Southwest Airlines Community

Excellent response, Carole! I'd copy it and use it when I receive such "forward or die" e-mails, but too many people I know would gladly wrap my naked body in a pink boa, place it in a pine box, and dance around wildly. ... View more

Load up on vitamin-C (I take Airborne), and bring hand sanitizer to keep yourself healthy. This is necessary when you are to be in confined spaces with others even when it's NOT cold and flu season. ... View more

I also share your affinity for planes 'n' trains. I grew up with tracks in my backyard and tracks in my sky. They were roads beckoning. Perhaps the attraction is to be able to command something larger than ourselves. Freud would blame our mothers, Brian. ... View more

People! Get a grip on your outrage. This happened to one person, and it wasn't you. Reserve your anger for use when something actually does happen to you, or for gross injustices, which this certainly was not. To use it in a haphazard manner only serves to dilute its effectiveness when you do need to express it. I don't know all the facts because I wasn't there. Y'all probably weren't either. While on the surface it may look like the action was inappropriate, let's defer to the highly trained flight attendants who are placed there to make our flights safe and comfortable. Sometimes it takes a tough judgement call to make that happen. ... View more

"...then I want these painted alternating red and black..." ... View more

You expect us to pick just one? Crikey! That's difficult. PIT is special because I grew up near there, and it has Godiva, my secret weapon that ensures forgiveness when returning home. ABQ for beauty and space. But I always get a special feeling at BUR. The absence of jetways takes me back to simpler times, and the ability to deplane from the rear exit is a treat because it's different and fast. Stepping out into the warm California sun and walking down the steps reminds me of life thirty years ago when I'd commute there almost weekly on a Hughes Airwest (sing it with me now "Top Banana in the West") DC-9 Stretch. Baggage claim was outside, and they only had three gates. It's a fun departure, too, with their noise abatement rules. ... View more

Barbi is right. The assembly-line robot captured my heart. The creators did an outstanding job to humanize it, and I found myself relieved that it was all just a dream. The Budweiser spotted dog had a Hallmark feel, but it didn't make me want their beer like the greeting card commercials compel me to "send the very best." After the annual hype about having to tone it down for acceptance, the Go Daddy spot was a big let-down this year, and I'm a customer. ... View more

Odd to see Doug Parker's name here. After 9/11, when all the airlines except the one we LUV took taxpayer bailout money, Doug was first in line. The ink wasn't even dry on his Treasury check when Doug and his entourage presented at the gate for a ride home to Phoenix. Mr. Parker actually bumped paying passengers out of first-class so he and his cronies could celebrate all the way home. At the time, I thought of Herb, and how he'd have stood most of the way, passed out the peanuts, or sat in a jump seat if it had been him, but then I remembered that Herb would never have needed such a ride precisely because he cared for the customers-- one of the keys to profitability. I heard it could be two years before this rule to takes effect. Pity for the pilots who are 58 and 59 now. There's no substitute for experience. ... View more

I'm a quart low on cream cheese, Carole. Next flight over PHX please drop some for me. I made one resolution: Stop procratinating. I'm fixin' to get started on that pretty soon. ... View more

To illustrate your point, Brian, sometimes verbs are also necessary. A reporter writing a story about Cary Grant sent a telegram to the star's publicist asking his age. It read, HOW OLD CARY GRANT. Mr. Grant himself replied, OLD CARY GRANT FINE STOP HOW YOU. ... View more

"...and this was the guy who thought we should switch to assigned seating." ... View more

Twelve O'Clock High...because we won. ... View more

"Our planes are SO full that I have to ride out here. At least I can smoke!" ... View more

We've secretly replaced Captain Stark's Windex with Streaks-B-Gon. Let's see if he notices. ... View more

Dear Cap'n Evans, Permit me this one ON topic comment, please. You got ol' HQ scared he's gonna lose his situation! The rest of the world ain't ready for the common sense y'all preach and practice. Y'all are doin' a fantastic job. The naysayers here aren't really your customer base. What other airline could have such LUV shown back to them? Y'all don't have customers...you got FANS! Keep 'er straight and level. ... View more

I'm amused when I read comments from people complaining about a two-hour line-up at the gate. These people have never flown with us. Southwest uses their gates more efficiently than that, and if you line up two hours early, you end up in a different city. The current system encourages people to be at their gate early so we can all leave on time. Assigned seating creates a mindset that your seat is guaranteed, so they'll wait for you. I read of fistfights, swearing, and general mayhem, none of which I've ever witnessed in 25 years of boarding. These are the same people who still believe that you're a fledgling, struggling airline. They haven't witnessed your impressive load factor. We are only seeing what people think happens. ... View more

Great idea, Bob. The boarding passes already are pre-numbered...make us line up in that order. ... View more

I find it interesting that those who already fly WN frequently want the system left as it is, and those crying for assigned seats have only the promise of future business to offer. Could we be seeing an orchestrated campaign to make you as inefficient as the others since they were unable to win in the courts? ... View more

Gary, Where are the comments from those customers asking for change? I doubt that among your fan base they are legion. From what I see here, your loyal customers are passionate to keep things as they always have been...simple, easy, and with the freedom to move about the cabin as well as the country. I'll add my voice to theirs for all the reasons previously listed. Sometimes I want a window, sometimes an aisle. Front? Back? Middle? I never know until I board the aircraft and look down that long, beautiful expanse of comfy leather seats before me. Hey...there's a really cute girl. I'll sit here! ... View more

Happy Birthday Southwest! It seems like just yesterday I took a flight with Captain Linda on "Silver", your 25th Anniversary plane, but it was 10 years ago. Time flies...nearly as well as y'all do. ... View more

My very first flight on Southwest was in 1987 from Phoenix to either Oakland, or SFO...can't remember, but the FA said as we were boarding, "You can pick your seat, and you can pick your neighbor, but please don't pick your neighbor's seat." Only reluctantly have I ever flown any other company since then. ... View more

A&E had a fabulous documentary detailing the extensive testing the Boeing 777 went through to be certified airworthy. Could you address landing in surface turbulence, specifically Las Vegas. I've been on flights going in there where we actually walked down the runway a bit before both main gears were on the runway. I know it's partly due to landing with more power to have better control, but can any of these surface winds tip the aircraft enough to put a wing-tip on the runway? At what point would you abort and go around? ... View more

Are you saying that there are web sites that will, for a fee, retrieve an "A" boarding pass from your web site if a custoer can't? I wondered why I would get one that was number 10 or higher just minutes after my flight opened up. Perhaps you can use a little box of scrambled letters and numbers like some sites do to make sure it's a human and not an automated program. ... View more

Oh, Sunny, what a great story. I devour every word that Herb says. I've been a loyal Southwest business flier for more than twenty years, mostly because Herb's personality permeated the entire company and was evident in every cabin. I once had a promotional idea for the company, and I wrote to Herb. The letter I received in return was the most wonderful decline I've ever received, and it is still one of my most prized possessions. Whenever I'm faced with a difficult business decision I always ask myself, "What would Herb do?" ... View more