I flew SW from Tucson to Houston last year. We paid for boarding first and got A1 and A2. When it was time to board there were 10 wheelchairs and another 20 who said they required assistance. We boarded 35. When we got to Houston all but two people jumped up and left the plane unassisted. We haven’t flown them since. Awful airline.
With Southwest, the reason for getting B group when checking in right at 24hr is usually because the flight has a lot of connecting passengers who had an earlier checkin time from the connecting flight.
The problem is the immense amount of people that are allowed to preboard. Last time I paid for early boarding (using the credit) I still had 20+ people preboard and A list in front of me. In addition there are some anecdotes that once you pay for upgraded boardings they tend to stick you down further on the list even when checking in right at 24 hours.
If all airlines would change boarding from rear to front it will make EVERYONE'S life easier!!! I don't care to be the first on the plane and have 200 people bump past me but I DO care to be one of the first OFF depending on connecting flight, etc. Plus boarding would be really fast.
My guess is that the only reason they don't do that is to ensure that the premium cabin customers are able to get carry-on space. I imagine most of the first class passengers wouldn't be happy being told that they have to gate check their bag. Other than that, I absolutely agree!
You are correct when it comes to American Airlines changing how you can book. I work for a company that has a third-party that we are absolutely obligated to book through even if the fair is cheaper by booking direct. They tell us that it has all the insurances and everything wrapped with it that protects us if something goes wrong 🤷
AA is my favorite domestic airline because they have the best loyalty program -- They have credit cards that earn uncapped loyalty points directly, plus a shopping portal and dining portal that do as well. And their points are extremely valuable relative to other domestic airlines. **shrug**
You’re not alone, Sebby. Southwest’s chaotic seating arrangement is so stressful. I would love assigned seats tbh. Especially now that upgraded boarding could cost $149. That’s crazy.
If they charge for preferred seating there is no reason to use them, may as well fly a higher end airline. I think if you learn the Southwest process it is actually pretty simple, we fly 10+ times a year domestic and the majority on Southwest and almost never pay for upgraded or early bird. But it helps that we have been customers of Southwest for domestic flights for 20 years so we are trained. We usually are low B at the worst but we are also super serious about checking in on time and not waiting - you have to do that 24 hour before!
@@sura-quayarbon6055I'd fly them if there was preferred seating or assigned seating especially if there is extra legroom involved. Otherwise they are a pass. With the higher fee structure you'd be crazy just to hand over more money with no benefit. They could easily monetize it with their credit cards. They could also set it up so that those who paid for preferred seating get on the plane first before those miracle flyers get on. Would go a long against those that game the system. They still have an edge with their free checked bags although their constant delays would limit my flights where I didn't have to get somewhere on time. The bay area to LA area is the worst constantly delayed.
I flew on Southwest yesterday and there were 7 wheelchair passengers. They were all boarded first with their family members, and some of them deplaned close to first as well because they were near the front of the plane. Southwest needs to change their boarding policies. Their boarding policy is so unpleasant. If it were not for their generous cancellation policy, I would fly with another airline.
✈ True story: My friends and I were in Las Vegas for the TWICE concert back in March. I checked in around basically 2 hours after the earliest we can, and I ended up being assigned to C30s which is near the back. 4 hours later, my friend who was also in the same flight checked in and managed to get B15. He doesn't have any special perks or upgrades or statuses. It seems Southwest's group assignment is all over the place.
For B group boarding it depends on how strict attendants are. I’ve seen people who are b group and board with A and playing dumb. While some other locations do check for group boarding
Those 4 upgraded boardings on my SWA priority CC are super valuable now! If we value them on the high end that’s $596 refunded to me by Chase as a perk.
I'm Still surprised southwest gives 2 free bags. Most people just do 1 If your paying 150 for upgraded boarding they should give an assigned seat A1-15
Only if The Board tells Isom to go suck it. Aside from that, if you were going to buy AA stock "on sale", you'd wait for the most likely FA strike looming over them.
