How Southwest Airlines is Different

In the world of commercial aviation, Southwest Airlines is a maverick. It implements practices that are markedly different from nearly every other airline in operation today. While its commercial success has been debated, there’s no denying that it stands out from the crowd.

• No change fees — The one aspect of airline tickets I find most frustrating is their inflexibility. To get a good price, I usually have to book nonrefundable tickets months in advance, and if my plans change unexpectedly and I can no longer take the flight, there’s often no recourse (though change policies have generally become looser since the pandemic). My absolute favorite feature of Southwest is its no change fee policy. Passengers can cancel a ticket up to 10 minutes before departure and receive flight credit for a future ticket, even with the most basic “Wanna Get Away” fare. I’ve even used this to my advantage to rebook existing tickets after prices have dropped, banking the difference as credit for another flight.
• Two free checked bags — From a business and sustainability perspective, Southwest’s policy of two free checked bags per passenger makes absolutely no sense. Other airlines have earned massive revenues from checked baggage fees, and the policy encourages passengers to bring more luggage than they need, increasing fuel and baggage handling costs. But as a consumer, I selfishly love the policy, as I can save on hefty baggage fees and don’t have to worry about packing light for a trip.
• Open seating — Most airlines assign passengers specific seats on an aircraft, but Southwest instead issues each passenger a boarding number. During the boarding process, passengers are boarded sequentially and can select any seat they want on the plane. On the one hand, this can speed up the overall boarding process, as passengers are incentivized to line up on time to get their preferred seat. However, on full flights, the last passengers are always left searching for open middle seats, and parties traveling together can be separated. I don’t have a strong opinion on open seating, but some passengers love it. In July 2024, however, Southwest announced they would be moving away from this policy and adopting assigned seating.

Amazingly, Southwest Airlines is characterized as a low-cost carrier yet offers unique perks included in even its basic fares. The idea behind these strategies is to build customer loyalty, and for me, at least, it’s worked! Flying Southwest often turns out to be the best option when factoring in the (typically) cheap fares, included checked baggage, and the flexibility of changing travel plans.