New Southwest Airlines routes can help save money, but not always

The famous low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines is beloved by many in parts of the United States, and as it expands farther into new territories in the northeast, some are predicting a revolution and lower prices across the board. We think this sounds overly optimistic to say the least, and that many new fliers on the airline will be turned off even if the prices are low.

Travelers from California to Texas have nearly blanket coverage of every airport being served by Southwest Airlines, and there are many devoted fans in the region, but many only use them as a last resort. Worse yet, their fares can often be deceiving since many city pairs require two stops and plane changes to reach, which is almost unheard of on the major hub-and-spoke airlines.

The good about Southwest airlines

Good choice for the overloaded

If you live where they fly you are undoubtedly aware of their “Bags fly free” campaign, which is a major help and usually a money-saver for those who fly with a lot of luggage. The downside, as we’ve observed recently, is that the airline is gaining new customers mostly among those who like to overpack. Those who are taking the luggage fees as a signal to travel lightly are using other carriers.

Low or no change fees

Southwest Airlines does have relatively low fares, and unlike their competition you can usually change flights with no penalty, typically by only paying the difference between your original fare and the current fare of the new flights, which is sometimes zero. If you are flying on business or with an uncertain schedule, this can be fantastic as it gives far more flexibility than other airlines.

The bad about Southwest Airlines

Not always that cheap

Their fares are often higher than their competitors, even when you include a $25 each-way luggage charge. It’s important to check all your options first if your goal is to find the cheapest flight, as fare sales can often undercut SWA by quite a bit. For example, a search just now between New York City and Los Angeles shows that Continental’s fares are lower even when adding luggage fees, plus you can reserve a seat in advance as well.

Hard to compare fares

The airline also famously makes it hard to compare fares, since they don’t show up on flight search engines and only sell tickets through their own site. This makes meaningful fare comparisons difficult, to say the least.

Multiple stops in many cases

As mentioned above, often their flights change planes twice, even for some cities that aren’t too far apart in the first place. The airline operates mostly on a point-to-point basis instead of the traditional hub-and-spoke basis, so flying from, say, San Jose California to Orlando, might require stops in Las Vegas and St. Louis along the way. This is a headache that rarely justifies the savings.

Circus-like boarding procedure

The airline’s infamous boarding procedure is hated by many as well. In case you haven’t experienced it yet, Southwest has no reserved seating, allowing it to be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, in “groups” of 20 at a time. That used to mean that you’d need to arrive at the airport 3 hours early if you wanted a good shot at a desirable seat, and those who showed up last always got middle seats, regardless of when they booked.

Now they have opened these “groups” up to online sign-up, exactly 24 hours before each flight. While this saves most people from having to get to the airport many hours too early, it punishes all who aren’t near a computer within the first few minutes of sign-up.

This system means that unless you are near a computer and really on your toes, there’s no telling where you’ll sit. Bad enough for solo travelers wanting to avoid a middle seat, it’s far worse for families or groups who want to sit together.

The bottom line

Again, many people love flying Southwest Airlines, and they do offer good fares, no baggage fees, and flexibility, but they only rarely have the cheapest flights, they aren’t listed alongside other airlines on search engines so it’s hard to compare, and the seating situation can be a lottery that’s easy to lose. Try them yourself once and you may hesitate to try it again.

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