AOL Mystery Flyer: Southwest Airlines Report Card

[lreynolds]

No hot food, no pillows and blankets, and on some flights, no complimentary water. What's left? The one thing that can turn a long, meal-less coach flight from an ordeal to a joyride is...friendliness: helpful airline personnel and flight attendants with a positive attitude.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be traveling coast-to-coast on ten of our country's busiest airlines as AOL's Mystery Flyer. And I'll be looking to answer one really important question: Is there a price for nice?

to read more, visit: http://news.travel.aol.com/2010/05/13/aol-mystery-flyer-southwest-airlines-report-card/

[Anonymous1666]

I CAN'T SIGN IN TO SCHEDULE EARLY BOARDING FOR 5/22/2010 FLIGHT TO BURBANK , CA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[blusk]

I'm not sure exactly as to what you mean. Did you try to purchase Early Bird Checkin? That requires you to enter both your confirmation number and both the first and last names of one of the travelers in the reservation. The link is on the southwest.com home page. If you meant you tried to check in early, you aren't able to do that until 24 hours ahead of your flight's departure.

[markincolo]

A great review of a typical Southwest flight. (remember, great service is typical at Southwest) I disagree with the reviewer's 4/5 rating regarding bag check-in. He didn't need to be in the line to check bags. The gate agent perhaps assumed that he didn't fly much, so the agent helped him with the kiosk. Give him/her a 5/5 for that! A bit rushed? Maybe, but just trying to help the undercover flyer through the line so that those who needed to check bags could do so. He should have checked a bag, just so he could compare the bag check process at Southwest and at other carriers. Then he should have commented about the step that is eliminated at Southwest -- the one where you have to pull out your credit card and pay for checking the bag. Give Southwest a 6/5 on that one!

[Debbie_L_]

I went for an on-site interview at Headquarters. Rebecca Stone in the People Department was the bomb.com! She made me feel so comfortable and smiling the whole way. Give that girl a raise!!

[Marilyn_Dykes]

How do you become a mystery flyer?