Posts about Southwest Airlines
Survey Finds Best & Worst Airlines For Redeeming Rewards Miles
By Chris Morran on May 17, 2012 11:15 AM
23 Comments
It's incredibly easy to pile up airline miles. I think I just earned 400 miles for merely mentioning this fact. But as you may have already discovered, it's not always so simple to actually redeem those miles. A new survey looked at dozens of domestic and international carriers to find which ones were more likely to have seats available for rewards travel. More »
Woman Sues Southwest To Clarify "Customers Of Size" Policy
By Chris Morran on May 4, 2012 12:15 PM
169 Comments
You may remember the story from last year about a woman who was not allowed on a Southwest Airlines flight after allegedly being told she was "too fat to fly." The airline apologized for the incident, but the woman is filing a lawsuit in an attempt to get Southwest to clearly define its "Customers of Size" policy. More »
Southwest Passenger: I Was Detained For 10 Hours Over Nail Polish Squabble
By Chris Morran on March 7, 2012 11:30 AM
144 Comments
Painting your nails on a plane can cause problems. There are the obvious ones like annoying nearby passengers with the fumes, or the potential for spilling nail polish everywhere if you run into some turbulence. And if you get into an argument with the flight attendant, there's apparently the chance you'll be detained for 10 hours when you land. More »
Southwest Confuses Rabbits With Rodents, Won't Let Passenger Board With Bunny
By Chris Morran on March 6, 2012 2:30 PM
148 Comments
Southwest Airlines allows passengers to carry-on Emotional Support Animals, so long as the passenger provides the required documentation, the animal is trained to not freak out on a crowded plane and the passenger isn't seated in an emergency exit seat. But at least one Southwest staffer not only decided this allowance does not extend to rodents — he also mistakenly believes that rabbits are rodents. More »
Southwest Airlines Wins One Round In Lawsuit Over Free Drink Coupons
By Mary Beth Quirk on March 6, 2012 10:00 AM
18 Comments
Southwest Airlines had a small triumph in the lawsuit against it over free drink coupons for alcoholic drinks with no expiration dates printed on them. A judge ruled that federal airline law pre-empts claims against Southwest of unjust enrichment and violating state consumer fraud laws. More »
(afagen)
Southwest Pilot Wishes Happy Birthday To "Mom On Board," Passengers Hear "Bomb On Board"
By Chris Morran on February 27, 2012 11:15 AM
54 Comments
We have no idea why anyone would think a pilot was saying "happy birthday" to a "bomb on board" a plane, but that's exactly what some passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight from Baltimore to Long Island thought they heard on Friday. More »
(hilarynh)
Who Put This Stupid Light Pole In The Way Of My Southwest Flight?
By Chris Morran on January 30, 2012 2:15 PM
41 Comments
Earlier this morning, a Southwest Airlines flight made it all the way from Los Angeles to Denver without any apparent incident. That is, until the huge Boeing 737 managed to clip a light pole. More »
Here Are Consumerist's 10 Most-Read Stories For 2011
By consumerist.com on December 30, 2011 5:00 PM
23 Comments
In the last twelve months, we've posted more than 6,000 stories on Consumerist, some of which have garnered a bit more attention than others. More »
(dmuth)
Country Star Escorted Off Southwest Flight
By Phil Villarreal on December 6, 2011 8:00 AM
44 Comments
Country music star John Rich — formerly half of the duo Big & Rich — was escorted off a Southwest Airlines flight Sunday from Las Vegas to Nashville before it took off. More »
TSA Thinks Fake Gun On Your Handbag Is A Security Threat
By Chris Morran on December 2, 2011 3:15 PM
107 Comments
While gun replicas have been outlawed on planes since 2002, should that include miniature designs of pistols that are part of your handbag? This is the question that vexed a teenager who was stopped by TSA agents and told that her weaponized handbag was some sort of illegal security risk. More »
Southwest Passenger Says Airline Owes Him 45 Free Drinks
By Chris Morran on November 17, 2011 11:15 AM
62 Comments
Once upon a time (i.e., up until August 2010), people who bought Business Select tickets on Southwest Airlines flights were treated to free drink coupons that didn't have an expiration date and could be used at a later date if the passenger didn't feel like tippling on the day of the initial flight. But now that these coupons are only good for the date of issue, one Southwest traveler with a stockpile of now-useless paper is suing the carrier. More »
Southwest Passenger Uses Craigslist To Track Down Stolen Laptop
By Chris Morran on November 3, 2011 12:30 PM
77 Comments
This story is useful in two ways. First, as an example of how you can utilize freely available online tools to help yourself when others won't. And second, as yet another example of why you should never, ever check your laptop on a flight. More »
Pushing Your Way Onto A Plane Without A Ticket Is A Good Way To Get Arrested
