Why do people fly WN when the fares are not competitive?
Apr 10, 2018, 7:52 am
#91
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,624
That's not too picky, but most airlines will charge for that unless you have status. I prefer aisle with empty middle and I get it most of the time boarding after A60 (I often take a different flight than I booked). Your preference is a little hard to meet on Southwest without A-list status or a preboarding stick.
Apr 12, 2018, 2:56 pm
#92
formerly leemaj
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: California
Programs: Bonvoy Titanium and LTP, Hyatt Globalist, UA Gold, SW Companion Pass
Posts: 217
No change fee is the biggest reason I fly them. As business traveler it saves money in the long run with the amount of times I have had to postpone / move a trip. For personal travel, I am okay paying a little bit extra to have the optionality to cancel or move a trip if my plans change
Apr 12, 2018, 3:08 pm
#93
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,574
I have a love/hate relationship with WN. Based in the Kansas City area, they are the dominate carrier at MCI, so flights and frequencies to California and elsewhere are plentiful, so I love that part. The fares are competitive, so that is a bonus, too. I absolutely HATE the open seating. I want to pick my seat in advance. I despise open seating.
I travel to the Bay Area at least once a month. My preference is OAK, mainly because I can avoid the delays and cancellations that come with flying to/from SFO. I can fly non-stop on UA or AS to SFO and non-stop to OAK on WN. DL, UA, AA, AS and WN all offer connecting flights to SFO, while only UA doesn't serve OAK with connecting flights.
So for me, it comes down to frequency, non-stop availability and IRROPS potential. In those categories WN wins my travel.
I travel to the Bay Area at least once a month. My preference is OAK, mainly because I can avoid the delays and cancellations that come with flying to/from SFO. I can fly non-stop on UA or AS to SFO and non-stop to OAK on WN. DL, UA, AA, AS and WN all offer connecting flights to SFO, while only UA doesn't serve OAK with connecting flights.
So for me, it comes down to frequency, non-stop availability and IRROPS potential. In those categories WN wins my travel.
I like AS, but it's a risky bet knowing they're going through some changes and haven't exactly committed a ton of resources to MCI. Their other routes are SFO, SEA, and SAN. Without any Virgin there's no way to get east...
I still fly a lot of WN, and often pay a premium to do so, for the full-sized jets and nonstop flights. Barbie jets and sitting around at ORD or DFW is something I avoid whenever I can. I still fly a little AA because of LT status, but it's mainly international or when I don't have any other choices.
Apr 12, 2018, 5:10 pm
#94
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 129
AS roped me in with their E175 MCI-PDX. I loved that flight and love that airplane - half the time I could book it in first class for the WN coach fare. Then they killed the route, although I heard the other day it might be coming back.
I like AS, but it's a risky bet knowing they're going through some changes and haven't exactly committed a ton of resources to MCI. Their other routes are SFO, SEA, and SAN. Without any Virgin there's no way to get east...
I still fly a lot of WN, and often pay a premium to do so, for the full-sized jets and nonstop flights. Barbie jets and sitting around at ORD or DFW is something I avoid whenever I can. I still fly a little AA because of LT status, but it's mainly international or when I don't have any other choices.
I like AS, but it's a risky bet knowing they're going through some changes and haven't exactly committed a ton of resources to MCI. Their other routes are SFO, SEA, and SAN. Without any Virgin there's no way to get east...
I still fly a lot of WN, and often pay a premium to do so, for the full-sized jets and nonstop flights. Barbie jets and sitting around at ORD or DFW is something I avoid whenever I can. I still fly a little AA because of LT status, but it's mainly international or when I don't have any other choices.
I fly the UA E175 when I do go through SFO. Otherwise, it is usually WN to OAK.
Apr 15, 2018, 3:04 am
#95
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: RDU
Programs: SkyMiles
Posts: 5
I used to fly WN a lot until I figured out that DL is usually cheaper and has more options to where I usually go (RDU -> BUF). AA also has a lot of options for my usual travel. NOTE: Not a business traveller -- travel from RDU to BUF once every 1.5 months or so to visit family on a long weekend.
