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A New Look for southwest.com

cbarrett1
Explorer A
Starting today (Monday, January 15), you will see a new look on our primary web site, southwest.com. All of the most popular booking features are right there on the home page. With a single link, you can access Book a Flight, Check-In Online, Check Flight Status, and View or Change Your Flight. In addition, you have clear access to your MySouthwest account from the new home page, and because Southwest is all about low fares, our new "Fly For Less" page will allow you to find the most up-to-date specials. If you are interested in the latest news about Southwest (and I am guessing that most of you are since you read our blog), visit the "What's New" page. We have also revamped the menus at the top of the home page so you can easily find more Special Offers, Rapid Rewards information, and Travel Tools. We want the home page to belong to you, and the page will feature photos from our Customers and Employees. As a big fan of this blog and having read most of our Customer letters over the past almost 36 years, I know how creative you are, and now, southwest.com offers you the opportunity to contribute your favorite Southwest travel photos. Please stay tuned to the site for details. Like any innovation, the new southwest.com is the result of a lot of hard work by our Marketing and Technology Employees, and you have had a hand in the redesign of the site. We used your feedback, along with surveys, focus groups, usability tests, and web site reviews to incorporate a design that features what you value most: improved ease of usage and quick access to the information that you need the most through a simplified layout. If you haven't done so yet, take a gander at the new southwest.com, and while you are there, why not take advantage of our low fares by booking a fun trip to a new destination?
73 Comments
Robert_Perino
Explorer C
Sorry Annette, I cant wait until Feb 8 maybe, to make my reservations. I have already seen 2 airlines raise the price of the flights I need by over $100 above what I can get now on AA. I will be needing 7 tickets so I will buy from AA on Tuesday if your new schedule is not up by then.
Ryan18
Explorer C
It's pretty good but I miss the old site using the listboxes rather than the drop down menus. Faster and less fustrating than having to pick through 7 clumsy drop down menus like all the other airlines. I'm glad to see it's still there though when you press the "Book Travel" link at the top. Also I miss how the old site used proportional widths and would fill up my whole window, the new design leaves quite a bit of odd looking white space on both sides when viewed at 1280x1024. Maybe if the "activity" bars were more like tabs revealing an area taking up the full screen width, there'd be room for the awesome listbox style date/city picker. Have to say the old design looked while not a shiny, more like Southwest. Simple, easy, fast, no frills. The new design looks a lot more like other airlines.
Ben6
Explorer C
Today is 1-22 and still no booking past 5-10-07. Bill, wake up, my man. Provide some service to customers on the schedule. We're not talking much here, but the month of May needs to be planned for us. We have to secure time off of work, etc. We need to work in a bunch of RR tickets, with potential availability issues, etc. I need to know this. Apparently, Southwest no longer cares about its customers. My RR visa is up for renewal and I think I am going to call and cancel it. I have these RR tickets I can't seem to use because you won't open the schedule up and some expire 5-27. Bill, I gotta know now......shoot, I guess I will cancel it. That means a bunch of my business will probably go back to Alaska Airlines again.....your loss, but you and Colleen dropped the ball on me. Very, very disappointed.....
Ron_Coker
Explorer C
I must echo the complaints and dismay of many others regarding the current May 10 cut off for reservations. I've desired to book travel for June and July for almost two months and have just booked the flights through other airlines because I can't wait as fares are rising and I require several tickets. I seriously doubt Bill will have a reasonable explanation for the "method to SWA's madness". SWA is certainly giving me and several others a method to our madness.
James2
Explorer C
i don't mind the scheduleing much. it would be different if they let it go until 14 days or something prior to the current cutoff date of May 10th before they expand it. they're planning on extending that cutoff date in early february? that means that you have 4 months between the current cutoff date and when they're going to change that. some people are too pushy to plan thier things. i am waiting to plan things this summer but i can wait a month. southwest is that good. and prices are going up on other airlines but they will come back down between now and then if you're talking about a flight for the summer. and for those memorial day trips, if you know you're going and it just depends on price for which airline, then why can't you still take the days off work? and you shouldnt need to give more than 4 months in advance to take days off work. a month tops. so cut the bull
James2
Explorer C
not to mention the scheduleing allows southwest to keep their prices lower and steady because they can adjust prices minorly in periods for fuel and things. it may be something that keeps the prices down where they are people. be careful what you wish for
Juli
Explorer C
I'm sorry James - I have to disagree with you. As many fellow SWA travelers have stated above, the current flight schedule leaves quite a bit to be desired. I and countless others have flown SWA and were HAPPY with our experience, which is the reason we keep coming back to fly again. However, when the customer is the focus and so many of the customers are clearly unhappy with the limited schedule, one would think there would be more of a push to change it. It isn't just the time off of work (which can be a consideration). It is also coordinating family schedules if you have a large group traveling (as a lot of others have stated above), as well as making additional reservations with hotels, cruise lines, etc for the remainder of your trip. Considering the date given by Bill of February 8th is TENATIVE, we are all playing a waiting game at the moment. (Which in my case, in the two months I have been "stalking" the flight schedule, other airlines have increased their flights at least $100-150/seat). Waiting another 2+ weeks could mean paying an additional increase in competitorÃ
Angie_B_
Explorer C
HEY Bill - We are patiently (somewhat) waiting for your Blog entry !
