You would have thought I developed a fear of flying. Why? I went nearly a year and a half without stepping foot on a plane. But my streak of staying grounded recently ended and I experienced something for the first time.

The airport itself and TSA didn’t change a bit. Same hustle and bustle, overpriced food, and stress of moving kids through the security line. But what did change was the airline we flew. For the first time (at least in my adult life), we flew Southwest.

Sloan on a Southwest Airlines flight.

I have come to realize that not all airlines are created equal. You just have to step on a Spirit Airlines flight to figure that out. But for the most part, I have flown Alaska, American, and Delta over the past 20 years. Those three airline giants have a standardized way of doing things and their policies/protocols are similar. Southwest contrasted greatly from the trio.

Beau preparing to board a Southwest flight.

The three main differences I experienced for the first time included…

– Free checked bags. I am not kidding! Although this is going away soon, we had the pleasure of flying Southwest while the perk was still in place. And you just aren’t allowed to check one free bag, you are welcome to check TWO free bags. For a family of four, that is a cost savings of $480 roundtrip (when you factor in a $30 per bag fee charged by most airlines). How refreshing this was!

– No assigned seating. This one was a little weird. In the same way that you buy a general admission ticket at a sports event, Southwest’s seating plan is entirely open. This means that whenever you board, you choose whatever seat you want—or whatever seat is available. Finding an open seat was never an issue for my family because we boarded early in the process since Beau is under 6 years old. Still, it is a little unnerving to know that your seat isn’t assigned and awkward “May I sit here?” conversations may be necessary with strangers.

– Fewer amenities. Perhaps Southwest makes up for lost revenue incurred from free checked bags in other ways. For example, the planes don’t come equipped with screens to watch movies and shows. You must use your own device to tap into their entertainment options. You also won’t receive complimentary ear buds nor will you be subjected to the over-the-top safety production videos championed by the other guys. But have no fear, free soft drinks and snacks do come with your plane ticket.

Sloan on another leg of a Southwest Airlines flight.

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Based on the above differences, I would fly Southwest again. However, this past trip we did face a lot of other issues. To me, Southwest is kind of the Aldi of airlines. Have you flown Southwest before? What is your opinion? Don’t Blink.