BWI is a great airport to connect through, but there isn't much there to deal with IRROPS in my experience. If something happens, I don't have many choices to reconnect.
Most recently, I was trying to fly to Buffalo the first weekend of March as a Nor'easter was about to bear down on the East Coast. I had booked on WN, but they cancelled on me around 12PM. I rebooked the first part of my round-trip on DL and was flying to JFK and then to BUF and got there on time. I was originally supposed to leave RDU around 6 and instead left on DL around 4, but the flights would have landed in BUF at about the same time (had a 2+ hour layover at JFK on DL instead of a 50ish minute layover on WN). WN was about the only one not landing planes in BUF -- trying to deal with positioning, I'm assuming.
AA has also done well by me -- problems at PHL? No big deal, routed through DCA or CLT. WN? "Well, we can probably get you on a flight the next day?"
Of course, this is all anecdotal about the two airports I usually go between -- RDU and BUF.
BWI is a great airport to connect through, but there isn't much there to deal with IRROPS in my experience. If something happens, I don't have many choices to reconnect.
Most recently, I was trying to fly to Buffalo the first weekend of March as a Nor'easter was about to bear down on the East Coast. I had booked on WN, but they cancelled on me around 12PM. I rebooked the first part of my round-trip on DL and was flying to JFK and then to BUF and got there on time. I was originally supposed to leave RDU around 6 and instead left on DL around 4, but the flights would have landed in BUF at about the same time (had a 2+ hour layover at JFK on DL instead of a 50ish minute layover on WN). WN was about the only one not landing planes in BUF -- trying to deal with positioning, I'm assuming.
AA has also done well by me -- problems at PHL? No big deal, routed through DCA or CLT. WN? "Well, we can probably get you on a flight the next day?"
Of course, this is all anecdotal about the two airports I usually go between -- RDU and BUF.
Apr 15, 2018, 2:39 pm
#96
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 4
I fly WN when the other airlines are only offering flights in small regional jets for the times and locations I need. Since the number of direct flights to and from my airport has been greatly reduced and the other two major airlines have been pushing more frequent regional flights to the nearest hubs (1-2 hours away) on small regional jets, I've been flying WN a lot more.
I take about 3 round trips a month for work and I will do anything to avoid flying on the CRJ-200.
I take about 3 round trips a month for work and I will do anything to avoid flying on the CRJ-200.
Apr 16, 2018, 9:10 pm
#98
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Programs: WN Nothing and spending the half million points from too many flights, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8,043
It has to be better than a Short 330. Oops. Just told my age.
Actually, I sort of liked it. If the winds were just right, you could look out the window and see where you were going, or from where you came, plus you could walk down the aisle without crouching. .
Actually, I sort of liked it. If the winds were just right, you could look out the window and see where you were going, or from where you came, plus you could walk down the aisle without crouching. .
Apr 17, 2018, 6:19 am
#99
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
I fly WN when the other airlines are only offering flights in small regional jets for the times and locations I need. Since the number of direct flights to and from my airport has been greatly reduced and the other two major airlines have been pushing more frequent regional flights to the nearest hubs (1-2 hours away) on small regional jets, I've been flying WN a lot more.
I take about 3 round trips a month for work and I will do anything to avoid flying on the CRJ-200.
I take about 3 round trips a month for work and I will do anything to avoid flying on the CRJ-200.
Apr 17, 2018, 10:16 am
#100
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Programs: WN Nothing and spending the half million points from too many flights, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8,043
None of the WN flights are on RJ's.
Apr 19, 2018, 11:53 pm
#101
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 49
Ease of changing and canceling flights is the main reason. And then when you start accumulating points, you want to keep doing it. Southwest was the only airline I flew for a solid few years. I managed to always get some free flights. And I always found myself changing plans and canceling flights too. Lack of hidden fees, like for checked baggage, is also nice.
