Is Southwest A Good Airline? Here’s My Personal Review!

Pros: Southwest Airlines

1. Great Deals On Flights

Traveling can be expensive!  However, out of the major carriers, Southwest Airlines is the largest low-cost carrier and has relatively cheap flights.

They’re always having sales and promotions going on throughout the year.

Southwest offers free in-flight entertainment so you can watch movies or television shows on your smart device while traveling between cities.

You’ll love their affordable fares that won’t break the bank!

2. No Change Fees On Their Tickets

There are many benefits to flying Southwest, on top of the deals on flights.

They have no change fees on all of their tickets.  This is great if something comes up and you need to re-book your flight!

Also, considering the current economy, having the option to change plans is ideal.

Many of the other major carriers do not offer this and if they do allow ticket changes, there are often limits depending on which class you book.

With most airlines, ticket holders will have to pay to change flights.

With Southwest, you can change as many times as you want.  You just have to pay the difference in fare if it’s greater.

3. Re-book For Credit If Flight Price Goes Down

Another nice thing about Southwest is that if you book a flight and the rate for that flight goes down.

You can call them and re-book to get a credit in your account for the difference.  There is no limit on how many times you can do this!

I keep a close eye on the rates to ensure I’m getting the cheapest flights possible. 

This is what I did when I booked my last trip.  A month after I booked my flight, the price of the tickets went down $75 dollars so I was able to re-book the same flight and you guessed it…credit into my account!

It’s nice knowing that you can just book and not worry about whether you should wait for the price to go down.

Southwest is a great option for travel with these perks.

4. Bring A Carry- On And Check 2 Bags For Free

This is one of the biggest benefits of flying Southwest. Checking extra bags and having add-ons can definitely make traveling more expensive.

Do not overpay for your luggage while traveling!

While most other airlines will charge you for bags and extras, Southwest is the only major airline that allows a person to check 2 bags for free.

You can also bring a carry-on for no cost, which saves you time, money, and hassle when traveling!

5. Rapid Rewards Program

Along with their awesome flight deals, I love the Southwest Rapid Rewards program and take advantage of the rewards as much as I can.

I use my credit card for as many purchases as possible and collect all the points to use on flights.

Once you’re enrolled in the Rapid Rewards program, there are always promotions going on.

Companion Pass, A-list offers, deals on points, and upgrades, are just some of the deals.

One thing I love about the Priority card is you can get Upgraded Boarding and upgrade your seat on a flight on the day of travel (if seating is available) and you can do this 4 times a year!

I just did this in July and it moved me up from a later boarding group to A2, meaning I was one of the first few people on the plane.  

You just pay a $40 charge at the time of purchase and your charge will be refunded.  In most cases, this just takes a day or two.  

The yearly fee for the basic Rapid Rewards card is $69 and $149 for the Priority card, which has even more perks.

They also have a Premier card, which is the middle tier, if you don’t want to go all-in with Priority.  All are well worth it.

6. Open Seating- No Assigned Seating

Instead of assigned seats, you’re assigned a boarding group.  When it’s your turn to get on the plane, you can pick any empty seat to sit in.

If you don’t mind possibly sitting in the back of the plane or taking a middle seat, then this is a good option and you can save some money.

You just check in 24 hours before the flight for the best seat option.

7. Early-Bird Check-In Option

If you want to pay a little more to be in the A-boarding group to get on the plane sooner, then Early-Bird check-in is the way to go.

This option eliminates the hassle of checking in because the airline will do it automatically.

You just pay $25 per flight and since you’re one of the first ones on the plane, you’ll be able to have your pick of the better seats.
 
I always book Early-Bird when I travel and am usually able to pick a nice window seat between the front section of the plane and the wing.  I’ve even got a front row seat a few times!

8. Excellent Customer Service

Overall, Southwest has outstanding customer service and they’re always helpful when I’m making changes to my reservation or booking flights.

Their staff on the plane has always been professional and helpful in my experience, also.

9. Southwest Is A Safe Airline

Southwest Airlines offers the safest flights in the industry because of its strict flight protocols and procedures.

They are a favorite among travelers looking for cheap flights without having to compromise on comfort or security.

According to this article from Conde Nost Traveler on the safest low-cost airlines for 2024, Southwest was ranked number nine in the world, even beating out Sun Country, Spirit, JetBlue, and others.

