Why I select Southwest each time

I believe it is secure to say that I’m TPG’s resident Southwest Airways fangirl.

I grew up flying Southwest completely, so I spent my early journey years assuming that free checked baggage, a high-stakes check-in course of and selecting a seat away from the screaming child have been all a part of the common flying expertise.

Coloration me shocked after I finally discovered these experiences have been distinctive to flying Southwest — and many individuals prevented the airline in favor of elite standing, potential seat upgrades and airport lounge entry with their most well-liked airline of selection.

A few of my fellow TPGers felt assured I’d abandon my Southwest loyalty as soon as I skilled my first business-class improve on one other airline. However to their bewilderment, flying different airways has solely solidified my love for Southwest. Because it seems, I worth the flexibility to maneuver seats greater than the choice to pick out extra “elevated” snacks like chocolate quinoa (no matter that’s).

It is not simply nostalgia that retains me coming again to Southwest Airways. In a time when so many are abandoning or switching their airline loyalty, listed here are the explanations you may nonetheless discover me flying Southwest — and why chances are you’ll wish to be part of me.

(If you happen to occur to agree with me about Southwest being a best choice, know that three of the non-public Southwest cobranded playing cards are providing elevated welcome bonuses of 75,000 bonus factors after you spend $3,000 within the first three months from account opening, however solely till Dec. 11.)

Now, let’s leap into it.

Nice values

Southwest is commonly considered as a price range airline, and for good cause. There are a number of ways in which flying Southwest can prevent cash while you journey.

Gross sales

Typically, I discover Southwest’s costs are fairly good. I exploit its low-fare calendar to see prices in money or factors and select journey dates with one of the best obtainable offers after I can.

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However the place it actually comes by way of with low costs is throughout its common gross sales. Each few weeks, I get an e-mail alerting me that Southwest is providing low fares — typically as little as $39 to $59 one-way.

These gross sales are a good time to ebook new journey and verify the value of any present bookings. Southwest makes it simple to rebook the identical flight to make the most of a lower cost, a perk that always saves me 1000’s of factors when rebooking flights.

Associated: How to rebook a Southwest flight when the fare changes

Companion Go

Most likely probably the most precious providing from Southwest Airways is its Companion Go, which lets you deliver a companion with you without cost (plus taxes and costs) on limitless flights for at the very least a full calendar yr.

Since I often journey solo, this specific perk hasn’t saved me a lot cash. Nonetheless, I’ve watched my mother and father simply save 1000’s of {dollars} in journey with their Compansion Passes through the years.

And Southwest cobranded bank cards make incomes a Companion Go attainable for many individuals. That is a large perk — particularly contemplating that almost all different airways tout a single companion ticket as a precious perk on their cobranded playing cards.

Associated: How to earn and use the Southwest Companion Pass

Free checked baggage

Many people are proudly carry-on-only vacationers, however all of us have occasions after we really want or wish to verify a bag.

The cost of checking bags varies amongst airways, however you are usually charged at the very least $30 for a primary bag and $40 for a second one if you do not have a bank card or standing with the airline that permits you to skip these charges.

In the meantime, Southwest permits every passenger to verify their first two baggage for no extra value. Which means a household of 4 might verify as much as eight baggage earlier than incurring any charges — saving them lots of of {dollars} on prime of any cash they saved by reserving their journey throughout a Southwest sale.

Associated: Why I always check a bag when I fly

No change or cancellation charges

Typically, price range airways promote good flight offers solely to tack on further charges later, however you will not discover this to be the case with Southwest Airways.

Among the best issues about Southwest is that it does not cost further charges when it’s essential make a change after reserving your journey. If you happen to cancel your flight, you may obtain a factors refund or flight credit score proper again into your Speedy Rewards account.

If it’s essential change, you’ll be able to rebook for no extra value apart from the fare distinction or make the most of free same-day standby.

Associated: How to change or cancel a Southwest Airlines flight

Simplicity

For these of us who discover journey planning overwhelming, Southwest’s reserving simplicity is a big perk. There aren’t any companion airways to navigate, no distinction in seat sorts or quantity of luggage allowed with completely different fare sorts.

Easy incomes and redeeming

Past the normal technique of incomes factors by way of flying Southwest, it is simple to rack up Speedy Rewards factors by way of bank card spending. You should utilize a cobranded Southwest bank card to earn Speedy Rewards factors immediately, or you should use a card that earns Chase Final Rewards factors after which switch these factors to your Speedy Rewards account.

Southwest does not companion with different airways or belong to an airline alliance, so the Speedy Rewards program is very good for newbies and those that endure from factors evaluation paralysis.

Merely earn your factors after which use them to ebook your flight. Southwest determines a ticket’s level worth by its money worth at a fee of round 1.5 cents per level, so you’ll be able to really feel nice figuring out you’ve got gotten a very good worth with out spending hours studying the right way to finagle one of the best redemption.

