Southwest Airlines

What's everyone opinion on Southwest. I have never flew before and I am getting R/T from D.C. to Orlando for $274.60. Is this a great deal?

we get our best rates through south west.....usually can hit chicago to FLL for 70.00 internet fare each way....though I am a bit dismayed that they dont have thier june schedule up yet it only goes thru may 10

I fly Southwest often, and I'm a stockholder, LOL... so obviously I think it's a great airline :D A little different from many other airlines, no assigned seating, which I actually like... the people who work for Southwest are great, you can't help but have a great time on their flights!!!!

We usually fly Southwest and have never had a problem. As mentioned above, the ONLY issue we've ever had is not being able to book very far out as they don't post schedules more than a few months in advance. For instance, we booked our 2/25 cruise 9 months ago and wanted to get our air reservations taken care of, but I held out until Southwest posted their February schedule (I think it was in October). Saved $400 over the next best rate I could get from other airlines!:)

I would also look into Jet Blue if they even service that market. While maybe not as low priced as southwest you get direct tv and a assigned seat not the cattle car experance you might not be looking for and the seats are more comfortable on jet blue

Aside from the fact that you can't pick your own seat - I LOVE Southwest. We've flown them a couple times and I will be back on them next month when we go to Vegas.

Southwest has the friendliest, most helpful flight attendants I've ever had. And the planes were roomy and clean.

I always check Southwest first when I fly anywhere. They are my favorite. :)

I would also look into Jet Blue if they even service that market. While maybe not as low priced as southwest you get direct tv and a assigned seat not the cattle car experance you might not be looking for and the seats are more comfortable on jet blue

I THINK the only FL routes from Dulles are West Palm Beach and FLL... at least last time I checked, they may have added more.

I would check airtran.com for prices also.

Airtran has always beat southwest prices by many $$.

With southwest-- checkin online as soon as 24 hours is there. get boarding passes A so you at least can sit all together. Waiting to check in at the airport you more then likly wont sit together for your flight

My husband thinks Southwest is the best airline. When we go to FLL for our cruise, he is flying on a FREE ticket and I am flying FREE on my Southwest companion pass. Can't beat that for a good airline price!

I'm a big fan of Southwest, and that's the airline we use most of the time. Their rates are almost always the cheapest for us. Some people don't like the "no assigned seat" thing, but that doesn't bother us. Lucy is right ~ they are a fun bunch to fly with. :)

Thank you guys I have also checked w/ Air tran and SW have beat their prices. I'm flying out of Dulles to Orlando

Thank you guys I have also checked w/ Air tran and SW have beat their prices. I'm flying out of Dulles to Orlando

Thank you guys I have also checked w/ Air tran and SW have beat their prices. I'm flying out of Dulles to Orlando

Southwest begins with the assumption that its passengers are primarily interested in low fares and on-time service and then its management and employees do everything possible to deliver on both.

Southwest does not make any long-hauls and so its fleet and routes are adapted to that: all its planes are 737s (so all its crews and mechanics are qualified to work on all its planes which is a great cost-cutter and time saver). On the one hand, you'll probably have to change planes (which is good since who wants to be cooped up in a 737 for more than two hours) at Love Field or McCarren. On the other hand, unlike the "legacy airlines," you won't get held up at those hubs while they scramble to find a pilot or a mechanic whose qualified to work some odd-ball plane that was picked up during some ill-conceived, debit-saddling merger in their past. And short hauls totally eliminate the need to provide any in-flight meals on any of their flights. (They do have beverage service.) You can forget about flying them to Hawaii, Alaska or Vancouver which sucks if you want to use them for catching up with Carnival Spirit.

As for the "service," you could say it doesn't exist but you'd be missing the point. Given that the flights are so short and the planes are so full, there's not much they can do except work as efficiently as possible. So instead of some smartly attired "stewardess" serving a gourmet meal, you'll have a flight attendant in shorts passing out pretzels. But, because the job security is so good and because of the corporate structure, you can feel that the employees actually seem to enjoy their work.

And their sense of humor is legendary.

Southwest used to be my first choice in flying...however, that has changed for several reasons....the main reason being their web site is totally behind all of the other arilines in that you can not book beyond May 10, 2007, and I just don;t think they are the best for the buck anymore.

My first choice now is Delta....clean planes, great service and the most reasonable prices, and the smoothest flights I have ever been on.

If I were you I would go with Delta.

Southwest begins with the assumption that its passengers are primarily interested in low fares and on-time service and then its management and employees do everything possible to deliver on both.

... and I just don;t think they are the best for the buck anymore.

But very often, they aren't the cheapest - and sometimes, not by a long way. They just make it hard for people to compare other carriers' fares with theirs, without doing a considerable amount of legwork.