By Chris Morran on October 27, 2011 10:15 AM
75 Comments
Usually when we write about the cops being called to an airplane, it involves a ticketed passenger being forcibly removed from the jet. But in a nice change of pace, here's the story of a man who allegedly thought he could just push his way onto a Southwest flight sans ticket. More »
(delfuego)
AirTran To Require Some Overweight Passengers To Buy Second Seat
By Chris Morran on October 12, 2011 1:15 PM
162 Comments
Now that AirTran is a subsidiary of Southwest Airlines, it looks like the carrier will be adopting Southwest's controversial policy of requiring that "customers of size" purchase a second seat. More »
George Takei May Protest Southwest Airlines For Scolding L-Word Actress
By Ben Popken on September 28, 2011 2:00 PM
67 Comments
Earlier this week, Leisha Hailey, actress and former star of the Showtime's The L Word, was reprimanded by a Southwest Airlines flight attendant for sharing a kiss with her partner while onboard the aircraft. Earlier today, George Takei, actor and former helmsman of the USS Enterprise, mock threatened to stage a protest in response during his next Southwest Airlines flight. More »
'L Word' Actress Says She Was Scolded By Southwest Staff For Kissing Girlfriend
By Chris Morran on September 27, 2011 1:17 PM
163 Comments
Leisha Hailey, actress and former star of the Showtime's The L Word says she was given a talking-to from a Southwest Airlines flight attendant after the employee deemed a smooch between the actress and her girlfriend was unfriendly for the family environment. More »
Southwest Deletes Entire $140 Credit Because $10 Of It Was Too Old
By Chris Morran on September 9, 2011 3:15 PM
32 Comments
Southwest Airlines has a policy where "unused, fully refundable tickets that do not carry restrictions may be applied toward future travel or refunded within one year from the date of issue." Unfortunately, something this policy doesn't state is that you apparently lose that entire credit if even a small portion of that original ticket was purchased using an old credit. More »
(Photo: Luisdaniel reyna)
Guy From Green Day Kicked Off Southwest Because Of Saggy Pants
By Meg Marco on September 3, 2011 1:15 PM
200 Comments
Add "saggy pants" to list of reasons you, or your favorite celebrity, can get kicked off Southwest Airlines. Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong objected to being told to pull up his pants by a flight attendant, and, according to an eyewitness who happens to be a producer for ABC 7 in San Francisco, the dispute resulted in both Mr. Armstrong and his companion being asked to leave the aircraft. More »
Airlines Waiving Re-Booking Fees With Hurricane Irene On The Way
By Chris Morran on August 25, 2011 4:15 PM
24 Comments
A really nasty woman named Irene is about to swoop in from the tropics and potentially screw up air travel for everyone. So in advance of the hurricane, many airlines are playing nice with their re-booking fees and policies for flights to and from destinations affected by the storm. More »
Will Airlines Roll Back Fare Hikes Now That The FAA Can Collect Taxes Again?
By Chris Morran on August 5, 2011 2:23 PM
31 Comments
Immediately after a standoff in Congress left the FAA without the authority to collect taxes on airfares, almost every major airline moved to jack up their ticket prices. But now that the shutdown has ended — at least temporarily — will the airlines respond by lowering prices to where they were before? More »
Citing Fuel Costs, Southwest Will Cut Flights Next Year
By Phil Villarreal on August 5, 2011 9:45 AM
27 Comments
Fliers in smaller markets could have fewer options next year if Southwest Airlines follows through on plans to brace itself from rising fuel costs by dropping routes. More »
40 Of 100 Most-Delayed Flights Take Off Or Land In Newark
By Chris Morran on August 4, 2011 1:15 PM
29 Comments
If you're reading this story on your laptop or smartphone while waiting for a flight to or from Newark International Airport, we have some good and bad news. On one hand, there's a decent chance your flight will be delayed. On the other, you'll have plenty of time to file a complaint with the airline, airport and FAA. More »
Southwest Passenger: I Was Removed From Plane For Crying, Asking For Wine
By Chris Morran on July 29, 2011 12:45 PM
72 Comments
A woman who was trying to fly from Oakland to Dallas, where her father had just suffered a heart attack, says she and her sister were removed from a Southwest Airlines flight because the flight attendant misinterpreted the passenger's tearful request for a glass of wine. More »
Delta, Continental, Others Jack Up Fares After Federal Tax Takes Vacation
By Chris Morran on July 25, 2011 7:30 AM
56 Comments
As we reported last week, the inability for Congress to come to terms on a bill that would extend the FAA's operating authority means that airlines are not currently charging federal taxes on airfares. But if you're not seeing any difference in the final price of your ticket, that's because most airlines have increased their fares since Saturday. More »
