So now that SWA has estblished themselves as the only remaining carrier to carge for bags, seems as though they are really starting to advertise that fact. I think it's great and their commercials make me laugh, as opposed to Alaskas pathetic attempt at humor. My question is this:

Is SWA generating more passengers, and the resulting revenue due to the fact that they don't charge for bags, or are they losing out on millions of dollars that bag charges generate?

 

How do their fares compare to other carriers that charge for baggage? The "bag" fee may be embedded in the airfare.

 

Ok so I am a bit biased as you can tell... but as far as the bag fee goes, most people don't want to crack their wallets open at the ticket counter after already paying for their ticket! Most people want to know what it is going to cost them to go from point A to point B. If the fee is in the fare then so be it. At least there is no surprise when you get to the airport. You know what you paid and that's it.
I have never thought it was a good idea to add a fee for bags. But hey I am just one opinion.

WNrider

 

There are two primary ways to be profitable: to cut costs to the bone and charge for every little thing; or to provide a good product at a price corresponding to its actual value. Having worked for companies that have focused on each of these to the exclusion of the other, I vastly prefer working for and/or patronizing the latter.

I don't know which kind will win the race, but I know where my app will go when the day comes.

 

The writing is on the wall. People want Ala cart pricing. They do not want to pay for services that they do not use. They will buy the cheapest ticket, then add on a bag, window seat, web service, exc... Yes, they are ****ed when they have to pay $15 for a bag, but when they travel next month, it's back to the cheapest fare.

Really? you can not say P'd. WOW

 

Have to agree with the Green Nanner on this one. People will search for hours to save 50 cents on the fare, then spend like crazy the day of travel. Had 100 bags in the hold on a recent flight. That's $2000 additional revenue in one flight. Add in cocktails, a meal and a movie, internet connection to send Aunt Bee an email and the ticket price begins to look like the cover charge at a club.

I think WN is leaving $$ at the table, but Shhhhh, let's not tell 'em!

 

As a frequent traveler platinum, etc. I don't pay bag fees. I like the commercials, beats everyone elses.

 

As an aviation consumer (we are home based and can book our own tickets), the issue with SW for me is the lack of an assigned seat. I find that SW isn't always the lowest fare in the 3-5 day before travel window.

 

I'm a SWA pilot and I'd agree. We are rarely the cheapest in the short term. However I don't know that you can extrapolate that to us not having the cheapest fares. That can be a function of how many seats we have remaining to sell on that particular flight.

Remember that we do allow you to board early, thereby picking any seat you want, for a small fee. ;-)

I've heard Gary Kelly talk about this very subject and he strongly believes that it's working. There is no reliable metric to measure what a customer would have decided, only what they actually did decide. So it's hard to say that charging for bags is really making money for the legacy carriers.

 

As a frequent flyer- I pack light and use the overheads. Yeah, I’m guilty of jockeying for position. I’m lifetime Silver on DL and hoping for annual Silver this year on CO. I still love WN and fly them when it fits. Sometimes they are the least expensive, sometimes not. I do think ala carte is a pain in the butt, however I understand internet pricing is driving it. Everybody "homes in" on that first published number. That said, I have my preferences and needs when I book my flights, in rough order-

Price- driven by my business cost
Schedule - driven by what I need to do
Seating- I'm not sitting in a middle seat for 4-5 hours if I don't have to- driven by comfort
Preferred Carrier- based on ease of use (primarily boarding preference to get overhead space) driven by what I want or expect for convenience or service
Frequent Flyer Benefits - driven by what I might accrue long term

The bags are kind of a non-issue. How does WN win? Fun airline to fly on, excellent in-flight service, and perhaps most importantly, they are not trying to be low bidder on Orbitz, Travelocity, etc.