Southwest Airlines

I am looking at booking a one way ticket from Seattle to Detroit after our cruise. I have read some not so good things about Southwest Air recently.

Our flight has a stopover in Atlanta with only 40 minutes to make our connecting flight onto Detroit. If I am reading things correctly, I understand that Southwest does not assign seats, and you pick your seats when boarding the plane? Is this correct? Would you book a flight with them with only a 40 minute stopover and that is without any delays. Would you book this flight?

I am looking at booking a one way ticket from Seattle to Detroit after our cruise. I have read some not so good things about Southwest Air recently.

Our flight has a stopover in Atlanta with only 40 minutes to make our connecting flight onto Detroit. If I am reading things correctly, I understand that Southwest does not assign seats, and you pick your seats when boarding the plane? Is this correct? Would you book a flight with them with only a 40 minute stopover and that is without any delays. Would you book this flight?

Yes, because it's after your cruise not before. ;)

You pick your seats based on your boarding letter and number. This is given out when you print your boarding pass 24 hours before. You will be give a boarding letter and a number. A is best B is still OK so it will look something like B22 (you are the 22nd person in line in group B ). Even if you can't print you must find a way to check in on-line then print at the airport. On our return trip if we have a sea day my husband's business partner does it for us.

Southwest doesn't do a lot of overbooking like some airlines. If you have a ticket you get on. You might get the dreaded middle seat and 2 people might not get to be together but that's not the end of the world.

We love Southwest. They have happy employees!

I certainly would like to know where you read unfavorable things about Southwest Airlines. According to the most recent data (February 2014) released by the US DOT, Southwest had the second best record for fewest complaints (0.51 per 100,000 enplanements). https://cms.dot.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/2014AprilATCR.pdf

I have flown SW airlines many times and the staff is always friendly. The prices are great, sometimes amazingly so. It is a no frills airline, but flights are almost always on time.

Another Southwest lover here...not sure what you mean by no frills?

- SW allows 2 free checked bags vs. $25-50 per bag on the legacy carriers

- SW gives you peanuts or crackers with your free beverage as opposed to most of the legacy carriers where you have to buy the snack- sure there are only 12 peanuts in that bag but at least they are free!

- True, SW doesn't have first class or premium economy but unless you are a road warrior (I'm not anymore) and therefore automatically get upgraded or have lots of money to spend (I wish!) then that isn't a frill that most of us care about.

-a frill I do care bout is the ability to change my flight without a fee or cancel a flight without a fee....those are frills that I don't know any other carrier offers!

Another Southwest lover here...not sure what you mean by no frills?

 

- SW allows 2 free checked bags vs. $25-50 per bag on the legacy carriers

 

- SW gives you peanuts or crackers with your free beverage as opposed to most of the legacy carriers where you have to buy the snack- sure there are only 12 peanuts in that bag but at least they are free!

 

- True, SW doesn't have first class or premium economy but unless you are a road warrior (I'm not anymore) and therefore automatically get upgraded or have lots of money to spend (I wish!) then that isn't a frill that most of us care about.

 

-a frill I do care bout is the ability to change my flight without a fee or cancel a flight without a fee....those are frills that I don't know any other carrier offers!

Hit a high enough level with the legacies and believe me, they will change your flights without charge when you need them to.

I am looking at booking a one way ticket from Seattle to Detroit after our cruise. I have read some not so good things about Southwest Air recently.

Our flight has a stopover in Atlanta with only 40 minutes to make our connecting flight onto Detroit. If I am reading things correctly, I understand that Southwest does not assign seats, and you pick your seats when boarding the plane? Is this correct? Would you book a flight with them with only a 40 minute stopover and that is without any delays. Would you book this flight?

We have flown Southwest many times and love them.

A couple of things about Southwest that might help you decide:

You can book what they call the "earlybird" option. After you book your flight you can purchase the early bird option- what that means is Southwest will "pull" your reservation 36 hours before your flight and assign you a boarding position at that time. This is especially important as you are flying after a cruise and may have limited access to check in online while still on the ship. If you don't purchase the earlybird, you get access to check in at 24 hours before the flight, and don't get a boarding position assigned until you do check in. So early bird gets you checked in and a better boarding position. We feel it is definitely worth the extra $12.50 each.

Also, Southwest seems to have all the gates they fly into and out of close together, so you will probably be very near where you have to be for your connecting flight. You won't need to collect your luggage, just need to get yourself to the next gate. We had just over an hour between connections earlier this month and had tons of time - a forty minute connection would have been easily done.

Another thing about Southwest - their customer service people have always been great to deal with. I have called them several times when I have had questions or concerns and they have always been helpful and co-operative.

Also, their website has lots of info about how they run their boarding, how earlybird works etc.

Add in their no-change fees policy, 2 free bags and their welcoming crew and we feel you have a winner.

You might want to look at Alaska Airlines.

They are just starting a new route SEA - DET. They have some good sales going on right now to promote the new routes.

Another thing you should do: Check to see if your connecting flight originates at ATL or someplace else. It can have a big bearing on what seats you can get when you board. I had a case of two where I had a "B" card for the connecting flight and ended up in a dreaded middle seat because very few people deplaned at the connecting airport.

The advice to check Alaska is a good idea; they are having a price war with Delta right now and are adding more routes to directly compete with Delta.

Another thing you should do: Check to see if your connecting flight originates at ATL or someplace else. It can have a big bearing on what seats you can get when you board. I had a case of two where I had a "B" card for the connecting flight and ended up in a dreaded middle seat because very few people deplaned at the connecting airport.