Unable To Get Nicotine Fix, Southwest Passenger Resorts To Throwing Peanuts & Pretzels At Flight Attendants
By Chris Morran on July 14, 2011 9:15 AM
92 Comments
A passenger on board a Southwest Airlines flight from L.A. to Salt Lake City was arrested earlier this week after he allegedly hurled bags of snacks at flight attendants to express his frustration over being unable to inhale fumes from an electronic cigarette. More »
Airlines Can't Convince Court They Are Being Overcharged For TSA Screening
By Chris Morran on July 6, 2011 8:37 AM
47 Comments
Even though the screeners at airport security checkpoints in the U.S. are employees of the Transportation Security Administration and those fancy new see-through-your-clothes machines are technically paid for by the feds, the airlines still have to fork over hundreds of millions of dollars per year for security theater. Several of them claim the TSA is overcharging to the tune of $115 million. An appeals court disagrees. More »
Southwest Flight Attendants May Sue Over Pilot's "Gays, Grannies & Grandes" Rant
By Chris Morran on June 23, 2011 5:15 PM
151 Comments
Yesterday, an unnamed Southwest Airlines pilot made headlines when it was discovered he'd accidentally broadcast his complaints about the lack of straight, slender, young hotties working as flight attendants for the airline to Houston air traffic control and anyone else listening in. Not surprisingly, the attendants — regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation or bangability — are not pleased. More »
Southwest Pilot Suspended For Ranting Over The Radio That He Can't Date Gay, Old & Fat Flight Attendants
By Chris Morran on June 22, 2011 12:40 PM
105 Comments
While Southwest Airlines might be tops in customer satisfaction, at least one of its pilots is dissatisfied with his employer's lack of sexy stewardesses. And now that pilot has been suspended after his profanity-filled rant on the topic was broadcast from the cockpit. More »
Southwest Tells Mother & Daughter They're Too Fat To Fly, Apologizes
By Mary Beth Quirk on May 16, 2011 8:00 AM
209 Comments
Southwest doesn't care if you're say, a celebrity like director Kevin Smith or a normal, innocent mother/daughter duo. If they think you're too fat to fly, they'll tell you so, and in this most recent case, they'll tell you in an embarrassing manner in front of a crowd of people at the airport. More »
Man Arrested At Airport After Swearing At Flight Crew
By Phil Villarreal on April 20, 2011 10:15 AM
62 Comments
Note to flyers: If you've got a beef with flight attendants, try not to cuss them out, because losing your temper could lead to your detention and arrest. More »
Check Out Your Airline's Safety Records Online Before You Fly
By Mary Beth Quirk on April 6, 2011 12:30 PM
20 Comments
Are you tired of waiting for those scary headlines to hit detailing safety failures to find out about an airline's safety records? For those spooked by Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300 forced to make an emergency landing when a hole torn open in its fuselage mid-flight, there are a few things you can do to check things out before booking and boarding. More »
Airline Employees Really Don't Care That You Left Your iPad On The Plane
By Laura Northrup on April 5, 2011 11:00 AM
189 Comments
If there's anything I've learned over the last year of reading the stories that our readers send in to The Consumerist, it's this: the seat-back pouches on airplanes are the perfect place to stash your iPad during a flight, then never see it again. This apparently happens to a surprising number of people, but Amin thought he was lucky: he noticed that his was missing only twenty minutes after getting off the plane. This meant that he could rush back and perhaps recover the iPad before the plane took off again. Except...well, we're posting this story, so you can probably guess what happened next. More »
FAA Calls For Mandatory Inspection Of Older Boeing 737s
By Chris Morran on April 5, 2011 3:19 AM
19 Comments
Following this past weekend's incident in which a Southwest Airlines jet suddenly got a sunroof when a hole opened up in the plane's fuselage and the subsequent finding of problematic cracking on at least three other Southwest jets, the FAA is set to require inspections of around 175 older Boeing 737s. More »
Cracks Found In Three More Southwest Jets
By Chris Morran on April 4, 2011 5:03 AM
31 Comments
It has not been a good weekend for Southwest Airlines. The carrier grounded dozens of planes and canceled hundreds of flights after a hole opened up in the fuselage of a plane in mid-flight on Friday. Investigators subsequently found widespread cracking in that plane. And now comes news that cracks have been found in at least three more Southwest jets. More »
(Reuters)
Widespread Cracking Found In Southwest Plane Forced To Make Emergency Landing
By Mary Beth Quirk on April 3, 2011 8:28 PM
14 Comments
Safety inspectors have found what they describe as "widespread cracking" and fatigue on the fuselage of the Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 forced to make an emergency landing Friday when a large hole opened in the cabin mid-flight. More »
