Reflections After First 6 Flights, After 6 Years of No Flying
Having not flown since 2019 (thank you COVID), I recently returned to the air thanks to a new assignment. I previously flew Southwest often enough to have earned a Companion Pass. I just completed 6 scheduled flights. I offer these observations:
Aircraft: All fairly new with no obvious sign of wear and tear in the interior. I remember the planes as previously being a bit worn on the interior.
Boarding: Very few "gate lice" now. Folks seemed to generally pay attention to their assigned groups and follow the process. Certainly far more boarding options: Preboard, Military, Priority, A-List Preferred, A-List, and then Group 1 thru 8.
Carry on restrictions: Fanny packs and other small items now seem to count against your two item limit (well written about on this forum). Since bags no longer fly free, folks try to cram as much as possible into the overhead bins.
Flight attendants: What the heck happened here? Gone are the friendly employees who actually seemed (for the most part) to enjoy their job.
Credit cards: How many different credit card programs does an airline need?
Fees: Fees and fees and fees......
Bottom line: Just another airline, no longer price competitive. Often more expensive than American on some routes/days.