09-12-2007
03:40 PM
1 Love
I think it's stunningly inappropriate for Southwest to comment in any fashion on a woman dressed in clothing comparable to what girls wear to the mall every day. Worse, the fact that Southwest employees feel empowered to take positions on these issues shows a deep corporate cultural problem. In any planeful of Americans, you can find some who object to some others' clothing, language, display or non-display of religious items, etc. It is not the carrier's job to serve as a proxy for passengers who are in some way offended by other passengers - you could easily spend 100% of your time doing that and not move a single passenger. It's an inappropriate rathole and highly unprofessional - that is absolutely not what I pay my airfare for.
As this blog shows, you discover a percentage of customers who want you to be the fashion police and a much larger percentage who do not. And given a way to anonymously complain about other passengers and have something happen, you can be sure that that disgruntled minority will enthusiastically use it, just as people call the police to complain about their neighbor cutting shrubs too early when they would be embarrassed to raise the issue directly. That is a role that an airline should not be in. The airline is not responsible for what passengers wear - or, rather, other airlines are not; Southwest appears to be enthusiastically plunging into that inappropriate role. Good luck on that trip; I sure don't want to be along for that ride.
Further still, the fact that Southwest corporate seems to back this line of decision up (other cases appearing, blog posts backing up your employees) is completely appalling.
For reference, although I live within 1.5 miles of Love and fly constantly on business, I would not and do not fly Southwest for reasons exactly like this. Yes, it really does cost you money.
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