Southwest Airlines Community

I LOVE Ding! Congrats! Go Southwest!!! ... View more

I would really like to see Southwest fly out of RFD ( Rockford, IL) to Las Vegas and Phoenix. People come from afar to use this airport because of free parking and convenience. Is this a possibility? ... View more

And they let lady gaga on wearing bra, underwear and handcuffs. I'd sue the airlines until I had free flights for life. ... View more

I live in Brandon, Mississippi approximately five miles from the Jackson, Mississippi airport. I fly often from Jackson, Ms to Corpus Christi, Tx. My question is why no cities in Mississippi is included in your "Book by September 24 for travel September 28- November 15, 2007 with 14 days advance purchase." ... View more

I was flying out of Houston that day and was at the gate right next to all the excitement. There were as many awestruck adults and their were children. Just wanted to say a huge THANKS!! to Southwest for providing such great service whether inside the terminal or on a flight. I travel for business almost every week and always try to fly Southwest. In the 8 years I have been traveling for business I have never had a bad experience on Southwest - that cannot be said for any of the other airlines. I look forward to many more years as a dedicated customer. ... View more

31 posts. Dear mr Ding! boy, please refrain from digging up past blog posts as you make our job difficult. Thank you Clot boy Brian Lusk - Manager of Customer Communication and Corporate Editor ... View more

Our mother, Bernice Dawkins, was scheduled to return home (NC) on flight 460 from BWI to RDU on Sept 15th. Unfortunately, she missed her flight due to gate confusion on her part. When I (Kaye) arrived at RDU and could not locate her, I had her paged. When there was no response, I continued an unsuccessful search through the airport. I contacted my sister (Stephanie) to confirm that she had made it through security and that she should be on this flight. The issue now ...where is she. Making another round through the airport, I noticed her luggage in the baggage claims area. I proceeded to the SW service counter to ask if there were any reports of a problem on the flight with my mother. Billie (EMP#59386) was the associate on duty. She attentively listened to my dilemma and checked her computer to verify any information. She explained the rules regarding the privacy act, but assured me that she would do everything possible to put my mind at ease. I continued communicating with my sister trying to determine what could have happened....where could she be??? Our mom is 70 years old and suffers with breathing problems. Our imagination went wild. With every call Billie made, I became more upset. She assured me that every effort was being made to locate my mother. She had to make what seem to be 10 or more calls until getting a live person on the other end that could help us. Between calls or while waiting for someone to answer, she was trying to comfort me. She put a close position sign at her counter to devote her attention to my needs. The more I cried, the faster she dialed. On the other end of my cell phone, my sister (Stephanie) was calling BWI trying to verify. Billie reached someone in BWI and asks them to go to the gate and verify that my mother was there. SW was working on both ends. Imagine....teamwork of this nature in 2007 with a company of this size. Finally, my cell phone rung and it was an associate at the BWI gate. She told me that my mother was there. As I hung up the cell phone and began to thank God, Billie handed me the counter phone for some reassurance. It was my mother's voice.....explaining that she missed the flight and that her calling card was not working. She was so aggravated and discouraged. I called my sister with the good news. She had disconnected her call, but the associate called her back with the same good news. It was a very emotional time for both my sister and I. Being so far apart and neither of us knowing what could have happened to our mother was frightening. Our mother was on the next flight and my wait was made more pleasant by different SW employees coming by to tell me that they were glad that my mother is alright and that she would be on the next flight. Billie and the BWI SW team were angels. They know the TRUE meaning of customer service. My sister and I say THANK YOU for treating us like family. I live in Thomasville and the Greensboro airport is closer. However, it is more cost effective for me to drive to Raleigh when our mother is traveling between daughters. It is no longer for the money, but for the peace of mind and the fact that customers and employees matter to SW. This is evident by the way our situation was handled. If SW was not good to their employees, the employees would not know how to be good to their customers. ... View more

On the 20th of July my two children and myself flew from BWI (Baltimore) to Sky Harbor (Phoenix). This was the first time my children had flowen. Both of the being special need children I had some concerns that I had expressed prior to boarding. An attendant from Southwest made friends with my children and myself. Before I knew it we were boarding and my children were excited about their adventure. They both were taken by the pilots and was able to visit the cockpit and wear the pilots hats. Boy, they were set and so excited about their trip. My concerns had dissapeared and the entire flight was all about my children. They recieved a few small gifts from the flight crew. You would think that they had hit the lottery. I want to thank the flight crew on flight 740 20 July 2007 06:45. Our future vacation plans will include Southwest Airlines for our transpertation. Oh by the way, my daughter wants me to mention that the bathrooms on the plain were cool. Thank you for the personal touch and the care that we recieved. ... View more

I've studied SWA and Herb Kelleher since college - where SWA was often used as our example for organizational behavior and leadership materials. No surprise! What a great company! Now why haven't they hired me yet???? Nicole ... View more

Thank you, Ding! boy & Jim! 🙂 Let's see how far we can keep this going. You know, even though I'm 31, I don't feel like it! :) SWA LUV! ... View more

Dennis, thanks for sharing your observations about our Employees. Like you, I grew up as an airline brat during the same timeperiod. ... View more