Funny enough, today I got a survey request for Southwest and how I would react to assigned seating as a Southwest customer. In ever scenario they provided if you wanted to get a preferred assigned seat you had to pay for it, preferred seating starting just back from middle and forward. So as long as you're good with sitting by the toilets in the back, you don't pay. I rarely check bags and I travel as a family. We fly about 10+ times a year and the majority of those flights are with Southwest so charging me for a preferred seat that I would get almost always anyways even if I'm in mid B group is a waste. I'm usually able to at least sit in the middle closer to the front of the aircraft every time, even if I am not adding on earlybird or upgraded bording. Now if we're flying to Hawaii or somewhere where there's a ton of families and kids generally we're gonna do early bird but I don't need to be in A1 through 15. I just need to be in the A group, but then again I'm very comfortable with how Southwest manages seating and A, B and C groups because I've been flying with them for over 20 years (travel a ton personally and for business with all airlines - plus regular international travel). If they're gonna charge me for preferred seating, I might as well pay the ticket for a higher end airline, because most of them have one bag free and more amenities. Now I have the SW card and it has made it worth it so far but the charges for assigned seat downgrade its value.
Hey what’s going on sebby, can you please make a video on when to reapply after a down grade . I’ve had the CSR for four years and I want to down grade it and then apply for it again. Need some help . Thanks in advance
Also I have a lot of points on my CSR. Do I transfer them before down grading or will they just transfer to new card. Or do I need another card that I can access UR portal. Thanks
It's like current and voltage in electronics. Depends on whether you're talking about capacitance or inductance, whether current leads voltage, or voltage leads current.. Quality is always cheapest in the beginning. Build in the quality, and the people will come. It's an opportunity for somebody to think outside of the box and do something really special.
Problem with the boarding process is that people don't understand how Southwest open seating works until they get on the plane. I like being rewarded for setting s timer 24 hours before and getting a good spot for free. As long as the Southwest Priority continues to give an equivalent perk for better seats, I'd be fine with a new seating option.
I had a great system with upgrading boarding after check-in. Whelp…just add assigned seats at this point and get this preboarding BS under control. They don’t enforce it and I see people who have no business getting preboard
American Airlines needs to figure out its lane. Delta is taking the more premium route, even United is trying to catch up to Delta by adding IFE and other stuff. But American is a subpar budget product that isn't a budget price, it's not cheap like the low cost carriers, so they largely are a terrible choice with bad bang-for-buck, I wouldn't choose to fly with them unless you live in a major AA hub where they make sense from a logistical perspective to fly.
I love living in Texas, but man, do I hate flying American out of DFW. I was such a Delta loyalist, but it's impossible to take a direct flight anywhere outside of DFW that is not American. American needs to absolutely be better. It has been such a pain to deal with every single trip I have to make.
❤ ✈️ American Airlines needs a complete overhaul. The planes, customer service, infotainment systems, checkin and plane boarding need upgrades. The credit cards could use some changes as well.
At the end of the day, you can save a lot of money flying with Southwest if you travel with bags. You can beat up on its boarding process all you want as long as you pony up the cash flying all other airlines with your bags lol I wonder how the AA developments will impact the loyalty program. AA elite flyers must be pissed off losing their upgrades to cardholders charging up the wazoo.
✈American mistake is that they forced a direct loyalty option for the airline that has the least strong brand loyalty. I can see the direct option being something for Delta where people are more willing to put up with it. To fix this I think American should offer competitive status match upgrades that match Delta status one tier above the comparable status to win over customers if they are going to keep an inferior product.
✈️ I'm visually impaired and get pre boarding. Be careful, though.Because united will show up with the wheelchair weight menu. Introducing the american airlines grand slam. $249 Annual Fee. 4x points on all purchases above $40. 2X points on everything else. FREE companion ticket yearly (tax/fees excluded) in 50 states, Canada, Mexico/Caribbean. 10% Discount on Dallas Cowboys/stars/Rangers/MAVERICKS seats. (Duplicate at all hubs) $100 TSA/Global credit $100 Annual Expedia credit 1st checked bag free for up to (?) Passengers. $50 Annual lounge credit. THE ONLY CARD THE AVERAGE GUY WILL EVER NEED.
Not related to any topics in this vid but I want to say thank you for the content on the the miles game. I lucked out on a first class redemption on ANA from HND to ORD. On top of that, it was the Eevee plane! It was a great experience, nowhere to go but down at this point.
