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The ever-growing number of airlines offering their services all over the U.S. has helped massively improve the travel experience, no doubt about that.
We’re now able to get better deals, find flights that seem tailored to our schedule, and even pick and choose depending on the perks or amenities we value the most – in short, the increased competition has helped travelers find the exact type of service they want from their carrier and at lower prices, too.
Sounds like a win-win, right?
Well, with added choices comes the added responsibility to filter through the noise and find out which airlines are actually worth their salt.
Figuring all of that yourself would be borderline impossible, though, so today we’re relying on the experiences and opinions of thousands of other seasoned travelers.
USA Today sent out a survey to its readers asking them to vote for their favorite airline, and while we expected one of the usual favorites like Delta to nab the top spot, the winner was actually a discount airline that took us a little bit by surprise.
Southwest Is A Great-Value Airline
Think about it – when someone asks you to name your favorite anything, you consider more than just quality or price point; you consider the overall value, and that’s exactly what Southwest promises and actually delivers.
If you’re a traveler, you’re probably already aware of the carrier’s now-famous perks.
Firstly, and in my opinion, most importantly, Southwest wins a lot of points with its “Bags Fly Free” policy, which means that every traveler gets to bring not one, but two free checked bags on board – this is basically unheard of among other budget airlines, most of which charge anywhere between $40 and $70 per piece of luggage to offset the low ticket costs.
Another major, and I mean major, perk you get flying with Southwest is the “Companion Pass,” which, surprisingly enough, is exactly what it sounds like.
Once you rack up enough points, you get to bring a second person along on all your travels for free for an entire year, as many times as you want – that alone can end up saving you thousands.
What’s more, changes and cancellations are free, too, giving you a lot of flexibility when planning your next trip.
Sure, the ticket prices might not be as low as what you’ll find in some newer, even more budget-friendly carriers out there, but when you factor in all the add-ons, it’s not as easy as just choosing the airline that has the cheaper tickets.
Quick tip: Make sure to create a Southwest account. They run some pretty great sales every few weeks (think one-way tickets for just $39) and alert you via e-mail, so you don’t want to miss out on those.
Southwest Is Constantly Expanding Its Network
Do you know how sometimes you might not be able to find the exact route you’re looking for?
Well, with Southwest, that’s unlikely.
The airline is currently undergoing a massive network expansion, and that’s on top of its already impressive reach.
Just take a look at these new route additions made in the past year and see if there’s anything that piques your interest (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
New Improvements To Look Forward To
Another great thing about Southwest is that they actively listen to customer feedback and introduce new improvements while leaving beloved perks and policies untouched—and that’s more than what can be said about most of their competitors.
Here are some of the main changes that were announced just this past season:
- Upgraded WiFi
- Assigned Seats
- Red-eye Flights
- More Premium Perks
- Increased Support And Services On Their Online Platform
The Rest Of The Most Beloved Carriers In The U.S. Right Now
Whether you’re not much of a Southwest fan or the carrier just doesn’t offer the type of service you’re after, don’t worry.
These five other U.S.-based airlines were also voted among the best in the linked survey above, so take your pick:
- Delta Air Lines
- American Airlines
- United Airlines
- Alaska Airlines
- JetBlue
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.