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I'm sorry to hear that the Operations Agent treated you poorly, but why did you purchase a ticket for a lap child? By definition, a lap child sits in another passenger's lap and does not need a ticket. I wouldn't say that the Operations Agent was unreasonable as she was just enforcing Southwest policy. However, she should have explained the policy in a polite and professional manner which apparently she did not. Given that all the passengers had A boarding passes except for the lap child (?) with a C boarding pass, the policy itself appears unreasonable in this specific case.
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07-13-2018
02:52 PM
07-13-2018
02:52 PM
Southwest must optimize their app to work with the latest mobile operating systems ("OS"). Unfortunately, if your Samsung S4 is no longer supported by the latest version of its OS, then you must buy a phone or tablet that is. That doesn't mean that you must buy the latest version of phone/tablet, however. You can purchase the oldest version that is still compatible with the current OS (but keep in mind that the older the device, the quicker that it too will be obsolete).
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It varies from interview to interview but the general rule is that you will hear back from Southwest within 2 weeks. In some cases the decision may take longer because Southwest considers you a good candidate but is unsure of the number of open positions due to movement within the company.
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07-12-2018
08:38 AM
1 Love
Southwest posted an opening for First Officers just last month but it's closed now. Follow @franktravel's advise and check the Southwest Jobs page often for the next First Officer opening. Good luck to you!
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1. Click on this link: https://careers.southwestair.com/ 2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the button that says "Join Talent community." You can upload your resume and enter your contact information there. 3. Check the Southwest Community often for announcements about upcoming flight attendant opportunities. 4. Check the Southwest Careers page frequently (daily, if possible) so that you don't miss any Flight Attendant or other opportunities that interest you. Good luck to you!
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@ryanmontes wrote: One thing I've been wondering too is if they e-mail you about having a phone interview and if they do, what number would they call from? It varies from position to position. Sometimes they send an e-mail first, sometimes they call. Whether they e-mail or call, the first contact is to set up a time for the phone interview. It is usually scheduled for the following day or the day after. A lot of the phone interview calls come from a Phoenix phone number but you may see a call from Dallas also. And many calls from the Southwest People Department come from an "Unknown" number. Southwest recruiters understand that candidates value their privacy and will leave a detailed message if you don't pick up the phone.
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Hi Mel. Depending on the position you're applying for, being unemployed probably will not effect your chances of getting an interview at Southwest. Obviously many positions at the corporate office require having current work experience by their nature, but most airport positions (Customer Service Agent, Ramp Agent, Operations Agent, etc.) do not. I was unemployed for a period and was contacted for several positions at Southwest. As part of their hiring process, Southwest conducts a thorough 5-year background check. Since you have not been employed during this period, I suggest you put together a very detailed timeline describing your activities and whereabouts during this time, including numerous references that Southwest can check. I doubt that Southwest pulls resumes on an "as needed" basis because they never have a problem attracting the talent that they need by posting open positions on-line. Are you open to any opportunity at Southwest or do you have a certain position that you are seeking?
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According to the Southwest special luggage policy, a wakeboard will count as one checked bag at no additional cost. Click here to read the policy: https://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/baggage/special-luggage-pol.html Click on the "Sports Equipment" button along the left side.
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@frenchie wrote: They seem like like an awesome company to work for. I have many friends who moved to Southwest from other airlines and other industries and they all say it's the best place they've ever worked.
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I would follow @KelbyTansey advice above. Contacting Southwest would be the best source for information. I'm not sure if Southwest still requires pregnant Flight Attendants to name their baby "Herb"* regardless of gender so you may want to ask them that. *No, not really
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Getting rid of peanuts? This is heresy!!! If you allow this, what's next?!? Getting rid of the "club" seating area at the front and middle of the cabin? Repainting the beautiful ochre, red and orange fuselage? Not using numbered plastic boarding cards? I feel like I'm losing the Southwest of my youth!!!
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07-10-2018
02:31 PM
07-10-2018
02:31 PM
@DancingDavidE wrote: I didn't mean to suggest that I think this happens very often, or for very long durations of a delay, but I think it could be a factor for large groups connecting or last flight of the day situations. I didn't think you meant that either. I was just offering my experience to add to the conversation, not trying to contradict any other posters. I should have been more clear and am sorry for the misunderstanding. It's also worth noting that a 5 or 10 minute delay for connecting passengers isn't usually a big deal since the DOT reports on-time arrivals, not departures. As long as the flight makes up the departure delay enroute, all is good.
