Southwest Airlines now available on Google Flights
Southwest Airlines’ decision to appear on Google Flights is prompting renewed scrutiny of its long‑standing strategy of avoiding online travel aggregators and its impact on price transparency and competition. Commenters weigh the airline’s perks—two free checked bags, flexible rebooking with no change fees, generous companion pass, and relatively “human” customer service—against downsides such as unassigned “cattle call” boarding, lack of premium cabins, and sometimes higher fares on certain routes. Many note that new U.S. rules on fee disclosure and evolving industry norms around baggage and change fees may have shifted the calculus, making it more attractive for Southwest to be compared side‑by‑side with competitors.
Availability on Aggregators & Google Flights
- Several commenters didn’t realize Southwest wasn’t on consumer aggregators and therefore rarely considered it.
- Others note Southwest fares have long been visible in corporate/GDS channels and some portals (e.g., bank travel portals), but not broadly on OTAs.
- Many expect its inclusion in Google Flights to increase competition and consideration, though some worry flights will become more crowded.
Pricing, Fees & Regulations
- One camp frames Southwest’s past absence as resistance to misleading comparisons where its all‑in fares looked worse than low base fares plus hidden fees on other airlines.
- Another camp thinks the main issue was commissions and GDS/aggregator fees, not principle.
- There is disagreement over whether previous comparison UIs were “misrepresentations” or adequately showed total prices; some point to new U.S. rules on fee disclosure as a turning point, others say Google Flights was already fairly transparent.
Southwest Policies & Perks
- Praised features: two free checked bags, no change fees, easy rebooking for credits (often non‑expiring), and the Companion Pass (unlimited companion travel during validity).
- Some say these policies make Southwest a default choice domestically; others find it often more expensive on their routes.
Boarding Model & Seating Debate
- Unassigned “cattle call” seating is polarizing.
- Pros: faster boarding, egalitarian feel, no paid seat assignments. Some like gaming check‑in or paying modestly for earlier boarding.
- Cons: stress, “hunger games” vibe, risk of families or groups being split, and inability to relax or arrive late to boarding.
Customer Service & Reliability
- Multiple anecdotes highlight humane treatment in irregular operations, flexibility in rebooking, and generous credits.
- Others recall major meltdowns tied to outdated scheduling/operations software and fear future disruptions if systems aren’t modernized.
Comparisons with Other Airlines
- Some prefer majors (Delta, Alaska, etc.) for assigned seats, premium cabins, lounges, and elite perks, saying prices can be comparable or better.
- Others argue Southwest offers “elite‑like” flexibility to all customers without nickel‑and‑diming.
- Debate over the significance of never having filed bankruptcy: some see it as a positive stability signal, others question what it implies about pricing and costs.
Legal / Data Access Issues
- Brief discussion of Southwest suing sites that scrape its fares; commenters wonder how this fits with precedents like hiQ v. LinkedIn, but details are unclear.