Big changes to Southwest Airlines

[mcsangel2]

Jul 25, 2024 10:36:39 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

I never fly southwest but when my flight got canceled this week it was an option we considered. But my partner said hell no cause he heard about the madness of boarding. I assume it’s a business decision to make more money that they’re doing this? Wasn’t there also info that came out that their computer software was super duper old? I wonder if that’s been fixed/upgraded or if that’ll have any affect.

According to a CNN article the other day, SW wasn't affected by the CrowdStrike fiasco because they run on Windows 3.1. Which came out in 1992.

[escrow]

Jul 25, 2024 11:46:02 GMT -5 mcsangel2 said:

Jul 25, 2024 10:36:39 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

I never fly southwest but when my flight got canceled this week it was an option we considered. But my partner said hell no cause he heard about the madness of boarding. I assume it’s a business decision to make more money that they’re doing this? Wasn’t there also info that came out that their computer software was super duper old? I wonder if that’s been fixed/upgraded or if that’ll have any affect.

According to a CNN article the other day, SW wasn't affected by the CrowdStrike fiasco because they run on Windows 3.1. Which came out in 1992.

CNN doesn't know shit.

[tamarindy]

I’m wondering if this announcement was timed to get the FAA investigation kicked off the front page. After the near misses and the incident in Tampa the other day, it doesn’t look good. My colleague’s sister was on that flight and said she thought they were all going to die.

[aurora]

Very interesting. I don't fly SW very often because I have status on United but I've always felt like the SW service was good and didn't hesitate to choose them if the schedule was better. I do prefer getting to choose my seat ahead of time though so I like this.

People, though. Some of the stories in this thread!

[pinkplasticdoll]

Jul 25, 2024 9:29:36 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Jul 25, 2024 9:24:13 GMT -5 erbear said:

I’m here for this. I liked southwest open boarding until the pre board got out of control. Then it became a hassle if you were traveling with even one other person and wanted to sit together, let alone 4. I like the predictability of having an assigned seat.

YES! I was going to say this too. Everyone and their dog started preboarding. I'm struggling to word this because there are absolutely people who should be able to preboard, but the increase in the amount of people doing it seems very suspect.

I saw the term "Jetway Jesus" used a lot to describe those people who were suspect for preboarding. They would need help boarding then walk off fine. 

[pinkplasticdoll]

I have flown SW since I was a kid because my dad worked for them and we had buddy passes. I have always had good experiences with SW until last year when I got a smartass attendant, I remained calm and professional but did leave me with a bit of "wtf was that" experience because it was new to me. Anyway, we fly them because the airport is very passenger friendly to arrive and depart from, bags fly free and we had the credit card with companion passes. Open seating never bothered me but now I am not sure how it will play out when we fly with the family. All of this being said I am not sure how this will go but hopefully it works out!

[Mushe]

I hope this speeds up the process! I’ve seen so much fuckery lately that it seems overdue. We fly Southwest a lot, and on our last flight my husband paid for the upgrade and had A1-4. We got the dirtiest looks from a guy who was standing in the A1-5 grouping when we tried to join him there, and he was trying to go ahead of us. I get that within the band it shouldn’t matter, but he was a real dick about it so my husband pushed past him. 🤪 When we boarded even as A1, we had to go back about a dozen rows to get to an empty one.

[katfco]

We rarely fly, but when we do, it's almost exclusively Southwest. I've enjoyed their free bag and open seating policy. While the 24-hour check in can be annoying, I like that for the most part, it's not about how much money you're willing to pay to guarantee a decent seat. Plus, boarding often seems easier because it's more orderly. The "pre-boarding" is out of hand in every airline.

[dish2501]

I love SW. Midway has so many SW flights, and with 5 people flying, the bags fly free is key. I don’t want to pay for seats, so I hope they do have some free ones.

I also saw the Jetway Jesus thing. Hilarious but true

[Vespasia]

BWI is a major SW hub so I fly them a lot. I actually kind of prefer the open boarding policy but I usually fly alone or with MH and we do not care about sitting together.

