Southwest Airlines Turns Boarding Gate Into a Party—Should Other Airlines Even Try? [Roundup]

by Gary Leff

News and notes from around the interweb:

  • “At Southwest Airlines, we have fun!” – former “Chief DJ” Herb Kelleher

  • American Airlines does a two-year contract extension with its mechanics for 2025 and 2026.

    The American Airlines operation melted down in 2019 as it negotiated a contract with its mechanics. The mechanics union proved that they can take down an airline nearly as well as angry pilots can. They finally got a contract agreement just before the pandemic and ratified it in March 2020.

  • That’s some international arrivals experience – the best part is the airport saying ‘don’t blame us’ rather than ‘we’ll work constructively to address…’ (which they’re in a better position to do than individual passengers).

  • Passed along without comment.

  • International airports that don’t enforce a liquid ban at security require gate-side liquid checks prior to U.S. departures. I can’t imagine flying long haul economy on a U.S. airline without even being allowed to bring on my own bottle of water.

  • Pronouns.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. That’s some international arrivals experience – the best part is the airport saying ‘don’t blame us’ rather than ‘we’ll work constructively to address…’ (which they’re in a better position to do than individual passengers).

    “We’ll work constructively to address” is 100% meaningless boilerplate to placate an angry social media crowd that will have forgotten everything about this in 3 hours. The links to submit feedback were an appropriate response.

    The election of government officials who support open border policies will alleviate immigration bottlenecks. If you think about it, open borders make sense. Why restrict the movement of the same species (humans) across artificially construed boundaries?

  2. That Southwest “party” is Dangerous for disabled and/or deaf passengers . Lacking in classy behaviour .

  3. I’m 81 and have had 2 heart ablations. Traveled to Europe July & to Mexico Aug/Sept. Greatly appreciated being allowed to have wheelchair from check-in to gate!
    Especially from plane thru Phx airport thru customs to baggage- awesome service!

  4. I wish my legacy gate agents stopped being dreadfully dreary and started copying WN line dancing. Looks like fun, like my Carnival Journeys cruise! I am an avid recreational dancer and am lucky to have hearing impaired and mobility impaired friends as dancers with me!

  6. “The election of government officials who support open border policies will alleviate immigration bottlenecks. If you think about it, open borders make sense. Why restrict the movement of the same species (humans) across artificially construed boundaries?”

    Absolutely! Let the entire world in for free and give them stuff. Meanwhile, actual US citizens looking to flee what will inevitably become a free for all of crime and mayhem won’t get this luxury elsewhere because other nations are too short-sighted to buy in to your brilliantly progressive and open minded immigration strategy.

    Too bad that the whole world isn’t borderless. Just imagine how that would be, based on how the majority of the world’s population has chosen to have lead them.

  7. this party-time mentality when awaiting to board, is like the goings on within the atmosphere at some 30,000 feet in the air, if i EVER fly again (which i have NO intention of EVER doing so) i simply want to enjoy a (safe point A to point B journey) this is NOT a “carnival ride” you do that on the surface, NOT 30,000 feet in the air, the (“air-rage”)(fist -fights)(soap-opera-storylines) THIS IS NOT
    PASSENGER AIRLINE TRAVEL

    WHY I WILL NEVER EVER
    FLY AGAIN

  8. I saw this dancing at the gate at another airport recently. I can’t remember which one but it wasn’t Nashville. I wanted to get past as quickly as possible and was relieved that this group was not getting on the plane i was taking. I don’t think it would be a wild imagining to think that some of these people would be just as disruptive in the air as they were on the ground.

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