I have always been a champion of the SWA business model. I appreciate the low-cost transportation to domestic destinations, great aircraft, and well-timed flight plans. I judge my personal spending decisions like I do for those for my company ... I ask myself "is this the best value?" Not necessarily the lowest cost, but the best value prevails. And for the vast majority of the time, SWA was the best value, particularly since I could leverage the Rapid Rewards Dining Program.
However, after reading the ongoing discourse between Mr. Smith and SWA over the last 48 hours, I decided that SWA is no longer the best value for my family and I. Today, I booked tickets on a competitor airline for our annual Disney vacation. I am of above average height for a woman and a bit more than average sized (a woman's size 18 on a 5'9" frame), and my husband is a bit more "fluffy" than the average 5'6" man. I had horrible nightmares last night that my family would be denied boarding onto our flight to Disney based upon my husband or my size ... even though it had never been a problem before. The mental image of my children crying in an airport because mommy was too fat was disconcerting - to say the least.
Rather than risk a potentially disastrous start to what should be a week of magic for our family, I chose to book our tickets with another airline. At this juncture, they're a better value even with their charges for luggage. Why? Because I have yet to read of that airline's blatant and inequitable application of their policies and procedures.
I do hope that, in the future, SWA returns to their previous state. I hope that, someday, I can make them my airline of choice for both business and personal travel again. However, it will be a while until you earn back my family's business.
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