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There is absolutely nothing wrong with submitting a bid for the second position. If the recruiter asks about it, you simply tell them that you really want to work for Southwest and are interested in both positions. If you are offered the CSA position, you can choose to accept it and withdraw from consideration for the corporate position. Or you can pass on the CSA position if the corporate position is a better fit for you. Personally, I would accept any position you're offered at Southwest so that you can get your foot in the door. Once you're in, your opportunities are unlimited. I encourage anybody who wants an airline career to start in a front-line job such as CSA first and then move on to a corporate job. Having first-hand experience with the Customers and the daily operation gives you a certain wisdom that serves you well throughout your airline career. Good luck to you!
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07-10-2018
12:23 PM
07-10-2018
12:23 PM
For your information, there is nothing in the Federal Air Regulations that prohibits a flight attendant from being hard of hearing. Part 91.533 of the FARs covers flight attendant requirements and says: No person may serve as a flight attendant on an airplane when required by paragraph (a) of this section unless that person has demonstrated to the pilot in command familiarity with the necessary functions to be performed in an emergency or a situation requiring emergency evacuation and is capable of using the emergency equipment installed on that airplane. Therefore, any decision on whether or not to hire a hard of hearing flight attendant is solely up to the respective airline. I honestly don't know how the ADA applies to safety-related positions. Follow @franktravel advice and set up a profile so that you can be notified of Southwest opportunities. And check the Southwest Jobs page often! Good luck to you. I'm sure you'd be a real asset to Southwest in any Hospitality position.
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07-10-2018
12:07 PM
07-10-2018
12:07 PM
Decisions to delay for connecting passengers are made on a flight by flight basis, most often by the Operations Manager at the airport. Unless there are a large number of connecting passengers (a relative number but seldom lower than 20), flights are not held. There are exceptions of course (we once held a flight because the President of Ireland was connecting...yes, he was flying commercial on diplomatic business). Holding for connecting passengers was rarely done even before the DOT started reporting on-time performance because if a flight was delayed, especially a morning flight, it lead to cascading delays for the rest of the day. Whether or not a pilot is allowed to delay a flight isn't even questioned. A pilot can and will delay a flight for whatever reason they choose, usually for safety reasons. They have the final authority and usually have an iron-clad contract to back them up.
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Most likely because you didn't give a correct answer for one of the questions regarding the job requirements. For example, if there was a question asking if you are a resident of California and you answered "no" your bid would be automatically closed. Likewise, if there was a question asking you if can lift a certain amount of weight and you answered "no" your bid would be automatically closed. All of the questions must be answered a certain way for your bid to be accepted.
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@ryanmontes wrote: Hi rtbarron, Attire wise, that sounds great. I like both khakis/polos or long sleeve/long pants but as long as my strong, communication skills are able to help customers is what matters to me and the company. Now I wonder how long the training takes. - Ryan Montes One small correction. Southwest uniforms have changed from khakis to a dark grey for the pants or shorts. Hopefully that pallette still works for you. Training consists of two weeks in Dallas with lodging and food paid by Southwest, followed by on-the-job training at El Paso. Let us know how it goes. If you get the job you owe me some Chico's Tacos.
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07-08-2018
10:44 PM
My best guess is that she'll be able to work with your son rather than remain in the carrier. However, I recommend contacting Southwest directly to confirm. It may take something as simple as a notation on your passenger record for the pup to work during the flight. Here's a link to Southwest contact information. I've read that contacting them on Twitter is particulary effective. https://www.southwest.com/contact-us/contact-us.html
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Hi Ryan. The Operations Agent position is a great job. Besides planning the payload for the flight and doing the final closeout, the primary responsibility of the job is boarding the passengers. It requires a bit of patience and a willingness to give Southwest passengers the great service that they expect no matter how busy you are. The status of the job will remain "Received Submission" until Southwest takes further action on your submission. If Southwest likes what they see on your submission in regard to education and work experience, you'll receive a phone interview from a recruiter. If you impress the recruiter on your phone interview, you'll be invited to a face-to-face interview, most likely at the airport. Your status should change to "Under Review" at that time. The time it takes to hear from a Southwest recruiter varies from position to position, so don't get discouraged if you don't hear back on your submission right away. It may take a week or it make take over a month. Operations Agents wear approved Southwest uniforms which, from what I've seen, vary from khaki shorts and short-sleeve polos to slacks and a long-sleeve button down shirt. The phone recruiter should be able to give you more information about agent uniforms. If you go to the airport, one of the ticket counter agents may be able to answer your uniform question also. Good luck to you!
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07-07-2018
12:08 PM
While I'm a big Apple customer myself, I do dislike how they quit offering iOS support for older devices as a way to encourage customers to purchase the latest device. I believe that your only option is to upgrade to an iPad that runs iOS 11. That means upgrading to at least an iPad Air. Refurbished ones are available for under $200 at many vendors.
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Getting job alerts from Southwest is helpful, but I also recommend checking the Southwest Jobs page at least daily. Some Southwest jobs are so "hot" that they're only posted for a day or two because so many candidates apply. If you wait to receive an alert, the job may already be unposted by the time you respond. Good luck to you!
