Elves on Southwest Airlines?

[blusk]

To help kick off the Holiday Season, I have a Christmas story for you.  Well actually, I don't but the "Why Guy" for Channel 8 here in Dallas does.  Mike Castellucci, known to local viewers by his alter-ego--the inquisitive Why Guy with the deadpan look--recently tried to join in with the Southwest elves.  Here is his report.  (Sorry, the television station threw a short commercial in before his story.)  By the way, the elves were in town to promote their appearance in the new movie, Fred Claus and to visit the Children's Medical Center here in Dallas.

[kelli-bartlett-]

I loved the cute story! Has Mike Castellucci ever considered being a Flight Attendant for SWA? Why Not? I think he would be great! Think of the fun we would have! Mikes got SPIRIT!

[Robert_Devine]

Got aboard a Southwest plane Just north of Qville, Maine Stepped inside the airplane door I know my chin fell to the floor There she was smiling ear to ear I cant say what started to appear She showed me to window seat I got for a price that can't be beat and I nestled in for my 2 hour ride So choose Southwest when YOU have to decide.

[Former_Customer2]

How dare you further divide the classes in this country by allowing greedy money to put certain people ahead of others on your airplane? Last time I checked, we ALL paid the same shi**ty amount of money to fly on your planes. When everyone who's pissed off at you is done telling everyone they know to not fly on your flights anymore (I know LOTS of professionals), the little extra money you get from business travelers' boarding preference fees won't matter. The number of customers you'll lose will outweight the greed you're going after. This is what we get for being loyal to you? Getting spat on because we aren't as rich-bitch? I can't wait to see your company go bankrupt from your idiotic, arrogant decision making. And I dont care that this won't get put on your blog--I never intended it to. Why don't you catch up with the times and create an e-mail address for customer service?

[Flying_SWA_sinc]

New boarding procedures are awful, and I am usually a BUSINESS customer when flying Southwest.

[Anonymous28]

