As mentioned in a previous article Southwest Airlines does not have the reputation for providing frills to its passengers. And to be fair, it’s never claimed to, either. So how would a seasoned traveler used to flying in First Class do with an airline that doesn’t even assign you a seat? A couple weeks ago I found out as I ventured on my inaugural flight with Southwest.

I began the experience with an open mind, already pleased at the fact that I'd saved $600 in change fees a few weeks before when I’d booked our tickets for the wrong weekend. For that much money, I’m willing to sacrifice a few niceties. The other test for the airline was the fact that we were traveling with a 3 year old…something I have never experienced even on my regular airline. But I figured what better way to try it than with an airline that promotes itself to an audience of families and vacationers?

Check-in was a breeze at curb-side and our 6th passenger, who was parking the car, had absolutely no trouble getting his ticket from kiosk post-baggage check. We were sure to check in early in order to get that coveted Group A boarding status (which I was told is a MUST if you don’t want center seats), but turns out we never had to use it. Why? Pre-board. Yes, traveling with a little one certainly has its perks. We had our choice of seats on the entire plane and plenty of time to choose. In fact, we had his car seat buckled in and were reading magazines before the first of Group A was even on the plane.

The aircraft itself was your normal no-first-class airplane with one exception…MORE LEG ROOM. Being 6’4”, I have always opted for exit rows when sitting in coach for that extra precious few inches. However, I was sitting in a normal row this time and STILL had room to move, even cross my legs. Yes, this extra legroom that Southwest promotes almost makes it worth flying them more often…that is, if I didn’t already get premium seating on United and America West. Our snack was typical peanuts and drinks, but I was offered a second on my drink which I eagerly accepted. I was sure they’d skimp on offering seconds…after all, how do they charge so little? Where do they save in expenses?

One major place of savings is turnaround time at the gate. The turnaround time is how long it takes the airline from parking at the gate to leaving the gate, and all the time in between of getting passengers off, cleaning, and getting passengers back on. I’m used to seeing the plane at the gate at least an hour before departure as normal boarding starts about 30 minutes before. However, with Southwest we hit the 30 minute mark and the plane STILL wasn’t at the gate. I assumed, based on my normal experience, that this would mean late departure. Nope. The plane showed up, passengers disembarked, they loaded us on and we were off…for an ON-TIME departure. I’d heard that SW had fast turnarounds to save money (by keeping their planes in the air more), but I couldn’t believe how quick they did it…they were a well-oiled machine.

In summary, I would call my experience quite pleasant and I can confidently say I will be flying Southwest again as the need arrives. I still enjoy my first class seat with free drinks when available, but when it comes down to it I like a good deal and Southwest delivers. In fact, perhaps one day I’ll add them to my “Likes” page on this site. Until then, I’ll be scoping their weekly deals newsletter and looking forward to my next chance to experience the “LUV”.