Travel: The most expensive airline is about to charge even more..

dorndawg

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Sep 10, 2012
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Aknowledging their "$59 flights" are bullshitt, why are they the most expensive airline?

I do generally like that SW doesn't try to upsell me at every turn, but I do greatly despise open seating on an airplane. Or anywhere, really.
 

LOTRGOTDAWGFAN

Active member
May 23, 2022
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Aknowledging their "$59 flights" are bullshitt, why are they the most expensive airline?

I do generally like that SW doesn't try to upsell me at every turn, but I do greatly despise open seating on an airplane. Or anywhere, really.
the problem is that their cheap flights are to the absolute worst destinations in the country: JFK to Topeka or Miami to Flynt, Michigan or ATL to Waco or New Orleans to Gary, Indiana....i mean seriously or worse, DCA to Newport News, Virginia.
 
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Xenomorph

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Feb 15, 2007
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Aknowledging their "$59 flights" are bullshitt, why are they the most expensive airline?
Only SWA can answer that.

Edit: For example.. last night I booked a flight for late August for MEM -> CLE.

American was $285. The BEST price I could put together on Southwest was $340. And anything other than horrid connection times was over $500.

I use them occasionally but 9/10 times they are ridiculously more expensive for me.
 
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dorndawg

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Sep 10, 2012
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Only SWA can answer that.

Edit: For example.. last night I booked a flight for late August for MEM -> CLE.

American was $285. The BEST price I could put together on Southwest was $340. And anything other than horrid connection times was over $500.

I use them occasionally but 9/10 times they are ridiculously more expensive for me.
That's interesting. In my experience, I'd say they're the less expensive option 75% of the time versus American/United/Delta
 

dorndawg

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Sep 10, 2012
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Yep… the only incentive I have to book SWA is to maintain A-List where if you fly 20 legs a year you get to board A 1-15. Pretty easy to do if you fly a lot.

That’s a pretty sweet deal.
Agree, but it does make me wonder how this will run up against them now having assigned seats, which I'd assume will be in what is typically the front of the plane where the low A's tend to choose.
 

Seinfeld

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Nov 30, 2006
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Aknowledging their "$59 flights" are bullshitt, why are they the most expensive airline?

I do generally like that SW doesn't try to upsell me at every turn, but I do greatly despise open seating on an airplane. Or anywhere, really.
That crap is the worst. If it was as simple as assigning people to 5-6 groups and then letting each group board the remaining seats one at a time, it might be ok, but the way that they line everyone up into little pods is ridiculous.

Oh, my ticket says B13 so let me find that spot. Well, there are ten people crowded into that area so I guess I’ll have to ask them all whether I should be in front or behind them. Sir, are you B13? No, I’m B11 but I can’t get up there. Ok, ma’am, are you B13 or B14? Huh? I don’t even know what that means, and I’m just in line. Holy moly…
 

ZombieKissinger

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May 29, 2013
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They used to be cheaper for me when I lived in the South. When I moved west they were about $100 more expensive for most flights except if they had a direct that none of the typical airlines did. Even then, could usually get something on Allegiant or Frontier way cheaper… just not as many days to choose from
 
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dorndawg

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Sep 10, 2012
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That crap is the worst. If it was as simple as assigning people to 5-6 groups and then letting each group board the remaining seats one at a time, it might be ok, but the way that they line everyone up into little pods is ridiculous.

Oh, my ticket says B13 so let me find that spot. Well, there are ten people crowded into that area so I guess I’ll have to ask them all whether I should be in front or behind them. Sir, are you B13? No, I’m B11 but I can’t get up there. Ok, ma’am, are you B13 or B14? Huh? I don’t even know what that means, and I’m just in line. Holy moly…
Unethical Life Pro-Tip: Within reason, the gate attendants don't give a solitary shitt what group/boarding zone you're in. One does run the risk of incurring the wrath of fellow-travelers, but if you've got a 35 minute layover at DFW and have to switch Terminals, sometimes you do what you've gotta do.

