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Southwest joins the "fee brigade", though still optional

FlyerTalker

By FlyerTalker,
in Cruise Air

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kat228

kat228

Posted
Posted

The thing is though, you'll still be behind the Business Select (or whatever they call it) and the A-List passengers. So you just get the first set of A's that are released. And everyone on your flight has the same opportunity, so there's still no guarentee of an A.

 

I like how they have been advertising no checked bag fee, then they turn around and do this...it's creative, I'll give them that, but just gives me another reason not to fly them. ...or if I do, I won't be paying the fee, and if that means I wind up with a middle seat and my boyfriend & I are separated for a flight, I'll survive.

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Cruzin 1025

Cruzin 1025

Posted
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I personally thought this was a GREAT addition. We always try to check in at exactly 24 hours before our flight, but that is a challenge when you're on a cruise. On a land vacation we use our cell phones to check in, but on a cruise it's not so easy. Southwest tends to be less money than other airlines to begin with and with not having to pay luggage fees, I'm happy to pay the $10 to not have to worry about checking in at the right time. (Besides, 24 hours prior to our flight we'll be on the Yellowbird Party Boat in Nassau...by the time we get back and remember to check in, we'd probably end up with a C boarding pass. ;))

 

It will be interesting to see how many people use this feature. Personally I'd much rather pay an optional $10 to get a better boarding number than pay $15-$25 to check a bag.

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6rugrats

6rugrats

Posted
Posted
I recently read a thread debating the saving of seats on SouthWest and the lack of flight attendants enforcing a no saving rule. When I first read this post my first thought was great followed by what a nightmare this could actually end up being :eek:.

You know without a doubt there is going to be people that figure they will just pay for one person in their group to get an A and save the seats next to them for the rest of the family.

 

That could well happen, but anyone flying WN can help prevent this. If you board and find people saving seats, don't reinforce this behavior by allowing this. You don't have to confront the "seat hog" if you aren't comfortable with this, merely alert the FA immediately and ask them to deal with it. It's their job, not yours.

 

I haven't noticed many FAs enjoying confrontation, but the reality is no one on WN has a right to save seats. If people make this an issue, seat saving will cease to exist most of the time.

 

If the FA won't assist you, or you don't want to do this, at least make a note of how many people were saving seats and how you were inconvenienced, and the FA's name. Write to WN and give them the facts, not a three page letter detailing how angry you were. They do pay attention to these complaints.

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TheDINGOateMyBaybay!

TheDINGOateMyBaybay!

Posted
Posted

I will definitely be willing to pay the $20 RT. My ticket is still 100 bucks less than flying on anyone else, PLUS I know I will not only make it to Orlando, but most likely make it to Orlando ON TIME!

 

An airline doing well in this recession? Good for them.

 

Anything to make a buck and there will be fools willing to pay it.
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dznymom

dznymom

Posted
Posted

I will pay it. And since it is optional, I don't see any issue with it and on a cruise it will definitely be nice not to have to scramble to get to a computer and check in at the 24 hour mark. I almost always fly SWA but had to use American and Air Tran for my cruise out of San Juan.

 

In addition to the fare, on American we were charged (I think) $15 for our first bag and $25 for an extra, so it was $55 for baggage between the 2 of us. That was one way. On Air Tran we paid the same $55 for bags and an additional $20 pp to get better seats because at 6'3 my husband is very uncomfortable if he gets trapped in the middle. Then they changed our flight and I had to battle with them to get what we paid for, and even then we were split up. The extra costs were excessive IMO and the service was awful (although on the flight it was fine). I will be very happy to get back on SWA and I will happily fork over an extra $10 on top of what is usually a pretty low fare to begin with.

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lexismommy04

lexismommy04

Posted
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I had to laugh at southwest. I work in the airport here in Philly and I have heard people say that southwest is charging just to get a better seat. I know a lady did pay for it and she was screaming at the southwest agent saying all you had was middle seats? The agent said yes thats all we have..She wanted a refund.

 

If they are going to start this..Wait til next year when they charge for bags. Because its coming.

