February in Columbus, Ohio - the epitome of icy misery. What better way to escape the frostbite than a trip to the tropical paradise of Lihue, Kauai? Naturally, we chose Southwest Airlines, because who doesn't love a budget airline experience with a sprinkle of chaos? We snagged a great deal last summer, even splurging on upgraded seats for extra legroom. Because, let's face it, nothing screams luxury like paying extra just to stretch your knees. Our journey began at John Glenn Airport, with a thrilling itinerary: Columbus to Las Vegas, a quick pit stop in Oakland (because direct flights are overrated), and finally onto Lihue. Now, let's talk about those upgraded seats. The premium experience of sitting in Row 6 was practically royalty! The new boarding procedure ensured we were among the first to board, which gave us plenty of time to settle into our "exclusive" seats and brace ourselves for what was to come. Spoiler alert: it wasn't great. The real fun began on the longest leg of the journey--four glorious hours from Oakland to Lihue. We were blessed with seats right behind a delightful three-year-old who was on a mission to win an Olympic gold in tantrum-throwing. Her mother, with the patience of a saint and the control of a wet noodle, valiantly tried to keep her from turning the cabin into her personal scream chamber. Meanwhile, her father, an active-duty Marine, demonstrated levels of tolerance that could only be described as superhuman. As for us? We were left wondering why noise-canceling headphones weren't included in the ticket price. Hungry? Don't worry, Southwest has you covered! By covered, I mean they'll toss you a bag of snacks and call it a day. The options were truly gourmet: card-board-esque Cinnamon Grahams, Strawberry Stuff'd Oat Bites (whatever those are), and pistachios in two thrilling flavors - Honey and Roasted Salted. And let's not forget the Oreo cookie, which might have been the only edible highlight. The three-year-old hated it all, of course, except for her trusty pacifier. At least someone had a lifeline. Entertainment-wise, the 737 MAX 8 boasted intermittent Wi-Fi and seat-back with built-in chargers (both USB-C and the OG version--how thoughtful). But hey, who needs reliable Wi-Fi or riveting movies when you have a front-row seat to a toddler's emotional rollercoaster? Finally, we landed in paradise. The Southwest baggage claim at Lihue was surprisingly efficient--probably because everyone was too exhausted from the flight to bother causing delays. A small victory, but we'll take it. In conclusion, if you're looking for an unforgettable travel experience filled with legroom that's almost comfortable, snacks that double as packing material, and in-flight entertainment courtesy of tiny humans, Southwest Airlines is your ticket to adventure. Would I do it again? Let's just say I'm keeping my options open for teleportation technology in 2027. Bon voyage! read more

I finally made it to my #900 and am going to Yelp my review for Southwest Airlines. Everyone knows how much I love SW, my favorite airlines. I am the Queen of SW as my co-workers states. Thank you, for making it possible for me and my soulmate, to get away for the day or the weekends to the neighbor island. Competition is so good! Never would have done it if SW wasn't doing business on the islands. Since then I was able to travel to Kauai many times. Grateful I get to visit the island we spent our honeymoon, 27+ years ago. I booked a bunch of flights during Southwest Airlines' Birthday sale back in June. Gone are the super low fares of $29. / $39. flights, which I need to catch when it does happen again but happy I was able to take advantage of it. This recent trip to Kauai for the weekend was so nice and a much needed get away. Everything was great, from getting off the plane to checking in the next day. Remember to check in 24 hours before your flight. SW boards by groups, A.B.C., A-list if you qualify and or want to pay extra. After A group, military and family with kids. then B and C. & 2 free check in luggage. Since it is only 25 min. flight, from LIH-HNL, we only get water service. This trip I decided to check in one luggage last minute due to our sauces, liquid. Checking in my bag was quick and simple, I printed my lug tag via the kiosk and gave it to the CSA. You can also check in your bags on line when you check in, then print the bag tags at the kiosk. So simple! During my recent October flight, when it was time to board, the scanner wasn't working but the staff worked together and checked everyone in manually without a problem. I don't want to sound Bias because Southwest is my favorite airlines but the many times I am on a SW flight I have no problems or complaints. I am truly grateful. I am happy I get to visit all my favorites restaurant on Kauai once I get off the plane ( Tip Top, Hamura, Deli Bread Connection). I need my saimin fix monthly. LUV Southwest, recommend by me & I can't wait for my next getaway! Happy Eating and traveling, live love life to the fullest. Happy #900 Yelp review!! read more

