Is Southwest having problems right now?
User reports indicate no current problems at Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines will soon require travelers who don’t fit within the armrests of their seat to pay for an extra one in advance, part of a string of recent changes the carrier is making. The new rule goes into effect Jan. Southwest starts assigning seats.Southwest does not offer senior fares. Learn about the fare types that Southwest offers today.Seats aren’t assigned. Southwest doesn’t allow flyers to reserve seats in advance, and there are no assigned seats. Instead, Southwest has a unique boarding system. Each traveler is assigned a boarding group and a position upon check-in.Understanding southwest’s generous carry-on policy as well as your one carry-on bag, you’re permitted to take one personal item onto your southwest airlines flight, like a purse, briefcase, laptop case, or small backpack.
Is Southwest a good airline?
After years of operational struggles, Southwest Airlines has reclaimed its throne as the best-performing U. S. Topping the 2025 Airline Quality Rating, the Dallas-based carrier proves that sometimes the old-school approach to airline service still works. According to the AirAdvisor Airline Safety Score, Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and United Airlines are all the safest. Each had a perfect accident record in 2022 and had no reported incidents based on data from IATA.The Worst Airlines for Reliability In 2023 according to this LendingTree study from the first four months of 2023, the top 5 lowest on-time arrival percentages were as follows: Frontier Airlines – 65. Hawaiian Airlines – 66. Spirit Airlines – 66.
What are the negatives with Southwest Airlines?
Seats aren’t assigned. Southwest doesn’t allow flyers to reserve seats in advance, and there are no assigned seats. Instead, Southwest has a unique boarding system. Without paying for early check-in, it’s usually the case that the earlier you check in for a Southwest flight, the better your boarding spot will be. That’s why many passengers check in at the earliest possible moment: precisely 24 hours before the flight’s scheduled departure.If you’re not checked in by the minimum check-in time, you may lose your seat. In most cities, you must be checked in: At least 45 minutes before scheduled departure, for flights within the U. S. At least 60 minutes before scheduled departure, for flights to or from airports outside of the U. S.Southwest passengers hoping to board earlier and snag a better seat can add EarlyBird Check-In to their booking. EarlyBird Check-In is included in both the Business Select and Anytime fares.