Southwest Airlines Community

Traveling today. What fun!   Oddly, while Judge Whatever Her Name Is has determined all of Harris County Texas should live in a bubble, indefinitely, and it is a crime with a $1000 fine for a business to allow an employee, or a member of the public at large, to be within the building premises without a mask (exceptions being restaurants), Houston Hobby is only requiring masks during the boarding process.   Thank god for common sense! ... View more

@ ffflyer   I could not agree more! I have delayed all absolutely unnecessary travel for now. Not because of any fear, but because of all the inconvenience and BS.   Funny, in the weeks following the whole country shut down, and it wasn't until it started opening back up, I was flying (HOU/DTW, DTW/BOS, & BOS/HOU, numerous segments), and none of us were wearing masks, not the few passengers OR the crew.   All about making the sheep and cattle feel all fuzzy and warm, just like the whole TSA thing! I have issues with wearing a mask but I am tolerating it for the moment, and I have my own personal feelings about the whole Covid 19 BS, but I don't want to get that battle raging here.   Unfortunately, most of my trips to drive would require days v. hours to fly. Shorter ones, around Texas or to New Orleans, I too am driving.   Safe travels, my friend. ... View more

So LindaBoo,   Perhaps I did!   Here's the scenario, and for the sake of argument let's assume, either before the Covid BS or after the Covid BS goes away -   The flight is booked to about 2/3 capacity.   It is an originating flight with no "throughs"   I buy Business Select, I sit in an aisle seat on the wing, actually 11D, my choice, and considered by most professional seat reviewers as the best aisle seat on the plane. as I have spent a lot of money for this ability.     We're on a 700 so there are only three wing aisle seats, and only two where this could even occur.   You and your Husband bought your el cheapo seats early on, save the Early Bird upgrade on his. Of course you booked separately so he could do the EB at the time of purchase. Or less likely, he went back and added it on after the multiple seat purchase, the only two ways to put it on his seat and not yours.   Because of the Early Bird kick and the early purchase, his upgraded seat boards him automatically in Position A16, (we will also assume no one has purchased and "Anytime" because why would they? Usually less than $40 difference, sometimes less than $30, but way more points. Perhaps only if they were buying with points!   You don't "check-in" and retrieve your seat until just before leaving for the airport, boarding you late in the B Group. What difference does it make, you'll have that saved seat?   He boards in Position A16 with only a small handful of Business Selects in front of him (I am sometimes one of only two or three BS on a sold out flight).   He boards and finds Seat 11E, on of the two best window seats on the plane, empty. I am already in the aisle seat of the same row.   The flight continues to board, and board and board, all the aisle seats are taken, then most of the windows. You pop up to sit in your "saved seat".   I'm now stuck with not only moving to a window seat (the aisle seats are all gone), BUT giving up the huge difference in leg room between my seat and any other on the plane, OR having to be confined to a single seat, loosing an extra tray, and as flying courtesy dictates (hopefully your not a woman of size who should actually be buying two seats), loose my right armrest and fly with my arm in my lap. And yes, dfwskier, I know about Seat 12A, miles of leg room, unusable, suck a**, pull up, tray, and already taken by the 6'9" guy who bought a BS ticket so he could sit there.   But then it sounds as if I might be singing to the choir anyway. ... View more

