Loyal US Flyers Ditch Southwest for Alaska Air

Longtime loyal Southwest Airlines passenger are voicing their growing frustrations with the airline’s declining service between Seattle and Burbank, California.

After years of consistently flying this route, travelers, who once held Southwest A-List Preferred status and even possessed several Southwest gift cards and credits, now find it nearly impossible to rely on the airline’s current schedule.

Southwest’s limited nonstop offerings and increasingly inconvenient connections are pushing many passengers toward alternatives like Alaska Airlines. Alaska now operates five to six nonstop flights daily between Seattle and Burbank, with a strong track record of punctuality.

In contrast, Southwest often forces passengers to endure long layovers of three hours or more in cities like Sacramento, San Jose, or Oakland.

These routes are not only inefficient but risky, especially for afternoon departures that may miss the final connection of the day.

The only option for avoiding long delays on Southwest seems to be booking flights that depart as early as 5:30 or 6:00 AM. For many travelers, especially those without easy access to the airport, reaching Sea-Tac by 3:00 AM is simply impractical.

Despite this passengers loyalty and elite status, Southwest offers no flexibility or improvement in service frequency.

The airline’s continued neglect of routes like Seattle to Burbank leaves customers feeling stranded and undervalued. While Southwest may still be slightly cheaper, its operational choices are driving even its most loyal passengers toward competitors.

It is clear that without changes in scheduling and route focus, Southwest risks further alienating longtime customers who now find better treatment and reliability elsewhere.