I’m Kind Of Over Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines is one of those interesting, polarizing companies. People either swear to God that He himself would fly Southwest if he needed to travel somewhere, or they’ll invariably make an analogy about cattle and herding. In terms of marketing, that’s sort of what you want. It’s corporate death if your company is positioned as lukewarm in the public view.
In the past, I’ve generally enjoyed Southwest. I didn’t even fly until I was out of college (yes, amazing; I know) and they had ridiculously cheap fares. This was good. Their website is easy-to-use, and they had a general air of carefree wackiness, or some other such appropriate nonsense. All of these things still contribute to a really, really devoted fanbase.
There are, of course, downsides to flying Southwest. The airplanes aren’t all that nice — they cram three seats into an aisle and there isn’t as much leg room as other airlines. I don’t like scrounging for a seat once I get on board. I really don’t like how their lines at the ticket counter are always eight times longer than any other airline.
But since Southwest always had such cheap fares, I was willing to deal with those inconveniences. But, unfortunately, as the price of airline tickets has spiked in the last year, it seems that Southwest’s prices have gone up more than other airlines. To the point where it’s not even cheaper to fly Southwest in a lot of cases.
I recently flew on another major airline for a trip out east. The entire process was incredibly smooth. I checked into the counter with very little wait time; I didn’t have to find my number in the boarding line like I was on my way to an elementary-school cafeteria; I found my assigned seat, which was roomy and comfortable since there were only two in each row. And — best of all — the price was about the same as Southwest.
Southwest was great when it was cheap, when it was just a way to get from Point A to Point B without paying too much. But now, round-trip fares on other major airlines are just as competitive, if not cheaper in some instances. And even if Southwest is slightly cheaper, I think I’m done feeling stuffed into a plane just to save $30.
Now, for $50, I’ll do it. But not $30! No way, no how.
I do have principles, after all.
What about all of you? Any particular airline loyalty?
1 comment so far Click to reply »
September 5th, 2008
Eli – I’m so sorry to hear that your opinion of us has changed; particularly, since we are the same low fare, easy-to-use, fun airline that you once enjoyed. In fact, I think we’re better today than we’ve ever been!
Despite your perceptions of our aircraft, our 527 Boeing 737 jets make up one of the youngest fleets in the industry, with an average age of just 9 years. Our jets are actually larger than many of the regional aircraft some of our competitors use to fly the same routes. And, our legroom (or what we in the airline industry call “pitch”) is 32 inches, which is actually more than some of our competitors offer. And, of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention our premium leather seats!
While we are aware that not everyone favors our unique open-seating policy, our loyal Customers tell us that it is among the primary reasons they choose to fly with us. To see some of our Customers’ thoughts on the matter, you can check out this blog post at http://www.blogsouthwest.com/blog/a-message-from-our-ceo-open-season-on-assigned-seating. In fact, it was from many of our Customers’ suggestions that we developed our current boarding process, which maintains the open-seating policy that our Customers love, but prevents them from having to camp out in line before a flight.
Honestly, I’m not sure why you would have experienced long lines at our ticket counters (except perhaps because we carry more domestic passengers than any other airline in the United States). But with the ability to check in for a flight online, via mobile phone, or at the self-serve kiosks we offer at all of our stations, long lines or wait times should be a rare and irregular occurrence.
Now, it is true that industry fares are rising as all airlines face the harsh realities of record fuel costs and a weakening economy. Southwest’s fuel bill alone will increase more than a billion dollars this year, which is pretty startling when you consider that our total profit in 2007 was about half that much. That said, our average fare remains just $112.24 – among the lowest in the industry – and we are currently offering fall fares as low as $59. That’s pretty low, right?
Plus, and this is a really big plus, we don’t nickel and dime our Customers with hidden fees! Unlike our competitors, we still offer free drinks and snacks. We still offer free pillows and blankets. We don’t charge our Customers to check their first two bags. We don’t charge our Customers to speak with a human being when they book a reservation over the phone. We don’t charge our Customers for curb-side check in. And we still don’t charge a change fee. When you take all of that into account, even if you find a lower fare on another airline, by the time you add up all of the hidden fees, in may not be as good of a deal as it originally appears.
I write all of this not to argue, but simply to encourage you to give us another try. If you’ve had a negative experience, I know that we can impress you again if you give us a chance! Either way, I can assure you that we are always looking for ways to enhance the airport and onboard experience for our Customers, and we will take your feedback to heart. If there is anything I can do for you in the meantime, please feel free to email me directly.
Thanks, and I truly hope we will have the opportunity to provide you with an excellent travel experience again in the future.
Paula Berg
Southwest Airlines