CNN
Southwest Grounding 79 Planes After Hole Opens In Fuselage Mid-Flight
By Mary Beth Quirk on April 2, 2011 4:35 PM
61 Comments
Southwest Airlines announced today that they are grounding 79 planes after 3- to 4-foot hole opened in the fuselage of one its planes mid-flight, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing. More »
Sale Of AirTran To Southwest One Step Closer To Being A Done Deal
By Chris Morran on March 25, 2011 10:15 AM
22 Comments
Overshadowed by last year's relatively rapid merger of United and Continental was the sale of AirTran to Southwest. That sale is now one big step away from completion after AirTran shareholders approved the deal earlier this week. More »
Southwest Apologizes For Booting Muslim Woman From Flight
By Chris Morran on March 18, 2011 2:15 PM
93 Comments
Earlier this week, I took part in a panel discussion at SXSW on "The Legal Ramifications Of Saying 'I'm Sorry,'" along with a senior executive from Southwest Airlines who explained why his company believes it's best to be proactive about apologizing to customers when a mistake has been made. A few days later, Southwest was given the chance to make good on its claim. More »
Get Your Airline Ticket Changed For Free Because Of Massive Midwest Storm
By Ben Popken on January 31, 2011 9:26 PM
37 Comments
The Superbowl of storms is headed for the Midwest with 20" snow and 45 mph winds predicted for Chicago. Thankfully, a lot of airlines are waiving their usual ticket change fees for travelers who could be affected. 3,000 flights have already been canceled in advance of the potentially deadly weather. Don't go to the airport to see if you can make your flight, don't get stuck in an airport, stay home, stay over at your friend's house an extra day or two, and take advantage of this leniency. Here are links to the various airlines and their waiver and winter update pages and policies: More »
Southwest Pilot Holds Plane For Murdered Child's Family
By Ben Popken on January 12, 2011 1:00 PM
198 Comments
Elliott.org has the incredible story of a grandfather who was trying to race through the airport to get to the hospital to say goodbye to his 3-year old grandson who being taken off life support after being body-slammed by his daughter's live-in boyfriend. Despite getting to the airport early, long lines were going to make him late for the plane and all the TSA drones couldn't give a damn. Finally through security, he ran through the airport in his socks, clutching his shoes, before arriving, gasping at the Southwest gate—12 minutes late. More »
Southwest's New Frequent Flier Program Rewards Biz Travelers Over Hoi Polloi
By Ben Popken on January 10, 2011 1:00 PM
31 Comments
If air travel was a multi-player video-game, you would call Southwest's new "Rapid Rewards" frequent flier program "adjusting the game balance." In this case, the "Pinstripe" class is getting favorably tweaked at "Joe Sixpack" class's expense. More »
Southwest, JetBlue Fly High In Zagat Airline Survey
By Chris Morran on November 30, 2010 1:40 PM
17 Comments
For the 20th year in a row, the people at Zagat have done a survey of passengers on the major domestic and international airlines. And by the looks of it, travelers are much more pleased with the likes of Southwest, JetBlue and Virgin than they are the old-timers like United, Delta and American. More »
Some Airlines Jettisoning First Class Seats
By Ben Popken on October 20, 2010 10:00 AM
57 Comments
Global austerity has lead some airlines to chuck first class seats out the air lock. More »
Southwest Damages Suitcase, Not As Awesome As Everyone Claims
By Laura Northrup on October 14, 2010 9:00 AM
75 Comments
Sure, you don't have to pay to check your luggage on Southwest. Tara tells Consumerist that after her new suitcase was stained and broken while in Southwest's hands, and she'd rather pay to check a bag that survives the trip intact. The airline says it's their policy not to repair or replace suitcases damaged in transit. They've offered her a $100 voucher for future flights. Tara, who tried Southwest based on positive comments from Consumerist readers, isn't interested in flying with them again. More »
Southwest Finishes Dead Last In On-Time Arrivals
By Ben Popken on October 13, 2010 2:00 PM
61 Comments
Among the biggest domestic carriers, Southwest finished at the bottom of the heap in on-time arrivals for September, according to Flightstats. This is surprising as the carrier usually performs well. Here are the overall rankings for the big birds: More »
What Does Southwest Buying Air-Tran Mean For Consumers?
By Ben Popken on September 27, 2010 11:00 AM
61 Comments
So, what are the consumer repercussions of the surprise acquisition of AirTran by fellow low-fare airline Southwest? Airfarewatchdog's George Hobica is worried that fewer competitors, especially at this price point, will mean that Southwest and other airlines will have less pressure to keep fares low. He also expects more mergers on the horizon. More »
How Do Airlines Compare On Fees?
