SouthwestAirlines.com
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Your Reviews: review page
Airfare Tips: Flying Free
Merchant Tips:
Southwest Airlines is renowned for its fun culture. So, where did it start? Herb Kelleher, the President, is well known as a maverick. As a young attorney he backed a client's plan for a 'no frills' airline serving the three largest cities in Texas. After three years of challenges the service was launched in 1971. A team of veterans known as the 'Over the hill gang' created the innovative approach to service. The airline was into profit by 1973 and has not failed a single year since, in spite of the losses made by every other American airline at the start of the decade.
Earlier this year, I met some guys from Texas in a Las Vegas casino. They had flown into Las Vegas on a Southwest flight. They were full of the fact that, on the journey, the stewards and stewardesses had taught them all how to play craps. I am sure that it must have been fun for everyone. I did not need to ask the guys which airline they would be choosing in future.
Suggested Southwest arrival times for each airport
Flight Secrets: Flying for free or nearly so
Courier Travel can get you a flight for almost nothing and sometimes even free! Due to increased security this option while still available isn't as prevelant as it used to be.
The international association of Air Travel Couriers can point you in the right direction.
Getting Bumped on purpose can land you in first class or get a free flight at a later date. Here's how to do it.
Here's how the online discount airfare companies work.
What Southwest.com say's
Throughout our 33-year history, Southwest Airlines has been copied and imitated many times, but we have never been duplicated. A lot of things about us appeal to “the other guys” — our low fares, reliability and frequent flights immediately come to mind. Granted, other airlines offer some or all of these enticements to their passengers, but like a photocopy of a painting, a copycat airline can't convey the essence — the heart, if you will — of the original.
My Shopping Review - How user friendly is Merchant?
Browsing is straightforward, with constant main menus to aid navigation through the site.
The flight search feature is good. Flights can be searched by standard criteria, including departure and destination locations, date, time, and number of passengers. Key details such as departure and arrival times and locations, service class, all fares available for each flight (advance purchase, promotional, discount, etc.) including tax, fees, and availability, and the number of stops are listed in a format that makes it easy to select the best schedule or best fare. Single legs of flights are listed along with prices allowing you to select the legs that suit your needs. Unlike at some other sites in this category, the final flight price is the sum of the individual legs; that is gratifying.
There is a keyword search feature that allows searches by various topics such as destinations, animal or baggage policies, and so on. However, matches are not presented in user-friendly language, making it harder to select the most appropriate match.
Booking is a fairly smooth process. A handy status bar indicates where you are in the reservation process. Once flights are selected, fare information/restrictions are listed on the bottom of the page. There is no link to select a specific seat, as Southwest does not offer assigned seating (whether you order online or by phone). Reservation confirmation can be sent to you on request via snail-mail, e-mail, or fax. A unique feature includes a link on the booking page that allows you to view your ticketless travel funds from any previously unused or cancelled reservations that may be used towards the purchase of a new ticket.
From Southwest:
Southwest Airlines is dedicated to making air travel an enjoyable experience. In our efforts to provide the best possible service to our Customer we have provided you with some suggested Travel Tips below to help ease your travel experience at the airport.
- If you're not sure whether an item will be accepted past the security checkpoint, it's probably best to either travel without it or pack it in your checked luggage.
- Allow time for parking at the airport . In order to minimize the time you spend looking for a parking space and carrying luggage to the airport, choose to take a cab or have friend drive you to the airport.
- Random shoe checks are being conducted so consider wearing slip-on shoes when you fly .
- When purchasing luggage, select pieces that are lightweight, roomy, and durable. Material and design should be able to keep contents dry in adverse weather.
- Keep all medicines - over-the-counter drugs as well as prescriptions - in their original packaging. Medication and its administering paraphernalia must be properly marked with a professionally printed label identifying the medication or manufacturer's name or pharmaceutical label.
- When traveling with children, be sure to bring plenty of books, games, and snacks. Also, ask about Southwest Airlines' Infant Fares when making your flight reservations. These fares enable Customers to reserve seats for children under two years of age traveling in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved car seats.
- Prior to packing, make a list of everything you want to take and check off each item as it is packed.
- Keep your jewelry, keys, wallets, eyeglasses, tickets, money, passports, cameras, and other valuables with you in your carryon luggage. Also carry on any medication that you may need during your trip.
- Always put your name and address on the outside of all baggage, both checked and carryon. We recommend placing your name and address on the inside as well, since outside tags can come off.
- Carefully examine any bag before you pack it. Luggage you haven't used for a while may be inadvertently hiding some things that "won't fly."
- Put your name on your laptop case. Tape your business card or an address label to the laptop so you can identify what's yours. Place your laptop on the screening belt ahead of your laptop case. When your laptop comes out first you'll be reminded to return it to the case that will follow.
- Buy an inexpensive, plastic watch to wear while flying . Frequent travelers know that wearing metal jewelry and big diver-type watches will set off the alarm at security. But now that the security screen devices have been set to their ultra-sensitive settings, even watches with minimal bits of metal - casing, crowns, and strap buckles, for example - are ringing the bells.
- Be sure to remove any old destination tags from your luggage. You certainly don't want your bags to end up in the wrong city!
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