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Felt mislead

Rhrconstruction
Explorer C

Been flying for years and since gas prices increased SW has bragged about 2 bags free but neglect to tell you that you won't be assigned a seat and it will be a circus rush starting 24 HRS before flight to hopefully get a decent place. Horrible policy since I see through the smoke and mirrors!!  You can get a better pkacement on seating if you pay. What's the difference in paying for bags and paying for a place in line?  Basically nothing!!  All a money grab by the airlines but at least the others tell you up front. I'm a business person so I have no problem with any of this except I wasn't told up front by airlines of policy and seems a little shady. Maybe when you advertise bags free there should be a disclosure that you won't be assigned a seat, you have to check in 24hrs ahead, and if traveling in a pair and want to guarantee a seat together you will need to pay additional fee and could possibly cost more than bag fee....

5 REPLIES 5

Re: Felt mislead

ohemgeejayde
Explorer C

Smiley LOL

Re: Felt mislead

CareforNOLA
Frequent Flyer A

@Rhrconstruction,

although you may have felt misled, Southwest has had “free-range boarding” for decades.  They have always bragged that it makes the boarding process go faster, and I find that the early bird fee (if one chooses to buy it) is less that the bag check fee on other airlines.  Many flyers want to buy their special seat, but I like the ability to move (if I get on early).  I encourage you to give them another try sometime.  Now that you are on this forum, you will find lots of people who are frequent flyers and like to give helpful tips to the newbies.  Safe travels, whatever you choose.

Re: Felt mislead

CareforNOLA
Frequent Flyer A

I thought I would post a follow up.  I went standby on a full Southwest flight last week as well as flying a competitor who shall not be named.  30 min to board SWA and 45 to board the other.  Less walking time and more sitting time, but I prefer the time to walk.  Because I was last to board the standby flight, I was on the last row - not my usual spot - so I timed the exit, and it was 7.5 minutes to empty the entire plane.  That tells me that it really does not make that much difference for exiting the plane regardless of where one sits (although it certainly feels like it when I have a connection).

I am a believer in the SWA "free-range" boarding process.  @Rhrconstruction, I hope you will see the entire package of SWA pros versus cons. 

Re: Felt mislead

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@Rhrconstruction wrote:

Been flying for years and since gas prices increased SW has bragged about 2 bags free but neglect to tell you that you won't be assigned a seat and it will be a circus rush starting 24 HRS before flight to hopefully get a decent place. Horrible policy since I see through the smoke and mirrors!!  You can get a better pkacement on seating if you pay. What's the difference in paying for bags and paying for a place in line?  Basically nothing!!  All a money grab by the airlines but at least the others tell you up front. I'm a business person so I have no problem with any of this except I wasn't told up front by airlines of policy and seems a little shady. Maybe when you advertise bags free there should be a disclosure that you won't be assigned a seat, you have to check in 24hrs ahead, and if traveling in a pair and want to guarantee a seat together you will need to pay additional fee and could possibly cost more than bag fee....


I don't think they are shady about it, the "open seating" is fairly well advertised. I'm certain that I've saved a ton of money with baggage fees and change fees by flying Southwest the past ten years, vs the competition. (Besides cheaper parking at Midway compared to O'Hare...)

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: Felt mislead

rtbarron
Frequent Flyer A

Southwest has had an "open seating" policy since at least 1976 when I took my first Southwest flight. I'm sorry that you felt mislead, but the open seating policy is not new and is definitely not shady.

I encourage you to give Southwest another try and you will see that they are truly better than the competition. To me, an assigned seat on an airline with miserable employees is much less desirable than any seat on a Southwest flight.