Southwest is a great option if you are flexible and want low prices. If you must have x, or y, or z, if you can't sit in *any* seat in a plane when the fare is hundreds less than other carriers, if you are not willing to occasionally wait the 15 or 20 minutes for checked luggage to arrive, etc - then you need to pay for your priorities and get on with it! My only peeve is that airlines (incl SW) do not plop everyone's carry on into the size gauge and make all the behemeth suitcases automatically be checked. SW has earned my loyalty for the bulk of my travel. When I have to have assigned seating, I go elsewhere.
... View more