Hi LindaBoo,   I understand what your doing, and really don't have much of an issue with it. Early Bird would put you behind me 99% of the time. However, saving a seat, no matter the method or the boarding position, goes against the whole concept of not saving seats. It would be very rare if anyone ahead of you would want the center seat anyway. However, the issue might be, on a not so full flight, of someone taking the aisle seat, not expecting anyone to sit in the center seat, and then after all those seats are gone, he/she is surprised by your appearance. I think you can understand that. If it were to happen to me, I know I would be pissed! 😡   As to the the animal on the leash (I am an animal person and a big believer of "pet-friendly"), AND with the handler in a wheelchair, and not in a carrier, the animal would be of either service or emotional support status. Remember, neither status requires the wearing of any identification nor containment on the aircraft (self-defeating).   I have NEVER seen a service animal bother anyone, anywhere. They are specifically trained not to and a part of their certification. On the contrary, however, emotional support animals require no training, only medical certification of the handler, being in need of their companionship. Something that is regularly abused. AND regardless of the status of the animal, the handler would have pre-boarded. and first, to assure the animal the floor in front of the first rows, and that person would not have needed a wheelchair for pre-boarding status. BUT, I do know where you were going with that, "pre-boarding" AND emotional support animals are both things that are way out of control with SWA, much more so than seat saving.   I know, from seeing it being done, some flight crews will not ALLOW any one that came on board in a wheelchair to not leave in one (the way it should be, what, something magical about the altitude or speed that fixed their issue?), AND after the enitre plane has disembarked, which absolutely went against their whole purpose in pre-boarding.   Safe travels, Darlin'! ... View more

Perhaps I am missing something here...   Consider this scenario - you purchase a BS for yourself and purchase cheap WGA tickets for the rest of your party, or as an even better example, let's say, just your significant other.  You board before I do, because you purchased your BS ticket before I purchased mine, and sit in 11B on a 700, saving 11C. The reason you choose 11B and 11C is the load count is high and this row assures you no one else sits to either side of the two of you, and neither of you has to sit in a center seat with the third seat occupied. Good choice and popular with FF couples.   Now, where the issue comes in, you wouldn't have necessarily taken this seat if you weren't playing the seat saving game, because with your significant other boarding late, you may find yourselves not sitting together at all. And you have taken my preferred seat when I fly and am working! The extra desk space afforded by the tray table on the back of 10A, and often the extra under seat storage freeing up the under seat area in front of 11B. This scenario has played out before me on a number of occasions.    I fly field employees with me occasionally, buy them the cheapest tickets available, they don't have any desire to RR, and the one time I bought one a gate upgrade he sat in a generic seat of no significant consequence. I would not even think about "saving" any of them a seat. And on the very rare occasion I fly my wife, I buy her a BS so we board and sit together. (Yes, I stop buying BS every year when I reach ALP status, and then buy WGA with cash, points, or vouchers, doing the gate upgrade to still board with BS)   I have read many of your posts about various and assorted issues, and am impressed by your contribution to the community. You, like myself are obviously quite intelligent, well spoken, and well read.  As such, with you as an experienced and frequent SW flyer, I can only wonder the true agenda of your defense of the practice.   That argument aside, I'm sure we could share some great SW stories, from days gone by!   Safe travels, my friend!      ... View more

Welcome!   I agree, very few would be offended, because the quantity of those with the audacity to do so is small, but never the less, a problem   Not sure where you like to sit, if it's just up close to the front and together EB may be enough. If it's the front row, that will more than likely go to the wheelchair bound and the self-entitled pre-boards (rampant abuse), regardless of what you do or buy. Also your purse (and all carry-ons) have to go in the overhead. Another newbie just posted earlier about the importance of not relinquishing control of hers except at the demand of an Air Marshall (lol), truth is the crew has the same authority, so the front rows are absolutely out for her.   If it's on the wing, my preference, try upgrading at the gate ($30-$40 per flight segment, but a steal if you have bought your tickets early at a very low WGA). Gate upgrades board you somewhere in the first 15 (actually a BS seat assignment).  A little secret some of us use after we have reached ALP, or ALPC and no longer want to spend the BS money, use a Voucher, or we want to dump a few points instead. We already have the equivalent of pre-early bird check-in.   You can ask what the "through" count (how many people are already on the plane, continuing on) is. I've been on a flight with as many as 40, rare, but oddly was still able to get "my" "work" seat on the wing (11B, which gives the the extra work space of the tray table on the back of seat 10A). If it is low or it yours is an originating flight you stand a better chance.  Also inquire about the about "load" (how many total seats are booked for the flight).  There are 47 middle seats on the 700, of 143 seats, and 58 middle seats on the 800, of 178 seats. Do the math and you can figure the odds of sitting together if you just want to go cheap.    Safe travels, Darlin'     ... View more

