Southwest Airlines Community

A note on those who said booster seats are easier to use than car seats: most booster seats are not approved by the FAA for aircraft use. There's a label on the side (unless your kiddo has peeled it off) that should state whether or not it can be used onboard. When in doubt, remember that it's not required, and it's one less thing to lug to the gate. ... View more

I can't tell you how excited I was to see my favorite culinary nerd on the cover! I admit to stealing a copy before they were ever placed onboard the planes the night of the monthly switch. ... View more

I seem to remember and episode of "The Simpsons" when Homer did the exact same thing. He was only stuck until he let go of what he was grabbing! I had the same experience many many years ago, attempting to grab a free treat out of a vending machine at the grocery store. My 7-year-old self thought it was a great idea until my hand got stuck and had to be "buttered" out. I don't think my mother will ever let me live that down! ... View more

Okay Bill, I understand just about everything you're saying. I totally get that we are a lot slower in the early winter months - I've watched it for the last six years of my Southwest employment. It's always a nice break after the craziness of November and December. But I do have a concern, and it's something that I would hope you folks in Sked Planning are well aware of. That would be February break. For about two to three weeks every February, starting around Valentine's Day, most schools in the Northeast allow the kids a week off of vacation, and the airport is consistantly SLAMMED. Now that we have fewer flights, I can only imagine what's going to happen when all of our flights are overbooked and we have less and less options what to do. I have a small hope, in my heart of hearts, that you guys might consider adding a couple of flights just for that time period, or some extra sections so we can keep our Customers happy and get them to their destinations with minimal hassle. Any additional MCO, TPA, or really any Florida destination would be SO nice!! My simple request goes not only for us poor kids up here at BDL, but PVD, MHT, ALB, BUF, ISP, PHL, and BWI too. I know we'd SINCERELY appreciate it!! ... View more

Air travel is not covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as a few people here have claimed. The Air Carrier Access Act is in place to ensure that people with disabilities are treated fairly while using American carriers. You can read a summary of it here: http://www.disabilitytravel.com/airlines/air_carrier_act.htm The ACAA does state: "Carriers may not refuse transportation to people on the basis of disability. Airlines may exclude anyone from a flight if carrying the person would be inimical to the safety of the flight." ... View more

To the peanut allergy mom, I too have a family member who has a number of food allergies, peanuts being one of them. My niece blows up like a balloon when in physical contact with peanuts or when she eats anything cooked in peanut oil, so we are careful with her when she flies Southwest (she really can't stay away from her auntie!). If you do choose to fly with us, please keep a couple of things in mind. Every night, each aircraft is cleaned thoroughly before it is sent out in service for the next day. An early fight is always best, even if you can't get the first flight out in the morning, because there won't be too much peanut residue onboard. Also, we do have procedures in place to let us know when not to serve peanuts onboard. One of those is to let a Reservations Agent know when you book your flight, so that the information can be recorded in your resevation. As a backup, you ALWAYS want to let as many Southwest folks at the airport know. We have a peanut allergy form that is filled out for each leg of the flight, as a heads-up to the crew, but that we would always prefer to have done before the flight. There have been a couple of instances where no one is notified until the flight is all boarded up, ready to push back, and someone pipes up the need for alternative snacks. The sooner we know, the more people who know, the better we can get all of our Passengers taken care of! ... View more

I can't wait until this is implemented system-wide. I'm curious to see how the setup is going to work in our little corner of the system! ... View more

In my 5-plus years with SWA, I've had two jobs. I was hired in April 2002 as a Customer Service Agent, and switched to Operations three years ago. I'm now interviewing (soon, hopefully) for Operations Supervisor here in BDL. We have a pretty junior and young station, and I have high hopes to be retiring from Southwest in about 40 years or so. I have an interest in just about every aspect of the company, and I plan on "moving my cheese" many times in the decades to come until I know SWA inside and out. I hope to be in Headquarters in the next... 5 years, maybe. I'll have Colleen's job in 20 years. (Yes, I am ambitious!!) ... View more

I read about 20 replies and gave up. If this is posted above, I apologize for repeating someone else's comments. As an employee, I see plenty of people come and go on a daily basis, and quite often I see a few outfits that make me do a double-take. I don't say anything, but I am constantly amazed at what people consider decent to go out in public wearing. As far as Ms. Ebbert goes, she has brought herself into this mess, and is probably enjoying the publicity. I'm quite sure that other passengers have been spoken to about their attire (or lack of) and have never made this big of a deal. The days of modesty are far gone. For all of the people who are saying that they will never fly this airline again, think about it, really. If Ms. Ebbert hadn't have brought this issue to the media, you'd still be LUVing us. Don't let a silly little thing as a too-short miniskirt turn you away. SWA has already apologized to her, done deal. She's going to be milking this as long as she can. ... View more

Thanks bunches Shelley (and the others) for planning a real kick-tail party!! We had a pretty good sized contingent from BDL (Hartford, CT) and we had a blast! The crab cakes were awesome, the beverages were free-flowing, and 2200 of your SWA family all around, what more could you ask for! My only question is, will the cake be on Food Network? ... View more

The Chili Cookoff is something I'd LUV to attend! Unfortunately, Mother Nature combined with Spring Break kept us New Englanders away. There's always next year, as long as this isn't the last! I'll be working on my recipe until then, plotting away....... ... View more