We have a couple discount vouchers for SW we needed to use, and I prefer the nonstop to Phoenix.
Connecting flights make me uneasy considering flying with a firearm. United is woke, and has connections in Calif. Swore I will not set foot in that state again. May still have a TRO floating around there.
I had considered just shipping the rifle, but did not want to deal with USPS or the commercial carrier BS.
Unfortunately, connections and plane changes are a fact of air travel, but you raise a good point.
I had traveled to Charlotte, NC, several times with my pistol with no problems. My last trip, however, there was a booking change caused by my connecting flight having been delayed taking off due to weather. So, United rebooked me on an American Airlines flight. When I arrived in Charlotte -- no checked bag. That bag was unable to be rerouted quickly enough to be loaded on my rebooked flight. It begs the question, "I thought all bags had to have a passenger onboard the same flight -- for security?"
Anyway, I arrived about 1PM, and my bag was delivered to the place I was staying a little after midnight. Even though I was 4 feet from the carport door working on the computer, the delivery person left my luggage against the door without knocking -- with a firearm inside!!
I guess I was lucky (1) that the pistol arrived close to the same day, and (2) the dog barked as the guy left, alerting me to the bag and not letting it sit outside unsecured all night.
So, yes .... connecting flights introduce a potential situation where you and your luggage/gun can be separated. Every time I've arrived without my checked bag, it was due to a change to my connecting flight. In fact, the very first time I ever flew commercially, I arrived 6 hours ahead of my luggage in Texas after a plane change in Atlanta. The fewer times you change planes enroute, the better.