Thanks to both of my jobs and my family’s love of travel, I often have to fly to get to an assortment of destinations. You can imagine that in all that time I’ve faced a number of dilemmas. Cancelled flights. Lost luggage. Turbulent rides. The latter being one of the worst since I have a fear of heights and am not a comfortable passenger in those twenty-five thousand foot high roller coasters.
I know there is nothing that a pilot can sometimes do about those rough rides and I just wait them out as best I can.
But there is something airlines can do about the rest and to my very pleasant surprise Southwest Airlines did just that.
When floods in Nashville forced me to change my flight to Orlando, the only Southwest Airlines charge was the difference in the cost of the two tickets due to the change in destination. No $150 change fee the way my normal carrier charges when stuff happens and flights need to get changed. The change fee would lower to $50 if I waited to do it on the same day as the flight, but no one ever advised me of that. I discovered that fact online recently.
Did I mention that I was originally flying Southwest because their rates were so much cheaper than my normal carrier’s that it was worth the drive down to Philadelphia? 217 versus 337?
I had two big bags with me, one with clothes and one with promo materials. Cost with my normal carrier: $60 if checked at the airport or $55 if done online. Cost with Southwest: $0. Yes, you are seeing that right. Zero dollars for two bags.
Money saved so far: $240 (120 plus 120 in baggage fees).
When I arrived in Orlando I discovered that the handle on my bag had gotten ripped off on one side making it nearly impossible for me to lift it. I headed to the luggage claim area and within about five minutes was handed a brand new bag to replace the one that had been damaged. Nicer than my old beat up bag and with a TSA approved lock to boot.
No questions, no problems. A warm smile on the face of the rep as she helped me deal with the bag issue.
What more can you ask for?
How about roomier seats and more leg room? Yep, you got that, too.
Which leaves me with only one question: When are you coming to Newark, Southwest Airlines?
This morning was one of those rough kinds of days. NJ Transit train sat on the tracks into New York. Metrocard machine for the subway wasn’t taking credit cards. Subway wasn’t running, making me walk up several flights to a different subway line.