How Effective is the Bags Fly Free Program?

[GuppyWN]

Hobby and Love are WIDE open there good buddy.

Gup

 

[Full of LUV]

To see how long it takes for DL to go to "first bag free" for all customers if the SWA/AAI merger is approved and SWA gets a foothold in ATL. My understanding is that SWA's CEO believes ATL may become SWA's most profitable city once the merger is fully complete and SWA has setttled in.

And before you start flaming, the foregoing observation is made by a very loyal DL customer who has flown 100,641 air miles this year on DL, nearly 100k last year (Platinum status in DL's SkyMiles program), and about 450k, lifetime as a NW/DL customer.

And he's done that all in CONUS???? He's going to leave behind the perks of his platinum status because SWA doesn't charge a bag fee???? News for ya, he doesn't pay ANY fees now, no bags, no changes, quick line at security check points, lounges to wait in with free booze..... All that traded in so he can have an "A" position in line with his business select fare which may or may not keep him from the middle seat....... WOW, SWA must really be different!

 

[waveflyer]

Frequent fliers do not pay the bag fee because of their loyalties.

SWA is full because all airlines are full on reduced capacity waiting for the next big drop off of traffic caused by all the future unknowns.

SWA has a good marketing campaign charging its hidden bag fees in the higher priced ticket. SWA's leisure travelers will not pay the bag fee if they are aware of it but hidden in the ticket price is fine.

Are you saying that bags fees are a wash? That mainline carriers reduce their ticket prices, then add fees to make up the difference?
That's only partially true- it's a scam. They lower it to get the prime position on the Internet sites- then jack up the price with fees after the customer has paid and thought they got the best price-

Is that defendable? Sounds like mgmt treating customers like their pilots

 

[redflyer65]

I like how people automatically think Southwest has to take you through two or three cities to get somewhere.

The fact is alot of times that is simply not the truth. We do more direct flying than anyone else out there. Rememeber point to point?

Want to go ORF to BNA without a connect? We do it.
Want to go ORF to JAX without a connect? We do it.

So, many times you can get there faster on SW than having to connect through some massive airport like ATL, and still get your bags there for free.

And the business traveler loves the flexiblity in getting an earlier or later flight without having to paying a ton of cash. I've seen plenty of business guys walk up early because the meeting was over quicker than expected. Try that with a legacy and see how far that gets you.

 

[pilotyip]

A nice feature at SWA is the no charge for changing flights or people on the flight. But if travel without bags SWA is no longer the low-cost carrier. How do SWA profits compare to other airline profits?

 

[bizicmo]

Southwest is a legacy airline at this point. But they have a fantastic PR machine that spins them to be the best.

 

[SWA/FO]

We are the best.... No PR machine needed and No DOT facts either!

 

[redflyer65]

When it is my choice of which airline I fly, I'll take SWA any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Their pricing (from my home airport) is almost always competitive to my destinations of choice, and their boarding process is efficient - made even more so by an obvious lack of excess bags trying to enter the cabin. Not to mention the cabin crew is almost always in a good mood.

YMMV.

We have a ton of passengers just like this. We have a competitive, usually direct product with free bags. Very efficient.

Ever sit on a legacy plane after pulling up to the gate and waiting 15 minutes for a jetbridge driver? It just doesn't happen that way at SW, and the passengers know it.

 

[oriondriver]

To all the SWA bashers. YOU ARE RIGHT SOUTHWEST MODEL ISN'T WORKING AND NEVER HAS WORKED!. Oh wait a minute, we have been profitable for 38 years.