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Way To Go, Southwest Airlines

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This post comes to us from PHX Flight Attendant Michael Broadhead, who experienced something on a recent trip that he felt compelled to share.

Recently, after completing the boarding of a full flight of 137 passengers out of Sacramento to San Diego, our Operations Agent (who is responsible for scanning all boarding passes and calculating cargo, luggage, and all weight and balance aspects of the aircraft) came aboard, and as we were closing the door, he made the following announcement:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, can I have your attention please. My name is Jay, and I am the Operations Agent for your flight to San Diego today. I want to give a shout out to my math teachers for teaching me how to do the following math: I show 137 passengers had 125 bags checked in today for this flight ... with what the other airlines are now charging for luggage, I come up with at least $3,250.00 that you all did not have to pay EXTRA today to travel. Thanks for flying Southwest Airlines."

The plane erupted into literally a standing ovation! 137 Passengers were cheering, whistling, clapping ... it was great.  It set the mood for a great flight and we had a great time onboard. It was the best, most effective announcement I have ever heard to "fly the point home."  Loved it.  And then I looked out the window, and I saw the luggage carts with the new banners on them, "I carry free bags."

Brilliant marketing at its best.

5 Comments
luvtoflyswa
Explorer A
Great story! Thank you for sharing this. It's a good thing I'm not an Ops Agent because I don't like math, except for fractions & synthetic division! :) Thought for the day: Why are pies always round, but cakes are sometimes round & sometimes not? :) SWA LUV!
Tara_A__McCallu
Explorer C
All I can say is that I LOVE Southwest Airlines for this post. Not only do have give a fair product at a fair price they have great folks who are willing to work and are happy to do so. :~D Way to go SWA!
Bill_Hough
Explorer C
That announcement by Jay is fantastic. I wish Southwest flew to Alaska and Hawaii so that I could avoid bag fees when I travel there.
Rainmoe
Explorer C
Way to go Jay my sweet.....loveable nephew. If I ever fly again it would be southwest. But since I hate flying I probably never will fly again. I might add that the times I have flew it has always been with South West. Your ever lovin' Auntie Moe
Anonymous4089
Explorer C
SWA Employees think like business owners! Way to go!