It seems like every time I board a plane with assigned seating either someone is in my seat or there's at least one other person in the wrong seat holding up boarding as they recheck their ticket, check the seat number, gather up all their stuff, etc.

With assigned seats. I wish they'd go back to boarding the rear to the front rather than with boarding groups based on your ticket class like so many airlines do now. It feels like you have just as many people jamming up the front of the plane while boarding as they do on SW. 

I've flown out of New Haven a few times recently and they actually load from both the front and the back based on row because you have to walk out to the plane anyway. They even have two lines when your ticket gets checked that funnels you to the right walkway. It's so much quicker but I know it wouldn't work at most larger US airports. 

[Michelle]

Jul 25, 2024 9:07:25 GMT -5 Patsy Baloney said:

Southwest flights have felt pretty feral for me these past few times I’ve flown. Folks are just fighting about everything and generally unpleasant.

I’m a fat passenger, so flying is *the worst* on a good day. I’ll be glad to be able to choose my seat in advance instead of agonizing about window or aisle seat availability so I don’t exist too much for the person next to me.

I don't know if you're aware, but on SWA (at least for now), you can purchase a second seat as a person of size, and then when you check in, they will give you credit for the amount of your second ticket. Then you get a special card to put on the seat next to you so you and others in your row can be comfortable. 

When i used to need it, it was very handy, and I'd generally sit by the window to rest my arm in the extra window space (instead of the aisle to get bumped by the cart).

And then the next time I flew I'd use points for miles and that credit for the extra seat - i just kept using and getting refunded the extra seat amount in my account over and over.

I hope this benefit doesn't go away. With assigned seating, it could allow you to still do that and maybe they can put two people of size in the same aisle so they both share the spare seat. And/or you won't have to fight people who actually try to sit there, explaining, "no, i purchased that seat too."

[gt7301b]

I love Southwest because it is so easy to change my flight if I need to. I hate the fact that with other airlines it costs a gazillion dollars if you need to change your reservation.

[TR]

Jul 25, 2024 15:01:06 GMT -5 gt7301b said:

I love Southwest because it is so easy to change my flight if I need to. I hate the fact that with other airlines it costs a gazillion dollars if you need to change your reservation.

Isn't it just the difference in fare for all of the airlines now? I haven’t paid a change fee since before Covid.

[mofongo]

Jul 25, 2024 15:02:54 GMT -5 TR said:

Jul 25, 2024 15:01:06 GMT -5 gt7301b said:

I love Southwest because it is so easy to change my flight if I need to. I hate the fact that with other airlines it costs a gazillion dollars if you need to change your reservation.

Isn't it just the difference in fare for all of the airlines now? I haven’t paid a change fee since before Covid.

My difference in fares are always like $600-$800, last time it was cheaper to repurchase the flight I wanted. It worked out b/c I was in first, and as we were arguing first for the new flight sold out, so I got to go in economy for no “fee”. It was absurd, I could see the prices of both flights, they were full of shit.

[picksthemusic]

Alaska lets you choose your seat for free unless it's an upgrade to Business Class or First Class. They also charge extra for the Exit row. But otherwise main cabin is free to choose your seat as long as it hasn't been taken already.

[InBetweenDays]

Jul 25, 2024 17:34:04 GMT -5 picksthemusic said:

Alaska lets you choose your seat for free unless it's an upgrade to Business Class or First Class. They also charge extra for the Exit row. But otherwise main cabin is free to choose your seat as long as it hasn't been taken already.

Well, you can opt for the saver fare and then you don't get to choose your seat. But I don't think that fare is available on all flights.

[kellady]

Ok,  I have a question to make sure I’m not gaming the system   My H has a medical condition that qualifies him for pre board.  He must keep his medical bag with him.  I usually just board with him.  In each instance we have flown since this happened, we have paid to purchase assigned seats, so I’m just going with him.  Should I be waiting and going separately?  I don’t want to be the person everybody hates.  
On the last trip we took (we got back last week) I had pre arranged a wheelchair for him but I had to use it due to an accident on vacation.  