Yes, I'm quite aware of how the system works, having probably over a thousand SWA flight segments under my belt, and a RR# in the mid six digits. Shared more than one flight, and drank more than a few drinks with Mr. Kellerher, as I did much business out of Houston in the Dallas and San Antonio markets. He gravitated toward the lounges in the old 737's. Even smoked a few cigarettes with him up on the flight deck after the ban on smoking.   To the point, however, you missed my point totally. The WGA purchasers would be the ones for which you are saving seats. I see this done quite regularly and this is why I am so passionate about banning the saving of seats.   And as you mentioned, the "throughs", jumping into these seats, is equally a problem that can be overcome by simply deplaning everyone and re-boarding.   And just so you know, most FAs, and I know many, are in agreement with my feelings.   Perhaps another method would be simply affording BS purchasers the option of reserved seating, as we know how to minimize carry-on, board and deplane quickly, and as such, would not hinder the rapid turns for which SWA used to be so famous. Another method would be to hold the first two rows and the wing rows for BS. which, consider, iwould not affect many pre-board, most self-entitled to sit in the third row and back. It would help relieve that problem as well.  Exceptions could be made for the wheel chair bound, and that "problem" could equally be resolved by not allowing them to deplane in any way other than a wheelchair AND after the rest of the passengers have deplaned. I know FA's who insist if you came on in a wheel chair you leave in a wheelchair.    I assure you, you seat saving feelings will not win a lot of fans amongst most FFs or FAs.   R.      ... View more

Really?   Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?   I probably responded to this same comment in the past, but reading it again infuriates me.   Simple, board with them, or all of you buy BS tickets. Why should I have to yield my BS seat to you and your group of WGA purchasers, or to someone who buys a Gate Upgrade and their group of WGA purchasers.   What makes you feel so entitled? Being an AL or an ALP? You earned and paid for, I might mention, your seating statues. they didn't, or odds are you would all be sitting together.   Roger ... View more

BTW, off to PIT tomorrow, out of HOU, non-stop Flt 1987. If the path of today's jetstream holds we should catch a light tailwind most of the flight path. Non-originating flight starting out 0630 tomorrow morning at LGA (not much chance of any throughs), coming through BNA (a chance of picking up a few throughs). Scheduled equipment 700.   You should find me in seat 12D, if the load is heavy, maybe 11B (extra tray and no middle seat) and no, I won't save you a seat! ... View more

