Southwest Airlines

With all of the crazy weather and external situations that can sometimes disrupt flights, I always know that I can rely on Southwest customer service to provide the best options. I’ve had to change my flight twice for snowstorm Jonas and the woman managed to find the fastest way for me to get home even if it was slightly off the beaten trail. They are almost always on time or early and if I need to be at the front of the plane I know I can opt for the early bird check-​in. Plus 2 bags fly free, if you have to pay to check a bag, you’re flying with the wrong company. I love SW, my main complaint is they don’t allow rabbits in cabin… Maybe one day.

Southwest is great, but their LGA terminal is awful. It’s long, narrow, and not enough seating. The terminal’s food choices are not the best and their gate’s leaderboards are not electronic. What is this, 1975?

SW at Laguardia is a nightmare. The B terminal is just not built for or big enough for this airline or any airline. It’s only about 20 seats at each gate. So your stuck having to stand or take your chances and sit in the nasty floor and hope you won’t get stepped on. The bathrooms are disgusting you feel like you need to goto the dr to get test done to make sure you didn’t catch anything. They should also screen the pre-​boarders better. I was flying business class and had the A2 and A3 boarding passes. But they let about 40 pre boarders on before us. None of the front seats or exit row seats were available. If I’m paying the extra to fly business class I should be able to get a seat in front of the wings or the exit row seats. The open seating policy is nice but really no use in paying double for business since they let anyone with a excuse to pre board

Worst travel experience I have ever had! I had a 5:30 AM flight from Mexico City via Houston to La Guardia with A list seating. When I got to Houston, I was told that the plane was full and my name wasn’t on the list of passengers. Never mind that I had proof of a confirmed reservation from Southwest in my email. I was rerouted through Dallas and then to La Guardia with C list seating and arrived in New York at 8:30 PM. Total trip time from check-​in to arrival: 17.5 hours. Despite Southwest’s involuntary boarding policy, which awards you a minimum of twice the monetary value of your flight if you are bumped, all I received was a $ 150 travel voucher (worth the cost of my originally scheduled flight from Houston + $ 30). Get this: If you voluntarily give up your seat because they have overbooked, you get $ 300, but you if you are bumped because they have done something wrong, you get half that much. Doesn’t make sense to me but I won’t be using that voucher anytime soon, anyway…

Southwest may be one of the best airlines here in the U.S. I know a lot of people dislike their boarding/​open seat policy, but I think it’s fantastic. So long as you check in on time, you’re going to get a decent seat. I *never* get to sit at the very front of the plane on any other airline, so I love the spoiled feeling I get. If you get to fly one of their Boeing 737 – 800, you’ll get comfy seats and awesome mood lighting. Coupled with two free checked bags, and a staff who are pretty much always helpful and in a good mood, what more can you ask for?
Helpful crew is exceedingly important when you’re flying with a new baby. My daughter is not even 5 months old and she’s already flown 5 flights with Southwest. Each trip was incredible. If the flight wasn’t full, we were able to bring her car seat onboard (even though we didn’t pay for that seat), and the crew made sure we had every thing we needed during flight.
As for their LGA set up, you can’t fault them for that. Unlike Delta, Southwest doesn’t own the terminal, nor is it a hub for them. So they’re stuck with the craptasm that is LGA Terminal B. Even with the godawful cramped conditions, the staff working LGA are always happy and helpful. And working there? That’s saying something BIG.

Most airlines get mixed reviews but I’ve had nothing but good experiences with Southwest. On top of those good experiences, this past week, my relatives were visiting and we missed our flight. It was our fault – mine, really – we simply misread the time of our tickets. Southwest worked with us and, in the end, simply printed new tickets for the next day at the time we wanted. All of this at no charge! Thanks again, guys.

I can’t BELIEVE people are complaining about the VERY same place (LGA) and people
I could not be more enthusiastic about!!! Granted, when I showed up 4.5 hours early
for a flight, they made me wait until 4 hours to check in, but that’s there rule. I had
a great check in guy this week, whose name might have been? It stared with an A
and he was helpful-​though he marked the problems with my bag. (Torn). HOWEVER,
when my bag arrived, it was open in one of the front pockets AND one of the zippers
was damaged. I had to wait FOREVER for my bags (they only had one carousel
that worked) and alas, when I got home, the wheel on my other bag FELL OFF.
HOWEVER, when leaving LGA during bad weather and transferring in Nashville,
they held the plane until we arrived!!! And the people who ‘hostess’ are pleasant
and sometimes friendly, like the olden days. I canNOT complain about the
check in process for your seat, because each time I waited, i got to pick the
person (male) i wanted to sit next to and had some great conversations.
i also sat next to some females (middle seats are NOT popular) and they
were interesting as well. I think the bucks you save ARE worth it though I’m
not sure I want to invest in two new pieces of luggage, but… Bring your
own food and understand you are paying much less than all the other airlines,
with people who own the airline, so they have a stake in how they treat you.

I have to say I was a bit nervous flying this airline after all the negative reviews on Unilocal.I got to my gate and noticed the rows with numbers where you line up. I finally understood how it was that we were supposed to board. When you check in they give you a letter A, B or C and a number 1 – 60. they start boarding A 1 – 60, B 1 – 60 and C 1 – 60 once you get on the plane you take whatever seat is available. Obviously the window and isle seats get filled first. I didn’t have an issue getting an isle seat in the front since I like to be off the plane as soon as it lands.
I actually really enjoyed this whole free seating thing but it could had been since I was flying alone and didn’t have to find two seats together.
Now I have to say the people that work for this airline were all super nice and friendly and really tried to make your trip enjoyable.
I will fly them again :)

It’s too bad you can’t give this airline 0 stars. Their service is probably the worst part, but their procedures for boarding ie. Is terrible also. I wouldn’t travel this airline again if the flight was free. I was removes from my flight after a 5 hour delay because my partner wasn’t with me at the time I was to board, and my seat was given to a standby passenger. How rude?!
Def not worth the ‘discount’ in my opinion.