James2
Explorer C
I understand that people do want to just get their plans done and over with so they don't have to worry about them. If you're looking at plane tickets for the summer, they should go down again even though they're going up right now. And yes I realize too that the date of Feb. 8th is still in limbo, but i don't think it will be much longer than that. And yes god help me if I'm wrong. I'm not saying that I don't wish completely that Southwest had access for us to the entire year or even until the end of the summer already. But still even for a large group travelling, or family arrangements, 3+ months should be more than enough time to have that. I still feel that the few reasons that Southest does this is because of a few things. It makes it easier for them to add new routes (specifically thinking of more flights from one point to another). They are getting how many new planes? Like two per month? So therefore they can take a little extra time and anazlyze the routes and expand things without popping them in there. Also like I was saying previously, it's one of the reasons they can keep their prices steady and fairly low. Other airlines have access for an entire year to date, or at least until the end of the calender year. But their prices go up and down every day. Southwest's prices stay flat. And you can expect them to keep about the same prices as they already have. Still be careful what you wish for because if you want them to expand their booking until say the end of the year, they may raise prices a little bit in advance to make room for fuel prices to rise again if they do. I just don't see the huge deal. You'd still have at least 3 months to give for advance to your employer or family or whoever. I too am planning a trip. The tickets that I've looked at on the other sites have rose about 140 dollars per seat. But I know that they will come down again. They raise them and drop them all the time. It's a mind game. They raise them so that you think the seats are going, or that they won't ever come back down. That way they can get more money for them. In reality they're just raising them to scare you. By reading most of your comments, I feel like most of you are buying into it. I don't want to argue, but think about what I'm telling all of you. Seriously think about it. I hope southwest does expand pretty soon though until the end of August hopefully, because I like anyone else, even though it may seem differnent, am very anxious to plan and see. Just have to relax for a bit. Have a great day and vacations everyone.
Robert_Perino
Explorer C
James, I dont care about the schedule and ticket prices for July, August etc, just May! They have had that cutoff date up for way over 2 months now. This is the longest I have ever seen them keep the cutoff unchanged. When you are trying to take 7 people to the same place at the same time and have them stay at the same facility and get connecting rooms co-ordinate local travel etc, you need some leadtime. Besides, its on a computer. If they decide to make a change after they post it, they can, simply by hitting a few keys. All businesses make changes on their sites all the time. Even SW does because I have seen their rates change even when the cutoff does not. So lets just get this done. They must have some reason we have not been told for this delay. Where is Bill in this?
James2
Explorer C
3 months should still be enough time to plan this. I imagine you know when your only window is. When you want to go. Why does southwest posting thier schedule right now matter all that much? There is a post now explaining the scheduling. And yes it is computerized. And they do lower fares..Called sales. But I'm talking about route changes. If they were to introduce another route at the beginning of the year, do you think they want to have to post it for the entire year? If they think it might not do so good. Something like that. People should relax a bit and realize that they also do this because of demand. So many of you want to plan and do this and buy, they're giving everyone a jump on the summer. some people dont even think of summer or memorial day plans until march or april. i know a lot of you dissagree with me but it's how it is. relax. if you don't like it, give up your right to fly southwest, and go fly another airline.
Cheryl_Zibell
Explorer C
We have digs at SpruceCreek Flyin in Florida also a farm in Kansas. We fly SWA exclusively. Flight 2112 and 810. I had polio as a child and use crutches, slowly. On Jan 22, 2112 MCO-MCI I was in pre-boarding in a wheelchair because its easier than walking and backing up passengers. Along came Capt Joseph Bratton. and pushed me down the jetway!. I was impressed. Just load and go, and don't worry about whose job responsibility it is. Not only does he fly the plane, he helps the passengers!. I have a friend going FLL-MCI twice a month. I have told him about SOUTHWEST. He struggles through Atlanta, gets routed through Dallas, Minneapolis. etc. Finally gave him one of my RapidRewards tickets. I think he got the message. Also have Florida neighbors going back and forth STL DAB. Tried to talk them into SOUTHWEST to MCO, Gave them my next Rapid Rewards so think they got the message. A few years ago my husband had a spinal tumor and needed immediate surgery. We were ready to head back to Florida. I called Reservations and got Angela in OklahomaCity. She graciously handled everything and assured me things would be fine. I told her I was about ready to binge on a bag of M&Ms. She likes almonds and I like peanuts. I got the biggest bag on M&M almonds and sent them to "Angela" at Southwest reservations.. She got them and sent a pair of Southwest luggage tags, which look great on my hotpink crutches. Thank you to all the wonderful people we meet on Southwest. Cheryl Zibell JBlev25353@aol.com Topeka, Ks.
