Southwest Airlines Community

During last week's storm, almost every other air carrier provided better service to their passengers than Southwest Airlines.  I am not the least bit surprised.   What can you expect from an Airline that bumps a passenger (me), and in violation of any measure of moral conduct, fails to compensate that passenger (me) - not to speak of the Airline's violation of Department of Transportation rules mandating compensation for last minute bumps.   Maybe "The Middle Seat" should quietly avoid this latest conversation.  The audience might re-taste that turkey dinner if this blogger tries to defend Southwest Airlines after they helped strand so many thousands of passengers in airports during the holidays.   I had hoped my bad experience with Southwest Airlines would serve as a warning to the public.  Southwest Airlines cared little about my rights and I doubted then that the airline would care about anybody's else's rights.  Maybe Southwest Airlines will care a little now having been presented by national media as America's Grinch - having helped ruin thousands of vacations.   The best I can say for Southwest Airlines is that at least they did not discriminate against me.  They do treat other passengers with the same level of disrespect and disregard. ... View more

In 2018 Southwest Airlines stopped me from boarding a flight (last second before boarding) and never asked for volunteers. I received and returned a voucher provided for "involuntary" denial of boarding because employees on Government travel may not accept compensation for "involuntary" bumps.  I requested a smaller substitute replacement voucher for a "voluntary" bump (as I would have accepted a "voluntary" bump had they asked) but Southwest Airline refused.  The Airline never even resent the voucher for the "involuntary" bump as required by the US Department of Transportation.  Ultimately, Southwest Airlines took my seat, delayed me 5 hours, and never compensated me (or my employer or anybody) for my inconvenience and the Airlines convenience.   The Airlines thinks that's OK - but I haven't and will never fly on Southwest Airlines again.   "The Middle Seat", as in your case, aggressively (and without any apology) criticized my complaint as I would expect any unapologetic shill for the Airline to respond.  Hopefully my complaint and yours (and maybe others) will serve to educate the public about Southwest Airlines unapologetic and uncaring treatment of it's customers.  Any considerate business that inconveniences a customer to facilitate it's own business operation would and should make sure that customer is compensated.  Period!. ... View more

You say I didn't suffer any loss.  I arrived 4 hours late into Dallas.  That's 4 hours of my time wasted because the airline wanted my seat for it's own business purpose.   The Department of Transportation requires that airlines compensate the traveler for any such inconvenience, voluntary or involuntary.  Should we allow airlines to bump passengers and not pay compensation? In my case, Southwest Airlines believed they could take my seat and they clearly believe compensation is not required.   This is my last post.  I have invested some personal time posting my complaint simply with the hope that a community of travelers could compel airlines to behave better.  I seems to me I have wasted my time and that's OK.  Few seem to care about what they did and that surprises me.  Southwest has certainly won the skirmish with me - they got away with one.  This community supports the victor rather than the victim.  I tried.     ... View more

I think those reading my post have missed the point. The bottom line is Southwest Airlines needed my seat, took it, inconvenienced me, and (as far as I know) has not payed anything to me or the US Government as compensation on my behalf.  If Southwest thinks I lie, then let them try to sue me for libel.   I do hope travelers will support my post because social media (such as the posts that comprise this community) can compel companies to follow the rules and encourage respectful business practices.  Critics of my post, who I admit have outnumbered supporters, encourage Southwest Airlines (and other companies) to engage customers disrespectfully anytime business needs arise.   The dialogue has been interesting to me, and somewhat disappointing, because the community has passively accepted Southwest's disrespectful affront to me - as sheep passively accept their fates too when the lion shows up.  I had hoped Americans would not behave like sheep!  We can have a voice if we want it!  Collectively we can compel the lion to behave better - if we don't passively allow harm to a few members of our herd every time the lion gets hungry.  The lion has taken a small bite out of me but will never get the chance to taste my flesh again because I will never fly on Southwest Airlines ever again! ... View more