 

The advice to check Alaska is a good idea; they are having a price war with Delta right now and are adding more routes to directly compete with Delta.

This. Also if they begin to board before you get to the gate, even if you have an "A" you might still find yourself in the middle seat of the last row.

Hit a high enough level with the legacies and believe me, they will change your flights without charge when you need them to.

Since when and what airline? My husband is a 1K million miler on United and I am a 1K and I can assure you that we are charged change ticket fees. The only exception is a change the day of the flight to another flight that day.

Hit a high enough level with the legacies and believe me, they will change your flights without charge when you need them to.

That may indeed be the case for very frequent flyers but methinks that if the OP was one of those, they wouldn't be looking at Southwest but trying to figure a way to use points.

Another thing you should do: Check to see if your connecting flight originates at ATL or someplace else. It can have a big bearing on what seats you can get when you board. I had a case of two where I had a "B" card for the connecting flight and ended up in a dreaded middle seat because very few people deplaned at the connecting airport.

true, I always try to take a flight that orginates at "my" airport

 

The advice to check Alaska is a good idea; they are having a price war with Delta right now and are adding more routes to directly compete with Delta.

Still say southwest is a good airline and I would book it if I was the OP

Since when and what airline? My husband is a 1K million miler on United and I am a 1K and I can assure you that we are charged change ticket fees. The only exception is a change the day of the flight to another flight that day.

I'm an AA EXP and the angels at the Admiral's Club have changed flights for me quite a few times with no change fee. The EXP desk will do it once in a while for free. Regular reservations-not a chance.

This. Also if they begin to board before you get to the gate, even if you have an "A" you might still find yourself in the middle seat of the last row.

BIG problem at Terminal 4 Phoenix because so many of the planes are continuations from another airport. Another reason I refuse to fly WN.

Since when and what airline? My husband is a 1K million miler on United and I am a 1K and I can assure you that we are charged change ticket fees. The only exception is a change the day of the flight to another flight that day.

The Chairman's desk at US has made changes for me a couple of times without charge. It's not something they publicize, but if you ask nicely, they will usually do it.

That may indeed be the case for very frequent flyers but methinks that if the OP was one of those, they wouldn't be looking at Southwest but trying to figure a way to use points.

 

 

 

Still say southwest is a good airline and I would book it if I was the OP

Most top tiers only use miles for long haul upgrades.

I'm an AA EXP and the angels at the Admiral's Club have changed flights for me quite a few times with no change fee. The EXP desk will do it once in a while for free. Regular reservations-not a chance.

Exactly.

Our flight has a stopover in Atlanta with only 40 minutes to make our connecting flight onto Detroit

Okay, maybe this is a dumb question, but is a 'connecting' flight automatically a change of planes?

If you don't change planes, you don't have to worry about the time frame. :)

Since when and what airline? My husband is a 1K million miler on United and I am a 1K and I can assure you that we are charged change ticket fees. The only exception is a change the day of the flight to another flight that day.

When I was a UA 1K I also never got a free flight change either, unless the original flight was cancelled :). And, I ask very nicely and also bring chocolate. Perhaps other airlines are more lenient?

After reading positive postings yesterday, I went ahead and booked with Southwest. I'll rate it after our flight. We are leaving 1 day after our ship gets back into Seattle, so no rush to get to the airport on that day. I was just concerned with our connecting flight in Atlanta being 40 minutes apart, so without further input yesterday I gladly paid the $12.50 pp early bird check in fee. A great price for our flights indeed. Thinking positive as we have never flown Southwest before.;)

Okay, maybe this is a dumb question, but is a 'connecting' flight automatically a change of planes?

A connecting flight is transferring from one flight number to another flight number. It usually involves a change of aircraft, but not necessarily. For example I was on connecting flights from BOS-DFW//DFW-SNA. Arriving at DFW they announced the connecting gate to SNA was the same gate (different flight #). I spoke to the FA who confirmed it was the same aircraft. However since the cabin crew was changing, we could not stay on board. (Passengers can't be aboard an aircraft without FA's for safety and security reasons).

A "Direct" flight is a flight number, usually with one or more intermediate stops. A change of planes and gates may be involved too. When that happens, there's really no practical difference from a connecting flight.

"Nonstop" is self-explanatory, but often confused with Direct. All nonstops are direct, but most direct flights aren't nonstop. The two terms have distinct meanings in the airline biz, and asking for a direct flight instead of nonstop could cause unwanted results.

Hope this all makes sense.

For example I was on connecting flights from BOS-DFW//DFW-SNA. Arriving at DFW they announced the connecting gate to SNA was the same gate (different flight #). I spoke to the FA who confirmed it was the same aircraft. However since the cabin crew was changing, we could not stay on board. (Passengers can't be aboard an aircraft without FA's for safety and security reasons).

Happens to me a lot on United to from Boise and the Hub airport. Same metal sometimes same number and a lot of time change in flight crew so I have to exit and reboard.

First time flyer on Southwest...Please help me understand...you can checkin 24 hrs prior to departure and get a boarding # (zone) and get (print out) a boarding pass then you can only select your seats once on the plane ?

First time flyer on Southwest...Please help me understand...you can checkin 24 hrs prior to departure and get a boarding # (zone) and get (print out) a boarding pass then you can only select your seats once on the plane ?

You board in order of your boarding number, and take whatever available seat you want. The boarding number is not a zone like other airlines, but a unique number for each passenger.

... you can checkin 24 hrs prior to departure and get a boarding # (zone) and get (print out) a boarding pass then you can only select your seats once on the plane ?