The few extra bucks that you save for your ticket is NOT WORTH it!
Yes, bags are checked for free but at LGA you have to physically bring it to the men loading the plane.
Just took a flight this weekend both flights the landings were very bumpy and scary. The person sitting next to me spilled her coffee because of the turbulence. I’ve never had been scared on plane before taking southwest. The pilot must have been training. He never made an announcement as to why the ride was so bumpy.
The terminal was very crowed as well as the plane.

Laguardia airport is hands down the worst airport in the world and I should know because I have traveled to many places. The check in suxs, TSA sucks, parking suxs, food choices suxs etc suxs. Why do I end up at this dump twice a year. Please people do not come to LGA!!!

Worst airline!
Too many delays … There was 30 minute delay boarding the plane.
After we arrived at our destination city, there was an 1 hour wait on the tarmac because there was plane that was boarding at the gate we were to arrive to. Really? Can’t they just drop off the passengers at a different gate? It’s 11:51p.m. … the last flight. Ridiculous!!!
After we deplaned, we went to retrieve our luggage. Another 30 minute wait for the luggage! We almost missed our shuttle to the hotel because of the cut off time.

The only reason I don’t give them 5 stars is because Laguardia Airport sucks. Denver Airport is much nicer. You can check 2 pieces of luggage FREE. Staff is same as anyone else some great some fair. I get srink coupons as a frequent flyer. Never had that before on other airlines. Laguardia is closest to me so that’s where I go. As someone said before if you’re neurotic Southwest is probably not for you. But for me I will use them as often as I can.

Hey I was just made the DUKE!!!
The Duke of the worst customer service airlines at LGA airport.
Please read my review for Southwest at LGA airport.
I understand delays due to weather, but the lack of service and the unwillingness to help the situation is dismal!
Safe travels

Preboarding is a NIGHTMARE. I’ve never experienced such chaos. I flew with SW for the first time during the holidays, so that may be part of why my experience was the way that it was… idk though.
They have an interesting «line-​up» situation to preboard by numbers… it’s hard to explain and NO one was there to explain it to me, nor was it clearly explained online — luckily some fellow passengers who’d flown SW before broke it down for me. Urgh.
No free assigned seats, so if you want a specific seat, be sure to purchase it beforehand.
Luckily I packed light and didn’t have any overhead items, but another woman boarding ahead of me had a bag which she needed help placing in the bin. The flight attendant manning the back of the plane didn’t even bother helping her lift her bag! I’ve NEVER seen that before and I’ve flown on various airlines, plenty of times.
The flight was cheap, so I’ll probably fly with them again… but as a last resort. Le’sigh.

The Southwest Airlines terminal (B) at LaGuardia Airport is probably one of the most run down terminal I’ve ever set foot in, other than maybe one of those ghetto terminals that may or may not have been torn down at JFK. There are absolutely no food choices in the terminal… beware. The whole open seating thing is a bit weird at first, but it actually isn’t so bad when you think about it and actually seems more efficient than people waltzing around at their slow pace looking for their assigned seat and finally sitting down (in the wrong seat). It only sucks when you’re in the back of the batch and end up sitting in the very last row because nobody wants to sit there.
On my particular flight from LGA to ATL, we had the most awesome flight attendants ever. They were super, super nice and the head attendant had the most awesome sense of humor. He actually made us WANT to listen to the announcements, to the required safety demonstration, etc. People even clapped for him at the end.
Overall:
Terminal — 1 star
Airplane (comfort, cleanliness, food) — 4 stars
Service — 5 stars

Southwest probably isn’t the airline for you if you’re neurotic but for most people it’s great. I’ve flown Southwest 3 times this year out of LGA and haven’t had any major issues. The plane has been late about half the time but it’s generally been due to weather. Southwest is generally cheap and you get free bags which no one is doing anymore. I’m personally a fan of the seating policy, as long as you check in early you’re almost guaranteed a window or isle seat. Most airlines charge you to pick you own seat. The LGA terminal kind of sucks but they have a few good options like au bon pain.

My flight was canceled and the customer service rep on the phone did very little to help me reschedule my flight. I asked for a refund (which she didn’t even offer as an option until I asked) and was told it would take 1 – 2 billing cycles. In 2014 it seems ridiculous that they’re not able to process that sooner. I’ll just stick to Jetblue going forward.

I am so flabbergasted by the service at southwest. I’m allowed to pre-​board with one additional passenger, namely my husband who is helping me so lift heavy luggage. Etc. due to pregnancy and my nausea.
the lame ticket receiver wouldn’t allow him on saying it «wouldn’t be fair» to let him cut. Interesting how they let the couple in front let their husband accompany her…
So I go into the plane alone, and ask the flight attendant (a dude) to help me lift my luggage into the overhead and he says I have to help him after I just specified I’m pregnant and can’t lift anything heavy.
Shitty service and shittier workers at southwest. I guess I get what I paid for. I WILL NEVER FLY SOUTHWEST AGAIN IN THATS HOW THEY TREAT THEIR PAYing PATRONS.

I’ve had my issues with southwest, but bottom line its one of the better frequent flyer programs by the way for those who don’t know if you use the checkpoints app you can rake up points pretty fast i end up making more points in a month over my credit card spending.
Now as to flying out of la guardia wow the stations sure look outdated here and small compared to other southwest terminals i’ve been to actually felt a little claustrophobic here but i wanted to do nyc on the cheap. Also if doing public transportation use google maps and your ride will begin with a bus to the subway just get. Metro car