By Chris Walters on September 27, 2010 9:00 AM
7 Comments
It's hard to keep track of all the extra fees airlines have invented to pad a ticket purchase, especially since they keep introducing new ones; USA TODAY says revenue from added fees have jumped nearly 16% from a year ago. The newspaper reviewed fees from 13 airlines in the U.S. and compiled this handy reference chart of current fee schedules, to make comparison shopping a little bit easier. As expected, Southwest continues to be one of the best values. More »
(Jay Adan)
Southwest Buys Air-Tran
By Ben Popken on September 27, 2010 8:56 AM
43 Comments
Overweight people wearing rude tshirts or skimpy clothes will soon have fewer flying options, now that Southwest Airlines is buying Air-Tran. The deal was announced this morning and comes a week after Continental and United Airlines merged. Southwest will get more access to places like New York, Boston, Baltimore, Washington, and expand into places like Atlanta for the first time. More »
Strip Club Nearly Blinds Southwest Pilots At Love Field
By Chris Walters on September 6, 2010 9:00 AM
32 Comments
Strip clubs and cockpits don't mix, at least not when there's a spinning search light involved, says the FAA. The agency has asked Bombshells, a club near Love Field Airport in Dallas, TX, to keep its newly installed rooftop light turned off after the pilot for a Southwest flight reported his cockpit was flooded with light while trying to land the plane. The pilot feared that it was a laser strike, which can cause temporary blindness. More »
Southwest Also Breaks Guitars
By Laura Northrup on September 3, 2010 9:30 AM
36 Comments
Brian hasn't written a song about it yet, but he tells Consumerist that Southwest Airlines broke his guitar. However, they won't take responsibility for the situation because the case wasn't broken More »
Justice Dept. Clears Way For Continental-United Merger
By Chris Morran on August 30, 2010 5:24 AM
28 Comments
The marriage between Continental and United Airlines got one huge step closer to happening on Friday when investigators at the Justice Department wrapped up their four-month inquiry into the merger and offered its blessing. More »
American Airlines: Passengers Are Happier When We Apologize For Screw-Ups Than When Things Go As Planned
By Chris Morran on August 25, 2010 2:15 PM
46 Comments
Think about the all the flights you've taken in your life. Which ones are most memorable — The ones where you took off on time and landed as scheduled, or the ones where you slept at the gate while waiting 10 hours before having to make an unscheduled pit stop in Ireland for refueling? And according to an executive at American Airlines, customers are happier when a bad situation ends well than they are when things go as planned. More »
Southwest Flight Attendant Changes Her Story About Taking Crying Baby From Mom
By Chris Morran on August 20, 2010 9:45 AM
54 Comments
Remember how there was much confusion over exactly what happened with the crying baby who was reportedly taken from her mother during a Southwest Airlines flight? The police said the flight attendant took the baby to the back of the plane, while a Southwest rep said she just offered to hold the baby for a second. Now, the attendant is saying she "made a mistake," but it wasn't her actions that were mistaken, it was what she originally told police. More »
Southwest Flight Attendant Takes Screaming Baby From Arguing Parents
By Laura Northrup on August 18, 2010 7:17 AM
129 Comments
What, exactly, happened on a recent Southwest Airlines flight from Dallas to Albuquerque? Did a thoughtful flight attendant give a restless baby a change of scenery while her parents argued, or was the airline employee out of line to remove a screaming child from her parents and notify police on the ground of a suspected abuse case? Even those who were on the plane aren't sure. More »
Woman Says Southwest Refused To Serve Her Alcohol, Wouldn't Say Why
By Chris Walters on August 17, 2010 9:30 AM
178 Comments
Angel says she hadn't had any alcohol before getting on her Southwest Airlines flight last week, but for some reason the flight attendant decided—after first taking her order—that she felt "uncomfortable" serving Angel her vodka and Coke. More »
Kids Fly (Permission) Free On Southwest
By Phil Villarreal on August 16, 2010 9:15 AM
72 Comments
In a story that's just begging to be optioned as a Home Alone movie, a trio of Florida kids, the oldest age 15, managed to pay cash for tickets and fly to Tennessee without getting permission from their parents. The kids were able to make their own way without being any members of Southwest's staff interceding. More »
(jayRaz)
Southwest Forces Standby Flier Off Plane To Free Two Seats For Passenger Of Size
By Laura Northrup on July 25, 2010 4:45 PM
166 Comments
The Sacramento Bee reported yesterday that Southwest Airlines removed a standby passenger from a plane after boarding in order to make room for a late-arriving passenger who required two seats but had only purchased one. So why didn't Southwest follow its own famed "Passenger of Size" policy and make the passenger unable to fit in a single seat wait? It's sort of a reverse of Kevin Smith's famous removal from a flight on Southwest this past February. More »