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Huge mahalo to the Southwest team on Flight 2413 from Lihue to Honolulu on Sunday, 1/11--especially flight attendants Sara and Rasa, and gate agent Uncle Dan. My husband and I were traveling with my mom shortly after a partial hip replacement, and she was struggling to walk. Sara and Rasa quickly suggested an aisle chair (something we hadn't even thought of), and Uncle Dan immediately made it happen. Their accessibility support, kindness, and quick action made a stressful situation so much easier. We later saw Rasa again on another flight, and she remembered us and asked how my mom was doing, truly showing genuine care. Grateful for this amazing crew. read more

(Traveled 05/12/23 FR @ 2:00pm): Sometimes you wanna get away from the southwest and roam elsewhere and at great prices! I recently had the pleasure of flying with Southwest Airlines LIH on my way to Honolulu HNL from Los Angeles LAX with this layover. Generally speaking, Southwest Airlines has been my favorite domestic carrier for years (I wished they flew internationally!). Routes to the Hawaiian Islands was a fairly new development for the airline with more expansion to come. So, how was my first time flying with them to Hawaii out of the island of Kauai!? PURCHASE One-Way Airfare ($123.30): Since this was a layover, the original ticket fare was purchased out of Los Angeles LAX. However, I would imagine the fare from Lihue to Honolulu would be cheaper than this. I normally didn't book one-way flights mainly because of the usually less advantageous fare versus roundtrip airfare, but I wasn't quite sure when I wanted to return back to California from Hawaii. Since I booked the flight one month before its departure, I felt this fare was reasonable within my comfort level of $150.00 for any domestic air travel during the medium season (Memorial was two weeks away). On an afternoon layover flight that arrived in Honolulu around 3:00pm the same day, it was all good https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=o-3Wd435kZM70m3_FEpJKg&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! Checked Luggage - 1 Piece (FREE): Actually... your first two checked luggages were always free - hooray! FLIGHT EXPERIENCE ~Check-in: I checked-in online 24-hours prior, had my QR code boarding pass on their app, and traveled with only a checked luggage and backpack, so I was ready to go! Because this was a layover and my luggage was being transferred through to its final destination, I didn't have to deal with security checkpoints and the necessary TSA pleasantries. When it was time, passengers were queued-up in order of their boarding letter and number (i.e. A/B/C and 1/2/3, etc.). The flight was bumpy at times but arrived on-time at our final destination. ~Seats: Come on, it was the same sardine can like all airplanes these days, so unless you were in Business or First Class you got to know your neighbors to the left, right, front, and back of you! ~In-flight Meals (Varied; n/a this instance): Because of the extremely short flight and minor turbulence, no drinks or snacks were handed out. ~Lavatory: I got my business done at the one in the back of the plane. Plenty of toilet paper, paper towels, and facial tissues... but could've been cleaned more often. ~Service & Amenities: All uniformly-dressed flight attendants were adequate and spoke perfect English. None of the seats had video monitors for movie/show watching, music listening, and games playing. The seats themselves were roomy enough. No blankets, headphones, or pillows were provided. Again, because of the flight turbulence, the drink/snack cart didn't come around which was fine in this case. There were no carry-on baggage fees. PARKING (Varied; N/A this instance) I was traveling through and had no need to park. However, the airport offered onsite parking structures with rates that ranged from FREE to $15.00/daily maximum. Because this was located within the main terminal of departing flights, you had to already be an outgoing or incoming passenger to even get here, so parking would be a moot point. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE In this instance, I was in the main terminal (I believed there was only one) Gates 7-8 where the waiting area was a bit congested and tight due to its lack of room and size, with several long rows of seats, and generally a dated appeal. There were sufficient places to sit throughout the terminal with plenty of natural and electric lighting. Once on the airplane (Boeing 737 MAX8), it seemed like any other, so nothing really needed to be said or seen here. ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. I liked to be unencumbered and unfettered, so the least amount of clothing, especially while I traveled through an airport, the better! OVERALL My one-way layover flight on Southwest Airlines out of Lihue LIH was fine and got me to Honolulu safely which truthfully was all that mattered to me on any domestic flights. I wished there were seat video monitors that helped pass the time. In any case, I'd fly and recommend them again. I found very good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $123.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, they accepted my credit card of choice...AMEX! 4.0 STARS read more