Never flown Southwest or Spirit. Tried Frontier twice, never again. You get what you pay for. Southwest needs to offer paid assigned seats and problem solved
✈Corporations promote their "hot shots" who aren't really hot shots. These so-called hot shots come with these super hair brain ideas without much discussion with seasoned staff members and it blows up in corporate HQs' faces and their bottom line is blown, also. These hot shot guys get caught trying to squeeze the little guys and they forget that the big guys use the same or similar services. I like the credit card client events promotions because they make feel like a VIP.
✈American mistake is that they forced a direct loyalty option for the airline that has the least strong brand loyalty. I can see the direct option being something for Delta where people are more willing to put up with it. To fix this I think American should offer competitive status match upgrades that match Delta status one tier above the comparable status to win over customers if they are going to keep an inferior product.
💳 Sebby's Card Picks: www.asksebby.com/credit-cards
CSP vs CSR Calculator: www.asksebby.com/credit-card-reviews/csp-vs-csr
Join the Newsletter: www.asksebby.com/newsletter
I flew SW from Tucson to Houston last year. We paid for boarding first and got A1 and A2. When it was time to board there were 10 wheelchairs and another 20 who said they required assistance. We boarded 35. When we got to Houston all but two people jumped up and left the plane unassisted. We haven’t flown them since. Awful airline.
How's this airline fault?
With Southwest, the reason for getting B group when checking in right at 24hr is usually because the flight has a lot of connecting passengers who had an earlier checkin time from the connecting flight.
The problem is the immense amount of people that are allowed to preboard. Last time I paid for early boarding (using the credit) I still had 20+ people preboard and A list in front of me. In addition there are some anecdotes that once you pay for upgraded boardings they tend to stick you down further on the list even when checking in right at 24 hours.
If all airlines would change boarding from rear to front it will make EVERYONE'S life easier!!! I don't care to be the first on the plane and have 200 people bump past me but I DO care to be one of the first OFF depending on connecting flight, etc. Plus boarding would be really fast.
My guess is that the only reason they don't do that is to ensure that the premium cabin customers are able to get carry-on space. I imagine most of the first class passengers wouldn't be happy being told that they have to gate check their bag. Other than that, I absolutely agree!
@@PointsPrecisionor just have the attendants watch the bins which they should be doing anyway esp for first
Does it matter? There's plenty of time to disembark and board. Boarding efficiently is pointless.
You are correct when it comes to American Airlines changing how you can book. I work for a company that has a third-party that we are absolutely obligated to book through even if the fair is cheaper by booking direct. They tell us that it has all the insurances and everything wrapped with it that protects us if something goes wrong 🤷
AA is my favorite domestic airline because they have the best loyalty program -- They have credit cards that earn uncapped loyalty points directly, plus a shopping portal and dining portal that do as well. And their points are extremely valuable relative to other domestic airlines. **shrug**
You’re not alone, Sebby. Southwest’s chaotic seating arrangement is so stressful. I would love assigned seats tbh. Especially now that upgraded boarding could cost $149. That’s crazy.
If they charge for preferred seating there is no reason to use them, may as well fly a higher end airline. I think if you learn the Southwest process it is actually pretty simple, we fly 10+ times a year domestic and the majority on Southwest and almost never pay for upgraded or early bird. But it helps that we have been customers of Southwest for domestic flights for 20 years so we are trained. We usually are low B at the worst but we are also super serious about checking in on time and not waiting - you have to do that 24 hour before!
I don't know why I love flying with Southwest for whatever reason.
@@sura-quayarbon6055I'd fly them if there was preferred seating or assigned seating especially if there is extra legroom involved. Otherwise they are a pass. With the higher fee structure you'd be crazy just to hand over more money with no benefit. They could easily monetize it with their credit cards. They could also set it up so that those who paid for preferred seating get on the plane first before those miracle flyers get on. Would go a long against those that game the system. They still have an edge with their free checked bags although their constant delays would limit my flights where I didn't have to get somewhere on time. The bay area to LA area is the worst constantly delayed.
I flew on Southwest yesterday and there were 7 wheelchair passengers. They were all boarded first with their family members, and some of them deplaned close to first as well because they were near the front of the plane. Southwest needs to change their boarding policies. Their boarding policy is so unpleasant. If it were not for their generous cancellation policy, I would fly with another airline.
That is the reason u don’t fly them.
So is my SWA priority even more powerful now??
✈ True story: My friends and I were in Las Vegas for the TWICE concert back in March. I checked in around basically 2 hours after the earliest we can, and I ended up being assigned to C30s which is near the back.
