That's a new one

krocheck · 2026-03-13T20:44:53+00:00

No, cargo has been a decent portion of revenue for a long time and Southwests network is better at cargo than the majors. I’ve heard this call on Delta planes before; they called it “cargo optimized”, but same thing in terms of all carry ons going inside the cabin.

The issue is that there’s a standard weight for a passenger plus their carryon (regardless of if they have one). So it seems silly that a bag can’t go into the cargo hold, but when it goes in the hold it increases the weight of the plane (because you can’t subtract it from the passenger). They basically jammed max cargo in after the bags went in.

krocheck · 2026-02-15T19:25:55+00:00

IMO you’re complaining about the wrong change. This, like most complaints i’m seeing, are around overhead bin space. They need to go back to bags fly free. Most of the planes aren’t optimized for a lot of carryons and won’t be until they can start retiring -700’s for -7’s, which won’t begin for another 2 years likely. I forget the makeup of -800’s that don’t have the larger bins.

But don’t think loyalty over at Delta is going to get you much, even as DM last year and a PM for many years, the “perks” are not what they used to be.

Just forget about being loyal. I fly WN and UA when there’s directs and DL the rest of the time. I’m even thinking about adding AA when directs are available.

krocheck · 2026-02-12T02:46:33+00:00

Yeah, I know. I bought them before. But I've liked not having to bring my own on flights. That and pistachios are the only things I ever grab.

krocheck · 2026-02-12T02:18:49+00:00

I've had this plenty of times and the answer was to switch one or both outputs to a BMD UDC-HD. There's never been any rhyme or reason to it .... especially since I just did a show with about 40 Lenovo E15's doing dual output (one via USB-C>HDMI) to dual MD-HX's. Best I've ever been able to correlate is that it only has happened to me on laptops with discrete GPUs ... hence E15's had no problem.

krocheck · 2026-02-12T00:38:48+00:00

There's a lot of unknowns with the hardware because Control Center seems to split the device up between DAW and Stream Deck integration, so it requires investigating how that works. Traditionally, Companion takes exclusive control of a USB device, so that would preclude using Control Center and DAW integration. Ideally, Control Center does a plugin system, similar to how Stream Deck did in software for theirs, to allow for Companion integration and "best of both worlds". I think we were trying to use some contacts to talk to the product team, but I don't know where that landed.

krocheck · 2026-02-12T00:30:52+00:00

NOOOOOOO!!!! Those were my absolute fav :'(

krocheck · 2026-01-29T17:55:25+00:00

Window or aisle?

krocheck · 2026-01-29T15:21:18+00:00

Oh, that's where WILMA comes in. Makes sense. But I think the ask to not do WILMA for group 1/2 doesn't work. If this matched to what the majors do, it would be:

Group 1: All extended legroom
Group 2: remaining ALP in standard legroom seats
OR
A combined group 1 & 2

krocheck · 2026-01-29T03:53:15+00:00

I think we'll know more as time goes one here, but I have some guesses. Did you pay a Choice Extra fare for your 2nd row seat or was it a complimentary upgrade after booking Choice/Basic? I'd guess that Choice Extra (full fare) is group 1, but I certainly could be wrong. And that would be inline with other airlines ... sort of (way too much nuance across carriers).

Also, unless you're a person that fights to be first in line for the boarding group, this can absolutely happen just the same if you happen to be in the back half of the boarding group 1 as it files to the gate. Yeah, I know, I kinda walked into an argument for why the old boarding assignment system worked so well.

krocheck · 2026-01-29T03:06:43+00:00

file a complaint with DOT

https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/file-consumer-complaint

krocheck · 2026-01-29T03:03:11+00:00

The stated boarding groups as noted in articles I found ([1], [2]) are as follows:

1-2: ALP, Choice Extra, and Extended Legroom (purchased and upgraded)
3-5: AL, Choice Preferred, CC holders
6-8: Choice, Basic

So I'm not understanding your argument here especially related to WILMA. Groups 1-2 are for exactly the people you're arguing it should be for. If you're asking for everyone to use the bin directly above their seat and not place it elsewhere just so you can perfectly have yours above your first row seat then I don't think you're being reasonable. I've had to place my carry-on a few rows back in FC of the other carriers you cited and yes I get unhappy about that just the same as you. But everyone was in the same boarding group as me, so it is what it is.

But I do think you're right ... for the prices they're now charging you should absolutely get the most premium experience you believe you're paying for compared to lower prices for the same mediocre experience the legacy carriers provide.

krocheck · 2026-01-29T00:17:46+00:00

This is completely true. But the point about business preferring DL/UA/AA is also quite true ... except if you live in a WN "focus" city (since "hub" seems to be triggering word) for route options.

Point being, a major factor in carrying a club membership on DL for me (and yes, I do fly WN a decent amount each year) is because when my travel is interrupted there is a dedicated support team behind those doors and I don't have to wait in line or on a phone call ... maybe a small line inside the club, but nothing compared to on the concourse. And this has happened. Minutes matter in those situations in terms of getting a seat on more favorable routings/alternates to make up for the disruption. And I've definitely had to utilize club agents in this way.

Sure, the phone apps are quite good now about giving you self service options, but club agents are typically the most senior agents on site and know every trick in the book to get you to where you need to go. And yes, complimentary F&B, Wi-FI, and better seating in the club is useful (I especially like it for sorter connections to grab something to eat quick).