If you wish to maximize your factors, search for the lowest-fare tickets. Just like different airways, Southwest tends to supply higher offers on much less handy routes, like early or late flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Nonetheless, I have been in a position to snag some killer offers on handy nonstop routes by reserving (or re-pricing) throughout Southwest’s periodic gross sales.

Associated: Your complete guide to Southwest Rapid Rewards

Extra nonstop choices

Southwest makes use of extra of a point-to-point route community than a conventional hub-and-spoke mannequin; this permits the airline to supply extra nonstop and extra environment friendly route choices than many airways. Since I do not reside close to a real hub for any airline, I particularly respect that I haven’t got to waste time flying previous my dwelling airport to get to a hub earlier than I can get dwelling.

Equality

Southwest perks are fairly evenly doled out to passengers. Everybody will get the identical first-come, first-served seating selection, in addition to the identical free checked baggage and the identical inflight snack choices. Except for a couple of variations in fare sort, there aren’t many selections to make when reserving a ticket with Southwest.

If you wish to skip to the entrance of the boarding line and improve your possibilities of getting a very good seat, you’ll be able to pay for the privilege. For instance, passengers can buy upgraded boarding to snag one of many first 15 boarding positions. You can too buy EarlyBird Test-In, however these are choices obtainable to everybody and never a part of some sophisticated hierarchy of passengers.

Moreover, Southwest has 4 completely different fare sorts: Enterprise Choose, Anytime, Wanna Get Away Plus and Wanna Get Away. Enterprise Choose is the most costly choice and contains perks like an automated A1-A15 boarding place and free inflight Wi-Fi. Nonetheless, these choices can be found (and often comparatively inexpensive) to everybody — no million-mile standing required.

Associated: How to snag the best seats on Southwest Airlines

Southwest gives a number of methods to earn Speedy Rewards factors by way of bank card spending. The Southwest cobranded bank card lineup contains three personal and two business playing cards, and it’s also possible to select to switch your Chase Ultimate Rewards factors to your Speedy Rewards account.

As a factors and miles fanatic and Southwest devotee, I’ve had a number of Southwest bank cards through the years.

I began with the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card, the lowest-tier private card with only a $69 annual payment. It comes with restricted perks, but it surely was excellent after I was studying to navigate bank card rewards.

Not too long ago, I received the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card and am at the moment working to earn my welcome bonus. I really like that it has an affordable $99 annual payment and comes with 6,000 bonus anniversary factors in addition to two free EarlyBird Test-Ins every year.

Once I’m paying for dining or normal travel, nevertheless, I attain for my Chase Sapphire Reserve.

It earns an elevated 3 factors per greenback on these purchases, which I can switch at a 1:1 ratio to Southwest Speedy Rewards or any of Chase’s 13 other hotel and airline partners. Be aware, nevertheless, that you simply will not get to rely these factors towards Companion Go qualification — you may wish to spend on a cobranded card if that is your purpose.

No matter your priorities, it is simple to rack up Speedy Rewards by way of on a regular basis bank card spending with this vary of choices.

Associated: The best Southwest Airlines credit cards

Southwest primarily flies home routes, though it additionally flies to some (largely tropical) international destinations. I fly extra home than worldwide routes, so Southwest usually has routes to the locations I would like. Nonetheless, somebody who usually flies internationally will discover Southwest’s routes inadequate.

Restricted elite perks

If you happen to’re somebody who relishes the perks you get out of your airline’s elite standing program, put together to be disillusioned by Southwest.

Southwest does not provide a wide range of seat sorts, so you will not discover a first-class cabin or perhaps a premium financial system choice. This implies there is no hope of getting a seat improve while you fly Southwest. That mentioned, the sooner you get on, the higher your odds of snagging the just about “infinite legroom” seat within the exit row, so at the very least there’s that.

Associated: What is Southwest Airlines elite status worth?

Open seating

Talking of seats, I view the open seating coverage on Southwest as a profit. It offers me the pliability to decide on a seat away from crying infants and bachelorette events. Nonetheless, the check-in and boarding course of might be annoying for these accustomed to deciding on their most well-liked seat forward of time.

If you wish to safe an early boarding spot, you’ll be able to pay for EarlyBird Test-In ($15 or extra per one-way flight), which checks you in mechanically 24 hours earlier than your flight; additional, an upgraded boarding place ($30 or extra per phase) locations you within the first 15 boarding spots.

Since saving cash is one in every of my priorities after I journey, I are inclined to skip these and as a substitute set an alarm to remind me to verify in precisely 24 hours earlier than my Southwest flight.

Whereas there aren’t any ensures, this usually will get me a ok boarding place to snag my most well-liked aisle seat; I do not hassle paying for EarlyBird Test-In or an upgraded boarding until I will not be capable of verify in on time earlier than a protracted flight. It solely took one late check-in and a center seat on a cross-country flight to persuade me that paying for this one luxurious may very well be price it.

Additionally it is price noting, nevertheless, that flying solo makes it simpler to discover a good seat. Massive events may have extra restricted choices to take a seat collectively if they do not handle to get a boarding group quantity towards the entrance of the method.

Associated: How to get seats together on Southwest Airlines

Apply right here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

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