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07-05-2018
04:27 PM
@DancingDavidE wrote: It says 25 hours there, but wouldn't it actually be 36 hours prior? Good catch!
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07-05-2018
11:14 AM
The answer is here: https://www.southwest.com/html/generated/help/faqs/earlybird_checkin_faq.html Scroll down to the last question. Here's what it says in case you want to trust me instead of seeing the "official" answer.
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I noticed a lot of flight crews using Travelpro so I bought one of their carry-on bags five years ago. It has held up well. /www.travelpro.com
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07-04-2018
06:41 PM
1 Love
@bricosko wrote: My psychiatrist, who recommended my ESA, wrote me a letter to allow my dog to fly with me. Her letter references DSM-V, which replaced DSM-IV, but the Southwest policy asks for DSM-IV - am I going to have a problem at the airport? Thanks! @bricosko @Willcm54 The logical answer would be "Yes, Southwest will accept the letter that references the new manual" especially since the new manual has been out for 5 years already. However, for Southwest's official answer, I refer you to their Contact Us page here: https://www.southwest.com/contact-us/contact-us.html Twitter seems to be the fastest way to get your question answered.
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07-04-2018
03:46 PM
07-04-2018
03:46 PM
At roughly 2,500 air miles, it's within the range of any of Southwest's 737s (perhaps with some payload restriction on the NG aircraft). And with only six or seven flights a day on three airlines, the market doesn't appear to be saturated. The only challenge that I can see is breaking into a market dominated by Alaska (Seattle's hometown airline with an outstanding service reputation) and JetBlue (another airline with an outstanding reputation and an employee culture second only to Southwest). Fares are probably already low given the carriers serving the market. It's certainly worth a try. Maybe they could test the demand out of Paine Field.
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47? You're still young! My friend's mother went to work as a flight attendant in her 50s and is still working at 75 or so. She so inspired her family that her grandaughter went to work as a flight attendant. Not to be left out, my friend joined her mother and daughter as a flight attendant when she was around your age. Three generations of flight attendants and the elder two both started after their kids were grown. Keep an eye on the Community for any Flight Attendant-related announcements. I don't know if Southwest has jobfairs around the country like other airlines. I doubt it simply because they have no problem attracting enough qualified candidates through the internet. From what I've read, the Flight Attendant recruitment path at Southwest is long so you should be prepared for a bit of a wait. And remember, you are competing for one of the best jobs at one of the best companies in the world. It's not enough to simply want to be a flight attendant, you must show that you have the personality, character, and passion to be a Southwest Flight Attendant! Southwest doesn't have a crew base at Charlotte and I imagine that the crew base at Atlanta is fairly senior with all the former AirTran flight attendants. As a new flight attendant, you'll most likely be based someplace out west like Denver. I suggest going here: https://careers.southwestair.com/ Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the "Join Talent community" button. This is where you can give Southwest all your information and area of interest. As I said before, keep an eye on the Southwest Community and Careers pages for flight attendant announcements. Check often so that you don't miss any opportunities. Good luck to you! I wish you the best as you pursue your new career.
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07-03-2018
01:52 PM
07-03-2018
01:52 PM
Here's where to find the information for the UM: https://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/family/unaccompanied-minors-pol.html You should have given all the necessary information (child's name, your relationship, etc.) for both children when you booked the reservation. For the UM, you will need to check in at the Southwest ticket counter to fill out the appropriate paperwork and get a lanyard for the child and an escort pass for yourself. The YT can go on their own, but since you'll already be at the airport, you might as well escort both children to the gate. Hopefully this answers your question. If not, let me know.
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07-03-2018
01:45 PM
2 Loves
I'm sorry to hear about your sick toddler and completely understand the need to get home early. Having to purchase what basically amounts to another ticket is frustrating but I can assure you that Southwest is not the only airline that charge for standy. I know that United charges for standby on original day of travel on most fares (and even more for standby on a different day). I'm fairly certain that American and Delta charge a fee for same-day standby on most fares also. In the past, passengers would purchase a cheaper ticket on a flight at an undesirable time, such as late at night, and then standby for a more expensive flight at a more desirable time. Thus, the airline was giving away an expensive seat to a passenger who purchased a cheap ticket. To stop this behavior, the airlines started charging a fee for standing by. It's actually been this way for years. Once again, sorry for your frustration. I sincerely hope your child is okay.
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When I traveled with my son, he always brought along a Thomas the Tank Engine set that folded up neatly into a small suitcase. That way, he had his own "suitcase" to carry, just like Daddy, and always had something to play with while waiting at the gate or on the plane. Sadly, he's no longer interested in Thomas, having moved on to football and girls.
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