And according to Air Advisor, Southwest was ranked #5 in 2023 for the safest airlines in the U.S!

Are you a nervous flyer?  Check out these 12 tips to overcome your fear of flying!

Cons: Southwest Airlines

10. No First-Class Or Meals

For those who like flying first class and getting a meal on your flight, Southwest does not do this.

You can get a great seat if you get Business Class, but you’re not guaranteed to sit in the front row.

Although Southwest doesn’t serve meals on their flights, they do provide snacks and water on flights over 250 miles.  They are also back to serving other beverages or alcohol on their flights.

11. Often Have To Take Connecting Flights

One downfall I’ve experienced with flying Southwest is that since I live in Minnesota, there oftentimes aren’t direct flights to the destinations I’m traveling.

For example, if I’m traveling to Tampa, I usually have to take a connecting flight.

In a world full of flight delays and cancellations, this isn’t convenient and it makes it a long day of traveling.

However, their low rates on flights oftentimes make up the difference.

I’m also able to use this as a way to break up the day of traveling a little bit.

12. You Don’t Know Where You Are Going To Sit

For some travelers, it’s a problem if they don’t have pre-assigned seating.

It creates extra stress for some who worry if they’ll be able to sit by their group or family.

I’ve also run across people who save seats or rows for friends or family who come onto the plane much later, which can be frustrating.

Another setback of not having an assigned seat is it potentially opens you up to the possibility of seat kidnapping, which has recently become a trend for some travelers.

An example of seat kidnapping is when you get to your window seat, put your bags underneath the seat, and decide to quickly use the restroom.

But by the time you get back to your seat, someone has taken your seat and moved your bag.

And since there are no assigned seats with Southwest Airlines, there’s really nothing you can do unless the flight attendants or witnesses see this.

13. They Don’t Operate Many International Flights

Southwest Airlines doesn’t operate much for international flights besides Mexico and the Caribbean.  They only fly to 11 countries.

You can use your points on flights to these locations, however.

14. Flight Delays & Canceled Flights

As with many of the major airlines struggling with canceled flights and flight delays around the holidays, Southwest is unfortunately near the top of this list.

According to this recent article from Upgraded Points that looked at flight delays from the 10 largest airlines during the holidays of 2014 to 2022, Southwest had an on-time departure percentage of just 68%.

In fact, in this list, Southwest was tied with Frontier Airlines for the worst.  Delta, for example, had an on-time percentage of 81%.

15. Costs Of WiFi Have Increased

Now, I don’t want to gloss over the fact that Southwest does offer a nice amount of inflight entertainment and that’s great.

They offer free movies, free live tv, free tv series, and free texting for your flight.  But they also just made a major change to their WiFi program, which will affect a lot of passengers.

Southwest was offering $8 for Inflight Internet for the day but as of February 21, 2023, you won’t be able to get internet for the full day.  You have to pay $8 for each flight you get on.

So if you are taking a flight with a connection(s), you will be paying $8 every time you step on the plane.  And as I mentioned earlier, it can be hard to find direct flights on Southwest, depending on where you are traveling from.

Looks like Southwest may be trying to recoup some of the costs from their disastrous holiday season.

What Is The Southwest Companion Pass?

The Companion Pass is a program where each traveler can qualify to have a companion travel with them, for free, on flights.

The companion can fly with you for free on any date, any route, and an unlimited amount of times.

This doesn’t matter if the flight is booked with points or paid.

How Do You Qualify For Companion Pass?

Every traveler has the opportunity to earn qualifying points and once they hit 135,000 qualifying points or take 100 one-way flights in a calendar year, they can have a companion travel with them for free.

The easiest way to earn these qualifying points is to get a personal credit card and a business card with reward bonus points.

You also earn qualifying points by taking flights and spending on your credit card.

100 one-way flights in a calendar year is the harder option to achieve companion pass status but if you take 25 round-trip flights a year with connections, then you hit the target.

Need to change the person on your companion pass?  Once you pick your companion, you can change up to 3 times a year.

Final Thoughts: Is Southwest A Good Airline?

Although there are a few disadvantages, Southwest Airlines is a great option for cheap flights and traveling, overall.  They are also one of the safest airlines in the United States!

For more tips on saving money while traveling, check out these tips for traveling cheap!

Safe travels!