Southwest Airlines Community

Update: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/coronavirus/southwest-airlines-to-require-employees-to-be-vaccinated-against-covid-19/2758081/ Southwest Airlines will require all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 8, the airline says. By requiring the vaccine, Dallas-based Southwest will join Fort Worth-based American, JetBlue, Alaska and United in complying with Biden administration guidelines. "Southwest Airlines must join our industry peers in complying with the federal government's COVID-19 vaccination directive," Southwest Airlines Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly said in a written statement. "I encourage all Southwest Employees to meet the federal directive, as quickly as possible, since we value every individual and want to ensure job security for all." Under the federal rules, federal contractors must be vaccinated against the coronavirus unless they are granted a religious or medical exemption. Major airlines are federal contractors since they fly government employees, cargo and provide other services, according to CNBC. ... View more

Or maybe those that have not been vaccinated shouldn't be able to fly since they are in the minority? ... View more

I know. I have a trip on Wed. and one the beginning of Nov. I am choosing to fly on United until Southwest changes their policy. ... View more

If people stop flying Southwest, the price of your tickets will up and their won't be cheaper flights for anyone. ... View more

Couldn't have said it better. "I mind my own business. People actively risking the life of my child makes it my business." We are all in this together. Of course, I've been vaccinated but that doesn't mean that I don't care about others. ... View more

Does a coronavirus infection provide protective immunity? An infection causes the immune system to respond to and recognize the coronavirus. After getting the virus, most people have detectable antibodies, health experts say. Though other arms of the immune system might become involved, studies so far suggest that the key to fighting the virus correlates with the production of antibodies. Though protection is decent for those who have previously had COVID-19, health experts say it is not as strong as when people get vaccinated. “So that’s why there is that recommendation that despite having had COVID before, for full protection the vaccination is the best way to go,” said Dr. Lisa Maragakis, senior director for infection prevention at Johns Hopkins. A prior infection offers protection in the range of 80%, compared to about 95% for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, said Dr. John Wherry, director of the Institute for Immunology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. That means about 15 to 20 out of every 100 people who have previously had COVID-19 could get reinfected, while 5 out of every 100 people who got an mRNA vaccine might get infected. People with more severe infections appear to have stronger antibody responses than those who had milder or asymptomatic infections, Maragakis said. In addition, she said, the status of a person’s immune system can also dictate the quantity of antibodies and the quality of their antibody response. For example, immunosuppressed people might not mount an antibody response after being infected with COVID-19 or after getting vaccinated. Lab studies suggest that protection following a case of COVID-19 begins to wane slightly after about three months, but can last for up to 10 months, although there’s a range to that, Wherry said. “We see some people with mild COVID infections where their immunity wanes more quickly over time, or they don’t have as much coverage, and that is protection from variants. And we see people who have mild COVID that have lower levels of antibodies than you would get from vaccination,” Wherry said. “So there’s a wider range and it’s difficult to know where you are on that range from natural infection.” Scientists still don’t know as much about the durability of immunity as they would like, he said. What they expect based on coronaviruses that existed prior to SARS-CoV-2 is that antibodies decline over time. ... View more

This is good advice from the moderator of Southwest. We shouldn't be "attacking" each other or making  nasty comments. I simply hope that Southwest "follows the science" and does what is best for its employees and it's customers!   "Hi everyone. This thread has gotten heated, and I want to take a moment and encourage everyone to refresh themselves on our Community User Guidelines. We want all Members to feel comfortable sharing thoughts and ideas here, and we ask that you follow the Golden Rule and treat other Community Members the way you would like to be treated. Keep your tone positive and your comments constructive.   Additionally, it's important to remember that not all advice is sound advice. While Members and Employees will do their best to help each other out, it is possible for information provided in the Community to be wrong, incomplete, or not applicable to your specific situation. Always apply good judgment and feel free to seek information from other sources." ... from Southwest. ... View more

You're right on target. Sort of a separate covid vax question ... I wonder how many of the non vaxers DID vaccinate their children against polio, and all the other childhood illness. I wonder if they are "following the science" and getting their children protected against the coronavirus? ... View more

When I travel, 90% of the time it's with my husband. Yes, we are exposed to the few passengers sitting near us but the flight attendants are exposed to EVERY passenger on the plane, thus able to be a "super-spreader". Why do you have a problem asking the flight attendants to get vaccinated? MANY large businesses, schools, government agencies are starting to implement this requirement. Wish Southwest would get ahead of the curve. ... View more

I tried reaching customer relations but they did not reply. Again, I HOPE that Southwest will soon require their flight attendants, pilots and other employees to be vaccinated against Covid-19. United and Hawaiian Airlines require their U.S. employees, (a total of some 73,000 people) to get vaccinated.  Until Southwest implements that policy, I will NOT be flying on Southwest. ... View more

Maybe now that the vaccine had FDA approval, Southwest will rethink their policies requiring employees to be vaccinated. I predict they will lose customers to United, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian Air, Air Canada and Lufthansa if they don't. As much of a loyal customer as I USED TO BE, I will no longer fly Southwest until they implement the needed changes. ... View more

From what science tells us, even people who have recovered from COVID-19 are urged to get vaccinated, especially as the extra-contagious delta variant surges. Studies shows survivors who ignored that advice were more than twice as likely to get reinfected. Vaccines can offer stronger protection than natural immunity alone, especially against the viral variants that are driving surges right now. ... View more

Maybe now that United Airline and Frontier (and there was a third but I don't remember which) are requiring employees to be vaccinated, Southwest will also comply with what is in everyone's best interest. I'm learning that more and more businesses are requiring employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or to be tested regularly. How about taking this a step further? Those anti vaxxers should be held accountable for the choices they make. This means they should pay the cost of the testing AND until the results come back, should not be able to work during which time they should also not be paid. ... View more

Thanks for the suggestion. I just did. I'd had a lot of trouble trying to find an email address for the airlines. Your link helped. ... View more

Because I care about everyone, not just myself. There are some that cannot get the vaccine due to other health issues, there are some not vaccinated because they are too young. Don't you care about protecting them? AND, even though I have been vaccinated and though the odds are now in my favor, I can still get the coronavirus and/or pass it on to those that I love. ... View more

Sorry if I posted more than once ... the first post didn't seem to "post". Vaccines should be a requirement - even those who have had the coronavirus. I hope Southwest will change their policy and help stamp out this dreadful disease. Over 620,000 DEAD in just the United States. Experts say a person who’s had COVID-19 still needs to get vaccinated against the disease. They note that the immune response after having the disease isn’t as strong as the defensive response that occurs after vaccination. They also note that people who’ve had COVID-19 can still contract and transmit the coronavirus more easily if they haven’t been vaccinated. ... View more

You should know,  Southwest does NOT require airplane attendants to be vaccinated! I have been a customer AND a current stock holder. I feel that this policy is extremely unsafe for both employees and passengers. As more people become aware of this, I believe you will lose passengers and goodwill. ... View more

I am EXTREMELY upset that Southwest is NOT requiring airplane attendants to be vaccinated. I have been a customer AND stock holder. I feel that this policy is extremely unsafe for both employees and your passengers. As more people become aware of this, I believe you will lose passengers and goodwill. ... View more