Business travel on Southwest Airlines through the eyes of a legacy ...

Up to this point, I am not a frequent flyer of budget flights operator Southwest Airlines; only flying them once before writing this article. As a Platinum member of American Airlines AAdvantage program, I?ve always viewed flying Southwest with fear as I imagine being stampeded during the boarding process or being subjected to an ongoing standup comedy routine from take-off to touchdown. From what I am hearing lately from ex-legacy frequent flyers, I need to lose the fear and lighten up while I am at it!

Almost every time I come across comments from passengers that have flown Southwest, they are positive to say the least. Just two days ago, I received a photo of a coach seat on a Southwest 737, taken by a passenger who was pleasantly surprised by what he called an ?unbelievable seat?, commenting on the supple leather upholstery, the overall design and even the seat pitch. This reader went on to mention how spotless the carpets were on the aircraft and also how pleasant and professional the flight crew had been on the flight. One other mention was of the need for Southwest to update their logo. As trivial as that may sound, I agree and think an update of the Southwest brand may actually cause other airlines to lose their balance. Brains and looks?

Photo sent to me by a passenger who's jumped from AA to Southwest

I?ve decided to give Southwest a ?fly? very soon. I am just trying to decide on the route in which I am willing to give up my upgrade to first class that I receive most of the time when I fly ?the? legacy airline. I?ve been told that once I fly them I may not return to my legacy ways, but just in case, Southwest has been stepping up their frequent flier program to offer flyers much of what they?ve gotten used to at the legacy carriers.

Would I want to become a preferred member of the Southwest Airlines A-List? Here are the benefits to help you, help me decide:

Priority Boarding, 100% Earning Bonus, Standby Priority, Priority Check-in and Security Lane Access, Dedicated A-List Preferred Member Phone Line, Free Inflight WiFi Right off the bat, I will tell you that there are a couple of things I would suggest that Southwest get to thinking about in order to lure superficial people like me onto their flights :Southwest Airlines rebranding I need a sleeker, hipper, more modern feeling Southwest to look at with new colors and snappier looking planes. I may be the only one since they have no problem whatsoever filling their planes! Introduce a Southwest A-List Lounge Southwest should consider creating their own brand of airport lounges to improve the travel experience for those needing special treatment and others craving attention in order to feel more important (yes, I will admit that this sounds like me). Plus, lets be real, those who travel more frequently love having a way to escape from the masses whenever possible, no? Well, I am off to www.southwest.com to plan my trip and find out why so many people have kept Southwest as the most well-like and profitable airlines for so many years.

Source: http://inflightteam.com/?p=3676

lrg usaa snooki columbus dispatch will smith ohio state leann rimes