Hot Take: Southwest is that girl!

Hot take

I like southwest!

Despite being an Atlanta native, a Platinum Medallion, 3x Delta Skymiles credit card holder, and a 90% Delta loyalist, sometimes, it just doesn’t make sense! And one thing about me, it’s gonna always have to make “cents”! wink😉 

Let’s talk major airline pros and cons:

I know there are more, but for the purposes of this blog, I’ll only be focusing on the main three I fly out of Atlanta. Delta, because well, of course. American Airlines and Southwest. So grab a mug and let’s talk about it. 

Let’s start with Delta. 

1. Accessibility and Reliability: It’s hub is in Atlanta, ATL, Hartsfield-Jackson International, the busiest airport in the world, where it has its own, exclusive terminal and all the other airlines have to share the other one. Being a hub makes the flights usually comparable and sometimes less expensive than other major carriers and there are plenty of nonstop routes. Also, Delta is very reliable in my experience. Flights are almost always on time, rarely have issues with canceled flights and there is plenty of flexibility with changing if needed, especially with status.

2. Pricing, Award Travel and Partner Airlines: Delta is pricey. There’s not getting around it. But especially being located in a hub, it’s not necessarily MUCH more expensive than its competitors, in my experience. And for its perks, it’s often worth the extra spend. As for points, it’s focused heavy on the card spend, which is fine for me, but doesn’t benefit those who actually fly a lot. And now you have to spend SO MUCH in order to obtain status. But once you do, the upgrades are plentiful and the perks are great. When it comes to its partner airlines, I am not a fan. Specifically, Air France. I hate it. I don’t want to fly Air France ever. Sometimes I don’t have much of a choice when it comes to cost effectiveness but it is just not my jam! The seats on Air France are the most uncomfortable I’ve ever experienced (I’ve never flown spirit or frontier though)… I guess it’s cool for the smaller folks but for us of any “size”, honey please. Also, I hate CDG (1 of 2 major airports in Paris)- where most of my international flights booked on Delta layover, though I must admit my most recent experience there wasn’t awful, just not good. All in all, that’s not the biggest deal.
   

3. Comfort and service: Let’s just be honest, Delta’s customer service and experience are pretty much top tier. Delta planes are usually quite comfortable (relatively speaking… I mean are any economy airplane seats actually comfortable?) and the leg room is sufficient unless you are pretty tall. You've almost always got seatback screens and free WiFi (with a SkyMiles account - also free). And for those of us who play the credit card game, it USED to be easy to accrue SkyMiles for award flights. More on that in a sec.

Well, actually, let’s talk about it now, because basically my only cons for Delta are AirFrance and the new Medallion status structure.  But when compared with other airlines, let’s say American Airlines, for me, they edge Delta out on the international front. Which is an excellent place to segue. 

American Airlines: 

1. Accessibility and Reliability: American is unreliable as a general rule. It is entirely possible to see your flight change a gazillion times. You might get moved to a different flight, that gives you some insane, impossible connection. And if you don’t catch it, you might be out of luck.  They also never, ever leave on time, so you have to be VERY mindful of your connections. From my experience, they always seem to be running about 15-20 minutes behind. 

2. Pricing, Award Travel and Partner Airlines: The biggest pro for me is their points program. AA’s point redemption program is still based on charts, so the price to redeem flights doesn’t fluctuate as much and in my opinion you get more bang for your buck. For example, I recently booked roundtrip Jamaica, first class for 40k miles. That ticket on Delta easily costs twice that. I also noted (though apparently they have since pulled this) that you could fly Qatar (an American partner) business class roundtrip to South Africa for 75k miles. For context, Delta one to South Africa is 1,000,000 miles. Literally. A million Skymiles. Main cabin - almost 400,000. That’s like 10x more miles! No thanks, chile… I’ll be over here!

3. Comfort and Service: I find American planes much more comfortable for those long haul international flights than Air France. I haven’t flown Qatar yet, but I hear it’s fire 🔥!

So while I think it’s totally worth it, especially if you’re redeeming miles for a long haul, international trip, book American with caution. 

Last, but certainly not least, let’s talk about my girl, Southwest!

1. Accessibility and Reliability: So to me, Southwest sort of exists in a category separate from the other two. It’s like the top of the line budget airline, if you will. I love Southwest for a domestic trip. Especially one and the same time zone or just one over. Southwest is so unproblematic to me. She just lives her life, does her thing and gets the work done with the “just a cut above basic” amenities and a fun, but few frills experience. I have never had an issue with my Southwest flight being cancelled or changed significantly and they are usually on time. 

2. Pricing, Award Travel and Partner Airlines: Now again because Atlanta is a Delta hub, sometimes it beats Southwest out or is a little more, but with a nonstop route and opportunity for upgrade, Delta will get my vote. Overall, Southwest does offer quite a few very budget friendly routes and you can even catch a nonstop route here and there. Also, their points really seem to go a long way. Not to mention, two free checked bags in a world where the major carriers have just increased their bag fees about 15% is just chefs kiss. 

3. Comfort and Service: But here’s the hot take I’ve been excited to get to… their boarding process. I think the Southwest boarding process is the most efficient in the business. It’s basically, “Chile, get on the plane and sit down somewhere.” It practically eliminates that jet bridge line, the fuss over seat assignments and the quasi classism of priority boarding that the other airlines employ. Boarding front to back, irreverent of window and aisle seats has never made much sense to me, but people love to feel important so that’s what we get. Because of Southwest’s process, you get more of an outside-in process, which seems to move things along much faster. I love the get in where you fit in vibes. As long as you can remember to check in early or pay the nominal $15-$25 to get an early boarding zone, you’re pretty much guaranteed to get your preferred seat position. No first class, no special treatment, just regular ol’ equality. Also, I just flew southwest a couple weeks ago, and can I just say that the staff are the most fun, witty and enjoyable in the business? 
   

So let’s hear it! Who gets your vote, or more importantly, your money? Are you a loyalist or a best deal kind of person? What matters most to you when booking your flights? I want to hear from you!