Southwest vs JetBlue

We are flying PWM to FLL. Both airlines pretty much have the same price for tickets so I am just wondering if one is better than the other?

We are flying PWM to FLL. Both airlines pretty much have the same price for tickets so I am just wondering if one is better than the other?

All in how they operate, one bag free or two? Seat assignment or not? Pay for extra leg room or not even have the option? Both offer pay for earlier boarding..

What else, Boeing or Airbus??

Heck some people like those Blue chips jet blue serves....

We are flying PWM to FLL. Both airlines pretty much have the same price for tickets so I am just wondering if one is better than the other?

Depends entirely on how you define "better." What is important to you?

Getting there ;) and cheap, but both are going to run us just under $600 for both of us. Sitting together is a bonus.

We flew JetBlue last time and didn't mind it so maybe we should just stick with what we know.

If all costs are equal, choose JetBlue. They have advance seat selection and seatback tvs.

Jetblue for me, hands down. Specially when prices are about the same.

We flew JetBlue last time and didn't mind it so maybe we should just stick with what we know.

What you know is changing, unfortunately. JetBlue is reducing legroom (seat pitch) to add more seats, while adding new fees that are on par with other airlines. There will be a "menu" of various services that will be bundled into various fare tiers. JetBlue is still good but look at air travel sites so you know what service cuts and new fees are being introduced.

http://time.com/money/3595360/jetblue-fees-legroom-hate/

If I book now and luggage is included can they charge at a later date?

One more consideration to add to what has been mentioned so far concerns the cost of making a change. With Southwest there is no additional fee to make a schedule change or take advantage of a fare reduction, while jetBlue now charges $75.

I usually get the lowest tier of airfare and it looks like most extras with southwest are for the pricier tickets.;)

Now we are looking at the fact southwest will get us in to FLL hour earlier. That might tip the scales :)

Getting there ;) and cheap, but both are going to run us just under $600 for both of us. Sitting together is a bonus.

Now we are looking at the fact southwest will get us in to FLL hour earlier. That might tip the scales :)

So the price is about the same, but with Jet Blue you can book seats together ahead of time, which you said is important, and with Southwest you can arrive an hour earlier which is obviously important to you, given your comment.

But let me ask you this: If getting there a mere one hour early is important, I have to wonder..... are you flying in the same day your cruise departs? If not, I can't imagine why one hour either way makes a huge difference. If you are, then there is a whole other factor you need to consider, and that is what options are available on either airline in the event that your scheduled flight has an issue and is either canceled or delayed to the point that you will miss the cruise? In other words, how many flights does each have scheduled after yours that would still get you to your destination in time to make the ship? Are other connecting itineraries available that would get your there in time? If either airline has limited options from your home airport and the other has a significantly higher number of potential options, that would make my decision very, very easy!

We are flying in the day before. We don't really have any extra time in Florida other than our pre cruise day so an hour is just more time to experience some warm weather. ;)

Also, unless Jetblue has changed this policy also, they don't overbook flights so you don't have to worry about getting bumped

Also, unless Jetblue has changed this policy also, they don't overbook flights so you don't have to worry about getting bumped

I would be curious how many people on this whole site have ever been involuntarily bumped...I imagine it's tiny. Very tiny.

I would be curious how many people on this whole site have ever been involuntarily bumped...I imagine it's tiny. Very tiny.

I agree. The only time I've been bumped, it was voluntary.

Also, unless Jetblue has changed this policy also, they don't overbook flights so you don't have to worry about getting bumped

Sorry....not the case. You can be bumped from B6. Less likely than most airlines but still possible.

From the US DoT report on air travel (page 34 of the report, page 35 of the PDF), in 2014, JetBlue had 2006 voluntary denied boardings and 650 involuntary, for an IBD rate of 0.22 per 10,000 passengers.

Interestingly, the airline with the highest number of IDBs was Southwest. It also looks like they have the highest ratio of IBD to VDB....their offers to volunteers must be lousy.

Lots of interesting data for those interested in such stuff.

Also, unless Jetblue has changed this policy also, they don't overbook flights so you don't have to worry about getting bumped

An oversold flight isn't the only reason pax get bumped. It can also happen if there's a last minute equipment change to an aircraft with fewer seats, or a piece of equipment on the plane (such as a seatbelt) is found to be inoperable and can't be immediately fixed or replaced. I don't know what the likelihood of any of these reasons would be, just pointing out that there are reasons one can be bumped besides an oversold flight.

Sorry....not the case. You can be bumped from B6. Less likely than most airlines but still possible.

 

From the US DoT report on air travel (page 34 of the report, page 35 of the PDF), in 2014, JetBlue had 2006 voluntary denied boardings and 650 involuntary, for an IBD rate of 0.22 per 10,000 passengers.

 

Interestingly, the airline with the highest number of IDBs was Southwest. It also looks like they have the highest ratio of IBD to VDB....their offers to volunteers must be lousy.

 

Lots of interesting data for those interested in such stuff.

A couple weeks ago they offered $200 voucher for LAS-MCI. My wife and I just laughed.

This statistic can bounce around a little from quarter to quarter or year to year. For example, in 2012, jetBlue led the industry with a miniscule 0.01 involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/airline-report-names-best-worst-2012/story?id=18904919.

As I recall, a few years before that they went the entire year with NO involuntary denied boardings.

What you know is changing, unfortunately. JetBlue is reducing legroom (seat pitch) to add more seats, while adding new fees that are on par with other airlines. There will be a "menu" of various services that will be bundled into various fare tiers. JetBlue is still good but look at air travel sites so you know what service cuts and new fees are being introduced.

 

http://time.com/money/3595360/jetblue-fees-legroom-hate/

IMO, JetBlue (once our favorite airline) is becoming just like any other airlines. It is no longer low cost and the last 2 times using JB our flights were cancelled and not due to weather:confused:. Last Sunday in Ft.Lauderdale JB cancelled 3 flights to JFK. It was so bad, most people could not get booked on a flight until the next day. Customer service was horrible. They need to step back, regroup and bring back the original JB that so many loved:(

We ended up booking neither. Went with Air Canada. There was only $100 difference in price to fly from home vs traveling 5hrs to Portland. This is factoring in a park and fly and gas that we won't need here.

The dollar is just so bad right now :(

We ended up booking neither. Went with Air Canada. There was only $100 difference in price to fly from home vs traveling 5hrs to Portland. This is factoring in a park and fly and gas that we won't need here.

 

The dollar is just so bad right now :(

In a world where cheapest rules over everything else, it's nice to see somehow weigh their time and effort and put a dollar amount to it. It's often worth it to pay $100 more to save a lot of hassle.

I've booked myself on B6 for the first time, lived in NYC for a year and somehow it's my first trip with them! Found a great deal on Mint to LAX which was about 30% cheaper than my initial choice which was AA in J on the A321 and seating wise it's far superior. Have managed to pre-assign the suites both ways. Am rather looking forward to it, I have to say!

For us it's a journey from the moment we leave the yard. We don't get to travel (and away from the short folk) very often.

Normally if I could save $100 I would, but the savings is $100 Canadian which makes it only $70 US. ;)

Plus that long drive from Portland back home is just awful!!