@SWDigits wrote: You make me laugh with some of your assumptions 🙂 First SWDigits, thank you for your service!   My assumption was made, not in an effort to offend you. As I have read in the forum, there are many SWA flyers who attain A-List/Preferred staus by flight count and not by points. Not everyone can afford to spend the big bucks for Business Select, I can do it because I own my business and the expense is a billable expense to my customer. My arguments against seat saving and throughs jumping seats are solely based on that premium fare I pay. One not paying that fare may not fully understand.   I read with a great deal of nostalgic happiness your link, and so many good meories of SW can rushing in. Reading that link lead me to start searching the forums for SW history and I just kept reading, and reading. And while this isn't really the place, I must share a piece of my SW history.   I started flying SW in 1978, HOU/DAL/HOU, as in the late seventies I had many suppliers in Dallas, and visited them quite often. Having already been a seasoned flyer (I flew with my family as an infant starting in the early '50's, and on throughout my early years), I immediately fell in love with THIS airline.    The route was brutally competitive, SWA, Texas International, and Braniff. The "200" was the SW mainstay, with the Lounges (Oh, how I miss those friendly Lounges and those memories). Later, the early 300's also had the lounges.  A 200 Forward Lounge, looking forward. Note the rear facing and opposing forward facing seats. A great place for making "friends" and afternoon Happy Hours. Unlimited (limited and free drinks! Thanks Herb, for the memories! The 300 Midcabin Lounges on the wings, looking aft. Both the 200's and 300's had these. "When Southwest introduced the 737-700 in January 1998, new federal safety regulations doomed the lounge areas. No rear-facing seats could meet this new safety requirement, and the -700s were delivered with all forward facing seating. Lounges in the -300s and -500s were phased out, and only the -200 retained lounges until they were retired at the start of 2005."Fares were $19 or less each way, we were served drinks before we pushed and the booze flowed (not sure if that was competitively driven or Herb's influence!), everyone had a good time, passengers and crew alike. Most flyers were still business, dressed appropriately, acted with proper unwritten airline etiquette, and took most everything with a grain, fully understanding equipment, crew change, weather, and air traffic delays. They still held flights back then for tardy passengers or sent someone to the terminal lounge to get them. We new many of the crew and many of them knew us by name.   Your mentioning PHX brought back great memories of traveling in the late '80's with SW. Starting in '88, I communted DAILY from PHX to ONT, for a year, and then after finally moving to SoCal, spent the next couple years returning to Phoenix weekly for business. The entire PHX ground crew were phenominal, so I'm not surprised you family was able to make their flight. They would have been accomodating beyond anything imaginable. I held the ONT people in the same esteem.   I have made many friends within the SW family over the years, most notably Suzanne in HOU, who retired as #2 there, several years ago, and Sheree in Phx, who I believe was #1, there. I just learned flying through PHX a month ago, Sheree has now transfered to the air, and I missed seeing her on her way flying out by just minutes.   I love flying and reminiscing with older crews members, sharing great stories about the "good old days".   When I sign off to this post with my first name, should any of the PHX or ONT ground crews from those years read this, they will know exactly who I am.   Continued safe travels, my friend!   Roger ... View more

@chgoflyer wrote: This discussion, while entertaining, is purely academic as long as Southwest continues to have "no policy" regarding seat saving.   Economics are the only factor that will drive any changes in boarding policy. Agreed, whole heartedly. However, with that said, if complaints aren't made, certainly no action will ever be taken. And I understand this forum is not the place for those complaints.   Hopefully, however, new flyers or new readers, will read and perhaps understand why people such as myself might SIT in their "reserved" seat, or explain to them that the attempt to save a seat makes them an entitled ahole. ... View more

@ @SWDigits wrote: The comment about through passengers caught my eye. What would you propose given the open seating policy and tight turn times on these flights? Good question!   Not a simple solution, but as numerous Flight Attendents have offered coversation, the only good answer is for all non-Business Select passengers to disembark from the aircraft and reboard using their original boarding number. Upside for SWA - More Business Select tickets would possibly be sold and those few passengers might not drag so much baggage on the plane (the largest single slow-down in the boarding process). Seldom is there more than a handful of "throughs" on a flight anyway, and the ones that do move, usually move all the way forward, not realizing the downside of the front seats, nor recognizing the comfort of the wind seats.   Tight turns? Apparently you haven't been around long enough with to remember ten, yes (10), minute turns on the old 100's, 200's and 300's. Common, believe me. Turns today are not tight, I'd guess, from experience, absolutely no less than 20 minutes to deplane, 10 minutes to clean, and 30 minutes to board, IF disembarking and boarding can happen in those time frames. At least an hour scheduled time. Too many BS pre-boards, and so many people dragging oversize and too heavy of bags onto the plane. Oh, and the lolly-gagging!   And then there is the time built into the gate to gate sheduled time, significantly more than the actual wheels up to wheels down and anticipated taxiing time. You didn't notice one hour flights jump to 1hr20 or two hour flights jump to 2hr30, or three hour flights jump to 3hr45 several years back? All about on time ratings. You have to understand the mentality of the average flyer today - doesn't matter how late a flight takes off, as long as it pulls up to the gate early or no later than the exact minute it is scheduled.   @ @SWDigits also wrote: I'm genuinely curious to understand the logic and the root cause of the frustration. The logic, simple. We don't spend the 3x a Wanna Get Away fare to simply lay claim to being first in line, amass hundreds of thousands of points, or have free Wi-Fi. We enjoy the ability to have an open selection of where we sit. Very few Business Select's are not also A-List Preferred's with Companion Passes, and we enjoy the recognition we get from both ground, and flight, crews, as loyal SWA fans. And the unstated perks.   The frustration, none! Rarely do I not get my seat, 12D (700), and 14C or D (800), probably the most popular seats among frequent flyers on SWA. Sit there and you'll understand why! But I do have second and third choices "on the wings". Sometimes I book last minute and find myself A6 or higher or I sometimes find these seats occupied by Throughs, Business Selects? Maybe. To avoid the "Through" issue I try to always book on an originating flight.    The point, any seat, that a Business Select customer would like, occupied by anyone other than another Business Select customer is a travesty of the design and purpose of the fare. But not being a Business Select customer, a flyer who has no issue with the saving of seats, certainly would not understand so I'm not surprised by your questions.   While generally air travel has been on the down hill slide since deregulation, what I have seen over the years, is an improvement in the courtesy of the non-frequent flyer as they become more and more aware of the unwritten etiquette rules of flying. Perhaps the web, and blogs such as this one play a factor. I truly can't even remember the last time I had someone recline a seat in front of me, and it used to be all the time.     ... View more

