If it’s a day of the week ending in “y,” odds are something disruptive has happened on a U.S. airline (or in the airport, as the case may be). Case in point, the recent fistfight that broke out between two passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight. And because we know you’re asking: Yes, someone did catch it on camera. [More]
southwest airlines
Congress Asks Airline Industry To Explain Why It “Hates The American People”
By 5.2.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
While no one was forcibly dragged out of room 2167 of the Rayburn Office Building during this morning’s Congressional hearing on the airline industry, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle appeared to be united (but not United) in their distaste for byzantine booking systems, lack of options, and the billions of dollars in add-on fees collected by carriers. [More]
Southwest CEO Says Airline Will Stop Overbooking Flights
By 4.27.17
Overbooking is a common practice in the airline industry, where carriers generally prefer the possibility of paying out vouchers or refunds to bumped passengers over leaving the ground with empty seats that could have been filled. But after a recent United Airlines incident pushed overbooking into the spotlight, airlines are rethinking the practice. United and Delta have raised their maximum payouts to bumped passengers, and this morning Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said his airline will soon stop overbooking. [More]
Southwest Airlines Co-Pilot Arrested For Packing Loaded Gun In Carry-On Bag
By 4.18.17
Passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight from from Albany to Chicago endured a four-hour delay Monday after the co-pilot of the plane was arrested for packing a loaded handgun. [More]
Southwest Airlines Has No Plans For No-Frills Basic Economy
By 1.27.17
Not that long ago, Southwest Airlines was considered a relatively no-frills airline, at least when compared to the other major carriers. Then all the competition started charging for checked bags, while Southwest says it’s given “no thought whatsoever” to the idea. The new trend among the big airlines is to offer “Basic Economy” fares that won’t even let you use the overhead storage bin, but Southwest says it won’t go this route either. [More]
The $300 From My Southwest Gift Card Vanished & Got Lost In Costco Switch To Visa
By 1.20.17
The gift of flight turned into a nightmare for a California woman when the Southwest Airlines gift card she purchased for her daughter was mysteriously canceled without notice, and then the funds vanished into thin air. [More]
Delta Air Lines To Provide Diversity Training To All Employees
By 1.17.17
Between removing unruly or disruptive passengers from flights to denying boarding to travelers with service animals, the way in which airline employees handle tense situations with consumers has come to the forefront. Today, Delta Air Lines announced it would better prepare its employees for these encounters with diversity training. [More]
Group Files Complaint About American Airlines’ Allergy Pre-Boarding Policy
By 1.16.17
In many cases, airlines will do everything they can to accommodate passengers with severe allergies: from refraining from passing out complimentary peanuts to allowing travelers to board early to prepare their spaces. But one group claims that American Airline’s policies aren’t so accommodating, filing a federal complaint against the carrier. [More]
Southwest Flight Makes Unscheduled Stop After Passenger Gives Birth On The Plane
By 12.5.16
A Southwest Airlines flight from Philadelphia to Orlando gained an additional passenger in mid-air yesterday when a woman gave birth on the plane. [More]
Do Airlines Really Ban Unruly Passengers For Life?
By 11.29.16 — Updated: 2.7.17
Here at Consumerist, we have seen more than our fair share of stories involving unruly or otherwise disruptive passengers who have gotten themselves kicked off flights for bad behavior. But upon hearing that Delta Air Lines had banned a passenger for life after he was caught on video yelling at his fellow travelers, we had to wonder: What do you have to do to get banned from an airline forever, and which U.S. carriers have such a policy in place? [More]
Southwest Airlines Giving “No Thought Whatsoever” To Checked Bag Fees
By 10.31.16
Southwest Airlines is the only one of the largest U.S. commercial airlines that does not charge for customers to check bags, meaning the company is missing out on this multibillion-dollar revenue stream. While Southwest CEO Gary Kelly acknowledges the need to bring in more money for his business, he says his company has no plans to lose its “bags fly free” identity. [More]
Southwest, Virgin America, JetBlue Online Bookings Back To Normal After Systems Glitch
By 10.18.16 — Updated: 11.1.16
Another week, another glitch disrupting airlines from going about their business: this time, it was a disruption in Sabre’s computer systems affecting Southwest, Virgin America, and JetBlue’s online bookings. [More]
Get Excited: U.S. Airlines Will Probably Raise Ticket Prices Next Year
By 10.14.16 — Updated: 11.1.16
Now that we’ve all gotten used to cheaper flights amid low fuel prices over the last few years, it’s time for the the airline industry to do its best to tick everyone off again by sending fare prices upwards once again. [More]
Airlines Offering Travel Waivers Ahead Of Hurricane Matthew
By 10.4.16
Travelers who were planning on flying this week to or from areas affected by Hurricane Matthew, which is currently in the Caribbean and heading toward the U.S. East Coast, may find themselves changing their plans, and some airlines are ready to help by issuing travel waivers. [More]
Southwest Passengers Recall Three-Day Nightmare Travel Experience
By 9.29.16
There are travel hiccups that keep passengers from getting to their destination by a few hours. And then there are ordeals that keep people in limbo for days. Case in point: a Southwest Airlines flight from the Dominican Republic to Atlanta that turned into a three-day real life nightmare. [More]
Southwest’s “No Gotchas” Airfare Sale Comes With Its Fair Share Of Gotchas
By 9.28.16
We all know that airfare sales generally come with all sorts of strings attached — restrictions on dates, routes, and seat types are to be expected — but if you’re going to advertise a sale as having “no gotchas,” then it’s a bit disingenuous to have nearly 400 words of mouseprint conditions full of restrictions. [More]
What Happens To Your Plane Ticket When There’s A Death In The Family?
By 7.1.14 — Updated: 2.12.17
There are all kinds of reasons why you might not be able to fly when you were planning to, or need to make a change in a scheduled itinerary. Unfortunately, one of those might be the death of a loved one. But now that most domestic airlines don’t offer special bereavement fares, many fliers find themselves dealing with airlines after they’ve already bought tickets to try to make changes. But because airlines don’t want just anyone to pull the “my grandma died,” often customers are finding the process of changing or canceling flights in these situations daunting, confusing, and well, a bit tacky. [More]
Southwest Could Start Charging For Checked Bags, Says CEO
By 10.25.13
While its competitors have been nickle/diming travelers for years with checked-bag fees, Southwest has done its best to equate its brand with the slogan “bags fly free.” But the airline’s CEO now says that he’s not completely averse to the whole notion of making a mountain of cash off baggage fees. [More]