Situations like this is where dressing decently, moving confidently, and being polite can take you places.
 

horshack.sixpack

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Oct 30, 2012
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And they can't make the change until they make adjustments to their seat layout. i.e. scrunch up all the other rows to make more room in the premium rows. What other industries have a value proposition wrapped around making the general experience so terrible that people will pay to get a marginal experience? There's something screwed up about the whole industry.
 
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horshack.sixpack

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Oct 30, 2012
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Unethical Life Pro-Tip: Within reason, the gate attendants don't give a solitary shitt what group/boarding zone you're in. One does run the risk of incurring the wrath of fellow-travelers, but if you've got a 35 minute layover at DFW and have to switch Terminals, sometimes you do what you've gotta do.

Situations like this is where dressing decently, moving confidently, and being polite can take you places.
Southwest gate agents were scanning tickets and sending "cheaters" back to their correct spots last time i flew them ~1 month ago
 
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jethreauxdawg

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Dec 20, 2010
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If you book southwest as soon as the flight opens for booking, they are usually the cheapest. A month out, not gonna get the cheap fairs.
 
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horshack.sixpack

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Oct 30, 2012
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You've clearly never rented a car, signed a cable tv agreement, or been to Las Vegas
Speaking of which, last rental car experience, had a full size car "reserved". I arrive after many delays:

Alamo: "Would you like to upgrade to an SUV?"
Me: "No."
Alamo: "Are you willing to drive an SUV?"
Me: "I prefer the full sized car."
Alamo: "Can we upgrade you to the SUV and provide gas credit to offest the mileage difference because we don't have any full sized cars."
Me: "Sure"
Alamo: "We are discounting you X amount and don't bother filling up before you return it."

They 100% wanted me to agree to an "upgrade", and pay more, because they didn't honor my original reservation.
 

horshack.sixpack

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They kinda looked like their embarrassment at being caught was just barely registering about their pissedoffedness

ETA: it probably didn't help that they were right in front of me and just moments before I had tried to ask them what their boarding number was (they did not share) to make sure I wasn't cutting in line...
 
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Xenomorph

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Feb 15, 2007
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If you book southwest as soon as the flight opens for booking, they are usually the cheapest. A month out, not gonna get the cheap fairs.
Maybe Memphis just sux for Southwest. I know I have to go to Miami in early December.

The only way I MIGHT save money with SWA is if I absolutely have to check a bag… which I never do.


IMG_8241.png

IMG_8240.png
 

SyonaraStanz

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Mar 5, 2010
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I go with the cheapest flight every time, and I fly SWA nearly every time. Their tickets are cheaper, and they don’t charge for checked bags. I have been flying out of New Orleans lately, though.
 

patdog

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May 28, 2007
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What's the hurry to get on a plane just to sit for 30 minutes?
Never understood that. I want to be last on the plane. Of course, I'm either checking my bags when I get to the airport or at the gate. Why would I want to lug that thing onto a crowded airplane and cram it into an overhead bin?
 

Villagedawg

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Nov 16, 2005
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Speaking of which, last rental car experience, had a full size car "reserved". I arrive after many delays:

Alamo: "Would you like to upgrade to an SUV?"
Me: "No."
Alamo: "Are you willing to drive an SUV?"
Me: "I prefer the full sized car."
Alamo: "Can we upgrade you to the SUV and provide gas credit to offest the mileage difference because we don't have any full sized cars."
Me: "Sure"
Alamo: "We are discounting you X amount and don't bother filling up before you return it."

They 100% wanted me to agree to an "upgrade", and pay more, because they didn't honor my original reservation.
They know how to take the reservation. They just don't know how to HOLD the reservation.
 

17itdawg

Active member
Sep 30, 2022
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Only SWA can answer that.

Edit: For example.. last night I booked a flight for late August for MEM -> CLE.

American was $285. The BEST price I could put together on Southwest was $340. And anything other than horrid connection times was over $500.

I use them occasionally but 9/10 times they are ridiculously more expensive for me.
In my experience with Southwest, if you're flying out of one of their hubs it's cheaper. If it isn't one of their hubs, there are other options that cheaper.
 
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