Ha Ha, F3G, very drole, you should head over to the BA flyertalk forum, they need cheering up over there and that humour would fit in well
Anyway, back to the thick of it. Good old SXB says it's not a real airline if you don't get a seat assigned. Southwest doesn't assign seats therefore cannot be a real airline. SXB has never flown them and by his own admission says he cannot comment. But surely SXB that is what some here are saying, which is one shouldn't comment on an airline if you don't fly them? And by your specific definition of what a "real" airline is, you have indeed commented on Southwest.
People on here constantly say "I'd never fly Ryanair but they are cr@p because people on the internet say they are". Best of all are the ones on here who say "Well I think Ryanair are rubbish, but I flew them once and I was pleasantly surprised, but I wouldn't fly them again because they are cr@p"
As for your desire to be able to depart from any "provincial French city" I think you will find FR flies to places in France that other airlines will not touch. Don't you read what is said on here, Ryanair go to out of the way places so they are cr@p, it sounds to me flying to provincial places is exactlty what you want from an airline!
I am with Pax Vobiscum on boarding. One advantage of status on in alliance is the ability to board when one wants, and I always get on early so I can stick my backpack in the bin. Another 20 minutes in an airline seat isn't going to annoy me, having to wait an hour for my luggage will.
Horses for courses.