Your Complete Big-Ass Guide To Annoying Airline Fees
By Chris Morran on July 14, 2010 4:25 PM
45 Comments
As reported earlier today, the Government Accountability Office thinks airlines could do a lot more to be transparent about the fees they charge. And buried about 45 pages deep in the GAO's report are two very helpful tables detailing fees for checked bags and other items that U.S.-based airlines charge extra for. More »
(AComment)
Woman Kicked Off Plane For Unruly Behavior, Goes Back To Airport To Be Even More Disruptive
By Chris Morran on July 12, 2010 3:15 PM
57 Comments
A female passenger on a Southwest Airlines flight threw her name into consideration for Most Aggressively Annoying Person On Earth over the weekend. Not only did she cause her flight to make an unscheduled landing, she later returned to the airport to wreak even more havoc. More »
Southwest Celebrates 39th Birthday With $39 Fares
By Chris Morran on June 22, 2010 2:15 PM
21 Comments
Southwest Airlines, which doesn't look a day over 35, is celebrating its 39th birthday this week with a 3-day sale, offering fares as low as $39 each way for travel between Sept. 8 and Nov. 17. More »
(kalleboo)
Frequent Flier Miles Easier To Earn, Harder To Use
By Chris Morran on June 21, 2010 4:30 PM
22 Comments
For anyone wanting to earn reward miles on their favorite airline, the options are many. Your credit and debit cards can earn miles, so can taking online surveys or taking part in experimental drug trials (okay, not that last one). But while it's becoming increasingly easy to accrue miles, it's becoming more difficult to actually cash them in. More »
Southwest Airlines Intercepts Shipment Containing Human Heads
By Chris Morran on June 17, 2010 2:15 PM
58 Comments
An employee at Southwest Airlines pulled a package from its shipping list because it hadn't been labeled properly. But wait, it gets better. Inside the package was a few dozen human heads and parts of human heads. More »
Airlines' Approval Ratings Rise
By Chris Walters on June 8, 2010 12:56 PM
10 Comments
You love the airlines now! Or at least, you don't hate them any worse than you did back in 2007, according to a new survey released by J.D. Power & Associates. More »
Sorry Your Flight Was Diverted, But Have Some Pizza
By Phil Villarreal on May 27, 2010 10:44 AM
52 Comments
When a Southwest flight from Fort Lauderdale to Denver was diverted last week, stranding passengers in Pueblo, Colo. for a couple hours, the pilot ordered pizza for all the passengers. True, it was Little Caesar's, but it's the thought that counts, right? More »
Huff Post Ranks Airlines On Safety Records
By Chris Walters on May 25, 2010 12:07 PM
21 Comments
Even the Huffington Post admits that their Safest U.S. Airlines list is a bit unnecessary, considering the excellent safety records of everyone on the list. Still, it's fun to rank things, so that's what they did. U.S. Airways and JetBlue came in near the top, while Delta, United and Continental came in at the bottom. Regardless, you're likely to remain alive after a flight on any of them. More »
Southwest Sent My Flight Confirmation To Someone, But It Wasn't Me
By Laura Northrup on May 13, 2010 11:00 AM
64 Comments
If you like to use a plus sign to create unique addresses in Gmail or another mail system for filtering, spam tracking, or other purposes, don't try it with Southwest Airlines. Instead of returning an error, Southwest will simply fling your message into the ether, never to be heard from again. More »
Watch Boeing Build A Plane For Southwest
By Chris Walters on April 27, 2010 8:37 AM
32 Comments
This time-lapse video of a Boeing manufacturing facility is pretty awesome, if you're into watching "how it's made" type stuff or if you like to see sped-up footage of people. I recommend keeping the volume down and making up your own sound effects starting at 1:03, when employees begin to test everything on the plane. More »
(opacity)
Hawaiian Airlines Tops Quality Study, American Eagle Falls Flat
By Chris Morran on April 13, 2010 5:28 PM
39 Comments
For the second year in a row, Hawaiian Airlines has topped a study that ranks 18 commercial carriers according to a formula that accounts for everything from on-time arrivals/departures to baggage handling to customer complaints. On the bottom end of the rankings was American Eagle. More »
AirTran Makes Fun Of Southwest Seating In Commercial
By Chris Walters on March 31, 2010 12:20 PM
56 Comments
If you've ever been part of the mad dash for seats on a Southwest Airlines flight, you might find this video from AirTran funny. In it, mooing passengers race down the jetway while a Southwest employee makes ridiculous jokes. Meanwhile, AirTran serves its assigned-seat passengers Kool-Aid. Wait, now I'm confused about who's being mocked here. More »
What's The Best Airline For Bringing My Bike?
