Kansas Crimson

Shirley wrote: ↑Thu Aug 22, 2024 7:34 pm I'll go out on a limb, and when it comes to customer opinion, take the under.

Southwest Airlines asks customers about ditching free-bag policy

From Seeking Alpha:

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) is mulling whether to start charging for checked bags, reversing a policy that distinguished the Dallas-based carrier from rivals.

The carrier is polling customers for feedback on potential changes to its policies including bag charges, along with travel habits, booking preferences, and loyalty status benefits, Bloomberg reported.

“There’s no work currently underway to change our industry-leading two bags fly free policy,” the company said in a statement to Bloomberg, “but it’s important for us to know what customers want,” it added.

Southwest (LUV) is currently the only major U.S. carrier that does not charge for two checked bags. The benefit has distinguished the company from competitors who charge $35 to $60 for the first checked bag, with certain exceptions, like using an airline-branded credit card for the airfare. The world’s largest carriers made $33B in checked baggage fees in 2023, up 15% year-over-year.

Southwest (LUV) might be encouraged to end its “Bags Fly Free” perk and take a piece of the multi-billion-dollar bag fee windfall amid pressure from Elliott Management which recently acquired a substantial stake in the carrier. The activist investor has been pushing for changes in management, as well as modifications to Southwest’s operational policies to lure in travelers, increase efficiency, and raise revenues.

Last month, Southwest changed its free-for-all-seating procedures, added a new premium class, and began offering red-eye flights.

I think it's important to consider the relationships between the moving pieces here.

In addition to simply being an attractive (and, today, differentiating) economic offering, there is a functional purpose to bags fly free - it encourages people to check bags, which is pretty important to keep things moving during the boarding process.

However, some things have changed, notably (1) Boeing's interior re/design in -800s (started rolling out about 10 years ago) and MAX8s (within the last few years), which offer significantly greater overhead bin space, and (2) SWA's announced rollout of assigned seating (which will, among other things, lead to zone-staggered boarding and possibly even assigned bin space).

Taken together, those items significantly lessen the logistical need to push customers to check bags, in order to preserve the customer experience.

And so, when the company has less of a disincentive to customers carrying-on, then the risks to the company of charging for a second (that's where it'll start) checked bag are fewer.

Which isn't to say it's without risk - far from it. SWA's value proposition - and to be clear the fares are now market - relies now on a few pillars (being free checked bags, ease of booking/changing/cancelling, excellent loyalty benefits for specific use cases and the breadth and decentralized nature of the route map).

Any time you talk about pulling one pillar, you certainly risk toppling the whole thing over.

jfish26 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 23, 2024 8:18 am Hi Fish,

Have you ever taken advantage of/know about the discounted SWA cards at Sam’s/Costco?

Pretty significant savings. I’ll buy when I know I’m buying a flight soon, and use mostly for purchase, and CC for the rest. That way I get free + boarding, added miles credit for that portion, etc.

I know you probably travel a lot of business trips where this wouldn’t matter, but especially having your flock to transport around, you could save a pretty penny if everyone was loading up on a 737 to a destination far away.

Back2Lawrence wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2024 12:37 pm

jfish26 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 23, 2024 8:18 am Hi Fish,

Have you ever taken advantage of/know about the discounted SWA cards at Sam’s/Costco?

Pretty significant savings. I’ll buy when I know I’m buying a flight soon, and use mostly for purchase, and CC for the rest. That way I get free + boarding, added miles credit for that portion, etc.

I know you probably travel a lot of business trips where this wouldn’t matter, but especially having your flock to transport around, you could save a pretty penny if everyone was loading up on a 737 to a destination far away.

We take SWA pretty much exclusively - we even choose vacation destinations based on where SWA flies, because between Companion Pass and bags-fly-free, we save something like a grand whenever the whole school is involved.

We do use those cards, and other methods, to save when we need to pay cash. But the best strategy I've found is to never have to use cash at all - and I try to use SWA's hotel booking portal to book hotels for business travel, collecting massive point bonuses for the trouble.

Word. I figured you might have these in place already, but really, it’s just a thinly veiled way for us to ask questions in order to convey to others here who might not think as strategically.

Back2Lawrence wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2024 12:58 pm Word. I figured you might have these in place already, but really, it’s just a thinly veiled way for us to ask questions in order to convey to others here who might not think as strategically.

