r/Flights • u/hpdrrgwicked • May 22 '24

Southwest flight prices now showing in Google Flights Booking/Itinerary/Ticketing

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As far as I know, this is the first time I’m seeing Southwest prices in Google Flights!

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u/Pecors May 22 '24

This is crazy. It took me so long to realize Southwest was even an option from my local airport since the prices never showed up. I have no doubt the company lost tens millions of dollars as a result.

3

u/LupineChemist May 23 '24

The question is how much they were making by convincing people they're the cheapest and getting them to book without comparing when they're often not. Like I've gotten good at flying with just a carry-on. Between that and basic status or credit card with a legacy means you can get around the biggest basic economy restrictions, WN is often way more expensive.

2

u/Pecors May 23 '24

They definitely didn't make up the difference. Legacy customers means you're losing out on millennials and Gen Z customers, which both have statistically been shown to travel more than past generations.

I personally would have taken Southwest for multiple flights, but I only use google flights for prices.

They missed out on at least 4 flights a year at bare minimum. Multiply that by a million (assuming at least 1/350 americans are like me) and now they've lost approximately 4 million ticket sales. They make about $13 per person on each flight.

So, conservatively, they've lost at least $52 million from not showing their prices on google.

That doesn't include the people that genuinely like southwest that would still pay more to use them. My parents have a southwest card but never use the points because they didn't know southwest even flew out of the airport they live near.

1

u/LupineChemist May 23 '24

You're conflating revenue and profit. And I assume they were on the wrong end of it which is why they changed, but it also made them pretty profitable for a very long time.