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Home  >  Southwest Airlines  >  93% Of Southwest Airlines Employees Vaccinated Or Seeking Exemptions Ahead Of Deadline
Southwest Airlines

93% Of Southwest Airlines Employees Vaccinated Or Seeking Exemptions Ahead Of Deadline

Matthew Klint Posted onDecember 8, 2021 13 Comments

Southwest Airlines Vaccine Mandate

As the federal deadline approaches for federal contractors to get vaccinated, Southwest Airlines has revealed that 93% of its employees are currently in compliance.

Southwest Airlines Reports 93% Compliance Rate One Month Ahead Of Federal Vaccine Deadline

Southwest, like other federal contractors with 100 or more employees, faces a January 4, 2022 deadline for all employees to be vaccinated from COVID-19 or receive an exemption on medial or religious grounds.

In an internal memo leaked to the Dallas Morning News, Southwest provided an update on it vaccination progress. Southwest Emergency Director Steve Goldberg noted:

“We continue to work through accommodation requests received and are pleased to report that the large majority of our compliant employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.”

While the memo noted that about 93% of employees are vaccinated or exempted, it did not detail what percentage or number of employees have sought an exemption.

Small protests continue outside company headquarters at Dallas Love Field, but Southwest CEO Gary Kelly has promised “we’re not going to fire any of our employees over this.”

A Southwest spokesperson clarified:

“We continue to work through accommodation requests as we get closer to the January deadline. As a reminder, those approved for an accommodation will follow additional safety protocols that are in development.”

Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines has outright rejected a vaccine mandate and said that over 90% of employees chose to be exempted anyway. Delta now charges employees a $200/month surcharge if they are unvaccinated and take part in the company health care program. American Airlines notes a “vast majority” of employees have been vaccinated, but offered no specifics. 100% of United employees are vaccinated or exempted after the carrier introduced its own vaccine mandate prior to the federal rule.

While the January 4th deadline remains, the Biden Administration has given airlines (and other companies) broad discretion to enforce its own rules.

CONCLUSION

Southwest Airlines currently boats a 93% compliance rate ahead of the federal vaccination deadline. It is currently unclear what percentage of employees have sought an exemption over the vaccination. Meanwhile, court cases across the nation continue to fight the mandate, with courts in Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee currently placing the feral rule on hold within their jurisdictions.

image: Southwest Airlines

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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13 Comments

  1. Joe Chivas Reply
    December 8, 2021 at 10:46 am

    I’m proud to announce that I’m now transvaccinated. I’m not actually vaccinated, but I self-identify as vaccinated.

    • Desertfox Reply
      December 8, 2021 at 4:30 pm

      Winning reply of the day on the internet!

  2. ECR Reply
    December 8, 2021 at 10:47 am

    “93% OF SOUTHWEST AIRLINES EMPLOYEES VACCINATED OR SEEKING EXEMPTIONS”

    Why are we combining these two categories in one percentage as a headline? Is the goal to get a high number of people seeking exemptions or vaccinated?

    A bit like “90% of people I know are right handed or wife beaters”

    • jm Reply
      December 8, 2021 at 11:09 am

      Because it makes those who are seeking exemption feel all alone as if they are fighting this huge powerful corporation alone. It makes them more likely to risk their health in defiance of their doctor’s advice or to violate their religious beliefs because they’re too scared to take this on alone. It’s a psychological tactic that is very effective. It was a more effective tactic at United Airlines before the formation of AE4HF. Fortunately, Southwest Airlines’ employees are well organized so none of them are fighting alone and they know there is an enormous group of coworkers who have requested exemptions and who are supporting each other.

      It’s also an effective marketing tool to the pro-totalitarian crowd. 93% are vaxxed. 99% are force vaxxed.

      • Acura Reply
        December 8, 2021 at 4:44 pm

        can you band together with Southwest and the other airline employees from Delta, American, and so on?

      • Acura Reply
        December 8, 2021 at 4:49 pm

        Just checked out AE4HF. Very nice. amazing that the three f0unders/leaders are women and captains. Bravo and best wishes.

        https://ae4hf.org/about-us/

  3. Rl Reply
    December 8, 2021 at 12:09 pm

    You are likely intentionally omitting the fact that as of yesterday, U.S. court has temporarily halted Biden’s vaccine mandate for federal contractors nationwide— citing that Biden exceeded his authority— which means that your comment, “the January 4th deadline remains”, is false and renders your article inaccurate and not at all “latest news” as you claim to stick to in your author bio.

    So I ask, why haven’t you included this preceding and very relevant information in your manipulative narrative control piece that’s masked as a sorry excuse for a news story?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      December 8, 2021 at 12:15 pm

      Not intentionally omitting anything. The courts are going back and forth and until we get some clarity from SCOTUS, my guess it we will have Circuit Court splits.

      • Acura Reply
        December 8, 2021 at 3:24 pm

        as of now there have been zero splits. as of yesterday, every single Biden vaccine mandate is currently on hold throughout all fifty states, including federal contractor, OSHA, private employer, and so on.

        • Acura Reply
          December 8, 2021 at 4:46 pm

          https://www.instagram.com/p/CXMQy4yIyEH/

      • JP Lemon Reply
        December 9, 2021 at 11:47 pm

        Hello Matthew, read your article on the Southwest lgb pilot, is there any update on his status, and whether he did say lets go brandon?

        • Matthew Klint Reply
          December 10, 2021 at 7:27 am

          No update at this time.

          • JP Lemon
            December 10, 2021 at 12:48 pm

            Thanks. I hope he keeps his job, but a stupid thing to say if he did. Seems like a long time for a simple investigation. I wonder if they just didn’t disclose their results and action taken. Not worth the blowback from either side.

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