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G'ma

G'ma

Posted
Posted
Yep, I heard it on our news yesterday. $10 to insure you get first choice of seats ... also makes sure you have a overhead storage bin!!! hahahahahha. I laughed, because sometimes it is hard to get that overhead bin over head.

 

Well, not really. Business class, Rapid Rewards members and others still have first choice. And, there are fare restrictions, too.

 

It doesn't bother me at all. I'd never pay it anyway.

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Guest nhrich

Guest nhrich

Posted
Posted
Well' date=' not really. Business class, Rapid Rewards members and others still have first choice. And, there are fare restrictions, too.

 

It doesn't bother me at all. I'd never pay it anyway.[/quote']

 

"Fare restrictions" are only for the fares that don't already get first choice. I wouldn't exactly call that a restriction.

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GottaLuvCruising

GottaLuvCruising

Posted
Posted

We just learned of this option and wonder when it was rolled out? I immediately added "early bird" onto our flights ($40) to avoid the hassle and frenzy of the 24-hour check-in. We'll know in a couple weeks if it was worthwhile. Both of our flights are crack-of-dawn and usually not too full (we do this itinerary a lot), but it's worth $40 to me.

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Gsel

Gsel

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Just added this to our mid-Sept itinerary also. One flight has been sold out for quite a while so should be interesting how this goes. Checking in 24 hours before will be difficult as we will be far from a computer for the return if this works it will be great.

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GottaLuvCruising

GottaLuvCruising

Posted
Posted
Just added this to our mid-Sept itinerary also. One flight has been sold out for quite a while so should be interesting how this goes. Checking in 24 hours before will be difficult as we will be far from a computer for the return if this works it will be great.

 

We'll be on vacation in Maine with no internet access. I also didn't know how I was going to deal with the crazy check-in and would have been forced to impose on a friend. For $20 it's a great solution for our return home...but I'd still rather have assigned seating (the reason we don't fly Southwest much anymore). We decided to add it for our outbound flight also just to avoid the hassle.

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Kcarp

Kcarp

Posted
Posted
Anything to make a buck and there will be fools willing to pay it.

Paying $10 bucks to not have to worry about checking in 24 hours before my fight on a cruise ship sounds like a great deal to me. I can walk into the airport print my boarding pass and be on my way. Sounds like a great idea. I think it cost $7.00 bucks on the internet on the ship to do this. Now, if I flew all the time I could see a problem with this, but to fly a few times a year sounds great too me!

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celle

celle

Posted
Posted
It lets you jump the line.

 

 

Ha! I hope they do it better than Easyjet does.

 

We have seen people pay the extra charge to be at the head of the line and "board first", but that prioroty bording seems to be only onto the bus that drives across the runway to the plane. Once the priority boarding people are on the bus, the bus is then filled up with other passengers.

 

The result is that those who have paid extra to board first are frequently overtaken by others from the bus, and do not really get to board the plane first.

 

Boarding Easyjet is a shambles anyway. We only use them for short journeys.

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sandyj55

sandyj55

Posted
Posted
I personally thought this was a GREAT addition. We always try to check in at exactly 24 hours before our flight, but that is a challenge when you're on a cruise. On a land vacation we use our cell phones to check in, but on a cruise it's not so easy. Southwest tends to be less money than other airlines to begin with and with not having to pay luggage fees, I'm happy to pay the $10 to not have to worry about checking in at the right time. (Besides, 24 hours prior to our flight we'll be on the Yellowbird Party Boat in Nassau...by the time we get back and remember to check in, we'd probably end up with a C boarding pass. ;))

 

It will be interesting to see how many people use this feature. Personally I'd much rather pay an optional $10 to get a better boarding number than pay $15-$25 to check a bag.

 

I agree with you and I guess that makes me one of those "fools". But I don't pay for bags..I don't have to pay to pick an isle seat..so If they can save me the trouble of checking in when I'm on a cruise, or in a meeting and not able to do an early check in.......then Thank You Southwest for saving me some time...

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