[pixy0stix]

Jul 25, 2024 18:52:10 GMT -5 kellady said:

Ok,  I have a question to make sure I’m not gaming the system   My H has a medical condition that qualifies him for pre board.  He must keep his medical bag with him.  I usually just board with him.  In each instance we have flown since this happened, we have paid to purchase assigned seats, so I’m just going with him.  Should I be waiting and going separately?  I don’t want to be the person everybody hates.  
On the last trip we took (we got back last week) I had pre arranged a wheelchair for him but I had to use it due to an accident on vacation.  

You're fine. People on southwest are preboarding to get seats towards the front of the plane because it's open seating.

[basilosaurus]

Jul 25, 2024 9:43:42 GMT -5 wildrice said:

Jul 25, 2024 9:35:27 GMT -5 TR said:

It sounds like the plan is similar to other major carriers. Where many of the seats will be free to choose, but this gives them the option of charging more for seats with more legroom or toward the front of the plane.

Hmm, I think most carriers only let you choose a seat in advance if you pay for it! Otherwise they'll just randomly assign you one when you check in. US carriers, at least - I think some international ones still let you select free seats.

Though obviously I haven't flown on every airline out there, so there may be exceptions!

I obviously don’t fly domestic, but all my regional carriers charge for absolutely everything. It’s worse than in the us. They’re sticklers about keeping under the 7kg hand luggage limit, too, weighing before you go through security. That 7 total.

I’ve not had free seat selection across maybe 5 regional carriers plus a short but international Air France flight. I honestly don’t remember the 3 big long haul middle eastern airlines since I travel solo. I request aisle and almost always get it. Regional flights are only 1-2 hours so it really doesn’t matter, but people still will pay for food and early boarding. I know they’re paying because rewards programs are either non existent or basically worthless.

Sorry, pixy but front loading is still rampant everywhere. There are so many ways to pre board and early board. I can be in the first group and the plane is already half filled by the time I board. I do find a direct correlation between how much I’ve paid and my boarding group and better seat assignments. I have no idea if swa would do that behind the scenes calculation. It’s just another way of making you pay for everything.

[basilosaurus]

Jul 25, 2024 11:46:02 GMT -5 mcsangel2 said:

Jul 25, 2024 10:36:39 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

I never fly southwest but when my flight got canceled this week it was an option we considered. But my partner said hell no cause he heard about the madness of boarding. I assume it’s a business decision to make more money that they’re doing this? Wasn’t there also info that came out that their computer software was super duper old? I wonder if that’s been fixed/upgraded or if that’ll have any affect.

According to a CNN article the other day, SW wasn't affected by the CrowdStrike fiasco because they run on Windows 3.1. Which came out in 1992.

while cnn shouldn’t have reported this because it’s not true, swa did bird note a message saying they’re on Commodore 64 so have no issues. Lol. Obviously that’s in jest, so cnn is pretty incompetent to run with that message

[ECB]

Jul 25, 2024 11:30:56 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Jul 25, 2024 11:16:42 GMT -5 escrow said:

I work for SWA. This is a good thing. A-listers spending money to board first but when there are 40 people pre-boarding that seriously diminishes the value of that "perk". Same thing with early bird. The pre-boarding and seat saving has become out of control. I know many people who love the open seating, but more who wish it wasn't such a cluster.

I have noticed the last few times I've flown I've been in the high Bs or low Cs even checking in at exactly 24 hours before.  LOL  When I travel for work I pay for early bird, but yeah it does seem like there are too many priority boarders.  Last time I flew there were only a few of us left after pre-boarding haha

we’re on a trip right now and flying SW and this is the problem with their method, and i suspect they realize it! We got B3,4,5 for our flight out and DH said that getting A is pretty much impossible now - unless you pay.

I like SW and am glad they are changing.