Of course, it helps that they've "educated" their market to believe that they'll always be cheaper. So long as people believe that, and carry on booking them without checking, they'll be making shed loads of money.

I forgot to mention this is a R/T non stop flight from Dulles to Orlando for $274.60

Southwest used to be my first choice in flying...however, that has changed for several reasons....the main reason being their web site is totally behind all of the other arilines in that you can not book beyond May 10, 2007, and I just don;t think they are the best for the buck anymore.

 

My first choice now is Delta....clean planes, great service and the most reasonable prices, and the smoothest flights I have ever been on.

 

If I were you I would go with Delta.

Delta was so much higher in my area I mean like hundreds of $$$

Actually, a large part of Southwest's success is the perception of low fares.

 

But very often, they aren't the cheapest - and sometimes, not by a long way. They just make it hard for people to compare other carriers' fares with theirs, without doing a considerable amount of legwork.

 

Of course, it helps that they've "educated" their market to believe that they'll always be cheaper. So long as people believe that, and carry on booking them without checking, they'll be making shed loads of money.

AMEN!!!

Southwest out of PHX to NYC is almost $200.00 MORE than AA. And I end up in Islip, no first class, no assigned seats, more unruly kids than on AA, no priority check in or security line and have to sit in a 737 all the way to NYC. No Thank you. I absolutely detest SW-Greyhound of the Skies.

Delta was so much higher in my area I mean like hundreds of $$$

Thats too bad, I suppose they aren't the cheapest everywhere....But I still think they are much better than southwest.

I live in the Nashville TN area which is a main hub of southwest....they still are far from the cheapest here....delta is typically the cheapest at least from where we are.

With Southwest, people either love 'em or hate 'em. You won't know which you are until you try 'em.

As for best fares, you did not say when you were going, but have you checked on United? I saw April fares for less than $200. But it all depends on when you are flying.

You can check at farecompare.com and farecast.com for an idea of what fares are or will be. You can check at kayak.com or sidestep.com and check all airlines except Southwest at once. Good luck.

Southwest used to be my first choice in flying...however, that has changed for several reasons....the main reason being their web site is totally behind all of the other arilines in that you can not book beyond May 10, 2007, and I just don;t think they are the best for the buck anymore.

 

My first choice now is Delta....clean planes, great service and the most reasonable prices, and the smoothest flights I have ever been on.

 

If I were you I would go with Delta.

Please tell me you're kidding...or maybe you've never been stranded in Atlanta or Cincinnati...(I have - in both) thanks to "Eldta"...

LL

Southwest begins with the assumption that its passengers are primarily interested in low fares and on-time service and then its management and employees do everything possible to deliver on both.

Not true. Southwest (WN) has a number of policies that are definitely non-passenger friendly. Among those are huge restrictions on flying standby on an earlier flight. And as WN has grown, they have scaled back on their empowerment of employees with more and more "standardized procedures".

Southwest does not make any long-hauls and so its fleet and routes are adapted to that

I would assume you think you must be going trans-oceanic to be a "long-haul" - otherwise, wouldn't WN's service between PHL-OAK (2511 miles), PHL-LAX (2401), BWI-OAK (2447), BWI-LAX (2329) and BWI-SAN (2295) be considered long-haul. That Philly to Oakland flight has a scheduled time of 6 and 1/2 hours.

And I echo the statement of Globaliser -- WN has managed to convince the traveling public that they have the lowest fares for any airline. By not participating in GDS (Global Distribution Systems) for their reservations, comparisons require checking the WN website AND another resource. More often than you might think, WN is higher than other carriers.

For those that like WN, more power to you. Just know that there may be better options and it behooves all travelers to be well informed. Caveat emptor, as Julius Caesar's travel agent once said......

AMEN!!!

 

Southwest out of PHX to NYC is almost $200.00 MORE than AA. And I end up in Islip, no first class, no assigned seats, more unruly kids than on AA, no priority check in or security line and have to sit in a 737 all the way to NYC. No Thank you. I absolutely detest SW-Greyhound of the Skies.

I must be looking at the wrong websites... for example, I just checked a RT from PHX to Islip NY on Southest in May for $188. The same dates on AA from PHX to JFK cost $329.60 (cheapest fare). Two of the legs on AA were turboprop toy planes. At least all legs on SWA were on a Boeing 737.

Looks like more than perception to me...

LL

Thats too bad, I suppose they aren't the cheapest everywhere....But I still think they are much better than southwest.

 

I live in the Nashville TN area which is a main hub of southwest....they still are far from the cheapest here....delta is typically the cheapest at least from where we are.

The best thing about Dealta is that they can't declare bankruptcy for another seven years...

JMHO (Do I sound bitter?) :cool:

LL