Where do Southwest primarily operate their 737-500s? Do they fly specific routes or out of specific cities, or are they just used "where needed?"

From an onboard perspective, are there any major differences between the 500s and 700/300s for the Flight Attendants? eg Galleys, Jumpseats etc

A few years back, I used to catch a 500 on the STL-MDW run. I've seen them flying around Texas. I also think LAX sees at least one a day to RON at infamous Gate 4A.

Midway 7

http://flightaware.com/live/aircraft...35?;offset=0;sort=DESC;order=ident

I used to catch them sometimes on OKC-MCI coming from SAN or HOU.

I've flown it on the nonstop SAN-HOU amongst other runs.

Basically where a 137 AC is not needed, I have seen them to MSP, MCO, SDF, MDW, BNA, OKC, TUL, HOU, just to mention a few. As for differences 122 seats vs 137 seats. One jumpseat in the cockpit. Overhead bins do not hold as much as 300. Twenty Five in the fleet at this time N501sw thru N528sw with 17 18 19 missing. Avg age 19.6-22.4.

Quoting 71Zulu (Reply 2): http://flightaware.com/live/aircraft...35?;offset=0;sort=DESC;order=ident

So, in other words, MDW to wherever, although it is displaying today's (Sunday) flights which may not reflect the same deployment as the weekdays.

I haven't flown on anyone's -500 since snagging a standby seat on a (UA) BWI-ORD ahead of a snow storm a few years back. I also don't recall seeing them at WN's BWI heaven but then again, I normally don't pay much attention and would presume they're here every once in a while.

777fan

Quoting 777fan (Reply 6): I normally don't pay much attention and would presume they're here every once in a while.

Indeed they are - flew one a few weeks ago on the late MDW-BWI run.

I've flown them many times between PVD-BWI but not BWI-PVD.

Back in 2005 when WN first retired the -200s, you would see the -500s doing the Texas shuttle flights. Six years later you will find a -500 anywhere in the system basically. Here at ISP we will see a -500 here and there.

The 735's get around. One is actually scheduled on the new ATL-PHX nonstop.

Quoting 777fan (Reply 6): So, in other words, MDW to wherever, although it is displaying today's (Sunday) flights which may not reflect the same deployment as the weekdays.

We'll see if it picks up tomorrow. I've been checking it and haven't seen more than 4 in the air at any one time, I thought with 25 in the fleet more would be flying?

Several people have posted various routes that they've flown a -500 on, but the fact is that the -500s go anywhere a -300 can go. There are always operational needs, etc, but the -500s are not on any specific route or based in any city. They're bounced around the country just like every other plane.

Quoting QANTAS747-438 (Reply 12): Several people have posted various routes that they've flown a -500 on, but the fact is that the -500s go anywhere a -300 can go. There are always operational needs, etc, but the -500s are not on any specific route or based in any city. They're bounced around the country just like every other plane.

Yep, for a while they were kept close to HOU and DAL - but obviously WN has abandoned that schema.

Quoting 71Zulu (Reply 11): We'll see if it picks up tomorrow. I've been checking it and haven't seen more than 4 in the air at any one time, I thought with 25 in the fleet more would be flying?

It's a Holiday Weekend, WN usually cuts the flying back, and Sundays there is still a smaller amount of daily departures, I think tomorrow will show the true effect.

Quoting MSYtristar (Reply 10): The 735's get around. One is actually scheduled on the new ATL-PHX nonstop.

I am very shocked to hear that, WN usually tries to put a -700 on stations that open to feature the "new" product.

Where did you find this information?

Alex

Quoting atrude777 (Reply 14): Where did you find this information?

It's listed in the GDS I use. The flight is scheduled for a 73G on 6 only.


1 WN 2650 YKL 6 ATLPHX 0745 0845 73G 0 09JUN04AUG
BQHWROMSNT

2 WN 673 YKL X6 ATLPHX 1620 1725 735 0 03JUN10AUG
BQHWROMSNT

My friend posted a picture of a 737 Classic.. his airplane from OAK-SOCAL.. this Thanksgiving.

