Rumors are swirling that Southwest Airlines may solve its lingering Boeing 737 MAX problem by acquiring another airline. I just don’t see it happening. The theory goes something like this. Southwest has over 100 737 MAX on order, with...
Heartwarming: Man Comforts Frightened 96-Year-Old Seatmate
When a 96-year-old woman expressed fear of flying, the “flight angel” sitting next to her offered a helping hand. Megan Ashley, a passenger across the aisle, witnessed the incident and documented it on Facebook. She was flying from San...
Southwest Pilot Reunited With His Father…52 Years Later
Ready for a tragic story with a beautiful ending? Get your tissue ready. Imagine you are five years old. It is 1967 and your father is heading off to war. He had enlisted when he was 17 years old...
By Any Other Name: Southwest’s Seating Charge
Southwest Airlines is not big on fees, they include everything – or that’s what they want you to believe. But isn’t a rose by any other name still a seating charge? I think that’s how it goes… If you...
Southwest Hands United Airlines A Free Gift
As the 737 MAX saga continues, Southwest is really feeling the squeeze. Its latest response is to close its Newark station. Talk about a free gift for United… Southwest has been forced to cancel an escalating number of flights...
Southwest Exclusion of OTAs Costs Business Too
Southwest Airlines is the only scheduled US carrier that does not make its flights available via online travel agencies (OTAs) such as Expedia or Orbitz. They save money on fees, don’t have to compete side-by-side with all of the...
Heartwarming: Southwest Passenger Helps Autistic Seatmate
How about some good news for a change? One man rose to the occasion when presented with a unique note from the seven-year-old seatmate next to him. Little Landon Bjornson had to travel from Las Vegas to Portland to...
Southwest Airlines Passenger Is “Cyberflashed” Onboard
A Southwest Airlines passenger was “cyberflashed” onboard using Apple’s AirDrop technology. But flight attendants handled the issue well. AirDrop is the name given by Apple to technology that allows for the quick transfer of files via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi....
Why United Does Not Fear Southwest Airlines In Hawaii
United believes that Southwest cannot match the quality of United’s service to Hawaii. But that’s not really the point. United CEO Oscar Munoz just returned from a multi-stop Asia Pacific trip that included Seoul, Tokyo, and Hawaii (including Honolulu...
Southwest Still Had Ticket Jackets?!
First it was peanuts. Now it is ticket jackets. As of today, Southwest Airlines will no longer offer a ticket jacket with your boarding pass. Frankly, I’m surprised they’ve lasted this long! I feel like I’ve already lost many...
Southwest Passenger Kicked Off For Making Vodka Joke
This is a really sad story and shows that even customer-friendly Southwest Airlines has power-tripping flight attendants. After a three-hour mechanical delay, a man was ejected after jokingly asking a flight attendant if the water being handed out was...
Southwest: Delta “Squatting” At Dallas Love Field
Tensions are rising over the use of one gate at Dallas Love Field. Southwest claims Delta is illegally “squatting” while Delta claims it must protect Dallas from Southwest. Dallas Love (DAL) has 20 gates. Technically, 18 belong to Southwest...
United’s Diametrically Different Hawaii Strategy Than Southwest
United Airlines and Southwest could not differ more when it comes to how each approaches service to Hawaii. Southwest’s entry into the Hawaiian market has caused ripples. This has concerned some legacy airline employees who fear cutbacks. But for...
Has Southwest Airlines Lost Its LUV?
Southwest Airlines has taken a lot of heat for the way it has handled the unexpected grounding of its Boeing 737 MAX fleet. Many customers are angry and argue that Southwest has acted very much out of character. But...
I’m Not Flying Southwest to Hawaii Even With Companion Pass
Southwest Airlines has started flights to Hawaii, initially offering limited availability as cheap as $99 round-trip. But even with the Companion Pass, I won’t take Southwest to the islands. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit...
United’s Dig At Southwest Airlines
Southwest will shortly commence service between California and Hawaii, but United wants to remind you that there are other choices. The following appeared on United’s Twitter recently: I view the ad as a friendly and good-natured jab, but a...
Southwest’s Hawaii Experiment Is Missing One Essential Ingredient
Southwest is launching service to Hawaii next week but is leaving far too much at the table thanks to its quirky scheduling policies. The problem can be summed up in one word: redeyes. Southwest doesn’t do them and has...
Southwest Wages War Against Its Mechanics
Southwest Airlines has sued its mechanics’ union, alleging that the union is engaging in an illegal work slowdown. For the last few weeks, mechanics have taken far more aircraft out of service than usual, citing maintenance concerns. Southwest has...
Prepare For A Fare War To Hawaii
Southwest Airlines is expected to announce schedules for its new Hawaii service this week. Brace yourselves for a fare war. Southwest already has a dedicated page on its website for Hawaii and hints that a service announcement is imminent....
My Conversation With Southwest’s Herb Kelleher
Southwest founder and Chairman Emeritus Herb Kelleher died last week. I once had a brief conversation with him and reflect on that below. It was 2006 and the U.S. House Transportation Committee was meeting to consider abolishing the 1979...