4 hours later, my friend who was also in the same flight checked in and managed to get B15. He doesn't have any special perks or upgrades or statuses.
It seems Southwest's group assignment is all over the place.
✈️ Thanks - really enjoy the travel and credit card news reports!
For B group boarding it depends on how strict attendants are. I’ve seen people who are b group and board with A and playing dumb. While some other locations do check for group boarding
✈️
Used chase points to book KLM to Amsterdam back when they were running their transfer bonus with flying blue!
Nice!
I don’t fly anything that starts with “S”
Those 4 upgraded boardings on my SWA priority CC are super valuable now! If we value them on the high end that’s $596 refunded to me by Chase as a perk.
I was thinking the same thing!
✈ 3. New slogan, "You've flown the best, now try the rest."
I'm Still surprised southwest gives 2 free bags. Most people just do 1
If your paying 150 for upgraded boarding they should give an assigned seat A1-15
Time to buy AA stock on sale!
Only if The Board tells Isom to go suck it. Aside from that, if you were going to buy AA stock "on sale", you'd wait for the most likely FA strike looming over them.
Funny enough, today I got a survey request for Southwest and how I would react to assigned seating as a Southwest customer. In ever scenario they provided if you wanted to get a preferred assigned seat you had to pay for it, preferred seating starting just back from middle and forward. So as long as you're good with sitting by the toilets in the back, you don't pay. I rarely check bags and I travel as a family. We fly about 10+ times a year and the majority of those flights are with Southwest so charging me for a preferred seat that I would get almost always anyways even if I'm in mid B group is a waste. I'm usually able to at least sit in the middle closer to the front of the aircraft every time, even if I am not adding on earlybird or upgraded bording. Now if we're flying to Hawaii or somewhere where there's a ton of families and kids generally we're gonna do early bird but I don't need to be in A1 through 15. I just need to be in the A group, but then again I'm very comfortable with how Southwest manages seating and A, B and C groups because I've been flying with them for over 20 years (travel a ton personally and for business with all airlines - plus regular international travel). If they're gonna charge me for preferred seating, I might as well pay the ticket for a higher end airline, because most of them have one bag free and more amenities. Now I have the SW card and it has made it worth it so far but the charges for assigned seat downgrade its value.
Hey what’s going on sebby, can you please make a video on when to reapply after a down grade . I’ve had the CSR for four years and I want to down grade it and then apply for it again. Need some help . Thanks in advance
Covered here: ua-cam.com/video/wld7mcluVYI/v-deo.html
Also I have a lot of points on my CSR. Do I transfer them before down grading or will they just transfer to new card. Or do I need another card that I can access UR portal. Thanks
It's like current and voltage in electronics.
Depends on whether you're talking about capacitance or inductance, whether current leads voltage, or voltage leads current..
Quality is always cheapest in the beginning.
Build in the quality, and the people will come.
It's an opportunity for somebody to think outside of the box and do something really special.
Problem with the boarding process is that people don't understand how Southwest open seating works until they get on the plane. I like being rewarded for setting s timer 24 hours before and getting a good spot for free. As long as the Southwest Priority continues to give an equivalent perk for better seats, I'd be fine with a new seating option.
Excellent information Sebby ✈️✈️✈️
I had a great system with upgrading boarding after check-in. Whelp…just add assigned seats at this point and get this preboarding BS under control. They don’t enforce it and I see people who have no business getting preboard
American Airlines needs to figure out its lane. Delta is taking the more premium route, even United is trying to catch up to Delta by adding IFE and other stuff. But American is a subpar budget product that isn't a budget price, it's not cheap like the low cost carriers, so they largely are a terrible choice with bad bang-for-buck, I wouldn't choose to fly with them unless you live in a major AA hub where they make sense from a logistical perspective to fly.
These events based things are *way too targeted* to drive significant interest in their cards.
I love living in Texas, but man, do I hate flying American out of DFW. I was such a Delta loyalist, but it's impossible to take a direct flight anywhere outside of DFW that is not American. American needs to absolutely be better. It has been such a pain to deal with every single trip I have to make.
❤ ✈️ American Airlines needs a complete overhaul. The planes, customer service, infotainment systems, checkin and plane boarding need upgrades. The credit cards could use some changes as well.
