Southwest Airlines: Yes Southwest Airlines offer you a free 50 pound bag and one carry on. Then you discover if you ever expect to get a seat with who your are traveling with you have...

Pixelmaster Loc: New England

Yes Southwest Airlines offer you a free 50 pound bag and one carry on. Then you discover if you
ever expect to get a seat with who your are traveling with you have to get an Early Bird boarding pass.
That cost $25 each way so on a round trip it is $50 per person. Then even with your Early Bird boarding pass you have handicapped people, family boarding, frequent fliers and active duty military who get on ahead of you. By the time you get on board half the seats are already full. Last time we were in Baltimore Airport the gate attendant said we were flying to Pittsburgh when everyone else knew the plane was going to Albany, NY. On connecting flights you may want to get a hamburger in the terminal to hold you over. That will cost you $19 plus what ever you wish to wash it down with. But don't worry once your in your cramped seat on the plane Southwest will hand you a small drink and a one ounce bag of pretzels with the note on it that says "Just because we care about you". The problem with people like me is we can remember when flying was for people and airlines never thought of them like cattle.

FrumCA

Pixelmaster wrote:

Yes Southwest Airlines offer you a free 50 pound b... (show quote)

Sounds like you had a bad flight recently with SWA. I don't have those problems when flying with them. I rarely buy an Early Bird pass I get my ticket early enough to get into group A or B. I've never had a problem getting an aisle seat or having a traveling companion sit next to me when boarding in either of these groups. I concede that connecting flights can be a bit problematic at times. And paying for early boarding passes is common practice with all airlines that offer them so that's a wash. I hope your next flight is better!!

dick ranez

Here's an easy solution - fly another airline and buy a first class ticket. May cost a little more but it will do wonders for your attitude.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Just a suggestion, Drive. You will get a lot more photo ops on the road than even sitting in first class on American or United.

If this is just a rant about SW Airlines, I feel your pain. For me, I retired 22 years ago and have not got on airplane since. If I can't go by car, train or boat I just don't go.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

dick ranez wrote:

Here's an easy solution - fly another airline and buy a first class ticket. May cost a little more but it will do wonders for your attitude.

I flew business class when I traveled to Ecuador and it was great - all except for the crying baby in the seat right in front of me on the way home. Ugh!

shangyrhee Loc: Nashville TN to Sacramento CA

Despite of all those peeves I still think it is better than other airlines. Shang

artBob Loc: Near Chicago

FrumCA wrote:

Sounds like you had a bad flight recently with SWA... (show quote)

I have had the same experience, printing our boarding passes 24 hours before flight time, being in the A or B line to board, and getting an isle seat across from my wife every time. Also, it seemed like there was more leg room than on the usual United or American flights I take. I certainly would fly them again.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

I have never had a bad flight, a bad experience, bad attendants, or trouble finding two seats together on Southwest. I can see how the seats might be a problem if checking in late, but I don’t do that.

Southwest is my go-to airline when it’s available.

FrumCA

artBob wrote:

I have had the same experience, printing our boarding passes 24 hours before flight time, being in the A or B line to board, and getting an isle seat across from my wife every time. Also, it seemed like there was more leg room than on the usual United or American flights I take. I certainly would fly them again.

FrumCA

jaymatt wrote:

I have never had a bad flight, a bad experience, bad attendants, or trouble finding two seats together on Southwest. I can see how the seats might be a problem if checking in late, but I don’t do that.

Southwest is my go-to airline when it’s available.

fetzler Loc: North West PA

I try to drive whenever possible especially when the distance is under 800 mi or so. With advanced planning I have found flying domestic first class is not so expensive on some fights and is much more comfortable.

Maybe the the airlines could just shackle us in a standing position so as to get even more folks into the plane. Issuing orange jumpsuits would complete the experience. HI HI

Blair Shaw Jr Loc: Dunnellon,Florida

Pixelmaster wrote:

Yes Southwest Airlines offer you a free 50 pound b... (show quote)

YOUR LIFE IS GOOD........don't outlive your Money !

osoblancophoto Loc: Venice FL

artBob wrote:

I have had the same experience, printing our boarding passes 24 hours before flight time, being in the A or B line to board, and getting an isle seat across from my wife every time. Also, it seemed like there was more leg room than on the usual United or American flights I take. I certainly would fly them again.

Same here. Southwest is my go to airline when available... And they have the absolute best frequet flyer program of all carriers.

EdJ0307 Loc: out west someplace

Pixelmaster wrote:

Yes Southwest Airlines offer you a free 50 pound b... (show quote)

I think this rant should be posted in General Chit-Chat. Looks like the poster just slapped an airplane picture in his thread so it would qualify for the Photo Gallery section. And I doubt it is even his picture, just something he found on the internet.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

Since most places I go SW doesn't fly, I really appreciate SW's 2 Free Bags! After paying $40 or $30 per bag on other airlines, I don't mind paying the $20 early-bird fee on SW. And I do it not because I want to be the first one on the plane, but because I can't always do the check-in in advance and that does it for me.