By Chris Morran on March 5, 2010 4:18 PM
19 Comments
After yesterday's story about cyclists being unhappy with United's exorbitant fee to check bikes on their planes, the folks over at Bicycling wrote to share their breakdown of the best and worst airlines for when you're taking your wheels with you. More »
Kevin Smith Is Now Synonymous With "Too Fat To Fly On A Plane"
By Chris Morran on March 5, 2010 3:15 PM
61 Comments
After the whole Kevin Smith got booted from a Southwest flight for being too fat (or maybe not) thing, the director's name has quickly become synonymous with being overweight. Just ask the folks at the Jersey City Synergy Fitness. More »
Kevin Smith Says He Is Not Too Fat To Fly Southwest
By Phil Villarreal on February 16, 2010 9:00 AM
99 Comments
Filmmaker Kevin Smith was thrown off a Southwest flight for taking up too much space, according to the airline, which has admitted communication errors led to the incident. Smith says he fit in his seat easily and was unfairly singled out. After telling his side of the story via Twitter in piecemeal fashion over the past couple days, Smith finally channeled his story into a cohesive blog post. More »
Filmmaker Kevin Smith Kicked Off Southwest Flight For Being Too Fat
By Laura Northrup on February 14, 2010 2:30 AM
292 Comments
Every so often Southwest Airlines arbitrarily and incorrectly decides that someone is too fat to fly in a single seat. These are people who have regularly flown Southwest in the past and can fit themselves in one seat without a problem. Prior to now, none were cult celebrities with more than a million and a half Twitter followers and a smartphone. Then an air captain declared filmmaker Kevin Smith a "safety risk," and all hell broke loose. Update: Southwest has responded. More »
WiFi Taking Flight At Southwest Later This Year
By Phil Villarreal on February 1, 2010 8:30 AM
27 Comments
Southwest Airlines plans to add WiFi in the second quarter of this year, the Chicago Tribune reports: More »
(Photo: The Joy Of The Mundane)
Southwest: Here's $150, Forgive Us For Suspecting Your Baby Was 2
By Phil Villarreal on December 18, 2009 8:00 AM
137 Comments
Southwest sent out a peace offering to Kris, the woman who was reduced to tears when a Southwest check-in agent stopped her from bringing her 7-month infant onto the plane because she couldn't prove his age. More »
Videodrome #3: Paper Puppet Reenactments Of Removed YouTubes
By Ben Popken on December 14, 2009 11:32 AM
22 Comments
Faster! Leaner! Meaner! Ben Popken rounds up Consumerist.com's top stories of the week, from psychotic stewardesses to deadly foreclosures. This week we introduce a new feature: printing out the internet and turning it into a puppet show.
(Photo:zonaphoto)
UPDATED: Southwest Demanded Proof My Infant Wasn't 2
By Phil Villarreal on December 9, 2009 10:30 AM
206 Comments
Kris says the Southwest Airlines check-in desk gave her all sorts of hell when she tried to check herself and her 7-month-old baby boy onto a flight. The clerk at first refused to give up her ticket because she didn't have proof of the baby's age, then relented only after 10 minutes of arguing. More »
(Photo: jyri)
Southwest Flight Forced To Land After In-Flight Entertainment Turns Out To Be A Live Birth
By Chris Walters on December 4, 2009 4:13 PM
102 Comments
A Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago to Salt Lake City was forced to land in Denver this morning, after a passenger on the flight surprised everyone by producing a baby in mid-air. More »
Southwest Airlines Will Save $100,000 By Getting Rid Of Lemons
By Meg Marco on September 18, 2009 4:25 PM
94 Comments
—>Limes are cheaper than lemons and passengers seem to prefer them — giving Southwest airlines an opportunity to drop the yellow menace and save $100,000. More »
Want To Cut The Boarding Line On Southwest Airlines? That'll Be $10
By Laura Northrup on September 4, 2009 1:00 PM
98 Comments
—>Do you know what the airline industry really needs about now? More fees! Luckily, Southwest Airlines is happy to oblige. They're now charging a $10 fee to customers who want to board the plane before everyone else. More »
Southwest Suddenly Decides Frequent Flyer Is Too Big To Fly
By Meg Marco on June 22, 2009 4:44 PM
149 Comments
This is reader Chip. He's 6'1" and says he flies twice a week for business, without incident, on Southwest Airlines. He is a self-described "big guy" but says he doesn't have any problem sitting in an airplane seat — and doesn't need a seat belt extender to do so. So, why did he suddenly get stopped at the gate and told he needed to buy a second ticket? More »
This Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant Is Really Concerned About Your Sugar Intake
By Chris Walters on May 29, 2009 9:00 PM
166 Comments
—>Of all the weird encounters to have on an airplane, we never would have expected to have a flight attendant point out just how bad a full can of soda is for you. That's what happened to Laura, though. More »
Video: Shuffle Fun Shuffle Shuffle Fun Shuffle Fun Fun Shuffle Fun Fun Shuffle Just Plane Fun!
