As I told a SW rep in a letter recently, "I'm all in". Like many others on this thread, I'm a stock holder, rapid reward member, rapid reward VISA card holder and LOYAL Southwest traveler. My first thought after reviewing the new policy, which is being introduced very shorty before it's being put into play by the way, is take your free bags and shove them. Southwest is caving in, I guess this may have something to do with a smoother merger with the Air-Tran reward program, but I wouldn't even know if AirTran has such a program b/c I fly LUV 98% of the time. This is a blow to the "little guy", the normal person who travels occasionally, plans ahead and flies regionally. You were different and now you will be just like the other clutter of American and Us Air, were customers complaining that JoeBlow#1 got as many RR credits for going to San Antonio from Houston as JoeBlow#2 did going from Albany to San Diego? I Believe not !!! It was easy and simple end of story. Besides needing a calculator and CPA to figure all the new numbers and algorithms needed, it's easy to see you are squeezing out the regular traveler and trying to create first class seats on your fleet when you will never really have them. Your regulars know how to play the Southwest game. You have the Business guys lined up in A1-A5 all ready to go grab those "perfect economy seats" , but when their plane arrives at the gate 22 passengers are flying through and are allowed to change seats after the crew gets an accurate head count and before A1-A5 and rest of new passengers are allowed to board. HA so when they come on and are amazed that their emergency row and rows 1-3 are filled they realize why we all love or should I say LOVED Southwest. I guess you guys will change this practice next !!!
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