What can I say? I’m a homebody. I used to fly a lot for business and pleasure. I remember when flying *was *a pleasure and a bit glamorous. I even remember when Southwest was known as “Hot Pants Airlines.” In the few years after 2000 (when the heavy restrictions *first *kicked in), I went somewhere just about every month. I took my last plane trip in 2004.
I need to fly next month from Texas to California (and back) and I’ll be going on Southwest Airlines. Mercifully, it’s a nonstop.
Any tips, pointers, or anything newish about toiletries, food, electronics, etc. that I should know? Thanks.
I will read the airline’s page on restrictions. Looking for stories from [del]the field[/del], [del]the trenches[/del], personal experience.
I fly quite a bit and try my hardest to just pack carry-on if my trip allows.
Since I fly for pleasure/trips and not business, I wear sandals/flip flops/shoes that are easy to get on/off for security reasons.
Re. toiletries, I pack what I need to in terms of razors, make-up, etc. However, for liquid stuff, I just stop at a drug store when I’m at my destination to pick up the travel size stuff. I figure- I’m going to buy it anyways, might as well do it there then I don’t have to worry about packing separate containers.
Since it’s Southwest, just check your bag (which is free) and not worry about the carry on rules for liquids. (which you will read about on the airlines page of restrictions). Southwest still does cattle call, meaning there are no assigned seats, but boarding is determined according the time you checked in online (the 24 hour period before your flight takes off). The earlier you check in the earlier your boarding group, and the bigger selection of seats available to you on the plane. You can even pay Southwest ($12.50 I think) to auto check you in, so your are further up in that line.
Also, tablets, kindles, phones, ipods, ipads (as long as they are in airplane mode) can be used throughout the flight…no turning off required. Laptops still have to be shut down but can be turned on after reaching cruising altitudes.
Security seems to have eased a bit and it feels more relaxed. That could be my perception, my last set of flights was as a trusted traveler so others opinions may be more valid.
Southwest has changed their boarding system. You can check in 24 hours before your flight online. Do this, you don’t want to be any farther down the list than group B.
I know the first checked bag is free on Southwest, but I have never once lost a carry on bag. I have had airlines temporarily misplace checked luggage. Also, not checking a bag means I don’t have to go stand by the baggage carousel and wait before I can leave the airport.
The last few times I flew, this was already in place. I sat at my computer and pushed the button as soon as my cell phone showed departure time minus one second.
I usually take a carry-on, but since both flights are nonstop, checking prolly isn’t too risky. I will need to carry my laptop, so that’s on rather large bag to carry anyway.
From SWA website: “You’re allowed two (2) checked pieces of baggage per ticket, with some size and weight limitations. We only charge for overweight and excess items.”
Once in the days of Southwest’s plastic boarding passes… and only once… I got boarding card #1. It was at an airport, Phoenix, I think, when I changed planes and had to get another boarding card to board the next leg. The first leg was so danged early, but it was worth it. Finally I held in my hands the treasured boarding pass #1. Ahhhh. I remember it like it was yesterday. I sat down at the gate and prepared to savor the experience of being one of the first people to board, to turn up my nose at the other steerage passengers.
And I sat. And I sat.
Finally, it got to be perilously close to departure time, and no one had called for boarding. So I got up and looked at the monitor and my departure gate had been changed and I had to hotfoot it past a zillion gates just to make my flight. Damn you, Sky Gods! <shakes fist>
First flight in years for me, too recently. Beyond what others have said - the seats are really close together now and you no longer get meals during the flight. Toronto to Victoria an all that is provided is two rounds of soft drinks and a small sweet or salty snack, unless you want to pay exorbitantly for anything more.
Getting yourself organized to go through security is the hardest part. You have to take your shoes off and put them through the x-ray along with your bag of liquids, electronics, jacket, belt, and any jewelry big enough to set off the metal detector.
So I always try to wear slip-on shoes and no jacket, belt, or jewelry, to make things easier.
They also pull people out of the security line for “extra screening” pretty frequently. I fly maybe twice a year, and it has happened to me 3-4 times in the past five years.
I miss the plastic boarding pass, I spent my teens flying MAF, DAL, HOU and would rather fly Southwest than anyother airline to this day. I am a forty something WM with a shaved head and giant goatee/beard, I got all the way to the back and for some reason the seat next to me is the last to be filled.
Security theater that is just that, a show.
Did a weekend trip; on the way out I threw my bag on the x-ray conveyer belt & picked it up on the other side. For the return trip the next day, there was a [del]useless troll[/del] TSA agent repeatedly reminding us in line that our toiletry liquids needed to be in a 1qt bag that was pulled out & separated from our luggage. I inquired if there was anything I should know (like a raised threat level) because it seemed they upped the security since the day before. Nope. Nothing. Apparently outbound city wasn’t doing it up to snuff.
For Southwest, your boarding pass that you print at home from your computer will have a big letter (A, B, C) as well as a number. At many of their airport gates (not sure if it’s all Southwest everywhere) you will see poles, or floor markings, with numbers (usually in sets of 5) and letters indicating where you should line up. The “A” group will be instructed to line up first. The “B” group will be instructed to line up after “A” group is boarded, etc. So, you will have an explicit spot to stand when lining up. If you are B-22, you try to find out who B-21 is and line up near them (usually people will try to be first in their small group of 5 in spite of their actual numbering, because people are, well you know…).
Because Southwest does have a frequent flier program, and allows for buying early boarding, if you are not a frequent flier with them, or have not purchased early boarding, you may likely be in group B or even C. The farther away from A-1 you are, the less likely you would be able to carry-on your suitcase (nothing new there). So, for you it probably makes sense to check the bag.