Noticed two (505 and 509) RONing at BNA when leaving on a very early flight yesterday morning.

I flew one last month from denver to Kansas City

As others have said, they go pretty much all over.... looking over some of the routes I have flown on a WN -500 in the first six months of this year alone I see:

ABQ-OAK
AUS-DAL
DAL-ABQ
DAL-HOU
DAL-SAT
FLL-AUS
FLL-HOU
FLL-JAX
HOU-DAL
HOU-FLL
LAS-MCI
MCI-DAL
MCO-MSY
MDW-MCO
MSP-MDW
MSY-DAL
OAK-PDX
OKC-MCI
PIT-TPA
SAN-OAK
SAT-SAN
SJC-LAS
TPA-FLL

They also frequently operate on BHM - MSY and BNA - MSY. Flightaware usually shows them as 733,but they are actually 735's.

IIRC they then continue on to HOU and/or DAL

MD

Quoting atrude777 (Reply 14): It's a Holiday Weekend, WN usually cuts the flying back, and Sundays there is still a smaller amount of daily departures, I think tomorrow will show the true effect.

Quoting MSYPI7185 (Reply 20): Flightaware usually shows them as 733,but they are actually 735's.

That is a major reason why flightaware frequently shows so few flying (although right now it is showing 17) for those wondering. The site is incredibly unreliable when it comes down to specific 737 variants at WN. It also has a habit of showing 73G flights as 733 flights and vice versa.

Quoting QANTAS747-438 (Reply 12): Several people have posted various routes that they've flown a -500 on, but the fact is that the -500s go anywhere a -300 can go. There are always operational needs, etc, but the -500s are not on any specific route or based in any city. They're bounced around the country just like every other plane.

True, but with respect to a flight schedule period the -500s are scheduled on lines designated as -500 routes. So aside from any irregular ops and swaps, flights operated by -500s are operated by them every day for that schedule period.

We see them daily at SAN. Depending on the schedule period, we might see up to ten flights operated by them daily.

When I was spotting at both LAX and MDW in September I happened across several bursts of WN 735 action, where 2-3 would all land one after the other, then it would be back to 73G/733 ops again.

I flew on one EWR-MDW last May. It needed some cabin upgrade...

-EWRKid1990

Quoting GizmoNC (Reply 5): One jumpseat in the cockpit

All the -500s have 2 jumpseats in the cockpit. SWA stopped flying the -500s on the shorter flights and have put them on any route that a -300 flies, I've flown them SLC-BWI and DEN-BWI. They did this in order to hold down the cycles.

I was bumped off a 500 to LAS which was routed under one flight number from BWI-SDF-MCI-LAS in 2008

I posted in this thread last night. Wonder where my reply went?

Quoting GizmoNC (Reply 5): One jumpseat in the cockpit.

All 737s have two jump seats up front. The one on the door, and the one where you're above/behind the captain and sit with your knees in your throat.

The -500s have a flat wall the front of the plane, across from the FA jump seats. The -300s have a shelf and the 73Gs have a wall with a cabinet. That's the fastest way to tell what kind of plane you're on if you can't get a view from the terminal.

I've been on a -500 on ABQ-SEA and I've seen them on the PDX-MCI run.

Quoting chrisair (Reply 27): The -500s have a flat wall the front of the plane, across from the FA jump seats. The -300s have a shelf and the 73Gs have a wall with a cabinet. That's the fastest way to tell what kind of plane you're on if you can't get a view from the terminal.

I suppose this famous video is on a 500 then

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5AtF4_kkjs&feature=fvst

If you want to check before booking use www.eskyguide.com.
I used it to get flights on 300s and 500s.
Also I flew on one LAS-ELP in July.

They used to be extremely common on the intra-California/LAS/PHX/PDX/SEA turns based out of OAK. Not so much anymore, especially since WN retired the -200s.