@chgoflyer wrote: If you call they should be able to split your reservation into 2 one-ways. Your flights have come and gone, and I hope you had an enjoyable trip! Welcome to A-List status!    But for others with the same question... it is highly unlikely that a Reservationist will be able to split a round trip ticket into two one-ways.  When booked, your round trip was assigned a single reservation number. Every "booking" (ticket) requires it's own unique number. As said by another poster, an outbound or inbound portion of a round trip is very cancellable, the remaining portion continues under the same booking number. To split a reservation into two one-ways requires the system to create a new booking number (requiring a new reservation) for the second flight. As also said in tht other reply, the fare is going to be the lowest fare available at the time this occurs, but see below in RED.   I say highly unlikely because, although there are certain things, that by default, the reservation system can not do (and I speak from many, many years of being a very frequent SWA flyer, and it depends upon your approach, and the CS person), there can be work-arounds to some of these defaults. I have found over the years, and I'm sure my loyalty to the airlines plays into this, that policies ARE NOT carved in stone, and many things left to the descretion of the agent. Your length of loyalty is easily discernible to CS by your Rapid Rewards number, mine is mid six digits.   Regardless, one might also assume that your A-List status, as regards booking, is your status at the time of booking, not at flight time, as the initial booking is queued into A-List or A-List Preferred for boarding number assignment.   Loose you lower fare? Not necessarily - Understand that when you view available fares, "sold-out" and "un-available"  are two completely different things. Sold-out is that, sold-out (although I can only assume cancellations could change this status, as SWA doesn't want to loose these fairs), while un-available means currently unavailable. Many times un-available Wanna Get Away fares come back as flight times near, a method of "filling the plane", so when you want to make a change, or perhaps reduce your fare cost, always check, right up to the same day as your flight.   Hope this helps someone!           ... View more

I'm all about accomodating respectful flyers who might have this request, in the very unlikely occurence that they can not do so when boarding in their assigned position.   If a couple or a pair of business associates wants to be guaranteed the ability to sit together, they should purchase like tickets, or as the gate agent usually announces when he/she starts the lining up process,"you may move back to where that person is boarding, but not vice versa". Families with young children board after Group A as you know, pretty much assuring them of ALL being able to sit together.    However, the purchasing of one upgraded boarding pass, for the purpose of "holding" an additional seat in an area where typically, A-Listers and Business Select people sit [the front rows and the extra leg room over the wing exit rows (children can't sit there anyway)] creates a kind of homogenity that is unacceptable to me. Doesn't this just smack of entitlement? Especially when, through either my SWA loyalty, or my purchase of a Business Select fare, afford me that priority in choice.   I, and many others, have the same issues with "through" passengers who jump into these seats as the terminating passengers disembark.   And many Crew Members, withwhom I have had this discussion over the years, agree.  ... View more

