KCRag Forum

In my experience that isn't the case. I mean, you step on the plane and can see all the seats. You say, "I believe I would like to sit there!" Then you go sit there. It's not like the plane is a maze with people wandering around the cabin trying to find the perfect seat.  I've never seen anyone try to save a seat, and it seems like that wouldn't go over very well, but I suppose it might happen.

SW did a whole study where they tried different boarding procedures at four or five airports.  This is the one they ended up with.  Seeing as how SW is the only airline that consistently (always) makes money every quarter, this system is either (1) significantly less expensive to implement or (2) significantly reduces the boarding times. 

Southwest has some of the shortest turnaround times in the industry.  Not all of this is because of boarding.  All the planes are the same model, so everyone has worked out the most efficient way to get every thing else on the plane as well -- fuel, bags, peanuts.  But the open seating is part of it as well.

Obviously it is working for them, so I see no reason for them to change.  I don't like it, but my main complaint is having to check-in online exactly 24 hrs before departure to get the best number, rather than the actual boarding.

Which is why I'd just like see a picture of the plane when booking the tickets and select my seat at that time as other airlines do.  They only have to write the website code once, it's not like it has high ongoing maintenance costs.

When they tried assigned seating their customers flipped out. Fortunately, if you don't like it, you have a lot of other options. I happen to like it and would rather they not change.

on the $10 pre-checkin, I thought that would be a money making independent website but southwest has shut down those 'services' in the past and now does it themself.

I figured what kinda of profit stream that would be and it was in the millions a day.  10 bucks x 60 A passes x 3200 daily depatures = 1.9M a day potential...nice little profit addition for swa.

btw I hate the cattle call but I like their directs (namely vegas), so I'm kinda forced to use them.

mean wrote: I prefer it.

thirded

heatherkay wrote: Southwest has some of the shortest turnaround times in the industry.  Not all of this is because of boarding.  All the planes are the same model, so everyone has worked out the most efficient way to get every thing else on the plane as well -- fuel, bags, peanuts.  But the open seating is part of it as well.

Bingo - I was on a SW flight a couple years ago that had to make an emergency landing at SLC because of an equipment problem - they had all of the passangers on a replacement aircraft pulling back from the jetway within 45 minutes of our landing.  Any other airline and that would have probably taken at least four to six hours to pull off. 

http://economy.kansascity.com/?q=node/7456

Frontier is adding a seasonal direct to Cabo. 

LenexatoKCMO wrote: http://economy.kansascity.com/?q=node/7456

Frontier is adding a seasonal direct to Cabo. 

Weirdly written article!!

KCI isn't mentioned specifically, but you can probably expect at least a connecting flight on southwest to newark sometime in the near future:

Justice Dept. approves United-Continental merger

In addition to paving the way for the United-Continental merger to be completed, the deal to lease Newark landing and takeoff rights, called slots, would give Southwest the greater access to the huge New York market that it has been seeking, mostly without success for 14 months. Southwest used to eschew the New York market because its notoriously congested airports presented challenges for its operating style, which typically calls for planes to remain on the ground between flights for only about 30 minutes.

Southwest-AirTran deal builds top carrier at Kansas City International Airport

Southwest Airlines has been the dominant carrier at Kansas City International Airport, and its AirTran acquisition pushes it ever closer to half the market share.

Is it just me or have flights in and out of KCI like gone up by 50-100%  I flew back and forth from BWI to MCI for 79-119 each way many times last year, even booking the same week and now those flights are 149-350 each way, even in advance.

If Southwest is going to charge this much, may as well go to the larger airlines.  They are going to mess up something that is working.

I'm also scared that their new frequent flyer program that starts in March will suck, just like the other airlines and it will take ten times as long to get a free flight.

Is that >2 weeks in advance.  If less, sounds about right.

ignatius wrote: Is that >2 weeks in advance.  If less, sounds about right.

mostly less, but even greater than 2 weeks is becoming imossible to come close to last years prices and the times less friendly.

Basically, it's costing me about almost twice as much to fly around the country than about a year ago.

I too am not looking forward to the new rewards program. Clearly they are trying to cut some expenses by switching to this new plan. But I really enjoyed the straightforward nature of the old plan

I also enjoyed the fact that I could hop back and forth to Chicago several times and then get a free flight to Portland. Perhaps this is why they are changing the rules...

prices are up everywhere.

GREAT news for air travel to Minneapolis and San Antonio.

MCI > MSP & SAT via Frontier:
http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... ights.html

Intro fares:
http://www.frontierairlines.com/frontie ... override=1

Really was hoping they would be adding a LAS direct. 

And this is why I hate Delta/Northwest, they will do anything to protect it's fortress hubs like MSP and ATL, i can't wait for Southwest to stomp on ATL once the merger is all done. 

It seems Delta is less than thrilled with Frontier's plans to launch MCI-Minneapolis service.

Delta has announced that it will start MCI-BOSTON/AUSTIN/NEW ORLEANS and OMA-DCA on June 6, 2011.

In response, Frontier has up-gauged MCI-BOS to an A319.

With the exception of San Antonio, Frontier will have now have non-stop competition on all of it's MCI routes this summer.