Why we love Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines has long been a favorite among travelers - including Plan it Petersons! From their customer-friendly policies to their engaging company culture, Southwest generally provides an enjoyable and hassle-free flying experience. Here are the key reasons why our family loves Southwest so much.
Customer service
One of the standout features of Southwest Airlines is their exceptional customer service. Passengers consistently praise the airline for its friendly and helpful staff. Flight attendants are known for their positive attitudes and willingness to go above and beyond. Additionally, anytime I have reached out to Southwest via phone or email for a question or support, the customer service representatives have always been easily reachable and very responsive.
No fees
Simply put, Southwest doesn’t nickel and dime you during the booking process (unlike many other airlines). They don’t charge fees for checked bags, flight changes or cancellations.
As many of you know, packing for a family vacation is no small feat! While it can certainly save time to not check a bag, having the flexibility to check bags at no cost is so helpful. When little ones require diapers, wipes, extra outfits in case of spills/accidents, a sound machine to fall asleep etc., not having to cram all our worldly possessions into a carry-on bag is a godsend. It’s just one less thing to worry about from our perspective.
Not charging for flight changes or cancellations provides peace of mind should something change with your travel plans. Southwest’s policy allows travelers to cancel up to 10 minutes before takeoff (what?!) or rebook anytime the price (or points price) goes down. Southwest prices can fluctuate, and while I usually book our flights when Southwest’s calendar opens, I will periodically check to see if the prices have been reduced. If they have, it takes just a few clicks to rebook our family onto the same flight and get refunded for the price difference (or the difference in points, since we usually book our Southwest flights on points). The hassle-free rebooking process is such a perk!
Family boarding
Some travelers view Southwest’s boarding process as stressful, and while we can understand that perspective, we don’t agree with it because their process actually works great for our family.
Southwest has a unique boarding process compared to most other airlines. Instead of assigning specific seats, they use an open seating policy, which allows passengers to choose their seats on a first-come, first-served basis. Passengers can check in for their flight starting 24 hours before departure, and early check-in is important to get a better boarding position. For an additional fee, you can purchase EarlyBird Check-In, which automatically checks you in 36 hours before your flight. This usually results in a better boarding position without having to manually check in 24 hours before departure. Whether you check in manually 24 hours before your flight or you opt for the early bird check-in option, you are assigned a boarding group and position once the check-in process is complete. Boarding group A boards first, followed by group B, and finally group C.
Their family boarding policy allows families with any child aged 6 or under to board after group A and before group B. This means that when flying as a family, we never pay for early bird check-in and still get reasonably good seats on the plane. Even without assigned seats, we have never had an issue finding available seats together for our family of five. Therefore, we view this as a win!
UPDATE: On 7/25/24, Southwest announced there will be a change to their boarding process beginning in 2025. They will be moving from an open seating policy to an assigned seating policy in an effort to “elevate the customer experience” and essentially listen to their customers’ feedback. The timing of this change hasn’t been announced, but more info will be available at an investor day this September. Also, Southwest will also begin offering red-eye flights in February 2025, which is another big (positive) change! Read more about the details here.
Simple to accumulate Southwest points
Southwest has several co-branded credit cards with generous welcome bonuses, so this is a great place to start if you’re looking to earn Southwest points to redeem for free flights. Also, you can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards to Southwest (in fact, Chase is the only bank whose points transfer to Southwest, which is one of the reasons we love Chase Ultimate Rewards so much!), which is another great option if your Southwest points are low.
You can also earn Southwest points by using your Southwest credit cards. Regular daily spending earns you 1x points, purchasing Southwest flights on your credit card earns you 2x points, and paying for local transit, rideshares, internet, cable, and phone services also earns you 2x points. Southwest also offers a shopping portal on their site which allows you to earn bonus Southwest points just by shopping through the portal.
Another way to earn Southwest is by flying on Southwest Airlines - and by buying your tickets with cash (not points). You need to sign up for a free Rapid Rewards account on their site and make sure your Rapid Rewards membership number is keyed anytime you make a flight reservation.
By combining any or all of these strategies, you’ll see just how simple it is to accumulate Southwest points for free flights.
Companion pass
Last but not least, our absolute favorite thing about Southwest - and one of their most coveted benefits - is their companion pass program. Simply put, there is no other airline that offers this! The Southwest companion pass allows you to choose one person to fly with you, free of airline charges (excluding taxes and fees), every time you purchase or redeem points for a flight. In order to earn the companion pass, you must either:
Fly 100 one-way flights in a calendar year (yikes), or
Earn 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year (this sounds like a yikes, but it’s pretty attainable thanks to credit card welcome bonuses)
Once earned, the companion pass is valid for the remainder of the year in which you earn it and the entire following year, providing incredible value for frequent travelers.
Stay tuned for a guide all about earning the companion pass, which will explain how our family has been doing this for several years (and you can too). It’s easier than you think!
Conclusion
If you’re ready to get started racking up Southwest points, we recommend the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card to start. You earn 50,000 points after spending only $1,000 in 3 months. There is a $69 annual fee (which is quite low for a co-branded airline credit card), but you receive a 10,000 point bonus each year, 2 complimentary Early Bird check-ins, and 25% back on in-flight purchases.
If you’re ready to apply, we’d appreciate it so much if you use our referral link. It won’t cost you anything, but it gives us a few referral points to add to our stash.
We’re here if you have any questions!
