Southwest Airlines is getting absolutely roasted in social media after saying that passengers shouldn’t get up immediately when the plane arrives and the seat belt sign goes off. This was just an invitation for the internet to explain why everyone onboard is trying to escape Southwest.
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The airline literally invented the ’10-minute turn’ where they rushed everyone out the back of the aircraft while they were already boarding new passengers from the front. They did that because it let them use their expensive planes more efficiently. Early on they had four aircraft, finances meant they had to return one of them, and they worked to keep their full schedule with three planes.
Today they are working hard to speed up turn times. Planes don’t make money when they’re on the ground, and things take longer when passengers bring more bags on planes (since it’s no longer free to check them) and people no longer rush the aircraft in a land grab to get the best seats (since they sell seat assignments instead of having open seating).
So for Southwest to say ‘slow it down’ means the social media team isn’t even with the airline’s program, they’re just engagement-farming. And their customers engaged:
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In fact, Southwest Airlines is dead wrong on deplaning etiquette. The literal goal is for everyone to got off the aircraft quickly. By getting up as soon as you’re permitted to do so, you’re doing right not just by the airline (improving on schedule operations), you’re giving every other passenger behind you their due since you’re letting them off the sardine can faster. And quick turns, along with on-time operations, keep costs down and fares low.
- Getting ready to deplane, including getting things out of the overhead bin, speeds up the process. That means getting everyone off the aircraft a couple of minutes faster. And that means more people make tight connections (which is polite to your fellow travelers). It also means allowing a few extra minutes to clean the aircraft.
On Southwest, in-between flights, that’s the flight attendants who do it although they’ve tested bringing on cleaners to make sure only the premium seats they charge extra for get cleaned.
- It’s polite to the middle seat passenger who’s been stuck in place for hours when the person in the aisle seat gets up into the aisle. When you no longer have to have seat belts fastened, you want to take advantage of all of the space in the aircraft. The aisle seat passenger gets into the aisle, the middle seat passenger now has the space of the aisle seat to spread into, and the window seat passenger has a bit more elbow room as well. Why wouldn’t you use all of the space in the aircraft for comfort?
- You’ve been stuck in an uncomfortable seat for hours, why not stand as soon as you can? Especially in an era of less-padded slimline seats, it’s time to give your back a rest.
You should get up as soon as the seat belt sign turns off especially if you’re in the aisle. That doesn’t mean you should shove ahead of other passengers. You should not. But if other passengers are taking their time getting up, and there’s an opening where you won’t block anyone else or slow them down, by all means go ahead of them. That keeps the disembarkation process moving, and gets everyone else off the plane quicker.
But ultimately be polite. And telling other people to slow down the deplaning process? That’s just poorly thought through malarky.
Glad SW is being blasted for this!
Hi Gary,
Can you please find another horse to flog.
This one gets beaten to death at least once a month now.
Kind thanks and regards.
Signed, the horses a**.
I am tall and have had both knees replaced. When the bell dings, I am standing up. No debate.
Of course Gary is right, but also, it goes without saying that any post written in Neo-Stupid Style (an emoji after every word or alternating majuscule and minuscule letters) may be safely ignored and legitimately mocked.
Good luck if there is anyone from Turkey on the plane.
It’s sad how upside down Southwest has become….totally out of touch now.
Uh, other than 1/3 of the passengers with aisle seats, the other 2/3 are going to “stand” crouched over for up to 7 minutes which can’t be more comfortable than waiting. With comfortable layovers, I used to sit in the King seat, 12A, and time how long it would be getting off and out after 142 other playmates and it was never more than 7 minutes. Hurry up and wait…
WHY IS EVERYONE CLAPPING?!
Dear Southwest, my standing does not affect you of my fellow pax. So, STFU.
Dear Southwest, I may have purchased a ticket, and an assigned seat, and possibly paid to check a bag with your Airline. However, I can not find in your Contract of Carriage, anywhere that says I may not stand when the seat belt sign goes off. I will stand at the very first opportunity. I suggest you instruct your Flight Attendants to chill and maybe stop listening to the Entitled Group, the AL and ALP’s, who continue to find things to whine about. The rest of us may also have connections to make or meetings to attend. You and I are not responsible for the failures of their parents to teach them restraint.