As said in my reply to your earlier post, simply let them fly elsewhere in the plane.   Kids love being given the (supervised) independence and should have a much more enjoyable experience than flying with an overbearing parent. Mention what you are doing to most any SWA Flight Attendent and they will dote all over your kid(s)!   ... View more

"Answer: save seats."   Are you kidding me?   You are correct, SWA has no policy prohibiting the saving of seats, this is simply unwritten airline etiquette subscribed to by most frequent flyers, like the person in the center seat getting both armrests, or NOT reclining your seat if there is someone sitting behind you, and numerous others.   Saving seats undermines the entire concept of fare levels, Rapid Rewards tier levels, and available seating order upgrades available for purchase. If one is, infact, an A-Lister he/she can appreciate the money spent in obtaining that level.   As an A-List Preferred and Business Select SWA Flyer, I am insulted simply by the audaciousness and self-entitlement of one to suggest such a thing.   Think of it this way - You buy a box seat to a game, someone else buys one also, but whose entire entourage has nose-bleed seats. Once in, however, one can sit wherever one wants, as no one monitors where people sit. That other person with the box seat gets in ahead of you and takes the last box, saving all the seats left for his group. Your simply effed!   The system is already abused badly enough by the purported, physically challenged, pre-boarders (I've seen upwards of fifty get on one flight), the wheelchair "riders" getting on, but walking off flights, and oh yes, the relatively new "emotional support animal" thing [no certification is required for an emotional support animal, simply a doctor's note from the flyer alluding to the need (my Daughter, also entitled, pulled this to get a pet Pit back from Costa Rica)].    Here are the simple solutions to the "family seating" dilemma, in order of their assurendness of your sitting together. 1. Purchase Business Select seats for everyone. 2. Purchase Early-Bird Check-in for ALL the tickets. 3. Upgrade your cheap seats or point seats at the gate, when available. 4. If flying with young children (6 and under), "family boarding", regardless of assigned boarding position, is after Boarding Group A has boarded, and still assures you pretty much of sitting together, just not in the seats typically claimed by the Business Select or A-Listers flying alone. 5. Book your flight on off-times (non-peakload flights). Reservations can help you with finding those more lightly traveled flights. Red-eyes are sure bets! 5. Ask people who are already seated if they would be kind enough to change seats to accomodate your party, just not the ones sitting in the "high-dollar" seats, Front rows and over the wings. The further back in the plane the more success you will have. You might be amazed at how accomodating people can be, if approached in the right way. 6. Maybe this should actually be #1 - If your kids (if that is the situation) are over 7, and you can't do "family boarding", and your not an over-protective parent, consider letting them fly elsewhere in the plane (behind you assures they don't get off the plane ahead of you). They will gravitate to seats next to other children natually, or ask a flight attendent to find them a flyinf "buddy". My kids, when they were young, and now my Grand-Daughters (7 and 12), both of whom have there own Rapid Rewards memberships,  love to fly with each other (alone with out a parent), or completely by themselves. SWA allows children as young as 5 to fly unaccompanied. 7. Then, of course, you could always fly on one of those other airlines, who charge you for everything! I've even had to book on flights with different charges for different seats in coach. WTF?   Your NOT entitled! Do the right thing!    ... View more

@dfwskier wrote: @cegperson wrote: Southwest could follow suit and ground these planes until the issue is both investigated and resolved. Otherwise do you want to fly on this plane knowing there is a 50/50 chance something is wrong with it?? Or if not 50/50 odds how about 70/30? What odds "not in favor of your safety" is acceptable to you?   Southwest has 35 Max8s in the fleet.  They fly at least 6 legs a day. So the odds at Southwest in 2019 are a minimum of 0 in 15000  I believe you mean 1 in 15000. 0 would indicate perfect odds for this type thing never happening. However, 1 in 15000 is great odds if your playing the big buck lottery (lottery fools would be all over those odds!)! Maybe NOT so good for your death! ... View more

