Consumerist
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brats on a plane
Mother And Child Kicked Off Southwest Flight Receive Apology, Free Travel
Earlier this week, a 2-year-old boy drowned out preflight announcements on a Southwest Airlines flight with his screams of "I want Daddy!" and "Go, plane, go!" So the airline kicked the child and his mother off the plane.
Southwest has since apologized to the child's mother, and offered a refund and travel voucher.
Southwest apologizes to mom on Calif. flight [AP]
(Photo: woodleywonderworks)
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frugality
Southwest Airlines Will Save $100,000 By Getting Rid Of Lemons
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 » -
airlines
Want To Cut The Boarding Line On Southwest Airlines? That'll Be $10
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 airlines
Southwest Suddenly Decides Frequent Flyer Is Too Big To Fly
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 » -
nutritional advice
This Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant Is Really Concerned About Your Sugar Intake
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 » -
southwest airlines
Video: Shuffle Fun Shuffle Shuffle Fun Shuffle Fun Fun Shuffle Fun Fun Shuffle Just Plane Fun!
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 airlines
Southwest Reduces Airfare On 56 Destinations From Minneapolis
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.
Southwest Airlines Files Minneapolis Airfares - Let the Fare Wars Begin [Rick Seaney] (Photo: Reflection717)
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southwest airlines
Do The Math, Southwest: 25-Minute Layover, 20-Minute Security Screening
Tsk tsk, Brandon, obviously you failed in your responsibility to wear Velcro sneaker when flying Southwest Airlines. Otherwise you wouldn't be in this mess. Brandon writes:
...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...UPDATE: Brandon got a refund after a Southwest rep on Twitter saw the story on Consumerist. (He also agrees his statement about not getting the flight times was incorrect, details inside... More »
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recession watch
Oil! Airlines Issue Open Letter Asking You To Help Them Lobby Congress
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
Southwest Will Give Refund To The Family That Was Too Unruly To Fly
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 » -
scams
Beware Of Buying Airline Tickets On Craigslist
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."
Scam alert: don't buy Southwest tickets on Craigslist [Elliot]
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southwest airlines
Too Sexy For Southwest Airlines Woman Poses Nude
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."
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dress codes
Southwest Airlines Tries To Make Passenger Change "Masterbaiter" Shirt
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."
Sure, the shirt is tacky and eye-roll inducing, but no one appointed Southwest the fashion police. Southwest needs to more clearly communicate the situations where it is appropriate to approach customers about their clothing. Their own policy says its only in situations of indecent exposure, extreme vulgarity and clothes with threatening language.
Clothes call dings Southwest, again [St. Petersburg Times] (Thanks to Charles!)
RELATED: Mini-Skirt Customer Doesn't Accept Southwest's Marketing-Filled Apology -
complaints
"Presumably The Flight Crew Was In Montreal"
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 » -
customer service
Southwest Knows When It Made BooBoo
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
Southwest Airlines Assigned Seating Leads to Pandemonium
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
New York, 5:23 AM
Mon Nov 9
6 posts in the last 24 hours
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