I don't usually fly Southwest. I have status with Delta which doesn't really get me much, but being able to book exit row seats or even Economy Comfort and go through the first class security lane is enough to choose Delta over others even if it's not the cheapest.
I've flown Southwest three times this year which is a lot. The first flight was during the winter where I flew into PHL and my flight was cancelled on the return leg due to weather. Usually it's not a problem... with other airlines. To Southwest's credit, I did get a notification the day before saying my flight was cancelled due to weather. The email had very clear instructions on what to do. I rebooked online and the process was easy. What sucked was that I couldn't leave until Wednesday... I was supposed to fly out Monday. So why did I have to stay an extra day and half? Because Southwest only rebooks you on other Southwest flights whereas other airlines will put you on their competitors which is infinitely better than having to take extra days off work with no compensation for the delay!
The second flight was a short one to San Jose and while uneventful, I still hate Southwest because the boarding process sucks. They pride themselves on their no assigned seat model, but when they don't enforce their own rules about saving seats, then what's the fucking point?
The third time is occurring as we speak. I'm flying to SLC via Las Vegas. Well, I was! My flight was delayed due to a mechanical issue and I would miss my connection. None of this is enough to hate Southwest because it happens to every airline. It's how they handle it is what frustrates me. Not only do they rebook you at the gate and doesn't give a phone option like Delta does, but you also run into the same problem as the first flight. My first option was to take the flight to Vegas and arrive in SLC at midnight. My original flight got in at 1:10 pm. No thanks. The second option was to fly THE NEXT DAY. I'm going for a clinic which starts tonight and ends Saturday afternoon. I would arrive in SLC at 4 pm. Kinda defeats the purpose of going. However, I was "lucky" to get another flight which someone else had cancelled, so I'll get into SLC at 11:15!!!! with an 8 hour layover in Phoenix.
I don't know. I feel cheated. Yes, they are getting me to my destination and yes, I got a voucher for wasting 12 hours of my time, but there has got to be a better system.
I'm just fed up. I don't think I'll fly Southwest again unless it's to use up my voucher.