Jim, Herb will be glad to know that you didn't include "Dilbert" as a possibility. Blog Boy ... View more

Your policy concerning the renewal of a companion pass is horrible. Our pass expires the end fo september. I have plenty of credits to get a new pass on October 1st. I am trying to book some flights for travel this fall and winter. Your system will not let me book the companion ticket until the end of August. Meanwhile, the flights I booked for my wife, may fill up, and when i go and book my companion ticket, there may not be a flight for me. When it is clear that a person has earned a new companion pass, your system should allow them to book companion flights immediately. GET SMART, CHANGE YOUR POLICY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... View more

First thing's first: I would like to commend Fred Taylor on a job quite obviously well done. I was recently on the receiving end of his efforts, unexpectedly finding a letter and LUV voucher in the mail not long after going through a bit of a weather-related ordeal en route from Baltimore/Washington to Providence, RI. The sequence of events that travel day were unfortunate, but not exceptional, given the conditions - and certainly not something I would hold Southwest accountable for (in the end, we eventually made it to our destination - something that other airlines flying the very same route that night were not capable of doing). I certainly did not expect Southwest to go out of their way to compensate me for something that was so obviously out of their control, but Fred did just that, and in doing so rekindled my beliefs that Southwest was different. Thanks, Fred. I would like to address one other aspect of my travel experience that day (and on the various other legs of that trip which I flew with Southwest), a subject that seems to have already inspired some opinions in the comments above: the boarding process. Admittedly, this is the first time I've flown Southwest in some time, and what I recalled from the past was a unique free-for-all boarding process where everyone had a shot at taking a seat wherever they pleased. From what I could remember, it seemed like a fun way to go about it. Perhaps my memory fails me, though, because the boarding processes during my last trip were anything but fun. Starting at the boarding gate, it seemed there was an air of tension around the entire process. People were jockeying for position, questioning those ahead and behind them to see if they were in the right spot numerically. It seemed to put people on edge from the get-go. I was appalled to witness a grown, well-to-do businessman get in my partner's face, seething with hostility, to yell at her about how the number order didn't really matter - after she had simply informed him that he wasn't standing in the correct section. It became clear that he was intentionally positioning himself out of order to get a better seat (when his wife objected, he told her to be quiet and just do as he did). Everyone around was visibly upset by the ordeal. We were consistently in the latter portion of the B or C boarding groups, so whenever we boarded there were already a fair number of passengers seated. Every row, from the very front all the way back, was filled window, aisle, with an empty seat in the middle. It seemed even people traveling in pairs would sit this way to deter others. For a couple traveling together, it became a very stressful situation. We would either make a beeline for the rear of the plane in hopes that there were still two seats available somewhere, or sit separately in whatever middle seats were left. Nobody ever offered to shift over a seat to accommodate us (ironically, people with assigned seats on other carriers' flights are willing to make even this most basic gesture). It seems to me that Southwest has situated itself in a strange gray area between free-for-all boarding and assigned seating, and I believe that's a problem. It may be very simplistic of me to say so, but I think Southwest should either stick to its guns and retain an entirely open boarding system (or to whatever extent it was 'open' prior to these most recent boarding procedure changes), or migrate all the way over to assigned seating (and continue to attract customers with your friendly personnel, comfortable travel environment and low fares). I'm sure there were customers who hated the free-for-all boarding process, but there were also those who loved it and chose Southwest for it, and I think that's a healthy thing. Either stick to your roots or convert to assigned seating and be confident that Southwest will retain customers based upon the qualities I've mentioned... but this muddy middle ground, as evidenced by my own travel experiences, is just no good. ... View more

Wow! I am jealous of all SWA employees! I go way back--to my college days in the latter half of the 80's. I grew up 20 minutes from MDW (Mom still lives there.) I flew SWA from STL to MDW during the school year-for 5 years-why make that drive when you can fly?! I would be 1st in line to get on the plane- and the 1st off-and mom would be in the arrival lane by the time I walked thru the concourse! My how times have changed. BUT, Southwest is still GREAT! My husband is a newbie FA, so now I see things from the "inside" and I am impressed! The teamwork, and passion is incredible.. Do you have any openings for a pharmacist in the company? Getting a grip on the new life we have has been challanging, but we know it will all be worth it. A few comments I have--and I know most of you do this already--- 1- ALWAYS take the high road---you WILL "win" in the end. 2-ALWAYS treat others how you would wish to be treated~you never know their side of the story... 3- SMILE-it's contagious! Keep up the great work and share the LUV! ... View more

Debbie, This is a great place to work. If you will visit the Careers page at southwest.com, it will list the positions for which we are accepting resumes. You can fill your resume out online, and we accept only resumes for specific job positions. That's to your benefit because a general resume could literally be buried under thousands of other resumes. Be honest with your resume, and highlight your past experience that would be helpful in the position for which you are applying. Brian ... View more

Flight #94 from Chicago-Midway to Nashville is a cheating flight which means that it never departure on time (9:15pm) and delayed over 2-3 hours in past weeks. This is not a standard flight. It can delay any time long without any respect and honest to customer. ... View more

