Flyover Country

Recently, Southwest Airlines came under attack from one individual who was asked to take a later flight because of his size and that there weren’t two seats available for him.  It seemed kind of obvious as things unfolded that this quickly turned into, primarily, a publicity stunt by this individual after a situation that maybe could have been handled a little bit better by SWA employees on the scene.  I don’t know, I wasn’t there.  I trust the flight crews to make decisions about safety.

All of that said, I fly Southwest almost exclusively.  I will continue to fly Southwest.  They have the best fares for my money, don’t charge me to bring my clothes with me, and don’t hassle me with exorbitant fees if I need to cancel or change a flight.  Southwest consistently has one of the best on-time records of all the airlines, and one of the best customer satisfaction ratings.  Southwest is consistently recognized for being an outstanding business.  But none of those things are why Southwest is my airline of choice.

I choose Southwest because of their people.  They are one of those rare companies that doesn’t just pretend to treat customers well in tv ads and CEO speeches.  One small example: Recently, I had a 70-80 minute connection layover at MDW on my way home.  As I stepped off the flight inbound to MDW, I noticed that there was an earlier flight leaving for Columbus in about 15 minutes.  I stopped and asked the gate agent if it would be possible to go home early, but that it was no big deal I was already booked on a later flight.  A quick “let me check on that for you” and two minutes later I was heading home.  No change fees, no rebooking charges, no having to buy a new ticket, no sighs of frustration from an overworked airline employee.  Just, “here you go, have a great flight!”  I got home early, and was able to pick up my dog from the kennel that day instead of waiting until the next day. She got home early and I saved a day’s worth of boarding fees.

Southwest didn’t get to be where they are today by treating “normal” people badly.  That is part of what has gotten other airlines into their current mess, and why Southwest is so popular – actually making money while other carriers hemorrhage capital.  There are no “frills” on a Southwest flight, but I’ve never once had a ticket agent, gate agent, F/A or flight deck crew get snippy with me.  They go beyond that, they’re pleasant people to be around.  After playing security theatre games with the TSA, I would rather be stuck on a plane with people who love their jobs, and love their customers.

Thank you, folks of Southwest, for all that you do for us.