For a long time, Southwest was my go to domestic airline. I appreciated the simplicity. I appreciated the boarding process. Most of all, I appreciated the consistency. Recently, however, changes have stirred up plenty of conversation online. Instead of relying on social media commentary, I decided to experience it firsthand.

The Trip: Dallas to California

I recently traveled from Dallas to California to visit family and handle some work obligations. Originally, I had planned to fly with Frontier. After weighing my options, I decided to book with Southwest Airlines instead. If I was going to comment publicly on their new system, I wanted to do so honestly and from personal experience.

From a logistical standpoint, everything functioned as expected. I did not encounter delays related to ticketing, boarding passes, or check in. On the surface, operations seemed smooth. However, there were noticeable differences compared to previous years.

One of the most obvious changes was the volume of bags being checked at the gate. I have never seen so many passengers bringing excessive carry ons through security, clearly intending to check them at the gate for free. While I do appreciate that Southwest allows free gate checks, the current system feels inconsistent.

The Checked Bag Issue

Southwest built much of its reputation around the “bags fly free” concept. It was simple. It was transparent. You knew what you were getting. Now, the situation feels murkier.

Passengers are pushing the limits of what qualifies as a carry on, dragging multiple bags through TSA, knowing they can check them at the gate without additional fees. From a traveler’s standpoint, it is a smart way to avoid baggage charges. From a fellow passenger’s perspective, it becomes frustrating.

Standing in line at security behind someone juggling multiple heavy bags slows everything down. It creates congestion before you even reach the aircraft. The airline itself may not feel the impact operationally, but fellow travelers certainly do.

In my case, I had legitimate checked luggage due to necessary gear and larger items. I could not simply carry everything through security. Watching others bypass the system felt unfair after paying 70 bucks round trip. While also acknowledging that it is technically allowed.

Southwest needs to make a clear decision. Either bring back free checked bags across the board or restructure the policy in a way that discourages overloading carry ons. Even offering one free checked bag per passenger would likely reduce the overhead bin chaos. When passengers attempt to hoist bags that are too heavy for them, it slows boarding and forces others to assist. That ripple effect matters.

Seat Selection and Boarding

I purchased seats behind the wings, roughly where I used to sit before the changes. 

Boarding itself was straightforward. Both Dallas and California operations moved efficiently. I did not experience confusion or significant delays during the boarding process.

However, the overhead bin situation was noticeable. Several passengers struggled to lift their bags into the compartments. Each time that happened, the boarding line stalled while others stepped in to help. While this has always occurred occasionally, it seemed more frequent on these flights.

The process becomes slower when nearly every other passenger is trying to maximize their carry on strategy. It affects everyone on board, not just the individual attempting to save on baggage fees.

John Wayne Airport Check In

Checking in at John Wayne Airport at 6:00 in the morning was less than ideal. Early morning travel is rarely enjoyable, but the luggage scales added another layer of frustration.

At one counter, my bag registered overweight. I removed four pounds from one bag and redistributed it. At a different counter, the weight difference registered as ten pounds lighter. That level of inconsistency turns check in into a guessing game.

When weight measurements vary significantly between scales, travelers are left reshuffling gear unnecessarily. It is not catastrophic, but it is inconvenient and avoidable.

In Flight Experience

Once airborne, the experience was generally positive. We had access to in flight entertainment and watched F1 starring Brad Pitt. That IS a welcome feature, especially compared to some ultra low cost carriers.

Snack service included Maui onion pretzels and cinnamon graham crackers, which is what Southwest has historically offered. 

Comfort-wise, the seating was the same as it has been. Nothing extraordinary, but serviceable for a 3-hour flight.

The Cost Comparison

Now we get to the part that truly matters for many travelers: cost.

Two round trip tickets plus one checked bag totaled over $1,000. Had I flown Frontier as originally planned, the cost would have been just under $600, including two free checked bags per person.

That is a significant difference. For many families, that gap alone determines the airline choice. When you combine higher ticket prices with confusion surrounding baggage policies, it becomes harder to justify sticking with Southwest.

Watching the Public Response

If you browse the Southwest Airlines feed on X, formerly known as Twitter, you will see a noticeable uptick in frustrated customers. Complaints range from policy changes to customer service issues. Whether all of those grievances are justified is another discussion, but the volume is hard to ignore.

