What happens when you wait too long to book your post-Thanksgiving travel?

Cheer up, you could be stuck in E- on UA. 😉

oops, have fun!

Expecting a full, multi-part trip report 🙂

Or you could get stuck in the last row of whY on a DL 763 on a transcon.

@ gluedtothewindow -- Working on it already. Can you guys help me out?

Part One: The Lounge
Part Two: Pre-departure Service
Part Three: Onboard meal service
Part Four: Arrivals service

Am I missing anything?

Ummm lucky, does southwest have lounges??? Think your expectations need to be lowered haha

I am always very pleasantly surprised by WN. Can't go wrong with some good ole fashioned peanuts in Y and some upbeat FAs. Just try not to get in the last boarding group 😉

*Rolls eyes*. I really hate the Internet-Flying-People condescension about Southwest. They fill a different niche from the legacies, and they fill it quite well. I would much rather fly my preferred legacy, but Southwest comes in third on my Flightmemory this year and I'm fine with that. They are not Greyhound.

Problem? Do they not have Diet Coke? How about limes? 🙂

Southwest is terrific. Great crews, efficient operations, very customer friendly. A very good carrier.

Cattle call time for lucky

Weren't you once going to book a mileage run without using your FF numbers and sit in middle seats waaaay in the back of the plane(s)? This can be like that was supposed to be. Have fun! 😉

Just think, you will not have to pay to check your bag!;)

@ James -- Cheer up, I'm being mildly tongue in cheek. It's an hour-long flight and I've flown tons of regional jets on much longer flight, so I'm hardly "scared." Though I thought it was funny nonetheless.

@ youreadyfreddie -- Hah, unfortunately that'll have to sit on the backburner this time around, cause I'm on a Business Select fare.

You'll be like George Cloony checking in to the Matterhorn Chalet. Try flashing them your 1K and EP cards to see if they'll let you board first. 😉

Lucky, don't forget to pay the extra $10 to get into the "A" boarding group.....oops, guess you don't need to do that on a Business Select fare :-).

If your plans change, be sure to offer to pay a $150 change fee......

Were there no flights available for purchase with your miles?

Leg room might actually be better on SWA than Euro business class. The seats are pretty comfortable, honestly, unless you get a really old 737-300.

Sometimes the snobbiness in the blogosphere can be asphixiating.

While I'm not a fan of Southwest's boarding process, it's much, much better than it used to be. Their seats are comfortable, their planes are clean, and their staff is friendly, professional, and efficient. They are are good, safe carrier.

OK. So their FF program might not offer "aspirational" rewards. But, I guess that depends upon one one finds to be important when traveling and what one aspires to.

Try to keep some perspective about what's really important (even at your young age) and have a safe journey.

I've never flown southwest. I expect a TR!! haha

@ FriendlySkies -- Yes, but only at the standard level. I'd rather pay a reasonable(ish) amount than redeem 50,000 miles for a domestic ticket.

@ ron -- I'm being humorous, c'mon now. The only aspect of flying Southwest that bothers me is not earning "real" miles. The travel experience I'm sure will be just as good (if not better) than coach on other US airlines.

Make sure you go to the right security line WN has their own over by the agriculture inspection area

I always thought airlines were pretty tight on overbooking during this period.

You could book a tue CO ticket and gamble on 24 hour confirmed change or standby...

Best of luck sir... Had my first WN experience two years ago and told myself "never again...."

Just get used to saying....."Moo....moo".............

OMG ... say it isn't so! So where are you flying to? I am working on Monday but I am MSY-PHX-BWI so I am quite sure I won't have the opportunity to be your FA.

Ouch, meanwhile, I just booked a saver award to Maui for tomorrow...so there are still apparently some seats out there!

Lucky:

You'll be getting 20% return on your purchase price (earning 12 WN points per dollar for BS, can redeem at 6 for WGA). Double that if you get to A-List+ as we call it.

Don't bother with Early Bird.

Once folks have someone to serve as a Companion, they may look upon WN with more favor. WN Companion Pass is the best FF deal domestically, IMO, saving possibly thousands a year.

For me, 100% free beats upgrades, but of course YMMV.

Must have a TR. Take pictures of the peanuts.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Pay attention to how efficient their entire operation is, from the gate design, boarding, drink service, and disembarking. I understand why WN has such a loyal following.

You got me wondering where Southwest flies non-stop from SEA so I checked their interactive flight map, clicked the NON-STOP only button and was amazed at all the destinations and at the same time in denial knowing that they must be "DIRECT" flights with stops. So I checked the booking and sure enough their definition of "non-stop" on the flight map is the same as "direct". That's a new low...