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Southwest airlines going to and from Hawaii during the pandemic. Was traveling from San Jose to Lihue November 6, 2021, and return November 13, 2021. Picked Southwest over Alaska Airlines as Alaska Airlines was triple it's usual price going to Lihue. Hawaiian Airlines direct flight flew out of San Francisco, with the flight out of San Jose having a stopover in Honolulu. Purchased tickets In June. By October, the ticket prices had fallen about $168 for two round trip tickets. Phoned up Southwest and got the new lower ticket price, with a $168 voucher to use by June 2022. We purchased the $25 per person per trip early bird check in, which automatically assigns you a boarding gate position between A31 and A99, 36 hours before the flight. In our case A42 and A43. People in Economy without early bird check in have to check in 24 hours in advance on the web site to determine their boarding positions , which will be after we board. People in the lowest fare group board last. Loaded my vaccination certificate into the Hawaii Safe Travels internet site account, and filled out a health questionnaire for our trip 24 hours before flight. QR code sent to my e-mail. Day of the flight, stood in line for 13 minutes near gate 28 at San Jose airport to get the pre clear program for all Southwest airlines flights to Hawaii. Had to show ID, the Hawaii safe travels QR code on my cell phone, and my original vaccination certificate. Wore a pre clear armband which allowed me to skip Hawaii's check of arriving vaccinated passengers. At the boarding gate, business class passengers A1-A15 board first. These people will invariably take the emergency exit rows, with added leg room. We take seats 7A and 7C, left side of the plane. Only disadvantage is that the shoulder of 7A is on the window frame protruding out. There are 47 open seats on the flight, so the Boeing 737 max-8, with 175 seats, was 75% full. Flight leaves 90 minutes late, due to repairs in the luggage compartment. There is no meal service for the 6 hour flight. They serve 1 bag of snack mix, crackers and Welch's fruit snack and chocolate brittle along with two drinks. Passengers must wear masks at all times, except while eating or drinking. No wifi, and no in flight entertainment, and no chargers on the Boeing 737-max 8, the same plane with two crashes in 2019! Got to bring battery boosters, as you don't want a dead battery cell phone when presenting your QR vaccination code on your e-mail upon arrival to the Hawaii authorities! Advantage of seating far forward, is that it's a quick route to the 1 forward bathroom, which has an indicator light of occupancy on the overhead. 2 bathrooms in the back, or 3 bathrooms altogether for 30 row, 175 passenger capacity Boeing 737-max 8. Landed without incident and waved through vaccination checks by Hawaii authorities when they saw our pre clear red wristbands. Fast forward 7 days. Saturday November 13 noon. Huge lines awaiting security checks at the front of Lihue airport. We go to the much shorter pre check TSA line due to our Global Entry cards. At the Southwest boarding gate area, the A1-A29 boarding line is packed, as is the A30-A99 area. Our positions are A42 and A43 We sit in 7A and 7C again, with wife taking the window seat. Flight delayed 25 minutes to pick up passengers who missed an earlier flight on United airlines due to long security lines. Had to endure off and on crying tantrums from 3 year old sitting one row ahead of us. And of course she was not wearing a mask the entire time! Delay in arriving at San Jose until 1030pm on a Saturday, with Uber charges of normally $27 for 13 mile trip exploding to $89 for surge pricing. 1 video visible in business photos read more

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Flew from Kauai to Los Angeles. The flight was perfect with no issues. The staff was polite and willing to assist. The seat space was relaxing. Out connecting flight was on time and we got home on time and safely. read more