Yes, I have to concur. This is becoming more and more of a problem. Another problem is cheap seat 'through" passengers jumping seats on direct flights between flight legs (segments).   I too, fly quite often and early in the year on Business Select and then once the A-List Preferred is met, on Wanna Get Away or Points, buying a $30 or $40 upgrade at the gate. It's not just the front aisles, those usually get consumed by the pre-boarders (I've seen as many as 40, and as many wheel chairs as 11, REALLY... this two has become a problem).   The more prized wing seats have become a haven for this. I was just on a flight Friday, a guy bought either a Business Select (which I doubt) or a $30/$40 bump at the gate, boarded at the end of the Business Select, and then proceeded to take Seat 12B (the two seat aisle over the wing on the port side), flipped down the trays on seats 11A, B, C, D, E, F and the adjacent to him seat, 12C. His kids (4 of them) took the entire Aisle 11, leaving the center seats empty, and his significant other took the one next to him. Anybody tried to sit in them, he instructed they were saved. ALL of his brood boarded way down the A or into the B Group. Cheap seats, no doubt. The flight had about 30 empty seats, a guy boarding way late, wanted one of the aisle seats he had held (his kid was up running around with the rest of his very large group), was told it was saved for his kid, and he ended up in "my" middle seat, which otherwise would have been unoccupied. Here I sit, $600+/- seat, with an armrest buddy and his kids are flying with no middle passenger on a $100 or so ticket. WTF, Bulltickie! THey could have ALL boarded together, regardless of their boarding group position, after the A Group and still all sat together.   There is no SWA policy regarding this, although in their boarding announcement they make the comment if your group is separated, you may move back and board with them, but they may not move up and board with you. Makes sense, another way of saying "no seat saving"!    I had a brief discussion with the Flight Attendent about this during my regular banter with them while everyone else is diddle-effing around looking for an aisle or window seat andstowing their 3 suiters. She reaffirmed, "no policy", but "write the airlines", which I will be doing.   In hindsight, and I thought about this during the flight, I should have raised hell about his inability to deal with an emergency, in the wing exit row, as he and his significant would have been more concerned about their kids than getting ALL the passengers out. Most people who take exit row seats don't realize part of their obligation is to get everyone else out first, an then themselves.   As they had boarded late enough that their luggage was all over the plane, they exited, making themselves obnoxious once again, moving the wrong way during the deplaning process while they collected their luggage from all over the plane, instead of simply waiting until everyone else was off, as they should have.   Not one to be quiet, I had quite an exchange of words with Dad, while we were being held up by the children. He was absolutely indignent.   There has been lots of discussion over the years among SWA people regarding these issues, but no one has come up with a solution.    WRITE THE AIRLINES!  ... View more

Off the subject, but so everyone knows who might read your post, fares change frequently, depending on demand as the flight date approaches. Many times "Unavailable" (as opposed to "Sold Out") fares become magically available as flight date and time near. "Sold Outs" can change with cancellations.    Fares on flights that drop during "Limited Time Sales" promotions may be somewhat lower than the cost of flights booked either prior to, or after, the "sale" dates. You can always cancel your booked flight, obtaining either refund, future use, or points, and then re-purchase the flight with same. It is my experience the amount credits almost instantaneously with your cancellation.    ... View more

737 800 MAX8 - Deadliest Airliner Currently Flying   Your not reading up on the countries around the world, my friend - FlightAware   The FAA, like the TSA, it's all about the "feel good factor"!   Also wonder if the flight crews, both deck and cabin, have the same choice.   Sorry, I've been flying regularly on commercial airliners since the early 1950's, am a very frequent SWA flyer, actually a fearless flyer, afraid of almost nothing, and I won't be getting on an 800 MAX8 anytime in the near future.   Statistically your odds are still exceptionally good, but why tempt fate?   Perhaps this will change your view point, simple statistics and mathematics, not rocket (or in this case jet engine) science - Flieger Faust   ... View more

