I've flown Southwest Airlines in the past and it's been ok. It's a no-frills deal where you get to pick out your own seats and not have to put up with airline food and get to your destination at about half the cost of the other airlines.

Now let me give you my latest experience with Southwest.

As you know, America's security is on high alert as of September 11th and there have been countless rules that the FAA has given the airlines to observe. They have limited carry on baggage to one bag (plus one other "personal" carry on such as a purse or a laptop, etc). It's for the saftey of the passangers and the saftey of the flight that these things are happening....

....And Southwest brushed these rules off on my flight from Los Angeles International Airport to Tampa International Airport.

In a time where terrorism is the biggest threat to our national security, isn't it time to start working within the rules? People taking their entire vacation luggage carry-on with Southwest is annoying and one big hassel when trying to board/deboard the plane. It's also violating Southwests "Size limit" that they have displayed at the Gate as well as at the ticket counter... Why is this allowed to continue without someone blowing a whistle?

I just didn't feel SAFE on my flight.... Be it because of how the flight-crew were conducting themselves or the baggage situation (side-note, I had little concern on the flight from Tampa International to Los Angeles that I had taken a week earlier).

Another thing that bothers me currently on Southwest airlines is people hogging space in their 'select a seat" rules. The seating on the planes I have flow on has been three seats deep on each side of the plane. Whenever I fly, I am usually with someone that I want to sit next to, however the people who board the plane before me spread themselves out - routinely sitting in the aisle and window seat, but leaving the middle seat empty for whatever reason. It becomes a detractor to not have your seat "selected" when you make your ticket purchase. If traveling with a wife and kids, there is no guarantee your family will sit together on the plane if you board later.

I can't recommend Southwest Airlines at this time. I appreciate them making air travel affordable for the majority of consumers out their - but they need to improve in some areas, no matter if they raise costs or not by doing so.

Recommended: No