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...
Southwest Denies Boarding…To A Fish
Southwest Airlines refused boarding to a pet fish, forcing a college student to make a difficult choice. Lanice Powless was traveling home to California for the holidays. She is a student at the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs and...
Southwest Airlines 737 Skids Off Runway, But Could Have Been Far Worse
A Southwest Airlines 737 overran the runway at Burbank-Hollywood Airport yesterday, skidding to a halt. But a technological system prevented a far worse disaster. Flight 278 from Oakland to Burbank had 112 passengers and five crew members onboard. No...
Man Gropes Female Passenger, Blames Donald Trump
“The president of the United States says it’s OK to grab women by their private parts.” That’s the rationale Michael Alexander, a Southwest passenger, used to defend his groping of a female passenger on a flight from Houston Hobby to...
Southwest Companion Pass Loses Luster, Value
I have written before about the valuable Southwest Airlines Companion Pass (pass holders can take another passenger with them for free). But its value proposition has lost its luster, we find ourselves using it so rarely because the value...
Passenger Ejected From Southwest Flight For Running Her Racist Mouth
A woman was ejected from a Southwest flight (to the applause of fellow passengers) after embarking on a racist tirade when told to fold up her tray table. I write about these stories, in part, to chronicle poor behavior...
Thank You Southwest For Your Common Sense On Emotional Support Animals
Southwest Airlines has tightened up its rules on emotional support animals and I could not be happier. Starting on September 17, 2018, Southwest Airlines will only accept dogs and cats as emotional support animals onboard. Furthermore, passengers will only...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: July 23, 2018
Greetings from sunny Los Angeles. I’m in a holding pattern this week. I thought I was going to have to leave for Europe tomorrow, but that trip has been postponed. I’m both relieved and disappointed. I never like leaving...
Southwest Challenges American, Delta and United at Hollywood Burbank Airport
As the economy continues to grow and air travel picks up, one of LA’s smaller airports is witnessing a renaissance. While many carriers are adding capacity at Hollywood Burbank Airport, one airline is adding capacity to a tactical assortment...
Exclusive: Same-Sex Couple Accused of Child Trafficking on Southwest Flight, Threatened By Police
Imagine returning from vacation with your granddaughter only to be treated like a criminal thanks to a nosy passenger and a reactionary police officer. Last year I wrote about a man who was falsely accused of human trafficking on...
The End Of An Era At Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines is ditching peanuts, effective August 01, 2018. Health advocates and parents with children allergic to peanuts are rejoicing. Meanwhile, peanut farmers and King Nut (the peanut manufacturer for Southwest) are lamenting. Maybe Jimmy Carter is too. Southwest confirmed...