By Ben Popken on January 13, 2009 10:45 PM
30 Comments
—>Here's an internal pep video for Southwest Airlines from the 80's. It's got representatives from each part of the company rapping about their roles (do this do that we never get hairy we do it for you because we're your secretary), with an interstitial chorus singing "Shuffle fun shuffle shuffle fun shuffle fun fun shuffle fun fun shuffle just plane fun" on my elementary schools' auditorium stage while employees run around in plush airplane costumes. After about 9 minutes of that, it finally culminates in some sort of motivational orgy with singing and jiving and the CEO strutting around and the strobe lights flash and quick edits and a cascade of balloons drops from the ceilings and I can't take it anymore. I think if I step on a Southwest Airlines plane again I'll fall to the floor in like a PTSD-induced epileptic seizure... of excellent customer service! Video, inside, if you dare... More »
Southwest Reduces Airfare On 56 Destinations From Minneapolis
By Ben Popken on November 6, 2008 3:35 PM
17 Comments
—>Last night, Southwest reduced airfare on 56 destination going to and from Minneapolis, starting March 9, 2009. Look for this to set off a nice pricewar that will benefit travelers' pocketbooks. For instance, their new one-way between Minneapolis and Chicago will be $69. Farecompare's Rick Seaney predicts that the legacy airlines will react by slashing prices, adding flights, and possibly dropping those dread 2 night minimum stay round trip fares in favor of straight one-ways. Rick says he'll be posting a total airfare schedule rundown later today on his blog, rickseaney.com. More »
Do The Math, Southwest: 25-Minute Layover, 20-Minute Security Screening
By Ben Popken on September 25, 2008 4:55 PM
74 Comments
...I flew from Sacramento to the connection hub in San Diego, where I had a 25 minute layover. While I would not have chosen a 25-minute layover,Southwest doesn't give you your flight times until you've booked....the two gates were in separate parts of the building, separated by security... More »
Oil! Airlines Issue Open Letter Asking You To Help Them Lobby Congress
By Meg Marco on July 10, 2008 5:59 PM
135 Comments
—>In a letter signed by 12 CEOs, the US air travel industry has called upon you, their customers, to help them lobby congress. What's the problem that they need help solving? Oil speculation. Read the letter inside. More »
Southwest Will Give Refund To The Family That Was Too Unruly To Fly
By Meg Marco on July 8, 2008 2:25 PM
150 Comments
—>Southwest Airlines said that they will be giving a refund to the family it considered too "threatening" to make their connection to Seattle. KPHO says Wendy Slaughter will receive a full refund for their six one-way tickets from Detroit to Seattle via Phoenix. More »
Beware Of Buying Airline Tickets On Craigslist
By consumerist.com on April 14, 2008 12:15 PM
51 Comments
—>If you buy airline tickets on Craigslist, you could find yourself paying for the tickets twice, thanks to this latest scam. Elliot blogs the story of a William Marleua, who who bought Southwest airline tickets from someone on Craigslist. Four months after taking the flight, a Southwest collections specialist called him and told him to pay up. Turns out the original tickets were bought using a stolen credit card, and then the real owner of the credit card disputed the charge. Here's what Southwest said about the situation, "Southwest has never been paid for the flight Mr. Marleau took. It is our business policy to collect payment from the person who flew....It's a difficult situation, but we cannot protect a customer who chooses to make a questionable purchase on Craigslist for a Southwest Airlines flight." More »
Too Sexy For Southwest Airlines Woman Poses Nude
By Meg Marco on November 16, 2007 2:36 PM
85 Comments
—>Too sexy for Southwest Airlines, Kyla Ebbert is a perfect fit for Playboy.
"Kyla Ebbert appears in a series of pictures — some in lingerie, some nude — under the heading, "Legs in the Air." More »
Southwest Airlines Tries To Make Passenger Change "Masterbaiter" Shirt
By consumerist.com on October 5, 2007 7:15 PM
76 Comments
—>Southwest again tried to make a passenger change his clothes and again has been forced to apologize, reports the St. Petersburg Times. Flight attendants asked Joe Winiecki, 39, to remove a shirt promoting "Captn. Jack Hoff', MasterBaiter," a fictional fish store located in the "Virgin Islands." More »
"Presumably The Flight Crew Was In Montreal"
By consumerist.com on March 6, 2007 11:34 PM
27 Comments
—>Noreastern is miffed because his connecting US Air flight was canceled due to weather. Thing is, he was flying from Philly to Ohio, and it was snowing in neither of these two places. More »
Southwest Nearly Lets Liver Transplant Patient Die Because He Wouldn't Buy 2nd Ticket
By consumerist.com on January 24, 2007 5:32 PM
95 Comments
Southwest Knows When It Made BooBoo
By consumerist.com on September 28, 2006 3:23 PM
15 Comments
Wanda flew Southwest Airlines to Pittsburgh to see a Mets game. The departing flight was delayed four and half hours and the return, a half hour. More »
Southwest Airlines Assigned Seating Leads to Pandemonium
By consumerist.com on July 11, 2006 9:56 AM
3 Comments
—>Southwest Airlines has been thinking about changing its open seating policy for assigned seating. This isn't about convenience or altruism: rather, it's about trying to cram as many people into a plane as quickly as possible, reducing the turn-around time between when a flight lands to when it takes off again. More »
Southwest Airlines Sues To Keep Seating Inconvenient
By consumerist.com on June 8, 2006 5:14 PM
6 Comments
—>If you're a Southwest Airlines flier and want the best seats, an entire cottage industry has sprung up. You enter your Southwest Airlines account and password into sites like boardfirst.com, apassonly.com or alineonline.com will automatically check you in online the second Southwest Airlines starts accepting seat reservations. It costs about $5 bucks per use... an excellent deal if you really want to get that extra leg room near the emergency exit door. More »
Southwest and the Airtravel Realities We're Ignoring
By consumerist.com on March 15, 2006 5:14 PM
4 Comments
—>Steve reminds us why we love our readers by penning a nice and cogent op-ed on why "the current low fares are going to run one or two of the legacy carriers into liquidation." More »