Those hotel bonuses can be insane. A couple years ago, a long weekend in New Orleans netted us 40,000 bonus points (for a nondescript hotel room). That gets you 1/3 of the way to Companion Pass, not to mention banking points supporting 2-3 round trip flights.

Yeah I double and triple up rewards where the loopholes haven’t been closed. You used to be able to kite things back and forth and just make ‘endless’ profit lol.

almost put this in the things that annoy me thread

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/f ... 011385007/

KUTradition wrote: ↑Fri Aug 30, 2024 2:47 pm almost put this in the things that annoy me thread

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/f ... 011385007/

Totally reasonable

Putting this here cuz why not, even though we didn't have to travel very far.

Hit the Minnesota State Fair yesterday during perfect weather. That thing is Yuge, really Yuge. We were there for about four hours and no way saw all of it. I think the attendance record was broken that day.

Wall to wall, shoulder to shoulder. Especially in the International Bazaar area, which seemed to be really cool. I couldn't stay in there though. Packed in like sardines, there were groups of people standing, and others who were in a real hurry to get somewhere bashing though the crowd. Lots of cool stuff there but I had to get out.

We saw some cool bands, Stones tribute band, Zeppelin tribute band, some jazz guitar guy, polka band. Pretty cool. Saw the Gopher marching band a couple of times.

Tons of food options, I should have tried more. I did have a really good giant bratwurst with sauerkraut. Wife and kid had some frozen treats.

I'm glad I went and it's really something to see but I'm not sure I'll go back. Just too much.

To be fair, this weekend is peak-Fair.

jfish26 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 02, 2024 12:17 pm To be fair, this weekend is peak-Fair.

I'd say all of September into early October is peak fair.

I do like fairs, I do not like people.

pdub wrote: ↑Mon Sep 02, 2024 1:51 pm

jfish26 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 02, 2024 12:17 pm To be fair, this weekend is peak-Fair.

I'd say all of September into early October is peak fair.

I suspect that is true.

I am certain that Labor Day weekend, for the Great Minnesota Get-Together (TM) [really], is peak Minnesota State Fair. The weekend is such a peak, for example, that it is why Minnesota public schools generally don't go back until tomorrow (today concludes "12 days of fun ending Labor Day" (TM) [also really]).

All a long way of saying that this would be the very lowest weekend on the lists of weekends I'd go to the Minnesota State Fair.

we’d be at the Utah state fair if not for travel

smoked turkey legs, championship gourds, and baby farm animals? yes, please

(i’ll tolerate the people for a couple hours…just gimme a gummy or two)

The Great Minnesota Get Together is breaking all kinds of attendance records this year. Today is the last day. Gates close at 7, fair closes at 9.

The butter sculptures were pretty cool

KUTradition wrote: ↑Mon Sep 02, 2024 4:25 pm just gimme a gummy or two)

This could be said of many interactions.

I went to the Blue Hill fair this weekend.

A corn dog was nine dollars.

Overlander wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 1:10 am

KUTradition wrote: ↑Mon Sep 02, 2024 4:25 pm just gimme a gummy or two)

This could be said of many interactions.

As someone who got high I would guesstimate 10,000 times, I can attest that 9,500 of those times it probably made things more bearable for me. The unfortunate thing is, the 500 times it probably made things worse.

Weather. Seems there was some damn good weather in many/most parts of the central USA most of the last 2 weeks. I don't think I could have created better weather than we had over Labor Day weekend in Chicago.

As far as traveling, I have been known to say many times, I visited the KU campus on a perfect Spring day and fell in love with the campus and the Lawrence area. If I had visited KU and the Lawrence area on a gloomy Fall or Winter day, I highly doubt I would have gone to KU. The entire vibe was positive, people were happy, people were out and about, there was an energy, it was a very pleasant place to be.
I think about that often, my guess in 95% of the people who visited Chicago for the first time and did touristy things this weekend - loved the city and would say as such (as my relatives did).
If they had visited the city on a 45 degree gloomy day, they would probably come away with less of a positive review of the city.

pdub wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 6:02 am I went to the Blue Hill fair this weekend.

A corn dog was nine dollars.

If it came on a stick, and you got to see the AC/DC tribute band or Aaron Tippin, I'd say you got yourself a bargain!
Especially if you also caught the Women's Skillet Toss competition.

Hey pdub - How far are you from Mid-Coastal Botanical Garden in Booth Bay?