Why Customers Still Choose Southwest Airlines Despite Challenges

[LunaLoomer]

Hello Southwest community,

I've noticed some recurring challenges with Southwest Airlines in recent years, and I'm curious to understand why customers, including myself and my family, continue to opt for this airline. In my experiences, flight changes, layovers, and service issues have been prevalent. From unexpected layovers to flight delays and service disruptions, the frustrations seem to add up.

For instance, my direct flight turned into a layover, and my mother's flight involved unexpected stops and significant delays. Even with such experiences, my family members persist in choosing Southwest. I'd like to hear your thoughts on why you continue to choose Southwest Airlines despite these challenges. Is it the overall experience, loyalty program, or something else?

Looking forward to your insights and experiences!

Best regards,

EHallPass

[parpitt1]

It's all about personal experience. As you noted by saying, in "my" experience.

In my experience they have delivered services as promised and when there have been issues have resolved them equitably. Pretty simple. 

Safe Travels

[DancingDavidE]

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@parpitt1 wrote:

It's all about personal experience. As you noted by saying, in "my" experience.

In my experience they have delivered services as promised and when there have been issues have resolved them equitably. Pretty simple. 

Safe Travels

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Two free checked bags, no change fees, overall very flexible network among the locations - i.e. often there are multiple routes to get somewhere.

Then once I was a regular A-list and companion pass have been great additional benefits.

Cost is often a little bit lower than what I would buy from the other guys as well when including a checked bag.

Personally I've found customer service to be very good. There will always be hiccups in air travel, for any airline. 

[Munsingerjc]

Hey there!! I completely understand your frustrations but that is honestly the life of airtravel! The sky is an amazing place, a place where we can travel to wherever we want to go in the fraction of the time it would take by land. With that, it is also so unpredictable! I have been choosing southwest since I first started traveling when I was 11 or 12 and since then, through the highs and lows, I have been by their side! That is because the overall experience. Their award winning customer service, rr benefits, comfort in airplanes even though it is a budget airline, 2 free checked bags, the price you see on the website is the price you pay (unless you add extras like early bird). If you've ever booked with someone's else, you probably noticed how confusing and long their booking process is. You have to go through a gazillion pages just to find the payment screen, and on each one they are trying to sell you something extra. So sure, the fare may be $50, but once you fall for all the extras your fare is most often over $150 maybe even to $200. But with southwest, you don't have to deal with any of that. As a travel agent, I recommend southwest to all my clients and this is because of their lasting reputation, ease and fool-proof design of their website, and honestly I know my clients will be taken care of!

To summarize, there will always be hickups in airtravel since there is so much unknown. But the things southwest offers and their history or being the airline with luv, makes a lot of people want to go back and back regardless of past problems! Everyone makes mistakes, right?! I would love for you to give them another chance If you haven't already and really experience the luv 😉

[LunaLoomer]

I want to extend my sincere thanks for sharing your experiences and perspectives on Southwest Airlines. Your insights have provided valuable context, and it's evident that personal experiences play a significant role in choosing an airline.

The benefits of two free checked bags, flexibility, and the straightforward pricing approach are points I'll certainly consider. It's reassuring to hear about the positive customer service experiences and the overall ease of booking with Southwest, as highlighted by a travel agent's recommendation. EHallPass

I appreciate your suggestions to give Southwest another chance, emphasizing the unique aspects of the airline. It's clear that Southwest has a strong following, and I'll keep these factors in mind when evaluating my future travel choices.

If anyone else has thoughts to share, I'm eager to continue this conversation. Your diverse perspectives contribute to a better understanding of the airline landscape.

Best regards,

[Munsingerjc]

Your very welcome😊. I am so glad I was able to help, and always know... I and lots of other people are here in the community if you ever have any other questions!

[ffflyer]

SWA is, ususally, the least expensive and most convienint option. But, I don't really care where or with whom I sit. I always take the first flight of the day from a hub airport. I never check bags and I never have connecting flights. If you can line up your trips like this you'll have much fewer issues.

What I don't understand is why people book SWA and then complain about not being able to sit together or sit where they want.

[floridaguy]

I understand why, it is human nature.  The same people who buy the entry level Hyundai or Kia want Rolls Royce quality leather and wood trim.  However, they "ain't got the money" to pay for it so they complain.

Those that want to sit together don't buy a ticket on Delta due to cost.  So, they expect Southwest to reformat itself so that they can be like Delta but buy on the cheap.

Let them eat cake.

[aultplan]

It sounds like you're interested in understanding why customers, including yourself and your family, continue to choose Southwest Airlines despite encountering challenges such as flight changes, layovers, and service issues. While everyone's reasons may vary, here are some common factors that may contribute to customer loyalty to Southwest Airlines:

1. Customer service: Despite occasional challenges, Southwest Airlines is known for its friendly and accommodating customer service. Many passengers appreciate the airline's efforts to resolve issues and provide assistance when needed.

2. Pricing and value: Southwest Airlines is often praised for its transparent pricing, low fares, and lack of hidden fees. Customers may be willing to tolerate occasional inconveniences in exchange for affordable ticket prices and good value for their money.

3. Flexible policies: Southwest Airlines offers flexible booking policies, such as no change fees and no cancellation fees (with certain restrictions). This flexibility can be attractive to travelers who value the ability to modify or cancel their plans without penalty.

4. Rapid Rewards program: Southwest's loyalty program, Rapid Rewards, offers generous benefits and rewards for frequent flyers. Passengers can earn points on flights, as well as through partners and credit card purchases, and redeem them for flights, upgrades, and other perks.

5. Route network: Southwest Airlines has an extensive route network covering many popular destinations across the United States, as well as international destinations. Customers may choose Southwest for its convenience and accessibility to their desired destinations.

6. Company culture and values: Southwest Airlines has a reputation for its unique company culture, which emphasizes employee satisfaction, teamwork, and a fun-loving attitude. Some passengers may appreciate supporting a company with positive values and a strong corporate culture.

Overall, while Southwest Airlines may not be immune to occasional challenges, many customers continue to choose the airline for its customer service, pricing, flexibility, loyalty program, route network, and company culture. Mykplan

[bballflyer]

For my family, the two top factors are the companion fare and the flexibility.  We travel very frequently for basketball tournaments and college basketball games where we may know the date of a tournament well in advance, but not the times or have a date and it changes drastically.  We may not know the times until the day of traveling.  The ability to add my child as a companion and to change our flights once we have the schedule has been a game changer, we would not be able to afford to travel as often. When we do travel we would be stuck in airports much longer without the flexibility.  Any time we have had issues with schedules or delays the Southwest customer service has always provided an easy, equitable solution either rebooking or some compensation.  This is even when the delay is due to weather or some other event out of their control.  We just would not be able to do what we do as a family without SW.