Why do people fly WN when the fares are not competitive?
#31
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Rapid Rewards, AAdvantage, SkyMiles
Posts: 2,931
Also prices are very subject to change. I've had WN flights where the price was $90 on nonstop flights where the competition was $130+ with no checked bag/connections. Likewise I've had $90 flights on legacy carriers while WN was charging $180+.
I'll continue to use WN when the price is lower than other airlines with a checked bag.
I'll continue to use WN when the price is lower than other airlines with a checked bag.
#32
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,501
Co-terminals multiply award space. If a fare is sold out to New York JFK, try Newark, LaGuardia, Islip, New Haven or White Plains. Never using your miles across alliance partners thwarts award options.
#33
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: WN A-List Pref, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat
Posts: 460
Indeed, it's not double the award seats, but double the percentage of seats flown as awards. WN reported 13% of seats flown as awards for FY2017. Last numbers from AA in 2016 were less than 7%. I would be stunned if any other airline approaches 13%.
#34
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,501
Not the whole picture. In December 2017, 12.3% of AA's premium cabins to Europe were filled with award seats. And the percentage of seat miles to and from Hawaii rose from 9.1% in January 2017 to 11.9% in January 2018. People save and spend differently on Southwest. Disparate incentives are the story.
#35
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: CO
Programs: UA OG-1K, Marriott Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,360
#36
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
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If the choice is WN stand in line to board and packed six across in a 737 vs. F on UA, DL, or VX, guess which one I'm going to pick?
#37
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
On almost all of the routes I fly SWA is consistently cheapest. If you allow for baggage fees, change fees and last minute upgrades it is hands down no contest. I concentrate on SWA to maximize my A-list benefits and my RR points sometimes it costs me a few dollars. If another airline offered cheaper fares consistently on my main routes I would jump. If I concentrated on Delta I'd likely only make Silver, a very modest status.
I happily flew Frontier for about 6 months until they canceled my most frequent route. If they (or someone else) reinstated it I would happily switch back.
If I want to go to Europe, I'll take my AMEX points and the savings I've accrued flying SWA to pay for it.
Everyone's situation is different. Let each person make the choices best for them.
Many in this thread are missing the number of free flights that are earned by the SWA credit cards through spending and bonuses.
.
I happily flew Frontier for about 6 months until they canceled my most frequent route. If they (or someone else) reinstated it I would happily switch back.
If I want to go to Europe, I'll take my AMEX points and the savings I've accrued flying SWA to pay for it.
Everyone's situation is different. Let each person make the choices best for them.
Many in this thread are missing the number of free flights that are earned by the SWA credit cards through spending and bonuses.
.
#38
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,173
#39
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 921
Looking at a last minute trip next week, SFO/OAK<->LAX, both UA and AA offering $100 RT for an overnight or in some cases same day fare. UA is not even a BE fare.
WN is at least $200+ from SFO and $300+ from OAK, before i even get to EBCI fees. This is a no brainer, and my F upgrade already cleared on the UA flight. This is not just an isolated case as I've been following the Mexico fares for months and they've also been higher than equivalent advance purchase fares on legacy carriers.
So I understand the traditional biz model ($29 advance purchase, $200 walkup) but WN pricing does not seem as nimble as others in filling expiring excess capacity. And I wonder how long the OAK premium (like Nashville & other WN hubs) will last...
WN is at least $200+ from SFO and $300+ from OAK, before i even get to EBCI fees. This is a no brainer, and my F upgrade already cleared on the UA flight. This is not just an isolated case as I've been following the Mexico fares for months and they've also been higher than equivalent advance purchase fares on legacy carriers.
So I understand the traditional biz model ($29 advance purchase, $200 walkup) but WN pricing does not seem as nimble as others in filling expiring excess capacity. And I wonder how long the OAK premium (like Nashville & other WN hubs) will last...
In the world of flying, you listed one or two specific examples. Why didn't you look (or report on) other airlines serving that same route, in which they may have been higher? Maybe the flights were booked at times when prices were lower. We all know (or should know) that airfares fluctuate frequently; so just because you see something at a very specific time of your search doesn't mean it was that same price minutes, days, weeks or months before or after. Also, why not look around at other cities and see what pricing they offer? Maybe WN easily wins on those routes, and the question would be why are people flying UA when the fares aren't competitive?
At least you have free money to use if you wanted to use it. If you purchased tickets on any other airline and the price went down, you don't have the option to refare those tickets, unless the price went down so much that it's worth paying the $100 change fee.
#40
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,637
WN from OAK is usually in the same ballpark as comparable options from SFO but I'll gladly pay a $20-30 premium to avoid the extra time to get to SFO and the increased risk of long delays (plus no lounge access for me in T1 or T2 at SFO; Escape Lounge at OAK saves me $10-30 in food and drink).
#41
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,808
But that depends on how often you have to change to make it offset the cost of the higher fares on WN. In my case, I almost never have to change flights. So paying more PER flight over the year as some form of insurance is a waste of money to me. It's cheaper for me to eat the change fee on the odd change than pay more each time against the possibility of it. In short, I am not going to spend 2k to save 500 dollars.
#42
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SNA
Programs: Bonvoy LTTE/AMB, AmEx Plat, National EE, WN A-List, CLEAR+, Covid-19
Posts: 4,963
I buy all my own fares, and I buy them weeks out on spec when they're cheap ( as little as ~$100 R/T), then cancel/change as necessary. Sometimes I check bags, too.
95% of my routes are SFBA-SoCal so the frequency and pricing works for me. I used price shop these trips years ago and would often do VX or UA, but after losing my own $$ on change/cancel fees and bag fees I switched to WN and never looked back.
95% of my routes are SFBA-SoCal so the frequency and pricing works for me. I used price shop these trips years ago and would often do VX or UA, but after losing my own $$ on change/cancel fees and bag fees I switched to WN and never looked back.
#43
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,875
#44
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,501
Flights are short, co-terminals plentiful and fare sales perpetual.
#45
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: California
Posts: 1,121
I book during WN sales. I don't change flights. It's either show up, cancel, or switch to an earlier flight for free on day of travel. Losing funds doesn't happen unless I forget to cancel a cash reservation.
I use Southwest because of the ability to cancel and reuse the funds during the next sale without penalty. The two free bags is a nice bonus, but I don't use it sometimes because it requires me to come to the airport earlier. I think Southwest knows I won't check two bags every trip.
If it's last minute travel between SoCal and Norcal, I'll just drive it because the door-to-door times are similar.
I use Southwest because of the ability to cancel and reuse the funds during the next sale without penalty. The two free bags is a nice bonus, but I don't use it sometimes because it requires me to come to the airport earlier. I think Southwest knows I won't check two bags every trip.
If it's last minute travel between SoCal and Norcal, I'll just drive it because the door-to-door times are similar.