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Southwest Airlines Community

Bye Bye Southwest..

coheng01
Explorer C

I'm a business traveler. Preferred A-List/Companion Pass holder for years. My First time back on a SWA flight in 13 months was last week (4-14/4-16)for a quick trip from BNA to Austin. Both planes (737-700 & 737-800) were packed - almost every seat taken. No social distancing, no spacing whatsoever. To me it matters. I see no respect for the business traveler that helped SWA grow. I'm done with SWA until either they find a way to help create the distancing I expect or COVID is over and done with with. I can only imagine how they'll pack the 737 MAX. I'll pay the extra money to buy an upgraded seat on Delta or American to avoid the cattle line on SWA flights. 

9 REPLIES 9

Re: Bye Bye Southwest..

bwallet
Frequent Flyer A

No airline is "social distancing" anymore. Okay, Delta is keeping middle seats open until May 1, but that's it.

 

If by upgraded seat, you mean buying first class tickets, go for it. If you can afford it or your employer will pay for it, I'd recommend it. American has the best domestic first class the last time I regularly got to fly domestic first class, but that was three years ago so who knows now.

 

My employer pays for business class seats internationally only, and most of my domestic travel these days is paid for by me (a weekly commute) so I'll be staying with Southwest most weeks. Please let me know how it goes. Three years ago, when I stopped flying American for Southwest, I was often in the 50's out of an upgrade list 80+ people, but with fewer business travelers these days, things might be different.

Re: Bye Bye Southwest..

jksobonya
Aviator A

Southwest stopped "blocking" middle seats back in December. For what it's worth, I've flown last August, October, December, and last week. Back in August/October the planes were barely 1/2 full. I had whole rows to myself at times. December things were a little better, and last week it almost felt like a normal flight again. Still not 100% full, but very close to it. 

 

There's no need to be socially distant while flying, especially when wearing a mask the whole time. It's been proven that COVID (or any germ, really) transmission on planes is virtually non-existent. 

 

And for the record, Delta and American aren't blocking seats anymore either. 

 

As for the "cattle line", since you are an avid Southwest flier you know how the A, B, C lineup goes, so that shouldn't be a reason to stop flying. In the early days of COVID last year Southwest made you board 10 people at a time, but that's been relaxed as well, as it should. If you're talking about deplaning, well, that's another discussion. Some people like getting up and getting into the aisles to get their stuff so they can get off the plane faster and not hold people up. To me it's not the big deal that people make it out to be.  

 

--Jessica

Re: Bye Bye Southwest..

gsking
Aviator C

If you're that worried about Covid, why haven't you gotten the vaccine? 

Re: Bye Bye Southwest..

dfwskier
Aviator A

@coheng01 wrote:

 No social distancing, no spacing whatsoever.  


I take responsibility for social distancing.my self

 

1) When the boarding que starts assembling I do not get in line. I wait near the door  and get in line as my approximate position passes.

 

2) In boarding I stay well behind the person in front of me,

 

3) When  deplaning I only stand up when the row two rows in front of mine starts moving. Then  I stay well behind the person in front of me as I exit. 

 

Try taking responsibility for your own safety. It's not difficult to do so.

Re: Bye Bye Southwest..

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@dfwskier wrote:

@coheng01 wrote:

 No social distancing, no spacing whatsoever.  


I take responsibility for social distancing.my self

 

1) When the boarding que starts assembling I do not get in line. I wait near the door  and get in line as my approximate position passes.

 

2) In boarding I stay well behind the person in front of me,

 

3) When  deplaning I only stand up when the row two rows in front of mine starts moving. Then  I stay well behind the person in front of me as I exit. 

 

Try taking responsibility for your own safety. It's not difficult to do so.


I did this before Covid 😂 If i'm in the A20's I just lurk off the end of the lineup and board at A30+ even if I had a somewhat better position, no reason to squeeze in there. especially if I had a large backpack and messenger bag or carrying the diaper bag. Or an infant. 

 

Same thing could be done in the A30-40-50 group just hang back and board last in that column.

 

 

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

Re: Bye Bye Southwest..

SWFlyer007
Aviator C

@coheng01 Thanks for opening up the middle seat for me on my next flight.  Just FYI, I've not seen many 1st class seats that are by themselves on other airlines, (but don't fly them either, just going by memory)  so there is still a chance you will be sitting by somebody and that there will be a gang up and exit mentality on those airlines too.  

Re: Bye Bye Southwest..

ZevSupport
Frequent Flyer A

Solid advice here! Safe travels!


Community Champion | PHL based | ex-Companion Pass Holder | Southwest Passenger

Re: Bye Bye Southwest..

ffflyer
Frequent Flyer B

I hear you. I paid extra for first class on United from the East coast to Las Vegas. Then United changed my nonstop to a connection through LAX. So I canceled United and bow I’m back to the flying Greyhound that SWA has become. 

Re: Bye Bye Southwest..

ipsedixit
Frequent Flyer C

Bye 

 

Enjoy United, Delta, American, JetBlue or whatever other airline that’s also no “social distancing”.