Two horrible experiences with Southwest and I now never fly them. Delta only.
Would the Ritz card be able to get you and guests in?
this means even more wheelchairs gaming the system for every SW flight.
If you down grade to regular sapphire. Can you get bonus again? Or need to product change to one of the freedoms
Product change to a freedom. There’s no point in the regular sapphire. You don’t qualify for a bonus if you have any sapphires.
When is the sapphire elevated sign up bonus promotion ending?
At the end of the day, you can save a lot of money flying with Southwest if you travel with bags. You can beat up on its boarding process all you want as long as you pony up the cash flying all other airlines with your bags lol
I wonder how the AA developments will impact the loyalty program. AA elite flyers must be pissed off losing their upgrades to cardholders charging up the wazoo.
✈American mistake is that they forced a direct loyalty option for the airline that has the least strong brand loyalty. I can see the direct option being something for Delta where people are more willing to put up with it. To fix this I think American should offer competitive status match upgrades that match Delta status one tier above the comparable status to win over customers if they are going to keep an inferior product.
Never check a bag…
-luggage lasts longer
-no issues changing flights last second
-apply checked baggage savings to purchasing clothing while traveling
great vid sebby! Any guess how long untill the CSP bonus is gone?
I'm guessing soon since all of the marketing sites have an "last chance" or "offer ending soon" language. No final date that I'm aware of yet.
@@AskSebby ok thanks! going to the bank tomorrow to grab that extra 10k points. do you know if referal links work in branch?
Nope, you have to pick one
It's gonna be interesting how much more AA's stock is gonna drop due to their discrimination lawsuit against those 8 black guys
Southwest seating is a reason I don't consider them.
✈️ ***Sebby: Do you think the Ritz-Carlton is applicable for the Visa lounge experience at the Paris/Olympic event?
(I would think so…)
✈️ I'm visually impaired and get pre boarding. Be careful, though.Because united will show up with the wheelchair weight menu.
Introducing the american airlines grand slam.
$249 Annual Fee.
4x points on all purchases above $40.
2X points on everything else.
FREE companion ticket yearly (tax/fees excluded) in 50 states, Canada, Mexico/Caribbean.
10% Discount on Dallas Cowboys/stars/Rangers/MAVERICKS seats. (Duplicate at all hubs)
$100 TSA/Global credit
$100 Annual Expedia credit
1st checked bag free for up to (?) Passengers.
$50 Annual lounge credit.
THE ONLY CARD THE AVERAGE GUY WILL EVER NEED.
Not related to any topics in this vid but I want to say thank you for the content on the the miles game. I lucked out on a first class redemption on ANA from HND to ORD. On top of that, it was the Eevee plane! It was a great experience, nowhere to go but down at this point.
I thought most people just fake an injury to get on Southwest flights early using a wheelchair these days.
🤣🤣🤣💀
Thats my experience.
Never flown Southwest or Spirit. Tried Frontier twice, never again. You get what you pay for. Southwest needs to offer paid assigned seats and problem solved
✈Corporations promote their "hot shots" who aren't really hot shots. These so-called hot shots come with these super hair brain ideas without much discussion with seasoned staff members and it blows up in corporate HQs' faces and their bottom line is blown, also. These hot shot guys get caught trying to squeeze the little guys and they forget that the big guys use the same or similar services. I like the credit card client events promotions because they make feel like a VIP.
W Sebby
First! Keep up the good work!
Thanks! Will do!
I don’t get the issue with southwest seating… just sit down?
✈
✈️✈️✈️
✈✈✈
Squuuuuuuuuuad
🙌
✈️❤
✈😄
✈💘
First
Almost!
Is it just me or does Sebby use his hands a lot when talking 😂
Love you though Sebby, thank you for the content, long time subscriber
✈️
✈️
✈️✈️✈️
First
🥇
✈️
The overcorrection towards AA once Delta made the last changes to their loyalty program is funny. Most people didn't care about AA.
✈American mistake is that they forced a direct loyalty option for the airline that has the least strong brand loyalty. I can see the direct option being something for Delta where people are more willing to put up with it. To fix this I think American should offer competitive status match upgrades that match Delta status one tier above the comparable status to win over customers if they are going to keep an inferior product.
Thanks!
✈️✈️✈️
Fifth
🙌
✈️
✈️
✈️
✈
✈️