It’s been impossible to ignore the bad press a lot of airlines have been getting recently. Although I’ve been on nearly 150 flights in the past year and a half, I can happily say that 90% of these were with Southwest Airlines, the only airline I’ll ever need for domestic travel.
Here are my top 3 reasons why I’ll always fly Southwest Airlines.
1. Outstanding customer service
Scenario: I’m on a flight from SLC-LAX, where I have a layover before meeting my mom in San Francisco. I’d treated myself to in-flight iMessage service for $2, so I’m cruising along somewhere over Nevada, and suddenly I receive a text alert from Southwest that risks ruining my long-anticipated girls’ weekend: Flight #2641 LAX-SFO has been canceled.
I buy the full WiFi for $8 attempt to rebook myself via the app and my company’s corporate booking tool. No luck. Out of sheer desperation, I send an (embarrassing, extremely panicked) direct message to Southwest on Twitter. Within 20 minutes, I’m rebooked on the next flight from LAX-SFO. Via Twitter direct message. Amazing, right?!
Southwest Airlines is known for their amazing customer service, and I’ve experienced it time and time again while flying with them.
2. Realistic rewards
Even after 10,000 mile round-trip flights I’ve taken with other airlines, I still never seem to have enough points/miles to get anything for free. I’ve never been able to use anything. But Southwest plays this game differently. The first thing you need to do is sign up for the Southwest Rapid Rewards program. For each flight you take, you earn a certain number of points relative to the cost of your flight. These points accumulate indefinitely, so as long as there is “activity” on your account within 2 years, your points keep building.
Want more ways to earn points? Find out which rental car companies, hotels, credit cards, and retailers have partnerships with Southwest, and convert those points into Southwest points. Last year I earned over 110,000 points, enough for the SW Companion pass – the airline’s ultimate reward.
Honestly, I think this is one reason why Southwest Airlines is so popular with travelers. It’s so much easier to actually earn rewards while traveling with them.
3. Low hassle, high convenience
Some people know that Southwest doesn’t have assigned seats, and some people don’t like this idea. I’ll admit – the first time I flew with them, I wasn’t sure what I thought about that. Now, I am a huge fan and it’s no surprise that Southwest has the most efficient boarding process of all airlines. No zones, no crowding at the gate, no people sitting in the “wrong” seat and messing up the whole plane. (That’s EXACTLY what happened on my last American Airlines flight.)
Not only are Southwest flights often less expensive than other airlines, you can also check bags for no cost. That’s right – bags is plural! Your first TWO checked bags fly for free. Others generally charge $25 for your first, and sometimes more for your second.
And finally, any Southwest flight you book gives you a reusable fund guarantee. Let’s say you book a “Wanna Get Away” ticket, and you need to cancel it. With other airlines, you can kiss that money goodbye! With Southwest, 100% of the cost of your ticket can be applied to a future flight within one year. This is certainly one reason why so many customers love Southwest Airlines.
Have you had good experiences with Southwest Airlines? Or, what’s your favorite airline, and why? Let me know in the comments!
-Cathy
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Originally Published on April 29, 2017.
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