Southwest Airlines Community

MiddleSeat, see Lorren’s reply, Just before yours. She is an employee.  In addition to talking to community members, the company does evidently see and respond to some items we raise so there is a value in seeking response or at least expressing concerns to the company through this forum.  ... View more

Thanks Lorren, but what you gave is a "non answer."  Please know and pass on in the company that we in the Community are the people who care very much about the success of Southwest Airlines.  Therefore, it hurts us when we see AA and UA doing (specifically in this case in the Caribbean and Central America) what Southwest had just really begun to do but stopped and didn't restart with no real explanation.  It's obviously not a lack of aircraft or crew.  Insufficient traffic?  Maybe.  But "we don't know when and we won't say why" just kind of leaves people deflated and thinking others can succeed where Southwest cannot.  Give us a little pep talk.  If it won't be till November, say so and provide something to look forward to. ... View more

Dfwskier, I would like to think this is a place where we as the Southwest Community can make our voices heard by the company, as well as each other, so that it will respond to issues of concern with pertinent information.  You seem to act as an apologist for inaction.  If this is all just fruitless exercise in "when I want your opinion I'll tell it to you," then the Community might as well be terminated. ... View more

“Amen” to that post. I would like to ask the same about Belize where United is flying from Houston and Denver.  “Why not Southwest” is the big unanswered question.  I am traveling in April and would like to get there on Southwest.  ... View more

Dfwskier, so what are you saying about Kelly's statements relative to the March 11 MAX restart? ... View more

Dfwskier, The Seattle Times article is a generalization of all airlines and their training.  This from Gary Kelly says WN has NINE MAX simulators:   "Before we return the aircraft to customer service, however, every active Southwest Pilot will complete additional FAA-required flight training in one of our nine 737 MAX simulators and will complete additional FAA-required computer-based training covering MAX procedures. Southwest will also require active Pilots to re-take our original 737 MAX 8 computer-based differences training as a refresher to complement the FAA-required training. Additionally, Southwest will conduct multiple readiness flights on each of our 34 MAX aircraft and complete thousands of hours of work, inspections, and the software updates before any of our Customers board a Southwest 737 MAX."   That tells me that whatever training quandary other carriers are in, Southwest will be totally up to speed by March 11.   ... View more

Dfwskier, you're guessing.  But Gary Kelly said on Jan 28: "The Company has scheduled the MAX return to revenue service on March 11, 2021, after the Company is expected to have met all FAA requirements and all active Pilots are expected to have received updated, MAX-related training. ... View more

Thanks again, Chgoflyer.  I am aware of the "point-to-point" routings versus "round trips," but if you look at market pairs, they are nearly always alike in both directions in terms of number of flights per day and often, even per equipment types.   The main item I was looking at is the relatively slow implementation of the MAX in a time when every dollar counts and less efficient metal is in use. ... View more

Thanks Chgoflyer, for the info.  Yes, 6000 series flight numbers and 32 of those.  Based on one roundtrip per aircraft per day, it only requires 16 aircraft up per day and higher utilization could do it with as few as 10.  With 34 aircraft delivered pre-COVID and about 7 since, that's a lot of down time considering the much greater operating efficiencies of the MAX over the 737-700s and 737-800s, especially for Hawaii service.  Hopefully WN will boost that up soon and replace some of the older aircraft. ... View more

DFwskier, wasn’t that essentially what I just said?  Careful, your chauvinism is showing again.  😉 ... View more

Thanks gsking, that would surely seem logical and I think the return will be a good thing, but I'm hoping some voice for the company can tell us when the info will start to show on the website. ... View more

Thanks Middle Seat, but unless you work for Southwest in Network Planning, it appears you and I are equally uninformed on this one.  I was hoping for a reply from someone "in the know" from the company. ... View more

Looks like the new summer schedule is heavy into "night coach" flights (arriving between 0130 and 0155).  Why not go all the way with true "red eyes" on those west to east multi-time zone flights? ... View more

This impasse between Southwest and AMFA has dragged on entirely too long.  I don't favor unions taking unfair practices to cripple the fleet simply to make their point.  I also don't favor management farming out the majority of the work to outside vendors with disinterested employees who have no skin in the game when it could be done in-house.  See Frontier Airlines for a case in point.  Southwest has been profitable every year it's existed, to my knowledge.  Both sides should be able to work off of that to resolve this without going for the throat.  Let's get this done instead of acting like a couple of 7th graders.   ... View more

The need to check in precisely 24 hours before departure is a failed system that needs replacement.  Two  of my recent Southwest trips I was driving between two mountain communities where I had no cell service or internet access and was conducting a funeral at the time-critical moment.  Someone could also have been in the dentist's chair, doing surgery, skiing or swimming.  Early Bird check-in is a far less than sure thing for a good boarding number.   What would be fair to all (call in "transFAIRency") would be to assign the boarding sequence number at the time of ticket purchase rather than force everyone into the chaos of trying to get online check-in at what may be a very inconvenient or impossible moment, and even worse if a significant number of passengers are connecting from earlier inbound flights and have effectively jumped the line at their origin city.    If I fly Brand X I can get my seat assignment when I book my flight.  If I fly Southwest with no seat assignment, can I at least get my boarding sequence number when I book?  How about it Southwest? ... View more

Lindsay, it's not just "slowness" (though it is that too), so often it's not available at all.   Denno ... View more