Nice article, Roy. I hate the new Southwest changes and have no reason to fly them ever again. Open seating allowed me to control who i sat next to, and you know who I never sat next to on a Southwest flight? Offensive lineman and linebackers. I have, however, sat next to countless petite women. Surprisingly, most of the people I've spoken about the Southwest changes seem to like them, but i take that with a grain of salt because they're not what I consider travelers.
Stay tuned . . . I will be flying the “new COKE” (. . . I meant Southwest) on March 15th. I buckled under the fees I encountered when booking, including priority check in, afraid of the chaos I might experience. As far as overhead luggage space . . . at my age (75) I’ve opted to protect my limited strength and look for a strapping young man to help me (lol).
My Southwest flights have been dramatically reduced. Aside from losing their identity, bags fly free, and the attractive pricing, they also lost many of those preferred non-stops to the destinations I fly too. They are just another airline now and they have to compete with everyone else. My status is quickly rising on Delta, United, and American...then throw in Alaska and LATAM...
Roy, interesting perspective, but I think different as an A-List Preferred customer. I too have been flying Southwest as my preferred carrier since their creation. I remember the days of "hot pants" and a free fifth for a full price ticket. Much has changed. First they eliminated the days of the gate agent having authority to make many decisions.. And now, the new changes. I have cancelled my Southwest Credit Card which went from an annual fee of $100 per year to $250, and I will give them no priority over any any other airline. One more loyal customer down the tubes. It will be interesting to look back after things settle down to see the final result.....much like the current administration in Washington.
Another spot on article Roy. The comparison with New Coke outstanding. Southwest is trying to compete with the big boys and still offer a lesser product. Most of their planes are far too old to compete and still try and demand top dollar. When I have searched recent flights, SW was the highest price. In the past, I would just pick them anyway due to free bags. Now, there is no reason to choose them. So my next flight is with Alaska and to my surprise I was able to order food before our flight instead of a bag of peanuts. SW is no longer my airline of choice as A List really does not offer any perks that you can't get with a branded airline CC with a lower annual fee than SW cc.
Nice article, Roy. I hate the new Southwest changes and have no reason to fly them ever again. Open seating allowed me to control who i sat next to, and you know who I never sat next to on a Southwest flight? Offensive lineman and linebackers. I have, however, sat next to countless petite women. Surprisingly, most of the people I've spoken about the Southwest changes seem to like them, but i take that with a grain of salt because they're not what I consider travelers.
Stay tuned . . . I will be flying the “new COKE” (. . . I meant Southwest) on March 15th. I buckled under the fees I encountered when booking, including priority check in, afraid of the chaos I might experience. As far as overhead luggage space . . . at my age (75) I’ve opted to protect my limited strength and look for a strapping young man to help me (lol).
You played right into their fiscal hands!
👍👍👍🤥🤥🤥
Enjoyable as always
My Southwest flights have been dramatically reduced. Aside from losing their identity, bags fly free, and the attractive pricing, they also lost many of those preferred non-stops to the destinations I fly too. They are just another airline now and they have to compete with everyone else. My status is quickly rising on Delta, United, and American...then throw in Alaska and LATAM...
We have experienced the same issue. We have flown SW for years it will never be the same.
I have never been a loyal Southwest Airlines customer but I feel your pain.
Roy, interesting perspective, but I think different as an A-List Preferred customer. I too have been flying Southwest as my preferred carrier since their creation. I remember the days of "hot pants" and a free fifth for a full price ticket. Much has changed. First they eliminated the days of the gate agent having authority to make many decisions.. And now, the new changes. I have cancelled my Southwest Credit Card which went from an annual fee of $100 per year to $250, and I will give them no priority over any any other airline. One more loyal customer down the tubes. It will be interesting to look back after things settle down to see the final result.....much like the current administration in Washington.
Another spot on article Roy. The comparison with New Coke outstanding. Southwest is trying to compete with the big boys and still offer a lesser product. Most of their planes are far too old to compete and still try and demand top dollar. When I have searched recent flights, SW was the highest price. In the past, I would just pick them anyway due to free bags. Now, there is no reason to choose them. So my next flight is with Alaska and to my surprise I was able to order food before our flight instead of a bag of peanuts. SW is no longer my airline of choice as A List really does not offer any perks that you can't get with a branded airline CC with a lower annual fee than SW cc.
And more sad news Doug…it looks like the Southwest peanuts are gone too because of passenger allergies!
That is so true. But I do like the new sweet onion chips. All 7 of them.