Okay, I confess, as a travel agent for over 25 years, I have not always been a Southwest fan. They can’t be ticketed like other airlines, their reservations usually require a phone call and they don’t interline. (Translation, they cannot check bags to another airline, nor can their tickets be used on other airlines.)
In addition, I’ve personally never been a fan of the zero friills model and the cattle-car seating experience. Even the fact that Southwest paid commission longer than most other U.S. carriers didn’t make me love booking them.
But in the past year or so, that has changed. Now, Southwest IS the frills airline. Want to get a window or aisle seat? There’s no charge -just check in online the day before. (Admittedly there is a higher fare class to board first, but there aren’t enough people that do it to take all the good seats.)
Want to talk to a human? Check a bag or two? Change a reservation? Even change a name? It’s all free. (Though don’t get carried away, a third bag is still an additional charge, and any fare increase is the passenger’s responsibility.)
In addition, Southwest’s peanuts and other little snacks are still free. Most other carriers give you nothing, and U.S. Airways even charges for on-board non-alcoholic beverages.
And regarding the ridiculous pet fees other airlines are charging — Southwest just doesn’t allow pets.
Perhaps not surprisingly with their streamlined model, our agency seems to get less complaints and problems with Southwest. They still take a couple extra steps, but in the long run, they bring a lot less headaches. And that’s a goal both travel agents and the traveling public can agree on.
Janice Hough is a California-based travel agent a travel blogger and a part-time comedy writer. A frequent flier herself, she’s been doing battle with airlines, hotels, and other travel companies for over three decades. Besides writing for Travelers United, Janice has a humor blog at Leftcoastsportsbabe.com (Warning, the political and sports humor therein does not represent the views of anyone but herself.)
