I've always enjoyed flying SWA, especially the friendliness and positive energy I've found among your employees. Still being active in the airline industry (49 years and counting), I can appreciate the approach SWA takes to customer service. However, I ran into a situation at Seattle's SeaTac airport which I think could be improved. I'm a senior (hence the 49 years of active airline service) and because I didn't have check-in luggage, I used your E-Ticket check-in machines. All went well until I tried to print the boarding passes. It told me to "see and agent", and lucky for me, one was standing beside me as well is right behind my machine. The agent next to me told me that because I was a senior, the agent, behind the counter would have to verify my age by checking my ID. No problem, I thought. When I offered her my ID, she said I'd have to get into the other non-E Ticket check in line, which was about a mile long. Of course, when I finally got to a counter, the agent did, in fact, check my ID, as they do for ALL passengers, and I got my boarding passes.
Matching this experience to other of the many airlines I fly --both Domestic and International--I'll admit that this was a first. Why the agent behind the electronic check-in machines, who is there to check bags and help folks with their check-in process, couldn't have just check my ID and printed out my boarding passes, is beyond me. Perhaps a change in proceedure could not only remove the confusion and stress from a passenger, but smooth the check-in process along, as I not only took up time at the e-check-in machine from another passenger, but caused work for two agents instead of one.
Keep up the good work and look forward to flying with you guys again, but the next time I guess I'll not waste my time by going to the e-ticket machine first.
Frank
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