Major operational shifts can disrupt brand loyalty. Companies often pivot in pursuit of shareholder value, and that is understandable. However, alienating a loyal customer base carries risk. Many customers chose Southwest specifically because of its simplicity and consistency.

When those foundational elements change, customers reevaluate their options.

Final Thoughts

Will I fly with Southwest Airlines again? Honestly, unless it is a short day trip and someone else is covering the airfare, probably not.

The cost difference alone makes it difficult to justify. If another airline offers competitive pricing, better seating options, and clearer baggage policies, it becomes the practical choice.

For now, I will likely stick with Frontier until pricing structures shift again. Airlines are constantly adjusting strategies, and loyalty in this industry often comes down to value.

If you have flown Southwest recently, I would genuinely like to hear about your experience. Was it positive? Was it frustrating? Travel decisions are increasingly data driven, and firsthand accounts still matter.

The post Southwest Airlines Review: A Loyal Customer’s Honest Take on the New System appeared first on .

Have you ever sat there and absolutely dread writing something tied to your job? That knot in your stomach where you already know the conclusion and wish it were not true? That is exactly where I am with this article. I wish I did not have to write it. I wish Southwest Airlines had not forced my hand. But here we are.

To be fair, I could have written this a year ago when Southwest first announced their sweeping policy changes. Back then, the warning signs were already flashing. Loyal customers were angry, frequent flyers were confused, and the spirit of an airline that once felt different was quietly being dismantled. Herb Kelleher did not build Southwest to be just another airline, and yet here we are watching it drift directly into that territory. So let us get into it. The history matters. The policy changes matter. And where I am going from here for low-cost budget flights absolutely matters.

How Southwest Earned Its Reputation

For years, I used to say I was fortunate enough to live near two major airports. One handled my international travel. The other was my Southwest Airlines hub for domestic flights. It was a perfect setup. Southwest was reliable, affordable, and refreshingly simple. I did not have to play the airline shell game of fees, upgrades, and fine print. I booked a flight, showed up, and flew.
Southwest Airlines was founded in 1967 by Herb Kelleher and Rollin King with a simple idea that the rest of the industry somehow missed. Flying did not need to be miserable. It did not need to be confusing. And it did not need to nickel and dime people into submission. After years of legal battles just to get off the ground, Southwest began flying in 1971 on short Texas routes. That scrappy, no-nonsense approach became the airline’s DNA.

One aircraft type. Fast turnarounds. Open seating. Free checked bags. No change fees. These were not gimmicks. They were operational decisions that made flying faster, cheaper, and less stressful. Under Kelleher’s leadership, culture mattered just as much as cost control. Employees were treated like assets instead of liabilities, and customers felt it.
By 2024, Southwest had grown into the largest domestic airline in the United States. That alone is impressive. What made it remarkable was that they did it while still holding onto the principles that made them different. Or at least, they did until the policy changes began to roll in.

The Identity Crisis That Changed Everything

Starting in 2024, Southwest managed to do what decades of competitors could not. They broke their own identity. The first major crack was the move toward assigned seating. Open seating was not just a quirk. It was a core part of the Southwest experience. It allowed faster boarding, more flexibility, and a sense of control for travelers who knew how to play the system.
Assigned seating immediately slowed that process down and stripped away one of the airline’s most recognizable traits. Then came the change that truly crossed the line. The elimination of free checked bags.

Free checked bags were not a perk. They were a promise. A simple, customer-friendly commitment that said, “We are not going to squeeze you for every dollar.” Removing that erased one of the clearest differentiators in commercial aviation.
Layer on revised fare classes, tighter change policies, and an expanding menu of add-on fees, and Southwest began to look less like Southwest and more like every legacy airline travelers were trying to avoid.

Longtime customers were not confused. They were angry.
• Business travelers lost speed and flexibility
• Families lost value and predictability
• Loyal flyers lost the reason they stayed loyal
Operational hiccups, inconsistent rollouts, and tone deaf messaging only made things worse. By the time the new ownership group fully took control, decades of goodwill had been traded for a spreadsheet-driven strategy that ignored why people chose Southwest in the first place.