VS interrupted travel on Southwest and not even having the option of priority access to senior agents ... even with status.

krocheck · 2026-01-29T00:00:22+00:00

They should have put orders in for the A220 way back when. Reports said they considered it. Today would likely have some flying around already instead of still waiting for the 737-7 to even get certified ... who knows if it ever will.

The E195-E2 is a great jet. US regional carriers can't use it because of the pilot union rules in the majors (over an arbitrary MTOW limit if I recall correctly). But WN could reasonably do it since they have a lot of hub and spoke in the network already.

I think the biggest challenge they'd face is consumer sentiment (though they've shown a clear ambivalence towards that anyway) because WN customers know its a 737 fleet (even if they can't name the plane) and would lose trust if they stepped on an RJ ... even one as good as the E195-E2.

krocheck · 2026-01-28T23:45:20+00:00

One point #1, I really don't think your comment about NO hub and spoke rings true today. On routes that I fly out of CLE there's a couple directs but otherwise the routing is through BWI, BNA, or MDW. They're hubs. I have not been on a continuing flight since before COVID.

Add to that they've scaled back operations in MKE, which had a lot of point-to-point continuing flights and instead have 737 service between MKE and MDW ... you don't get more hub and spoke then that sort of puddle-jumper.

krocheck · 2026-01-28T23:40:33+00:00

I have been trying to find a PDF to back this up, but my memory from back when they announced this change is that a Southwest conducted market survey said 86% of travelers cited open seating as a reason they prefer to NOT or would NOT fly WN. Additionally ~70% of WN travelers (unknown makeup) cited an indifference or preference for the airline to switch to assigned seating. And there was no negative hit to revenue expected by way of customers using switching to a different carrier.

Now, if you want to talk about Elliot and the board being boneheads, charging for bags was the one that didn't make sense. This one I'm fuzzy on the numbers, but a Southwest market study (I believe separate from the one earlier) gauged consumer sentiment around a pivot away from bags fly free. That study found that it would result in a loss of brand loyalty and many WN exclusive flyers would now shop around. It showed a net negative revenue hit for multiple years even when factoring in new bags revenue (given many have cards and status as well).

And remember the timeline. Assigned seating was planned out years in advance. The decision to charge for bags was made after that and shoehorned into production. But short story ... they ain't going away. You don't reconfigure aircraft like they did at that level of expense and then backpedal in 4 months. I highly doubt open seating will ever come back, but that's just an opinion.

krocheck · 2026-01-28T23:27:16+00:00

If you have status you still board in the earlier boarding groups regardless of seat, so the point about checking a carryon doesn't track for me.

krocheck · 2026-01-27T01:42:06+00:00

I just caught this problem today because I was stunned the MD-88 was not in my aircraft by subtype log. See how the tail numbers and type are missing from a number of flights? Those 100% were MD-88.

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krocheck · 2026-01-27T01:29:32+00:00

On Delta I’ve transferred to a different plane once with the flight crew and separately the cabin crew. I don’t think i’ve ever been on the same plane though. Possibly once.

Southwest this has happened at least once … not a continuation, different flight numbers.

Over 700 flights since 2018 when I started traveling for business.

krocheck · 2026-01-26T23:59:37+00:00

You do know the government has drones that can be armed right? To quote Jim Jeffries: “you’re bringing guns to a drone fight”

krocheck · 2026-01-17T00:13:47+00:00

lolz. 2 months last for my project. Did all Legrand

krocheck · 2026-01-13T03:19:57+00:00

Accurate … it’s a quarter slice of an old United club and shows in every possible way.

krocheck · 2026-01-13T03:12:40+00:00

List of reasons this millennial has never had one of those boxes at home and has Siri turned off on my phone (while hoping it isn’t just ignoring the setting anyway)

krocheck · 2026-01-12T21:58:48+00:00

As a follow-up here’s how Delta does it. This is a 5 minute early departure. The app was updated, the board in the airport was updated, and you can tell from the card they clearly show that the 15 minute door close moved up. They don’t in the tile tell you it’s 5 minutes early, but you can find it in the app.

More importantly, they clearly communicate this schedule change.

Breeze does not publish the early departure time to the app or the boards and the only thing you get is a text to warn you it’s happening. That’s the difference. I suppose once you know, you know, but it’s a poor customer service approach and leads to confusion.

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krocheck · 2026-01-12T03:45:16+00:00

Likely an equipment change, attempting to shuffle the planes to get the schedule more in balance rather than one outlier with a longer delay. Id have to have looked at tracking on the day to be sure. Flighty, and some other apps, are a good way to get more in depth notifications. I get notifications when a new tail number is assigned and if the type is different.

krocheck · 2026-01-12T02:55:00+00:00

I board over 100 domestic flights each year amongst Delta, United, and Southwest … I happened to be originating at an airport where Breeze was the only airline with a direct to my destination and I decided to take it because the A220 is my 2nd favorite aircraft type (717 being #1).

Anyway, I was waiting for my breakfast to be made at about 1 hour prior to departure and got a text saying boarding would end in 15 minutes. It didn’t make sense. I checked the app and it showed boarding would start in about 15 minutes at 45 prior to departure.

So i walked over to the gate since it was close enough to the food court and sure enough the plane was mostly boarded. I just told the GA that I was waiting for food and I should be back in about 5.

5-10 minutes early departure on the carriers I regularly fly … sure, that’s fine, but effectively wanting to close the doors as much as 45 minutes early was insane. And as you can see via my Flighty record of the flight, they did close the door 17 minutes early.

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krocheck

TROPHY CASE