Bonnie2
Explorer C
I too am getting very frustrated not being able to book a 10 day trip at the end of May-beginning of June....I am a loyal SW customer, the first flight I ever took with my children, the attendants were so wonderful and entertained the kids to ease their fear of flying. I've always remembered that. Now I'm trying to book a trip for 16 person, most of which are teenagers for a scout trip. Several are afraid to fly, I'd love to book SW again but am about to give up. Parents are wanting to know costs and schedules, we have money to raise for the trip and dont know how much we need. It's just getting crazy waiting, I started today searching other sites and travel agencies, if I find a good price for 16 tickets, I'm gonna grab it, I can't put it off much longer!
Barbara2
Explorer C
I echo the concerns of the others about the schedule not going past May 10th. I have 6 tickets to book for May 12 -20 ,and as the others are, I am waiting. I've come close to booking US Air which has competitve fares for where I am going, but have always been loyal to SW and therefore have some $$ in escrow with them I would like to use. What this does to people like me is encourage us to perhaps wait for this fare, but in the future I am getting a competitors Visa and start racking up my points with them..this is too long to wait and totally unrealisitic for families trying to plan their Spring and Summer holidays.
Sheb
Explorer C
I love southwest airlines! I'm tyring to plan my 30th birthday party for the weekend of May 11-May 14. It's so frustrating waiting for the schedule to open, but I will wait. You guys have the best service, the best people, and the best prices! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Feb, 8th.
Leslie
Explorer C
What is going on with the calendar on the new site? I have to go through 2001, 2002, each month just to pick my date. I use the calendar to pick my days, always have, but i have to now push through each month of each year leading up to 2007 and it is annoying. Still navigating the rest of the site. It looks neat, but I have been on here for 20 minutes just redoing dates. I think the site is too much like other airlines and Southwest is the best. I try to fly them first, but they don't have many flights for me out of West Palm, so sometimes I fly others, but I love Southwest. Hopefully they will work out this bug.
Rachael_Auger
Explorer C
I too love SW and the new look of the website, but I can't wait much longer for the May schedule. I need to book my spring vacation May 24-28. Hope to see the schedule soon.
Craig4
Explorer C
I like the new, but I also can't wait much longer for the new schedule. I have a June trip to Baltimore that I must book no later than 2/16.
Barry2
Explorer C
It would be really great if you could add capability to post reservation info to the Calendar of Microsoft Outlook or other calendars. Cutting and pasting from email confirmation or from the reservation page directly is time consuming. Rekeying confirmation numbers is always tricky to make sure it's accurate. A direct download would save time and improve convienence - what Southwest is all about!
pcerda
Adventurer B
I know this is an OLD post, but is there anyway to put a BOOK A RAPID REWARDS TICKET link on the front page? PLEASE? People are using "Book A Flight" and don't see RR tickets instead of using Book Travel. It would save a lot of customers aggrivation.
Run2Eat
Explorer C
it's disappointing that there's no way to email a quick question to southwest -- especially when i am at work & don't have time to be tethered to the phoneline, and double-especially when i have a comment on the website itself. there's no place to leave feedback or get help using the site - while actually in the process of using the site. my question -- is there a way to see all flights from any given city, by price? i might take a quick weekend trip just about anywhere, and would much prefer to go somewhere that's $49 one-way. doesn't matter where... anywhere can be fun, especially if the price is right. i'd like to know my options from my starting point, without having to look at every ending point. ciao!
Michael_Blanken
Explorer C
I was just reading the news today about the woman from San Diego who Southwest Airlines found to be under-dressed. Personally I think Southwest Airlines is heading for bankruptcy soon if they think that consumers such as myself won't boycott them for an action that's so reckless it's laughable. What on Earth makes you think that people will put up with this level of idiocy from an airline? That woman could have been entirely naked and it would have been suitable for her to fly on your airplane. Are you so ashamed of the human body that you have to deny service to someone who's wearing a skirt? I pledge that from this day forward I shall never fly on Southwest Airlines again until you publically get on your knees and beg our forgiveness. And that goes for all my employees as well. You're being blacklisted.
Renuka
Explorer C

My husband I fly with SWA as much as possible,and grit and grind our teeth if we HAVE to use another airlines since SWA may not be flying to a certain destination. Prices are now very close to other airlines, however we can each take 2 checked bags FREE!   This is a BIG plus.  Hope you never change you customer relations policies, and how we are treated when we are on the aircraft. Thank you