Southwest Airlines Community

Since Kevin bought 2 seats, Southwest should have checked whether there are at least 2 seats available before allowing him to board standby (if the 2 seats are not contiguous, they should reseat some passengers so 2 empty seats would be contiguous). This is a major error on Southwest's part to allow him to board standby when 2 empty seats were not available. I understand why overweight customers are required to buy 2 seats, but it would be more than fair not to charge outright for the 2nd seat, but to hold a space on the customer's credit card for the cost of the 2nd seat (similar to what car rental companies and hotels do). If the flight is not overbooked, the hold should be released. If an oversale occurs, only then should the passenger be charged for the 2nd seat. This would eliminate the need for an overweight customer to initiate the process of applying for a refund and having to wait to be reimbursed for the cost of the 2nd seat. I am somewhat overweight but fit in one seat comfortably, and understand the discomfort if I have to share my seat with someone of large width. Please consider modifying your systems to allow for a customer of size to buy 2 seats, be charged only for one seat, and placing a hold on the customer's credit card for the 2nd seat. ... View more

Will this require installing galleys on your planes? I would welcome food being sold on Southwest, but I'd be disappointed if fares increase despite charging for food due to the costs of retrofitting planes. Now that some flights are relatively long, it would be nice to be able to buy meals onboard. ... View more

The LC Smith terminal sure looks like a dump. Amenities such as restaurants and waiting areas were sparse. Seemed that the building maintenance was poor. Especially compared to the Northwest terminal which opened in 2002. The LC Smith terminal especially got worse after the 9/11 attacks, and thereafter security lines extended well into the lobby. Apparently the 50's layout wasn't designed for today's security. It was my only disappointment when flying Southwest (or any other airline except Northwest, for that matter) to Detroit. I am happy that I can arrive to a much better terminal when I visit Detroit next time on SWA. ... View more

Congratulations on 3 years of DING! Great way to find last-minute low fares. There is some room for improvement though. How about offering DING as text messages? Send a list or at least an indication that new DING fares are being posted so we can get to a computer as soon as the fares are released. A DING! version for the Iphone would be useful too, since the Iphone can display regular websites. Please pass this on to your IT department. This can increase revenue to Southwest! DING! should exist on portable platforms since not everyone is at a computer all the time. ... View more

These restrictions can be a major inconvenience to me, since I am used to carrying on everything in one bag on most of my trips. I wear contacts and am concerned that my contact solution would be taken away if I carry on my luggage. Yes, medicines are an exception to the rule, but will the TSA agents understand that contact solution is a necessary medicine for contact lens wearers? And contact solution is generally not sold in containers of 3 oz. or less, so I wouldn't be able to carry it in a ziploc bag. Apparently liquid medicines in containers over 3 oz. have to be declared, and that would be a hassle. ... View more

Kansas City airport is the most people-friendly airport there is, at least as far as major cities go. There is less than 100 feet from the airport entrance to the gates. Security lines move very quickly as there is a checkpoint for every four or five gates. As far as Kevin's comment, bathrooms have been built in many of the gate areas, including all of Southwest's. So there is no more bathroom problem if you are waiting for another flight! But all the restaurants are still outside security, so if you are hungry, you've got to go through security again. There are a few small concession stands past security though, which sell beverages and sandwiches, so you can take them on the flight with you. And when you exit the plane, the corridor is only a few steps away, so your family and friends can wait just outside it (which is outside security). It is a great airport if Kansas City is your arrival or destination city, but not that good if you are connecting since you need to go outside security to eat or buy a book/magazine/newspaper. But not to go to the bathroom! ... View more

This is a great start for Southwest to expand its business. It's about time that restrictions at Love Field are lifted. But legislation involves compromises, so at least all parties agreed on this. Love Field is quite small and even if all Wright Amendment restrictions are lifted immediately, service outside the Writght Amendment area would be very limited anyway. But it would be likely that more states would be added to the Wright Amendment area. I'm quite happy that Missouri has recently been added to the area, making it very inexpensive for me to fly from Kansas City to Dallas. It would be great if all restrictions were lifted immediately, but through ticketing alone to points beyond the Wright Amendment area will be a great benefit to all airlines serving Love Field currently. Especially since 9/11, it has been very inconvenient to have to buy 2 tickets and have to exit security to claim baggage and recheck it for the second flight. ... View more

Very touching story. It shows how Southwest went "above and beyond" to help stranded customers even in a city where it doesn't fly to. Come to think of it, there just might be a demand for Southwest to fly to a city in Western Michigan, such as Grand Rapids or Kalamazoo. It would be a great convenience for customers in the area who currently have to travel to Detroit or Chicago to take advantage of Southwest's legendary fares and service. And the Southwest Effect would dramatically lower the high fares to fly to and from these cities. If Southwest was able to help customers this well in a city they don't fly to, imagine what it could do in a city they fly to! ... View more

I am a loyal SWA customer and fly it whenever possible, even if there is an intermediate stop to my destination and there is a nonstop flight available on another airline. I especially like the changes to Rapid Rewards that allow flight credits to be valid for 2 years instead of just one year, and that there are no blackout days. But open seating is Southwest's "signature", and is better left alone. Personally I like being able to choose my own seat, so how about allowing customers to choose seats in advance, for a fee similar to other airlines? This would allow customers who want to reserve a seat to do so, and other customers can choose their own seat. Customers who chose seats in advance can preboard after the special needs passengers but before the A group. If they arrive too late, they should lose their seat assignments but allow the assigned seat fee to be credited to their next SWA flight. I feel this would be the best of both worlds, allowing customers to choose seats in advance or on the plane. But I am opposed to mandatory assigned seat selection by SWA though. Allowing customers this choice would be a great innovation for Southwest! ... View more

I've heard that Southwest is looking into the possiblity of assigned seats and international flights. It looks like they are backing away from their roots! Personally I think that Southwest should continue its policy of not assigning seats. I like being able to sit at any seat I want. And it simplifies boarding since passengers don't need to look for their assigned seats. Why fix what is not broken? If you don't like this policy especially because you are travelling with family members, you should get to the airport early so you can have a wide variety of seats to choose from. It is great to embrace technology, but you should stick with your basic business strategies that have made Southwest a consistently profitable airline. As for international flights, Southwest should seriously look into it, but should not expand too quickly too soon. It would be great if Southwest started to serve Canada since fares are ridiculously high there. And since passengers can pre-clear immigration before departing the US, it would be operationally feasible. ... View more