Hell-o I waited til almost the last minute to look for information regarding flying. My son and his wife are treating me to a flight on Southwest Airlines to Bakersfield California. The last time I flew was in 1995. I do not like to fly. Every time I get in the air I feel like I want to run up and down the isle holding my head and scream GET ME OFF! I'm trying real hard to be brave. I will be departing Buffalo NY on flight 561 at 7:20 AM on Monday Mar 10. Please, if you can put in a word to the powers that be, I would appreciate a little encouragement. My confirmation # is K25Y9E. Thanks. Jari Tiebor Buffalo, NY ... View more

Blog Boy, I wondered if you really meant Paris, TX! 🙂 Ha, ha! ... View more

Hello to me. 926pm est ... View more

Hey Brian, Im reading old 4 year old comments, and still wonder if Southwest, after the few emergency landing and aircraft skin incidents, has any plans to finally ditch the older 737 models and move up to the 700 and 800's or if they plan to ever start using the 787 models. The composite body can withstand more fatigue that can come with Southwests multiple departures and arrivals, constant pressurization and accommodate larger more profitable routes across America, particularly ones where Southwest already flies 10+ daily non-stop fights from hubs like Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Jose, Dallas, Baltimore, etc. More people, a plane that can withstand more fatigue, saves 20% fuel, this is everything Southwest is looking for, right? Also, the added benefit is that these new planes can be configured with some extra special amenities so Southwest can compete against other low fare airlines that provide a little more comfort, like jetBlue or Virgin America on those routes that all three airlines serve. It is definitely something to think about. ... View more

Brian, As a railroader, and a big fan of commercial aviation (and a steady WN customer), I was delighted to read your blog of your grand rail adventure. Throughout my career at Amtrak and aother rail jobs, I've always been aware that airline people can be big railfans, particularly pilots. (Wouldn't it have been great to check out the 1929 PRR-TAT-AT&SF transcontinental operation?) At any rate, along with several other "retired" railroaders, I'm now a part of the nonprofit management company which runs the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad in the far north of your home state (I'm the Treasurer). Maybe you've had a chance to ride us? I think this railroad is, hands down, the most authentic steam property in this country. Right now it's particularly nice up here with the aspens reaching their peak. The passenger trains are full, and this weekend we're operating a double-headed freight up the 4% grade to 10,015' Cumbres Pass. I'm wondering if Southwest might be able to help us? We hire our passenger service people (train crews, station and reservation people, etc.) overwhelmingly from the local area. Rio Arriba County is not a wealthy place, and we supply good jobs. But given our resources, providing first-rate customer service training is a challenge for us. Through a mutual acquaintance, your station chief in ABQ offered to help once, but time constraints got in the way. If you think there might be anything Southwest could do to assist us with our customer service, reservation and ticketing training programs prior to the startup of sour operating season next spring, I'd love to hear from you. And if you'd like to take a look at the railroad, please let me know! Regards Richard Tower ... View more

Memorial Day Sonnet If Liberty means anything to me, I will remember what my freedom cost, By those who gave their all to keep me free, Whose lives were sacrificed, but never lost. I will remind myself of what they did, And keep them dearly cherished in my heart; Their honor never from me shall be hid And I will know they always did their part To save our nation and its people here, To pledge their lives in defense of our ways, To show that freedom always outlives fear, And sacrifice is hallowed all our days. If Liberty means anything to me, I will remember those who kept me free. © John Stuart 2008 Pastor at Erin Presbyterian Church, Knoxville, Tennessee ... View more

Flying is a passion for pilots, no Capt who is qualified should ever be turned out a 60. ... View more

Well, since this blog was about aircraft and liveries, etc, I thought I'd put my 2 cents worth in. I remember flying the 727 on Southwest Airlines, and the 727 always did have a fond place in my heart. I don't find the livery on the Electra hideous at all, though I will agree it looks very "Delta-ish". Speaking of planes, is Southwest still considering adding either the Embraer E170 or E190 jet to it's fleet? ... View more

why haven't other organizations including other airlines been able to copy southwest's culture? ... View more

I was on flight 841 form Phoenix to Nashville on May 17,2007 with my 2 year old granddaughter when I became ill, a steward named Jim got me an ice pack for my head, some ginger ale for my stomach, calmed me down and brought me a blanket, he helped me lay down with my granddaughter and continued to check on us throught the flight . I am a diebetic and so is Jim he knew just what to do, we made it through the flight and I have Jim to thank for that, way to go Southwest for hiring such professionals. I know that I can fly any airline but I will ALWAYS fly with Southwest from now on. Jim just made a customer for life. Thank you!!!!! ... View more

Made me think of a random Q: How long does it take to A and B check a 737? ... View more

Hi. You couldn't even prove the White House staff sane beyond a reasonable doubt. Help me! Need information about: Who owns gamefly. I found only this - gamefly customer support phone number. That is the frustration why it is many outrageous that you work for few shows on the title, gamefly. Gamefly, gamefly was required a spoilering games not, also after the value that netflix, the same next optional blockbuster, did lush. With love :mad:, Charla from Romania. ... View more