As part of an $800 million effort to modernize its reservations system and other operations, Southwest Airlines is saying goodbye to a handful of antiquated practices, including paper tickets and the use of pneumatic tubes to send messages at airports. [More]
southwest airlines
Four Airlines Fined For Misinforming Passengers About Compensation For Lost Bags & Being Bumped
By 8.29.16
If you’re involuntarily bumped from an overbooked flight, or if your bags are lost, the airline owes you some form of compensation. It turns out that four carriers — American, United, Alaska, and Southwest Airlines — haven’t exactly been forthright with all their passengers when it comes to getting what they are owed. [More]
It’s The Little Things That Often Make Travelers Happy With Airlines These Days
By 8.25.16
In an era of add-on fees, crunched-up knees, and general dissatisfaction with air travel, what does it take for an airline to stand out with customers? Apparently not much. [More]
Does Southwest’s “Bags Fly Free” Policy Hurt On-Time Performance?
By 8.24.16
Southwest Airlines uses its “Bags Fly Free” policy of not charging passengers for their first two checked bags to set itself apart from all its competitors who have begun charging these fees in recent years. A recently released study claims this no-fee practice may actually be hurting the airline, though other data raises questions about this conclusion.
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Senators Want Airlines To Explain Recent Outages & Why Travelers Couldn’t Be Rebooked On Competing Carriers
By 8.16.16
In just the last few weeks, Delta and Southwest each experienced massive system-wide outages that grounded thousands of flights and ruined travel plans for countless passengers — and there are reasons to believe it could happen to other carriers. Now some lawmakers want the airlines to answer for these failures and to explain what’s being done to prevent future shutdowns. [More]
Are More Airline Outages Inevitable? Some Experts Think So
By 8.12.16
In just the past two weeks, two major airlines have suffered massive technical glitches, bringing their operations to a screeching halt, canceling thousand of flights, and stranding thousands of passengers. But a new report suggests that even more devastating glitches are likely to happen thanks in part to an aging U.S. airline reservation system technology. [More]
Southwest Outage Could Cost Airline As Much As $82 Million
By 8.11.16
Three weeks ago, Southwest Airlines was hit by a massive, days-long outage, disrupting 2,000 flights and spoiling travel plans for countless passengers. CEO Gary “I’m Not Going Anywhere” Kelly later described the debacle as a “once-in-a-thousand-year flood,” and now we have some idea of just how much that flood will cost the airline. [More]
Southwest Airlines CEO Says He Won’t Be Leaving Despite Four Union Votes Of “No Confidence”
By 8.4.16
Days after the Southwest Airlines pilots union — and three other airline employee unions — took a vote of no confidence and called for the resignation of CEO Gary Kelly, blaming the head honcho for a massive technical glitch that canceled 700 flights and stranded thousands of passengers last week, the man in charge says he isn’t going anywhere. [More]
Southwest Pilots Call For CEO’s Resignation
By 8.1.16
Earlier today, Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly likened a recent days-long massive technical glitch that canceled 700 flights, stranding thousands of passengers last week to a “once-in-a-thousand-year flood.” But pilots for the airline say the issue could have been avoided if someone other than Kelly were at the helm of the company. [More]
Southwest CEO Compares Major Outage To “Once-In-A-Thousand-Year” Flood
By 8.1.16
UPDATE: The union representing Southwest’s pilots has called for CEO Gary Kelly to resign following last week’s fiasco.
You might recall the massive technical outage that hit Southwest Airlines last week, canceling 700 flights and snarling travel plans for thousands of people. That was a bad thing, the airlines CEO Gary Kelly says, but Southwest will move past it, comparing the issue to an infrequent natural disaster. [More]
Southwest Getting Flights In The Air Again Today After Cancelling 700 Flights; Expect Big Backlog
By 7.21.16 — Updated: 3.17.17
If you were trying to fly anywhere on Southwest Airlines in the last 24 hours, you likely experienced some major headaches. And if you’re trying to fly anywhere on Southwest today, well, expect some more. [More]
Southwest Airlines Passenger Thanks “Selfless” Flight Attendant For Comforting Her Daughter
By 7.11.16
Thanks to the prevalence of social media, news spreads farther than it used to. Some of what’s going on out there is awful and sad, but there are also bright spots to be found. Like the story of a Southwest Airlines flight attendant who went above and beyond to comfort a young passenger who was scared to fly. [More]
Airlines Could Start Running Out Of New Pilots By Decade’s End
By 6.29.16
For years, regional airlines, government agencies, and pilot groups have warned that new regulations, higher costs of school, and lower salaries had led to a shortage of pilots that could affect the number of flights smaller carriers are able to offer. It now appears that this scarcity of youngsters hoping to someday take flight could result in airlines beginning to run out of pilot in as few as three years. [More]
Two Sent To Hospital After Southwest Flight Hits Turbulence
By 5.17.16
Passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight from Boston to Chicago endured a short, but bumpy trip on Tuesday morning that left passengers sick and two flight attendants hospitalized. [More]
Southwest Airlines Quietly Increases Early Check-In Fee
By 4.12.16
Unlike nearly all other domestic airlines, Southwest does not offer assigned seats and instead boards passengers in groups based on when they check-in for their trip. In some cases, travelers purchase an EarlyBird Check-In option so they can ensure an earlier boarding group without the hassle of setting their alarm clock to check in 24 hours prior. If you’re planning to go that route on your next trip, you should expect to spend a little bit more. [More]
U.S. Airlines Competing To Nab One Of 20 New Scheduled Routes To Havana
By 3.3.16
Now that the United States and Cuba have decided to let bygones be bygones and relations are thawing between the two countries, more Americans will soon have the chance to visit the nearby island nation by air. There will be 110 new scheduled routes to Cuba, with 20 of those flying daily to the country’s capital of Havana, and major U.S. airlines are stepping up to the plate to bid for the first regularly scheduled, non-charter flights. [More]
Airlines Offering Fee Waivers After Winter Weather Snarls Flights
By 2.24.16
High winds and an impending snowstorm have brought a number of delays and cancellations to air travel into and out of Chicago airports today. As a result, many airlines are now offering to waive fees for travelers seeking to change their plans. [More]
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Points Disaster: A Cautionary Tale
By 1.28.16
Unless you’re a frequent business traveler, or a big spender who makes a lot of expensive purchases using their credit cards, racking up thousands of rewards points in a short period of time isn’t always easy. So when you see an opportunity to amass enough points to earn you free airfare in the matter of a few weeks, it’s tempting to give it a shot. But if your timing is off, it could backfire on you in a big way, leaving you with a bunch of points but without the rewards you wanted. [More]