OKAY BRIAN AND GARY AND WHOMEVER IN SW THAT WILL LISTEN... I'M A HUGE FAN AND SUPPORTER OF YOUR AIRLINES, AND THAT WILL NEVER CHANGE REGARDLESS............BUT, YOUR AGENTS "NEED TO DO THEIR JOBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LEAVING OUT FROM NEW ORLEANS MONDAY AT 11:35A, THERE WERE 2 LADIES UP FRONT UNDER THE A-31-35 SLOT, ACTUALLY MADE A SECOND ROW, AS THE AGENT SAID, "FOLKS IF YOU WILL LINE UP A1-30 AND A31-60 OVER HERE..........WELL, THOSE TWO LADIES JUMPED RIGHT UP IN FRONT........THE PROBLEM IS, WE ALL NOTICED THAT THEIR BOARDING NUMBERS WERE A-53 AND 54.....ALL OF US LINED UP APPROPRIATELY, AND WHEN WE SAW THIS WE WERE TICKED.......ONE OF THE VERY NICE GENTLEMEN SAID, "ARE YOU GUYS IN A-53 AND THE ONE LADY SAID YES, AND THE OTHER ACKNOWLEDGE SHE WAS RIGHT AFTER......HE KINDLY SAID, " YOU SHOULD BE BOARDING TOWARD THE BACK OF THE LINE", AND SHE SAID "NO, THE PEOPLE IN HOUSTON TOLD THEM THEY DIDN'T NEED TO GET IN NUMERICAL ORDER, JUST AS LONG AS THEY WERE IN THE A31-60 LINE..SHE SAID IT DIDN'T MATTER AND SHE WASN'T MOVING!!!!!!!!!!! I TOLD HER SHE WAS WRONG, THAT WAS WHY THEY HAD THOSE NUMBERS ABOVE ON THE POLES.....SHE OF COURSE SAID "SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO MOVE AND SHE WASN'T GOING TO".....AS THE 3 ADULTS BEHIND OF MYSELF AND I WERE TALKING, WE JUST COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW ABSOLUTELY "STUPID" THESE LADIES WERE. ONE OF THE ADULTS SAID "THEY CHOOSE NOT TO OBEY THE RULES" AND WE WERE JUST AWAITING FOR THE MOMENT WHEN "YOUR GATE AGENT", AFTER RECEIVING THEIR BOARDING PASS WHICH WAS CLEARLY OUT OF LINE FROM A-31 (REMEMBER ITS A53,54) TO STOP THEM AND MAKE THEM WAIT THEIR TURN.............BUT WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT, HE JUST LET THEM THROUGH.............THE GENTLEMEN WHO AGAIN HAD TO WAIT LONGER TO GET ON BOARD, STOPPED AND ASKED THE AGENT "AREN'T YOU SUPPOSE TO DO THIS IN NUMBER ORDER? HE SAID "YEAH"...AND THE GENTLEMEN SAID "THEN WHY DID YOU LET THE NUMBERS 53 ETC ON BEFORE ANYONE ELSE IN THAT ROW ? ALL THE AGENT SAID AGAIN WAS "YEAH" AND TOOK THE NEXT TICKET SO THIS MAN CAN PROCEED ON.........THIS WAS UNCALLED FOR AND ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.....YOU EXSPECT EVERYONE TO ABIDE BY YOUR NEW PROCEDURES, YET YOUR OWN GATE AGENTS AREN'T ABIDING BY THE RULES THAT YOU EXSPECT US TO ABIDE BY...... ITS WRONG AND TO BE HONEST, IT DIDIN'T AFFECT THOSE OF US WHO WERE TICKED BY THIS, AS FAR AS GETTING SEATED WHERE WE WANTED TO, BUT ITS "PRINCIPAL"........HOPEFULLY YOU DO WHAT THAT WORD MEANS............AS THE SCHOOL TEACHER BEHIND OF ME SAID "WHEN WE TEACH OUR KIDS PROJECTS TO DO, WE TELL THEM EVERYONE HAS TO DO THEIR PART, SHOULD ONE NOT DO THEIR PART, THE WHOLE PROJECT FALLS......LIKE A DOMINO AFFECT........YOUR AGENTS NEED TO BE VOCAL, SAY WHAT IS EXSPECTED LOUD AND CLEAR.........THEY NEED TO FLY TO LAS VEGAS, AND WATCH HOW GREAT THOSE AGENTS EXPLAIN WHAT IS EXPECTED, AND IF ANYONE WAS OUT OF LINE, THEY WOULD BE TURNED BACK TO THE VERY END OF THE LINE.........THOSE AGENTS ARE GREAT IN VEGAS AND WE THANK THEM SO MUCH...........NOW, TRAIN THIS "YEAH GUY" IN NEW ORLEANS TO SAY "YES" WHEN ANSWERING A QUESTION, AND TO DO HIS JOB CORRECTLY.............NO EXCUSE GUYS........I SUGGESTED HANDING OUT CARDS FOR US AS YOUR CONSUMERS TO GRADE OUR EXPERIENCES AT THE GATE WITH THE AGENTS, THEN PUTTING IT IN A SEALED BOX AFTER GOING PASS THE AGENT, FOR SOMEONE OTHER THEN THAT AGENT TO COLLECT AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND YOU WILL HEAR EXACTLY WHAT OUR THOUGHTS ARE.....IF YOU'D GIVE ME A NUMBER TO CALL, I'D LOVE TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT IDEAS I HAVE........THIS WAY, FOLKS IN LINE WOULDN'T BE "TICKED" BECAUSE THOSE WHO THINK THEY ARE BENEATH TAKING THEIR TURNS WILL NOT DO SO, WHEN THEY REALIZE THE COST WOULD BE "BOARDING LAST".........I LOVE SOUTHWEST, ITS OUR NUMBER ONE AIRLINE TO TRAVEL ON, BUT IF THESE AGENTS AREN'T DOING WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSE TO (PER YOUR WORDS) THEN SEND THEM ELSEWHERE.....IT'S PRINCIPAL..... WE ARE FLYING AGAIN THIS WEEKEND AND LOOK FORWARD TO IT...

[Robert_Carner]

Good God ~ can our society think of anything else to complain about? Just a piece of advice to all the people out there that have nothing better to complain about these days, everyone on the plane will get from point "A" to point "B" at the same time. Each and every seat is leather and comfortable, the same 3 friendly flight attendants will be serving you, whether you're in row 1 or row 24, window, middle or aisle. Let's be honest, when getting on the road to drive from here to there, do you get to choose what lane you will travel in at all times? The speed you will be able to travel and what vehicles you will travel behind and/or in front of?? Which traffic lights will be green when you approach them rather than red? NO, you just go with the flow and take it as it comes, sooner or later you get to where you want to be. So please, sit back and relax and enjoy the great Southwest hospitality and the free ammenities that most other airlines are now charging for.