Nah, not superior -- just more practical. Thanks to everything I've learned on FT, I'm usually in the premium cabin, so when I see the economy line is shorter, I use it. That doesn't make me superior to the Really Important People who wait it out in the F line, but it does mean I'll be enjoying a preflight beverage sooner than they will.

Having spent most of the last 35 yrs on DL, I'll keep them as my airline of choice, for now ... subject to continued reevaluation (I did wander elsewhere for 3 years when I decided that I could not fly an airline run by Leo Mullin).

For me, the issue is, what options to pursue when you have requalified (or can project that you will requalify) at whatever elite level you aspire to, and there are airlines that are more convenient, or even offer better service in certain markets, than your legacy carrier of choice. For me, that option is increasingly becoming WN... especially now that they have their Business Select fare.

For example, PHL to Chicago... which used to be a convenient connection on DL through CVG... back when DL flew real jets. Now it's crop dusters all the way. (No, I will not fly direct on UA or US ... I don't want to encourage either of them to stay in business any longer than necessary.)

Flying a real jet direct to MDW on WN vs risking two choices for disappointment on DL crop dusters is an easy choice. A visit to the DOT website and a look at the statistics for how frequently regional carrier flights are canceled tells me that the risk of disappointing a client or my family due to a disrupted itinerary is just too great.

I'll also be reconsidering how I get to Houston now, since DL is going to an all crop duster schedule from ATL to IAH. They used to do this only during the summer (airline logic, put regional jets on the route between two of the most severely weather impacted southern airports in the summer). Now it appears that it will be year-round.

(The irony is that, after spending a decade trying to push us onto regional jets, the airlines are now whining about how fuel inefficient they are on a passenger-mile basis.)

The point I am heading towards is that the legacy carriers are going to be cutting service to, and even pulling out of, more cities as they use fuel prices as an excuse for capitulating to other legacy carriers who have a stronger presence in a particular city... and as they increasingly adopt the attitude that they can't make a profit on a jet that isn't flying over an ocean.

As the legacy carriers all compete to be the new leader in international travel, and as they continue to abandon any pretext of domestic competition in smaller and/or hub cities, the LCCs like WN are going to step in and fill the void. We are all going to have more opportunities to choose LCCs as the legacy carriers abandon us.

All of the alleged advantages associated with flying a legacy carrier won't amount to much if the carrier no longer serves the cities you go to, or you can't get a seat on the few flights that remain.

So, yes, I am still going to strive for elite status on some legacy carrier, but I may settle for Gold rather than Platinum if it means more reasonable connections, shorter travel times, fewer flights on puddle jumpers and crop dusters, and overall better service on a LCC for some portion of my air travel needs.

And, while I'd walk barefoot over broken glass before I'd willingly check luggage... WN has had my bag waiting for me before I got to the carousel... and this was in PHL, the galactic black hole for luggage. Call that anecdotal evidence.

Well, if you really want to impress us with your egalitarianism, why not use the kiosk?

But seriously, it seems what one sees as an at attempt at appearing superior another sees as practical. I learned long ago that the F agents are frequently more capable/knowledgeable when it comes to upgrades. I'd rather wait in line a bit longer for the agent who actually knows how to process my eVIP (AA systemwide ug) than to check in with the agent who doesn't know where to begin. The net result saves both time and nerves. Nothing snobbish about that, is there?

Not at all, but I'll bet that your very practical reason for remaining in the F line is the exception. The snobbish reason is the norm.

And indeed, with the kiosks, I don't find myself in any line very often any more.

When is this? I still see MD-88's showing up...

Having flown southwest quite often, I really can't see the business travelers moving to Southwest. Both companies I've worked for still require you to use AA or United. The only time Southwest is permitted is when the others have no routes.

Brendog has a point that he spends a lot on air travel and wants to be rewarded for loyalty. But the fact of the matter is he is in the minority.

I travel 6-7 RTs per year. 2 of which are international. Most trips are for pleasure. On May 16 of this year (2008), I conceeded that my 16 year loyalty with United and Star Alliance was over. I just couldn't justify the expense and difficulty of staying loyal in light of the near impossibility of redeeming benefits. I now fly whoever is most convenient and economical. I no longer have any doubts about flying WN. In fact, I enjoy them more than UA. Their FAs are certainly more pleasant.
The other element that I have given up on is the upgrade. Just too embarassing and pathetic groveling at the gate by a gaggle of 30-55 y.o. men. They are like flies on s... Oh the poor gate agent.
I am happy to keep my dignity and accept that I am not that important to UA. The sentiment is mutual. So now I can take the KLM non-stop SFO-AMS in Sep instead of UA with a stop at IAD...guilt free!

I am now liberated and it feels kind of good!

A minority? Or majority? Of all people who travel, sure. Of elite-level frequemt flyers, maybe not.

See above ... I don't think 6-7 RTs per year is really heavy travel, by most airlines' standards.

I was really excited about Southwest from all the thing people here were saying about them. But I have to say, they seem a big lacking for regular travel:

1) I usually try to book the cheapest flight (with the exception of UA, who I wouldn't fly if it was free). Most of my travel, for business or leisure, takes me between major cities, like SFO and NYC, LA, DC, Chicago, Dallas, London, etc. I have never found WN to be the cheapest flight on these routes, ever. I'm sure it happens, but legacies seem to be pretty competitive on these routes. I usually end up flying AA, because they undercut WN. I can get a cheaper fare on AA and upgrade to first, which, even if I have to pay for sticker upgrades, still comes out cheaper than flying in steerage on WN. If I flew a lot of very short haul flights, I could see how I might prefer southwest on price and directness, but most of my travel takes me between cities with large populations that are well served by the legacy routes. I would suspect that most of the big Southwest fans are ones that frequently fly direct short-haul flights between cities that happened to be served by Southwest. Also, when you're flying a 6-11 hour flight, business and first class make a much bigger difference than if you just on a plane for an hour or so.

2) The boarding system (even the new one) is innane. Letting people pick their seats on board inevitably leads to people sitting up front first, then moving backwards, for the most part. So you have to wait for everyone to put their carryons away and sit, and then you move back a little find open seats, and repeat. While the crew is remarkably efficient about getting planes out quickly, the boarding process means you're constantly waiting. in contrast, most legacies board from the rear of the plane forward (with some exceptions), which means that there is less waiting. IME, Southwest has the worst seating system of any carrier.

I guess they don't mind if people miss important meetings due to delayed flights, since AA and UA had the worst on-time percentages in the latest air travel consumer report. AA and UA have networks heavily dependent on ORD, so you're playing ORD weather lottery every time you fly AA or UA.

Last I checked, Midway was also in Chicago, and quite subject to the same weather. Granted, the airport is better organized/efficient, so is less prone to other issues, but weather seems about the same.

And on AA at least, you can fly through DFW, which is at least as important a hub as ORD. I never fly through ORD unless I'm connecting to some short-haul Midwest flight.

I noted in a couple of previous posts a reference to someone's employer not allowing travel on Southwest, as a matter of policy. Other than if a firm had some kind of negotiated corporate deal with a legacy carrier (and I would assume that these are few and far between for domestic travel this days), why in the world would a company not allow travel on Southwest if it is the best price/time option on a given route?

Some companies use certain travel agencies and these agencies have negotiated deals with certain legacy carriers.

Besides all that has been previously mentioned, I found it interesting the lack of partners wasn't mentioned. Namely, no SPG conversion. Few SPG Plat are in on the thread (it seems).

sorry. deleted.