Apr 20, 2018, 7:42 am
#102
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 67
I've been finding the same, especially on any route that requires a connection. Even out of HOU which is a relatively big WN airport, the fares just don't jive with fares I'm seeing from the other legacy carriers. I was pricing a trip to the Bay Area for the end of the month a couple days ago and the cheapest WN fare was a bit more than double the AA fare, and the AA fare wasn't even basic economy and was out of HOU, not even IAH. Go figure that one.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Southwest's marketing has done a great job at making people believe they're a low cost carrier when in reality, they're the same price if not more than the other non-LCC carriers much of the time. Obviously the math is dependent on how often you check bags that you otherwise would have to pay for, but on balance for me I'd say they've definitely become more expensive that UA/DL for me. Also since I travel alone the CP is irrelevant for me, but YMMV.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Southwest's marketing has done a great job at making people believe they're a low cost carrier when in reality, they're the same price if not more than the other non-LCC carriers much of the time. Obviously the math is dependent on how often you check bags that you otherwise would have to pay for, but on balance for me I'd say they've definitely become more expensive that UA/DL for me. Also since I travel alone the CP is irrelevant for me, but YMMV.
Apr 20, 2018, 9:19 am
#103
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SLC
Programs: DL PM, Hilton/Marriott Gold
Posts: 971
Ease of changing and canceling flights is the main reason. And then when you start accumulating points, you want to keep doing it. Southwest was the only airline I flew for a solid few years. I managed to always get some free flights. And I always found myself changing plans and canceling flights too. Lack of hidden fees, like for checked baggage, is also nice.
And calling a checked bag fee "hidden" is laughable. If anyone arrives at an airport in 2018 and is surprised that they have to pay for a standard checked bag, they should consider the $25 a penalty for being completely oblivious. But, if we want to talk about things being concealed, note that none of the EBCI ads mention you can pay $15 and still wind up with an undesirable seat because 2/3rds of the plane either preboarded, was a thru pax, bought BS, is A-list, paid for EBCI before you did, never mind you not being at the gate 30 minutes prior to departure (either by your tardiness or WN's).The OP asked why *Flyertalkers* would regularly pay more to fly WN. Regurgitating ad copy doesn't answer that question, because someone who regularly contributes on the boards will typically know enough about the airline market to understand that, in determining the value of a given airline's service & loyalty program, "free" things only matter if you intend to and are able to use them. Someone mentioned WN's generous change policy being a boon for business travelers, but my company will pay for the occasional checked bag, and expects me to buy plane tickets as soon as plans are reasonably firm, with the understanding that changes may be necessary and the company will occasionally have to eat the $200 fee. Where's my motivation to book with an airline that requires I be at the gate 30 minutes prior to realize any preferential seating benefits, doesn't offer any substantial food onboard, and may well still require a stop somewhere? If I'm late to the airport for a 6:30 pm flight because a meeting ran long, my options on WN are to either 1) change my flight to a later one, incurring a substantial fare difference over my advance purchase ticket or 2) compound the stress by being hungry and uncomfortable in seat 23E.
Apr 20, 2018, 9:53 am
#104
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SLC
Programs: DL PM, Hilton/Marriott Gold
Posts: 971
That trend isn't changing, btw. The E2 and C-series are growing in to the 737 size class, and are vastly more comfortable aircraft. WN, meanwhile, is committed to the 737 and only the 737 as long as the current management team is in place.
Apr 20, 2018, 10:32 am
#105
Join Date: Oct 2015
Programs: SWA CP, UA MP, Hilton G, SPG G
Posts: 69
Exactly, they are not low cost. My wife loves them and always wants me to check their prices when we fly somewhere domestic. They are definitely not the lowest in any way. We end up usually flying legacy carries as they are significantly cheaper. In fact, the only time Southwest was cheaper was when we used up all the RR points I had to fly to Denver 2 years ago Haven't booked them since as they have been more expensive to places like Portland, northern CA, FL, Chicago, DC area, and NY area (all from DAL).
but their prices aren’t.