elsewhere and found other living arrangements, the highest bid cancels on you at the last minute and there is no one left to buy your house. You'd feel cheated at not being able to sell your house to anyone else. But at least you still have the house and can possibly try again. And in real estate the bidder would even lose his earnest money. With an airline seat you don't have that second chance, and up until now there was no earnest money equivalent. Makes sense in that light, doesn't it?

STS-134

And this differs from the guy who cancels a fully refundable ticket 1 hour before the flight...how? Airlines already take this into account. I don't see WN hurting from passengers canceling/changing flights, do you? In fact, a few years ago they were the only airline actually turning a profit, despite their no change fees policy.

travelingfool23

Evidently the volume of this happening with reward tickets was greater than what they see with refundable $ tickets.

Maybe it's hurting Southwest too but they make it up by charging more for their fares. I don't think any of us actually know.

suranyi

DL doesn't fly where I need to go. WN does.

SDCA

Yep, that's how i chose my airline. Not for upgrade to first class, assigned seating, club lounge.

nsx

Too late!