Tagged: southwest-airlines

Tips for Saving Money This Summer on Flights and Road Trips Amid Sky-High Fuel Prices

The ever-increasing cost of fuel is, yes, driving up the cost of vacations this summer. And we’re not just talking about road trips. Airfares have also shot up, with ticket costs in…

Southwest Airlines Further Restricts Portable Chargers on Flights

Southwest Airlines is establishing one of the strictest policies on lithium portable chargers in the U.S.According to an internal message that was posted for employees this week and…

Southwest's New Plus-Size Policy Is Arbitrary and Unfair, Say These Flyers

There’s been a lot of belt-tightening at Southwest Airlines lately.Last year, the carrier nixed its popular and longstanding perk allowing each passenger two free checked bags. The…

The Airlines, Unchecked, are Showing Passengers Prices They Can’t Actually Find

It's difficult enough comparison shopping for airfares among online ticket agencies and the carriers' own sites. Airline pricing has gotten more complicated and more confusing…

Southwest Airlines Announces a Wi-Fi Change That Won't Enrage You (for Once)

After many months of making customers mad, Southwest Airlines is finally doing something that flyers might actually like. Beginning Friday, October 24, the airline will offer free…

Southwest Airlines Announces Date Open Seating Ends—So There'll Be No Special Reason to Fly It

We know you've heard this greatest hit from an American corporation many times before: A product is being made much worse because you allegedly demanded it.Southwest Airlines, which…

The Big Three Airlines Are Misleading Travelers So They Can Rig the System

We have two airline industries in America. There are larger carriers, led by the Big Three oligopoly of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines. And then we have…

Southwest Airlines Becomes the First U.S. Carrier to Ban a Common Electronic Device from Overhead Bins

If Southwest Airlines had a theme song for 2025, it would have to be Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changin'."Not only has the carrier ditched its much-beloved/much-maligned…

What Each of Southwest Airlines' New Fare Classes Buys You

Southwest Airlines has been going through some things—operational meltdowns, backtracking on customer perks, scorching mockery on Saturday Night Live—but it wants you to believe…

Warning, U.S. Travelers: Airline Execs Want to Snatch Your Consumer Rights Away

The fight for fair treatment isn't over once a battle is won—especially when powerful interests stand to benefit from keeping things unfair. In the United States, travelers are facing…

Will Southwest Keep Checked Luggage Free? We Finally Have an Answer

Every budget-minded air passenger in the United States already knows that longtime no-frills kingpin Southwest Airlines is in bad trouble. The list of woes is daunting: Repeated…

Southwest Airlines Opens 2-for-1 Companion Pass Deal to Everyone for a Hot Minute

This'll have to be quick—because Southwest's promotion will be, too.Until Thursday, September 5, Southwest Airlines opening a window to register for its Companion Pass deal, which…

Southwest Airlines to End Open Seating, So Why Fly It At All? There's Still One Reason

Social media is so infected with liars and bad actors that we can't trust it even to tell us the sky is blue anymore. But the minute Southwest Airlines announced that, after some 50…

How to Use Delta, American, United, and Southwest Bag Trackers

Southwest Airlines recently became the latest U.S. carrier to roll out a bag-tracking tool for customers. Now live on both the airline’s website and mobile app, the service allows…

High-Tech Screens, Bluetooth and Improved Wi-Fi: How Airlines are Stepping Up Inflight Entertainment

Last month United Airlines announced an ambitious, high-tech plan for its on-board passenger experience. By 2032, the airline revealed, more than 800 of its aircraft will be equipped…

As Most Travel Companies Slash Point Value, Southwest Airlines Does Flyers a Favor

Almost a year ago, Frommer's warned readers that big corporations were preparing to reduce the value of loyalty points and frequent flyer miles.Since then, we've seen the predicted…

WATCH: SNL's Brutal Takedown of Southwest Airlines

America has very few true "water cooler" shows anymore that everyone talks about after they air. Heck, with so many people working from home and not from offices, America doesn't seem…

For Better or Worse, Booze Will Soon Flow Again on All Major U.S. Airlines

United Airlines has resumed selling hard liquor in the economy cabin on flights of at least 301 miles. Like many other carriers, United went dry during the early weeks of the pandemic…

Warning: Time May Be Running Out on Your Covid Flight Credits

Forget free champagne in first class. Starting in spring 2020, the most coveted amenities for air travelers became a flexible cancellation policy and flight credits that could be used…

Is It Safe to Choose Southwest Airlines This Holiday Season?

On the weekend starting October 8, Southwest Airlines went into an operational meltdown, resulting in a shortage of pilots and flight attendants that, the airline says, necessitated…

What to Do About Canceled Flights in This Summer of Airline Meltdowns

When American Airlines went through a rocky period early in June, when it canceled 10% of its flights during a fraught Father's Day weekend, I warned that the company's problems would…

Biden's Executive Order Will Make Flying Cheaper and Less Stressful

Fa la la la la! It's Christmas in July for American travelers.President Joe Biden's just-issued Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy is a massive document…

Southwest Airlines' 50th Birthday Sale Is Big—and Won't Last Long

For Southwest Airlines, it's been a week of good news and bad news so far. On Monday, technical issues led to the grounding of flights nationwide. Then, a separate computer network…

Southwest Gives Up on Social Distancing During Boarding, Blaming Crowds

This post, originally published March 24, has been updated below with news of another operational change at Southwest Airlines. We were kind of hoping airlines would keep the…

Refund Woes Fueled a Record Number of Complaints from Air Travelers in 2020

The U.S. federal government received a record number of complaints from airline passengers in 2020. In all, 102,550 complaints were filed with the Department of Transportation,…