Just a quick update.   Since my last post, Southwest Airlines has not contacted me or sent the compensation that the Department of Transportation requires them to pay when an airline takes a ticketed seat for their own use, and inconveniences a passenger.  As promised, I have not and will never fly on that airline again.   I will intermittently provide this update to warn unsuspecting travelers about Southwest Airline's violation of the rules and continued commitment to violate my rights as a passenger.  ... View more

I've stated what happened and this is my last post.  It makes no difference to me whether the individual reader agrees or disagrees.  The discussion was worth my trouble if it helps save one person from a similar event.   I stood for over one hour waiting for my boarding call and never heard a request for volunteers; maybe next time Southwest's associates should whisper louder.  The bottom line is Southwest used my seat for its own business use, certainly did not ask me to volunteer, and cost me many hours of uncompensated time.  Southwest doesn't understand nor do they seem to care about this fact, and I won't waste any more time trying to educate the airline.  I do hope by experience may help another airline passenger avoid the same bad experience.   I hope the snarky comments by "Middle Seat", by providing a devil's advocate argument, serves to provide the reader with a well rounded and fair analysis, and helps them evaluate this issue before their next trip, and hopefully the information will help them experience a more pleasant trip than mine.  Knowledge has power.   Signing out.  I will read future posts but, most likely, I will not respond. ... View more

To "The Middle Seat" I reply:   Southwest Airlines violated Department of Transportation (DOT) rules when they denied me my seat, just moments after my boarding call, without first requesting volunteers. Had Southwest offered to me almost any usable compensation, I would have respected the airline's business need, voluntarily given up my seat, and bought a nice lunch for a few colleagues in Dallas - explaining that the burgers and fries were courtesy of Southwest airlines.  Accepting "voluntary" compensation does not contradict anything I've explained or US Government travel rules.  A good faith offer would have satisfied the airlines need, followed DOT rules, and respected my rights.  When Southwest involuntarily bumps someone traveling with a time sensitive emergency, Southwest's lack of due diligence would cause unnecessary hardship, an avoidable hardship if the airline would simply follow DOT rules and respect the rights of it's passengers.   DOT and US Government travel rules require an immediate monetary voucher, presented to the traveler, and payable to the "US Treasury" when involuntarily bumping passengers traveling on US Government business.  I returned the first voucher (payable to me) and I have not received any correspondence or reply of any kind from Southwest Airlines.  Southwest "may" have paid the US Government, but I have no knowledge of that even though I, as the traveler, I would expected a reply and some information as a common courtesy.  I advised the US Treasury Inspector General about their missing funds and I expect their office would have notified me about any payment received as a consequence of my travel.  I have fulfilled my responsibilities in this matter.   The almost two year hiatus between the bump and these public service messages simply reflects my willingness to give Southwest Airlines an excessively long time for the airline to ignore my correspondence and fail to remedy their action.  And yes - I have closed my Southwest Airlines frequent travel account and will never fly on that airline again.   ... View more

I have long accepted my uncompensated loss of time due to my involuntary denial of boarding by Southwest Airlines.  I will never accept that Southwest airlines, or any airline, would involuntarily deny boarding to satisfy their own business need, and then not compensate the injured party.  This airline even failed to compensate the US Treasury in defiance of US Department of Transportation rules.  That's why I have never and will never fly on Southwest Airlines again.   As I explained, I presented this event as a public service, to warn any potential traveler about Southwest Airlines behavior, arrogance, and disdain for what should be morally expected, and also to educate and prepare employees traveling on US Government business about the consequences of an involuntary bump and the special consequences when bumped by airlines that do not respect the importance of compensating injured parties.  It’s about respect.   Ironically, I would have accepted a good faith voluntary payment of $200.00, almost the cost of my ticket, as a trade with Southwest Airlines for my contracted seat. I have wasted more than enough hours with this and I hope my post saves other travelers some aggravation.  Sometimes knowledge is power. ... View more