This is why I like Southwest Airlines (Houston, Dallas: hotel, buy)

[cheryjohns]

Hero Pilot Pulls Out the Stops to Help Grandpa Reach Funeral: 2011's Most Heartwarming Travel Story? - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20110116/us_time/httpnewsfeedtimecom20110113pilotwhocaresthemosthea rtwarmingairlinestoryof2011xidrssfullnationyahoo - broken link)


Plus, those folks are funny and allowed to be funny.

[pdouglas]

Just as you think society has no morales, along comes a story like this and hope is renewed.

[Malvie]

Ok, my favorite Southwest story

I lived in Little Rock, had been to NOLA; storms all along the Gulf Coast. Pretty scary leaving NOLA (2 hrs late). I make it to Hobby, where I am connecting---well THAT plane left a while back, now I have to negotiate. That was back when they had the old Concourse A (the original concourse), and it was little and packed full of unhappy people. There was a service kiosk out in the middle of the addition at the end. It was packed. I moved up the line to the point where I was next in line. Guy in front of me took out all his aviation frustration on the nice young lady at the desk; you could tell she had had a whole day of this. He was ugly. He finally left and it was my turn. She just looked at me for a second. I said, "You know, some people are just plain *******s; pay no attention to him." She laughed. I said, "I need to go to Little Rock. Is there any practical way to do that? If not, I'm going to go get my bag and go to a hotel and try again tomorrow morning." She looked and looked. Finally she said, "Ok, look over there, see that door?" "Yes, ma'am." "Go sit by it and wait for me." "Umm, ok!" So I went over to the door and sat. They boarded a flight to LR out of that gate. Here she came, and handed me and the lady sitting next to me those plastic boarding passes they used then and said, "Go!" I hugged her and ran down the jetway, filling the last seat on the plane. She was my heroine that night.


Another time, I was going to a family member's funeral. The Southwest staff could not possibly have been nicer to me.

I love them. I've flown them since they had 3 gates: 1 in Dallas, 1 in Houston, 1 in San Antonio. I'll hopefully fly them till I die.

[MaryleeII]

Here's my Southwest story---last Jan I injured my back and had to go to Houston for a specialist to repair it. I had no choice but to fly alone, family met up with me later.

My taxi driver was nice, chatty, I told him my story. When we pulled up to SW, he repeated my story to the curbside checkin. I didn't have to life a finger. A wheelchair and attendant appeared out of nowhere, and I was escorted right onto the plane, somehow just bypassed security. they actually got me onto an earlier flight. On the other end, same royal treatment. An attendant was waiting with another wheelchair, took me right down to the taxi curbside, hailed a taxi for me, and directed him exactly where to go---even told me it should only take $40, about a 20 min ride, I had no idea. Kept the taxi guy from taking the long way around. But the taxi guy was helpful, too, got me right to the Marriott medical Center, another guy appeared out of nohwere, with another wheelchair, I was escorted to an upgraded suite.

Just when you need people the most, there they are!

[rb4browns]

Originally Posted by Malvie

Ok, my favorite Southwest story

I lived in Little Rock, had been to NOLA; storms all along the Gulf Coast. Pretty scary leaving NOLA (2 hrs late). I make it to Hobby, where I am connecting---well THAT plane left a while back, now I have to negotiate. That was back when they had the old Concourse A (the original concourse), and it was little and packed full of unhappy people. There was a service kiosk out in the middle of the addition at the end. It was packed. I moved up the line to the point where I was next in line. Guy in front of me took out all his aviation frustration on the nice young lady at the desk; you could tell she had had a whole day of this. He was ugly. He finally left and it was my turn. She just looked at me for a second. I said, "You know, some people are just plain *******s; pay no attention to him." She laughed. I said, "I need to go to Little Rock. Is there any practical way to do that? If not, I'm going to go get my bag and go to a hotel and try again tomorrow morning." She looked and looked. Finally she said, "Ok, look over there, see that door?" "Yes, ma'am." "Go sit by it and wait for me." "Umm, ok!" So I went over to the door and sat. They boarded a flight to LR out of that gate. Here she came, and handed me and the lady sitting next to me those plastic boarding passes they used then and said, "Go!" I hugged her and ran down the jetway, filling the last seat on the plane. She was my heroine that night.


Another time, I was going to a family member's funeral. The Southwest staff could not possibly have been nicer to me.

I love them. I've flown them since they had 3 gates: 1 in Dallas, 1 in Houston, 1 in San Antonio. I'll hopefully fly them till I die.

I fly quite a bit for business and almost always fly Southwest. For such a large corporation it's pretty impressive how they have been able to replicate their corporate culture throughout the organization. It's very rare I encounter a d-bag employee of theirs, regardless whether it's air crew, ground crew or corporate.

[cheryjohns]

Please give me rep points - I am sitting at 1313 and am superstitious!


Thanks - that did it!

[rb4browns]

Originally Posted by cheryjohns

Please give me rep points - I am sitting at 1313 and am superstitious!

Done!

[SouthernBoy205]

That's so nice!

[Grunn]

I like Southwest because I don't have to sit next to some sweating sack of blubber whose girth spills over into my seat.

Good work Southwest! Keep making the fatties buy 2 seats.

[Texas User]

Its the price, price and price. They are cheaper then everyone!