Southwest Airlines - Getting ready for flight - Airlines Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

Don't Fly Southwest With your bike. A lot of airlines have waived their bike transport fees, but not Southwest. On a recent trip in Hawaii Southwest charged me a $75 bike fee for a $100 interisland flight, normally the flight is only $50. The bike was in an Airport Ninja bag designed for airline travel. I ride a medium, 54 cm, bike. I removed the seat and post, rear derailleur, bar and stem, front brake, chains and fork. The tires were deflated too. It was broken down as much as you could to reduce the size. It measured in at 68". They only allow 62"., which as other posts mentioned is unrealistic. So they charged me. That might still seem reasonable to some, but they allow golf clubs and surf boards, including long boards, to fly without a fee regardless of size. Both are clearly measure larger than a bike. Their bike policy is unreasonable and shows a bias against cyclists. read more

Southwest Airlines is exactly what you expect it to be. They are usually priced better than other airlines, although the price difference is less than it used to be. Southwest does not fly directly from the most convenient airports to every city that I like to fly. Delays are minimal despite what you hear in the news. I do see a growing trend that preferred boarding seems to be harder to get, use to be if you checked in quickly that you would get in the first quarter of those boarding, now you would be fortunate to get in the first half. I do like the two bags fly free, that is a cost saving that I wish Everyone would take advantage of, thus making it quicker and easier to board because of less "carry on". The flight attendants are funny and usually kind. The pilots make the trips uneventful and the landing smooth. read more

Missed our flight. They got us on the next one, no issues, no charge. When I've tried to make changes on other airlines it is not that simple. No charge for our giant bags either. I'm only flying Southwest in the future. read more

How do you destroy hard luggage. I mean I get the black streaks but literally cracks in the luggage, gouges and huge dents. We fly Southwest often and have never had our luggage completely destroyed. Luggage isn't cheap. I don't expect my luggage to come out looking new but destroyed that sucks... read more

Southwest Airlines - Dented luggage - Airlines Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

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Never fly this airline . Ridiculous seating plan . Flight crew is rude AF. They actually charge for inflight Wi-Fi and it is horrible . Drinks are served room temperature and the snacks are weeks old . Highly unrecommended . The flight is not even cheap or bargain for the set up they run . read more

Save your money, flights delayed. Spoke to passengers exiting flight, had safety concerns and pilot flying issues, wtf.. are you for real?? Spirit is a notch above and thats not sayi g much.. read more

If I could write a book about how amazing the SW crew in Lihue is I would! Specifically APRIL! She went above and beyond to help our family when no one else could / would! April is the true definition of aloha! When United airlines all but stranded us after 36 hours of hellish travel, April took it soon herself to make things right! Along with Christina and Tommy !! We can not thank April enough for showing us what true customer service looks like! I will never fly another airline besides SW again! Thank you April, Tommy and Christina!! read more

For years I had been a loyal customer to Hawaiian Airlines. But recently, for varied reasons I began flying with Southwest Airlines. In the most part, it has been a pleasurable experience. You can't beat the fact that the two free bags make a big difference in the cost of travel. After all every dollar counts!. I recently flew from Honolulu to Lihue. Flt 2263. My wheelchair assistant in Honolulu, by the name of Rico, was excellent. My disappointment came when they announced that no beverages would be served on this flight due to upcoming "turbulence". The variety of beverages on Southwest is one of the reasons I choose to fly with them, this was the second time in a row that I noticed this occurrence. It would not be a matter, except for the fact that it was a very smooth flight with no turbulence at all. It caused me to wonder if they were just being lazy. Not wanting to serve a full plane in a short period of time. It was also a little unsettling when the flight attendant began her safety review by saying "OK folks this is the final countdown"! I found the movie "the final countdown" to be quite scary. Her reference made me feel a bit uncomfortable. Jokes are great, but there are times when it's best to keep it professional. read more

Won't fly Southwest again. The boarding process is extremely unfair with people in later groups being allowed to board with A group. Not first come first served. Pits passengers against one another when I person is allowed to save a row of seats. And god forbid you need extra time... maybe requires doctors letter so it's not abused. read more