Certainly you don't buy into that... (What would you expect them to say? After all, "we" don't want to scare the flying public!)   And you do understand the financial implecations to not just Boeing, but the American Airline Industry as a whole?   Read this my friend, this is simple statistics and mathematics - Flieger Faust   You can go here and get the take from the cockpit - FlightAware   Do you honestly believe the TSA keeps terrorists at bay? You can read about their success rate at ant one of many websites found here - TSA Fail   You must understand, these goverment agencies are all about the "feel good factor". That's what we pay them for. ... View more

Someone posted a link declaring the 737 800 MAX8, totally safe. To the contrary, it is now “the deadliest mainstream jetliner flying”! That statement is supported here- FLIEGER FAUST People, this is simple statistics and the mathematics thereof, not rocket science.   Believing, or worse, touting, this plane to be safe, is like believing TSA can stop terrorists. It’s a “feel good” thing! You can keep up with the latest blogs (primarily comments from pilots) and insider news, at a site for pilots - FlightAware   I am a very intelligent, very learned, extremely frequent flyer, flying on commercial airlines since the early 1950’s. I must subscribe to the concept of ALL of this model being grounded. And yes, I know, it will be months before the data from the found black boxes from the most recent crash can be fully analyzed. The impact, not only to SWA, but to all airlines who fly this model will be in the millions, many! It may further delay SWA opening Hawaii. Are the airlines going to start measuring human life in dollars as the auto manufacturers do and have always done?    I also believe Boeing will do everything possible, and perhaps even be successful, in convincing the FAA that these aircraft are safe, and that TWO crashes of a model, in its’ infancy, are just a fluke!   To Gary Kelly – Simply ask yourself “What would Herb do?” Do the right thing and ground this fleet immediately! Your employees, especially your pilots, your stockholders, and your public will respect you for it.   To everyone else – email SWA now, direct to Customer Service, at this link and express your concerns - SWA - Contact Us ... View more

The immediate decision of CEO Gary Kelly to ground their entire fleet should be a no-brainer. Acceptablility of risk, a risk that would appear great at the moment, cannot be measured in lives lost per miles flown (you know, the way auto manufacturers measure vehicle design and defects v. R&D and recall costs). Gary simply needs to ask himself (perhaps somewhat going against his grain), "What would Herb do?". ... View more

According to FlightAware.com, as of January of this year, there were (31) 737-800 Max in the SWA fleet with an additional (249) on order. It is very unlikely Boeing has delivered another 169 in the last couple months, but I'm sure if the count is important to someone, further research could be done. It is, however, an important number because of the percentage of the entire SWA fleet that would be affected by a grounding.   With a count of approximately (750) total aircraft in the SWA, (31) aircraft represent just slightly over 4% of the fleet. With a daily rotation out of service of roughly (50) aircraft for servicing and inspections, the percentage grows to 4.4%. While small, this percentage would, no doubt, impact flight schedules (less flights), and revenue, perhaps even delay opening Hawaii. Overall a significant price to pay. Recovery of losses from Boeing would probably be nill.   I am a "hardcore" SWA Flyer, my first Rapid Rewards number was in the mid-six digits, many, many years and hundreds of flights ago. I have been a regular flyer since the 1950's. I have watched many airlines come and go, but always watched in amazement this "little" airlines grow from three planes, servicing three cities to what it is today. The fulfilment of a dream, actually beyond the dream, of its' late founder Herb Kellerher.   The immediate decision of CEO Gary Kelly to ground their entire fleet should be a no-brainer. Acceptablility of risk, a risk that would appear great at the moment, cannot be measured in lives lost per miles flown (you know, the way auto manufacturers measure vehicle design and defects v. R&D and recall costs). Gary simply needs to ask himself (perhaps somewhat going against his grain), "What would Herb do?". ... View more