southwest

Tag Archives for southwest.

Leaked Details of New Southwest Airlines Snack Service for Hawaii Flights

by Gary Leff on February 23, 2019

Feb 23 2019

After many years of speculation, sixteen months ago Southwest finally announced they would fly to Hawaii. How long have we been waiting? In December 2010 they advertised for an ETOPS manager suggesting they were planning long overwater flights.

They have yet to begin selling tickets but details of their plans have been trickling out ever since. Last year they confirmed several Hawaii routes: Oakland, San Diego, San Jose, and Sacramento will see Hawaii service and they’ll fly to Honolulu, Maui, Kauai, and Lihue.

And now we know what they will serve inflight, too.

Southwest’s Mechanics Fire Back at the Airline and How Bad Uber is at LaGuardia

by Gary Leff on February 17, 2019

person holding phone near steering wheel

Feb 17 2019

A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.

Earning 30 Million Miles in a Year and Alanis Morissette Adds Southwest Airlines to Ironic Lyrics

by Gary Leff on February 13, 2019

Feb 13 2019

A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.

Southwest Looking For New Services They Can Charge Extra For

by Gary Leff on February 9, 2019

Feb 09 2019

Southwest Airlines doesn’t charge checked bag fees or change fees, and they’ve been profitable 46 years in a row. They don’t offer assigned seats, but generate $400 million a year in early boarding charges which let customers have a better shot at the seats they want. That’s an improvement for those customers compared to the airline’s base product.

While they continue to eschew bag and change fees, there’s talk of adding extras that they could charge… extra for.

Southwest Airlines Co-Founder Herb Kelleher Passed Away

by Gary Leff on January 3, 2019

Jan 03 2019

Southwest Airlines was incorporated as Air Southwest Company by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher. Kelleher believed that by operating solely within the State of Texas an airline could avoid federal regulation — meaning they would be free to fly without Civil Aeronautics Board permission. It would also mean they wouldn’t have to charge the high fares mandated by the CAB.

King and Kelleher, together with banker John Parker, are said to have sketched out the idea for the airline on a napkin in a San Antonio restaurant.

Heartbroken Woman Forced By Southwest to Leave Pet Fish Behind

by Gary Leff on December 18, 2018

Dec 18 2018

Everyone eventually has a fish story. Now Southwest Airlines does, too, since one of their passengers is telling the story of how the carrier separated her from her pet fish in Denver, a pink male beta fish named Cassie. She says she travels with it everywhere, but on this day the Southwest employees she ran into wouldn’t allow it. And she loved her fish.

Earlier this year Spirit Airlines told a cancer patient she’d have to flush her emotional support hamster down the toilet if she wanted to fly that day out of Baltimore. While the TSA was happy to screen the pet, Spirit Airlines is just too classy to carry rodents on board or as cargo.

Southwest Flight Diverts When a Human Heart Was Discovered On the Aircraft

by Gary Leff on December 13, 2018

Dec 13 2018

The symbol of Southwest Airlines is a heart. This has been a theme of the airline’s since the beginning. They launched at Dallas Love field. Their flight attendants wore pink hot pants (designed by founding airline President Lamar Muse’s first wife). Automated ticket machines were called “Quickies.” Peanuts at Southwest were once known as ‘Love Bites.’ Their New York Stock Exchange ticker symbol remains LUV.

On Sunday, though, it took on a whole new meaning because one of their planes had to turn around because a human heart was left on board.

Southwest Apologizes For Gate Agent Making Fun of 5 Year Old Girl’s Name. But Should the Mom Apologize Too?

by Gary Leff on November 29, 2018

Nov 29 2018

Calling out a 5 year old for her name just isn’t appropriate. I’m going to take an unpopular position here though. I’m going to say that the mother did her child a disserving naming her Abcde, because it is completely foreseeable that the girl is going to draw unwanted attention for her name throughout her childhood.

We can and should criticize this Southwest agent, but what the kids she’ll go to school with? Or am I completely off base?

Can You Change to an Open, Empty Seat on a Plane? It Depends on the Airline

by Gary Leff on November 21, 2018

Nov 21 2018

United, American, and Southwest take very different approaches to passengers changing seats. On Southwest their boarding process makes it a free for all. American flight attendants are Switzerland. And United’s are the tax man.

Southwest Airlines Baggage Handler Plays Toss The Luggage, The Fist Pump is Priceless