A question that is being asked is whether Southwest Airlines is a good airline. This article showcases five reasons why you should fly with them.
After 53 years of commercial service, the airline has transformed themselves into a big player in the American airline industry.
Without further ado, let’s get into it…
1. Their Route Network…
The route network for Southwest as an airline to fly is very good.
They service 121 airports across 11 countries, with their main focus being the United States.
Their main bases are the following airports:
- Houston
- Las Vegas
- Denver
- Oakland
- Phoenix
- Baltimore
- Chicago Midway
- Orlando
- Los Angeles
- Fort Lauderdale
- Austin Bergstrom
During peak travel periods, the airline can offer more than 4,000 flights per day, which has resulted in them handling 137.3m passengers in 2023 alone.
This is all made possible thanks to the 818 aircraft they have in their fleet.
Furthermore, of that 818, 791 are currently in active service, with 27 currently parked as Planespotters.net.
On the safety perspective, Southwest as an airline has had nine accidents, which included two aircraft hull losses and four deaths.
With that in mind, the carrier is considered to be amongst the safest in the world, with no one dying as a result of a crash.
This is despite the recent news we have seen in the last few weeks regarding a Dutch Roll on one of their 737 MAX aircraft, one of their aircraft departing from a closed runway in Portland and it’s low flight over Oklahoma City.
2. Flexibility to the Passenger…
Another reason why you should consider flying with Southwest Airlines is their approach to the passenger experience.
Significant flexibility is offered by the airline, which is being seen as a good thing amongst Southwest passengers.
Below is what they offer to the passenger, which is what we believe is essential to such passenger experience:
- If ticket prices drop, the airline let’s you rebook for the lower price.
- No hidden fees.
- Even on the lowest fare, you can still bring one piece of hand luggage and check-in one piece of hold luggage.
- And more!
The main three aspects to why Southwest is a good airline is it’s approach to people when flying, that’s for sure.
3. Free Entertainment Onboard…
As is noted by NerdWallet, if you download the Southwest app from the airline directly, you will have access to free movies and on-demand content onboard.
If you don’t want to install the app, that’s fine too.
You will still access to free messaging through iMessage & WhatsApp, as well as free live TV & free music.
Furthermore, if you wish to pay for Wi-Fi, it costs $8 per device, per flight, but is free if you are one the A-List Preferred Members or a holder of one of the business credit cards.
With the airline being considered a low-cost carrier, this is what makes them impressive against other competitors such as Spirit Airlines, Frontier & others.
4. A Cheaper Option if You Can’t Afford Legacy Fares…
Southwest as an airline can be considered a good carrier to fly on the perspective of pricing as well.
As mentioned previously in this article, you can rebook if the price drops.
But, of course, with most low-cost carriers, be sure to keep an eye out on extras in order to keep the fares as low as possible.
On certain routes that they serve, Southwest as an airline will be the best choice in terms of pricing.
However, they are beginning to face competition from other competitors in the same space.
For example, back in May, Frontier Airlines announced new transparent pricing, which included no change fees and an offer to give passengers 2,500 miles if they find a lower price elsewhere.
In terms of things like seat selection, as we will get into in the next section, Frontier has also made it free unless you are flying a basic fare.
5. Free to Choose Your Own Seat…
As we briefly touched on, another reason why Southwest is a good airline to fly is their offering of free seat selection.
You are free to pick any available seat as soon as you board the plane, and you can even switch after you’re seated.
It is a unique approach to the boarding process, with this meaning that you will be given a specific combination of letter and number when you board.
That ultimately determines where you are in the queue for boarding, and is assigned either at check-in or if you do so online.
As is noted by critics, other competitors of Southwest in the airline space normally charge for this privilege.
Overall: Southwest As An Airline Continues to Revolutionise…
Overall, it is clear that for the reasons mentioned that Southwest can be a good airline to fly.
However, as the industry continues to attempt consolidation and lower fares, it is going to become a competitive space.
Looking ahead, all eyes will be on what else the carrier can bring to the table as we progress through this decade.
There are plenty of reasons to fly with the carrier, but the only way you will know yourself is if you give them a try when you next book a flight.
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