What is it about SWA that people rave about?
 

Because I don't see it from a passenger point of view...

I have traveled on SWA several times recently (full revenue) and not only are the FA's rude old hags but the service has sucked lately.

What gives?

Company bean counters cutting corners?

No gate claim bags.

The agent let me preboard since he knew I was OAL.

"If you pre board no exit row PERIOD!" (In verbatim from FA) What a b!tch.

Has there been a decline in the LUV department amongst employees?

Just curious..

Ask for hot chocolate and a coffee while sitting in the last row on a sparse flight. They love that. Oh they do.

Don't sweat it. All airlines have bad apples.

A few less fees, a little lower fares, a bit more flexibility than the legacies.

As for the people who rave, it's like sports or religion. Once they commit, they ignore reason, and their "team" is the best.

All that and the goofy, rock concert boarding system.

GF

I wish other airlines would adopt their Jumpseat policy. Get on get your bags up, take a seat (out of courtesy take one behind the exit row unless told different) and if you are needed in the Jumpseat they call you up at the end. Doesn't get better than that.

Or most other airlines you are stuck getting on last minute trying to find overhead space. Then rushing to introduce yourself get settled, not rushing past the FAs today get on time, gate agents annoyed beyond you might make them close the door late etc.

The attraction to SWA is based on marketing technique.
Their market dept has most of the country believing that SWA always has the lowest fares. When in fact it is usually not the case. Why do you think SWA is not on most booking search engines?

I like SWA because they are consistent.

They're also smart. They look at where everyone is filed to and use alternate departure routes if available. We sit on the ground doing 20 in trail and they blast off going to the same destination.

What "gives" is your use of the words "recently" and "lately". To answer your question and understand it, you should understand a few things.

Their core customer base has been flying them longer than a decade. For ex, I started flying SWA out of DAL as a boy when one stood a very good chance of running into Herb Kelleher on a flight serving drinks and peanuts.

Decades later, 9/11 came along and SWA, alone among airlines, didn't lay off a single pilot, bag handler, or gate agent. The exec. suite even made a scheduled $179 million payment into a co. retirement plan during those uncertain times. In addition to all that, it has never sniffed bankruptcy and made a profit in every year of it's existence. Out of literally thousands of trips on SWA with innumerable connecting flights, they've never lost one of my checked bags and I usually arrive at my destination on time.

If I had to chose one word to describe SWA, in an industry fraught with risk, that word would be "reliable".

One can "rave" about SWA in any number of different ways. It has historically been a reliable company that gives the greatest value for your traveling dollar. It has been a reliable and safe investment for your stock portfolio. It's safety record is impeccable. It flies Boeing aircraft. I can go on and on.

Disclosure: never worked there, been a customer since the '70s, and I own the stock. Yes, I drank the kool-aid a long time ago, but the company and it's performance justified it and continues to do so.

From a passenger standpoint, customer service. From a NonRev/jumpseat standpoint, customer service. I've had gate agents go waaayyy out of their way to get me on a flight...and it's not just an isolated event, it's a part of their culture. Some legacies could take a few tips from WN's hospitality.

Breadsticks and cognac and humor you've never heard before and isn't rehearsed. :D