Watching the Backlash in Real Time

At this point, the reaction has been impossible to ignore. Scroll through Southwest Airlines’ social media posts and the comments tell the whole story. The comments are not positive. They are not constructive. They are raw, frustrated, and often brutal.
On one hand, I genuinely feel bad for the individuals on the marketing and social media teams. They are the ones catching the heat. On the other hand, they are still representing a company that chose to alienate the very customers who made the airline successful.
Southwest was worth flying because it was honest about being a low-cost airline without feeling cheap. That balance is gone.

The Reality of Finding a New Budget Airline

So where do I go from here? Every January, I make my yearly pilgrimage to Las Vegas for one of the largest gun conventions in the country. Historically, that trip was a no-brainer on Southwest. This year, it was not.
Instead, we flew Frontier Airlines.
Now, let me be clear. Frontier does not have a glowing reputation. I have heard every horror story. I agree that it is not the best airline on the market. But value is about math, not feelings, and the math made sense.
For Frontier’s UpFront Plus premium seating with two checked bags, the total cost was less than Southwest’s cheapest fare without bags. That alone should raise eyebrows.

A Practical Look at Frontier Airlines

I am not here to give a full Frontier Airlines review, but the experience deserves some context. I booked round trip with the Business Bundle. That bundle included:
• Personal item and carry-on bag
• Choice of UpFront Plus seating
• Extra legroom
• No change or cancellation fees
• Priority boarding
• Two checked bags up to 50 pounds each

The total cost for a nonstop flight from Dallas to Las Vegas, booked two to three months in advance, was just under $250 round trip. That was without Discount Den membership. That was the standard price.
This year, I was not flying solo. I brought my partner along, and we had to book her ticket later. She flew on a basic fare, but we made it work. She used one of my checked bags, we shared a carry-on, and I upgraded her seat to sit next to me in UpFront Plus. The result was a comfortable flight at a fraction of what Southwest would have cost.

Understanding the Frontier Fee Model

Frontier charges for everything. That part is true.
• Printed boarding pass at the gate
• Drinks on the plane
• Snacks
• Seat selection
None of that bothered me. Most of my flights out of Dallas are four hours or less. I can bring my own snacks and drinks from the airport. That is not a hardship.
I chose Row 1, right at the front of the plane. Some people complain about that seating, but I had zero issues. Plenty of legroom, fast boarding, and easy overhead access. Being first on the plane meant getting settled while everyone else dealt with bin space chaos.
Yes, I got dirty looks. Yes, I enjoyed every second of it. For a $250 round trip flight with premium seating and checked bags, I earned that moment of quiet smugness.

Point A to Point B, and That Is Okay

Frontier is not about experience. It is about transportation. If you want champagne service and warm cookies, this is not your airline. If you want to get from point A to point B while keeping your budget intact, it absolutely works.
When Southwest’s price for the same trip, before bag fees, was pushing $400, the choice became obvious. Saving money without sacrificing safety matters.

Travel Reality for Gear-Heavy Trips

Traveling to Las Vegas for this conference means hauling camera gear and leaving room for swag on the way home. Normally, I pack light on the outbound flight and fill the suitcase on the return. This year, my second checked bag was taken over by my partner so I was not able to get the SWAG I wanted, but knowing it was less than a Southwest flight made it all okay in the end.
Two free checked bags on a budget airline at that price point is hard to argue with.

My Verdict on Frontier Airlines

If I book early next year and secure a similar Business Bundle rate, I will absolutely fly Frontier again. No hesitation. No regrets.

My Final Word on Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines burned me as a customer. Plain and simple. I no longer even want to look at their prices because I already know the outcome. It is not the Southwest with the smile. It is not the airline that felt like it was on your side.
In an era where everything is visible online, companies cannot hide behind marketing spin. When you tell customers no more free checked bags, no more open seating, and then fail to reflect that shift in pricing, you are no longer a low-cost airline. You are just another airline.
At that point, why not fly American, Delta, or another major carrier and leverage credit card perks, lounges, and better long-haul comfort?

A Texas Native Watching a Texas Airline Fade

Southwest was once the best way to get around the United States quickly and affordably. Over time, they have taken and taken while insisting it is progress. Customers are telling them otherwise, loudly and clearly.
I do not hope for any business to fail. But I do believe customers vote with their wallets. Southwest Airlines may learn the hard way that abandoning what made you special comes at a real cost.
As a Texas-born native with deep roots in Dallas, that realization stings more than I would like to admit.

The post Why Southwest Airlines Lost Its Way And Why I Stopped Flying Them appeared first on .