Southwest Airlines Community

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES WORKS TO MINIMIZE CUSTOMER DELAYS AS IT INSPECTS AIRCRAFT Customers Should Check Their Flight Status on southwest.com DALLAS—April 2, 2011--Southwest Airlines said today it is working with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to determine the cause of a depressurization event during a Phoenix- Sacramento flight on Friday that diverted to Yuma, Ariz. Overnight, the airline worked with engineers from the Boeing Company to further assess the damage to the aircraft and develop an inspection regimen to look more closely at 79 (not 81 as was previously reported) of its Boeing 737 aircraft which are covered by a set of Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Directives aimed at inspections for aircraft skin fatigue. Those aircraft will be inspected over the course of the next several days at five locations. Southwest expects to cancel approximately 300 flights today to accommodate the inspections. Customers may experience sporadic delays of up to two hours on some flights today. Customers should check the status of their particular flight or rebook their trip on southwest.com before heading to the airport. "The safety of our Customers and Employees is our primary concern," said Mike Van de Ven, Southwest's executive vice president and chief operating officer. “We are working closely with Boeing to conduct these proactive inspections and support the investigation. We also are working aggressively to attempt to minimize the impact to our Customers' travel schedules today.” The 118 passengers on board Flight 812 have received a full refund along with an apology and two complimentary roundtrip passes on Southwest for future flights. Preliminary reports indicated the aircraft lost pressure and oxygen masks were deployed shortly after takeoff from Phoenix. After the plane landed safely in Yuma, the crew confirmed a hole in the top of the aircraft, approximately mid-cabin. One flight attendant was treated at the scene for a minor injury, as was at least one passenger. No injuries required transport to the hospital. The Company arranged for a Southwest Airlines aircraft to transport the Customers on Flight 812 from Yuma to Sacramento last night. ... View more

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES WORKING WITH NTSB, FAA, AND BOEING TO INVESTIGATE CAUSE OF DEPRESSURIZATION EVENT Carrier To Begin Aggressive Inspection of Fleet to Ensure Safety DALLAS—April 2, 2011—Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) said early this morning it is working with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to determine the cause of a depressurization event during a Phoenix-Sacramento flight on Friday that diverted to Yuma, Ariz., for a successful emergency landing. Further, the carrier has decided to keep a subset of its Boeing 737 fleet out of the flying schedule to begin an aggressive inspection effort in cooperation with Boeing engineers. “The safety of our Customers and Employees is our primary concern, and we are grateful there were no serious injuries,” said Mike Van de Ven, Southwest’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. “We have launched personnel to Yuma to begin the investigation process with the NTSB, FAA, and appropriate parties to determine the cause of the depressurization.” There were 118 passengers on board and five Phoenix-based crew members aboard Flight 812. Preliminary reports indicated the aircraft lost pressure and oxygen masks were deployed. After the plane landed safely in Yuma, the crew confirmed a hole in the top of the aircraft, approximately mid-cabin. One flight attendant was treated at the scene for a minor injury, as was at least one passenger. No injuries required transport to the hospital. The Company arranged for a Southwest Airlines aircraft to transport the Customers from Yuma to Sacramento last night. Southwest is working with Boeing on an inspection regimen for the 81 affected Boeing 737 aircraft in the fleet, which are covered by a set of Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Directives aimed at inspections for aircraft skin fatigue. These aircraft will be inspected over the course of the next several days. Southwest is working aggressively to minimize Customer inconvenience. Customers are encouraged to check flight status at www.southwest.com before heading to the airport, and any inconvenienced Customers will be reaccommodated. Media please call Southwest Communication Office: (214) 792-4847 ... View more

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES RESPONDS TO LOSS OF PRESSURIZATION EVENT ON FLIGHT FROM PHOENIX TO SACRAMENTO DALLAS--April 1, 2011--Southwest Airlines Flight 812, the scheduled 3:25 pm departure from Phoenix to Sacramento today, diverted to Yuma, Ariz due to loss of pressurization in the cabin. Upon safely landing in Yuma, the flight crew discovered a hole in the top of the aircraft. There are no reported Customer injuries. One of the Flight Attendants, however, received a minor injury upon descent. A Southwest aircraft with maintenance, ground crew, and Customer Service agents onboard, is on its way from Phoenix to Yuma to assess the damaged aircraft and support the 118 Customers onboard. They are expected to arrive in Sacramento later tonight. Southwest will work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as they investigate this event. ... View more

During the final weeks of the 2010 holiday travel season, the Dallas Love Field Airport will continue to assist passengers as they navigate through the airport.    The ongoing construction of the Airport, known as the Love Field Modernization Program (LFMP), is not expected to delay travel schedules; however, high-fly travel days during the holiday will continue through Monday, December 27.  For travelers not familiar with the Love Field’s reconfiguration, be aware that:  Love Field now has a Terminal 1 and Terminal 2  Terminal 1 now serves Delta and Continental/United Airlines, accommodating all passenger activity, including ticketing, baggage check in and baggage claim. Garage B is the most convenient parking for Terminal 1. Terminal 2 continues to serve Southwest Airlines, including curbside check in, ticketing, baggage check in and baggage claim. Garages A and B are still convenient parking for Terminal 2.   Signs have been posted in Garages A and B and the airport on how to travel between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Customers should also use the Garage Pedestrian Bridge. For people picking up passengers, park and wait in the Cell Phone Lot located on the east side of Cedar Spring Road, north of the long-term parking shuttle and the Hertz Rental Car Facility. This site holds 45 vehicles and is free parking. Please remember it is against Airport regulations to be on the phone while driving.  If you’re flying with Southwest Airlines (Terminal 2) you will notice that the interior construction lobby wall has been updated to include floor-to-ceiling signage promoting the New Love Field Airport. As well, four monitors were installed on the lobby wall and play the official LFMP video about the history of Love Field and previews of the new facility. So if you’re in line and waiting to board with Southwest, steal a look at the video and get to know more about LFMP. This video can also be viewed at www.loveevolution.info. Travelers are encouraged to follow these holiday travel tips:  Arrive at least 120 minutes before your flight to allow enough time for check-in, baggage check, security and any unplanned event. Check with your airline for flight departure/arrival status.  Travelers are not allowed to bring wrapped holiday gifts. All holiday gifts must be unwrapped. To minimize unnecessary congestion, do not park curbside to wait for arriving passengers. Use the Cell Phone parking lot or the parking garage. Garage parking is free if parked for less than 30 minutes. LUV Helpers, volunteers in Red Vests, can direct you to your terminal and answer questions regarding construction and relocation. When arriving to the airport, tune in to Love Radio 1580 AM for information on traffic and updates related to Love Field. More information about the Love Field Modernization Program can be found on the website at www.loveevolution.info     ... View more

Travelers using Dallas Love Field Airport this Thanksgiving to fly out or pick up passengers should make note of recent changes to ensure a safe and pleasant experience.  We recommend that you visit www.loveevolution.info for more information on construction, terminal relocation, parking and travel tips that will help you navigate Love Field Airport. ... View more

Airfarewatchdog™ recently announced the results of its 2010 survey of more than 2,100 savvy flyers.  Respondents answered that they want the "good old days" back -- and the requests they're making are for formerly standard, free amenities: Snacks, non-alcoholic drinks, clean cabins, pillows, and blankets.  They are willing to pay for some amenities, such as alcohol and Internet, and said that airfare price tops airline brand when booking a flight.  Southwest Airlines scored top marks over other airlines, getting "Best Bang for Your Buck" and "Friendliest Flight Attendants." Read the full results of the survey here   ... View more