[ECB]

Jul 25, 2024 18:52:10 GMT -5 kellady said:

Ok,  I have a question to make sure I’m not gaming the system   My H has a medical condition that qualifies him for pre board.  He must keep his medical bag with him.  I usually just board with him.  In each instance we have flown since this happened, we have paid to purchase assigned seats, so I’m just going with him.  Should I be waiting and going separately?  I don’t want to be the person everybody hates.  
On the last trip we took (we got back last week) I had pre arranged a wheelchair for him but I had to use it due to an accident on vacation.  

no, you aren’t gaming. FIL uses a wheelchair and the one time we flew with him - one person could board with him, so DH did. DS and i waited.

It was all fine.

[dancingirl21]

We have flown SW in the past and my Type A personality really loathes the free for all seating. This was years ago, though, and not that many people pre-boarded.

We exclusively fly United now because DH is a 1k member, so we get priority boarding, free bags, and economy plus seating. As long as he keeps status every year, we will fly United. They are also a hub at O’Hare, so we can fly plenty of places without connections.

DH took 150 flights last year and the stories he can tell. Families of 10+ people all trying to pre-board with grandma in a wheelchair is pretty frequent. He said usually the gate agent gives them a big no to that, but sometimes they let them go.

I truly believe you see people’s true character at an airport.

[basilosaurus]

Jul 25, 2024 12:58:51 GMT -5 pinkplasticdoll said:

Jul 25, 2024 9:29:36 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

YES! I was going to say this too. Everyone and their dog started preboarding. I'm struggling to word this because there are absolutely people who should be able to preboard, but the increase in the amount of people doing it seems very suspect.

I saw the term "Jetway Jesus" used a lot to describe those people who were suspect for preboarding. They would need help boarding then walk off fine. 

That's hilarious. Also, it's not new. Back in the 90s, when my mom was a travel agent and a woman I babysat for was a flight attendant, they called the snowbird flight from NYC to Ft Laud the miracle flight. So many people that needed wheelchairs to board miraculously regain the ability to walk upon landing. Both directions.

[wildrice]

Does anyone know if airlines accommodate people with disabilities who need a particular type of seat, without an upcharge? My sister flies exclusively SW and is worried because she needs a window seat - she has a feeding tube and can't have people climbing over her and getting caught on it and pulling it out. She is also extremely broke due to her disability so although she doesn't fly often, it is sometimes necessary. Will she have to start paying more to pick a window seat?

[wanderingback]

Jul 26, 2024 8:07:17 GMT -5 wildrice said:

Does anyone know if airlines accommodate people with disabilities who need a particular type of seat, without an upcharge? My sister flies exclusively SW and is worried because she needs a window seat - she has a feeding tube and can't have people climbing over her and getting caught on it and pulling it out. She is also extremely broke due to her disability so although she doesn't fly often, it is sometimes necessary. Will she have to start paying more to pick a window seat?

Each airline has their own policy to follow for ada requests. Generally you don’t have to pay more for window seats but she should still follow the airlines policy about how to go about ada seating requests so that her seat doesn’t get changed.

[AdaraMarie]

I am bummed about this a little. I don't fly often, but when I do it is usually alone with a high boarding number and I like having some control over who I sit next to even if it is almost always a middle seat. Even when I had to change my flight 2 hours before takeoff.

[wanderingback]

Jul 26, 2024 16:27:19 GMT -5 AdaraMarie said:

I am bummed about this a little. I don't fly often, but when I do it is usually alone with a high boarding number and I like having some control over who I sit next to even if it is almost always a middle seat. Even when I had to change my flight 2 hours before takeoff.

Wait, how did Southwest no seat assignment give you control about who you sat next to?

[AdaraMarie]

Jul 26, 2024 21:08:33 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

Jul 26, 2024 16:27:19 GMT -5 AdaraMarie said:

I am bummed about this a little. I don't fly often, but when I do it is usually alone with a high boarding number and I like having some control over who I sit next to even if it is almost always a middle seat. Even when I had to change my flight 2 hours before takeoff.

Wait, how did Southwest no seat assignment give you control about who you sat next to?

When walking onto a mostly full plane I have been able to pick among remaining middle seats and avoid people who look pissed off at my existence or creepy looking dudes. It's not a lot of control but it's something.