Is there a more appropriate place to blog than at 35,000 feet? Something about having my head in the clouds has inspired me. I'm on my third connection and third different plane from Dallas Love Field to Pittsburgh (damn Wright Amendment!).
As I changed from plane to plane I couldn't help but think about a recent USA Today article that defined Southwest Airlines as " the giant discounter popular with leisure travelers." For 21 years I've heard us categorized as a leisure airline and that dumbfounds me (although most things dumbfound me). We fly 29 times a day between Dallas and Houston...22 times between Oakland and Los Angeles...and we have five or more daily flights between more than a hundred city pairs. Grandma certainly doesn't need that kind of frequency to visit the grandchildren and surfer dudes usually don't want to travel and return the same day. But for some reason we continue to be classified as a leisure carrier. I think it's a conspiracy... propaganda put out by our competitors or simply assumptions made by reporters because our fares are so inexpensive that families can actually afford to fly.
I've even heard it said that you don't see business travelers on Southwest. Huh? What exactly does a business traveler look like? Business suits and a briefcase? Hardly. If you stand in a gate area and start observing closely, you begin to figure out who is traveling on business by what they carry rather than how they dress. A Blackberry tends to be a dead giveaway, a laptop might indicate a business traveler if they are working on a spreadsheet as opposed to playing computer games (although business people do play computer games). Today I'm traveling on business in a Polo shirt and blue jeans…with my Blackberry strapped to my belt.
My point is that Southwest Airlines has never been given the credit it deserves for carrying millions of business travelers each year. With the industry's best business web site (in my humble opinion anyway), SWABIZ, it's time to get a little recognition.
Comments
Regarding the customer of size issue, as a SWA customer service agent we have been trained to discreetly ask questions
if we feel that a customer will not fit comfortably with the armrests down. But realizing that it is a sensitive issue, it is NOT an
easy task to begin asking those initial questions. That's where the lack of consistency comes from!
I have even had a customer tell me "yes, I can put the armrests down" and the boarding agent tell me later that "no, he could not".
To have an actual "seat for sizing" would be awful; pullleeeze, we do have compassion not to embarrass someone!
Annnd.......we LUV our business travelers! But we can spot them a mile away, no matter how they dress! I think it's that
"preoccupation of the last/next meeting" look.....LOL. Being in Florida, we also have a lot of vacationers, so our flights have
a mixed bag of nuts! (no offense intended) You know, I really think that chocolate-covered peanuts should be served on every
flight to make everyone happy.... : )))))) Make time to laugh & eat chocolate; it's as simple as that~!
Nice blog. I used to fly Southwest all the time.
I have not even considered flying Southwest for the last few years because of the size policy. It seems less haphazard than I had heard it was.
I have 2 suggestions.
Preboarding with fellow travelers for people buying an extra seat who are traveling with someone. I often travel with my long legged husband there is no garuntee that we will be sitting next to each other on the flight. Why no t allow us to share that extra seat.
Allow overweight passengers to preboard together and split the cost of the middle seat between two of them. Use the computer system to team them up.
As Manager of the Executive Office Customer Communications Team, IÃ
I'm wondering when SWA is finally going to fly into Canada? I routinely fly Chicago-Toronto, but only two airlines (AA and Air Canada/United) fly this route directly. As you can imagine, prices are insane. In fact, a few years ago it was cheaper for me to fly Chiago-Dublin (yes, Ireland!) than it was Chicago-Toronto. This is a great opportunity for SWA.
The reality of the two seat rule is that it's uncomfortable for those of us who are fat to be squeezed into a seat that's too small for us as well. Having two seats is a benefit that those of us who are larger than one seat appreciate.
This is not about whether or not we have to pay for two seats. Yes, this is a hardship for some people, but there is no one who can legitimately argue that if you use more than one seat, you should pay for more than one seat.
The problem is the way that SWA staff deals with fat passengers. People have been humiliated, forced off of flights in front of other passengers, forced to buy a second seat on a return trip when they fit perfectly well into one seat on their first leg, and it's all based on the subjective "eyeballing" of SWA staff. The policy is not enforced equitably, the policy is not enforced politely. Customers being treated differently based upon which employee they happen to interact with, and customers being treated rudely and cruelly are serious customer service problems, regardless of the root issue that causes the treatment.
Treat people with respect, kindness, discretion and fairness. Have an objective standard that can be determined without embarrassing anyone. None of this is too much to ask, and in fact is the only thing that is appropriate in a service based industry that relies upon consumer goodwill for its continued success. Whether we're talking about passengers who are fat or thin, rich or poor, business or leisure travelers, black or white, male or female is immaterial. Everyone should be treated as if they're the only passenger that SWA will ever have.
If you suggest passengers with waists over 40 inches need a second seat what about women with bust measurements over 40
inches, they tend to take up others space also. My worst flight experence was with a toddler that had been to Mardi Gras after
screaming for hours and jumping all over the other people in the row he finally threw up all over everyone in the row.
Should they pay for your space too.
So.. SWA, maybe you should institute a policy that states anyone with a waist over 40" should have to buy two seats. The people of larger proportions wouldn't be humiliated if a SWA employee asks them to stand to the side for a moment while they get measured, now would they? Better yet, have a tester seat, like the box you used to have for carry-on luggage outside each group of gates that the gate ageny can walk the large customer down to, to make sure that he / she fits. Being asked to do that wouldn't humiliate nor embarass people either.
No matter how you put it, the majority of large people will complain about your policy for one reason or another.
I understand the plight of those who are overweight and do not wish to be humiliated when taking a flight. But I also think that many overweight people don't seem to have any regard for how their need to pay for and occupy only one seat incoveniences others. On my most recent Southwest flight, I sat in the aisle seat next to an overweight man in the window seat. He spilled over to take up one half of the seat next to him. When another man boarding the plane asked if he could sit in the middle seat, the overweight gentleman actually pointed to the magazines in the middle seat and said "no, as you can see, I have my stuff here." I thought I was in an alternate reality as the oncoming passenger politely said "oh, no problem.." and moved on. His attitude was what floored me, an almost militant "Don't mess with me" persona had been donned for the occasion. I think Southwest is handling this situation as gracefully as possible considering the volatility on both sides.
I have a huge problem with a big person being charged double even if they already own the seat next to them. I have been told by several SW employees that if one bought three seats for two young children and one big adult, they would have to pay for 4 seats. It wouldn't matter if the person 'spilled over' into a seat that a her 3 year old was leaving 1/2 empty with her other 3 year old on the other side also leaving the seat 1/2 empty.
That person bought 3 seats and isn't using that much. Why should they be charged for 4? Doesn't make sense except to get more money from someone who might be far too embarassed to fight.
Regarding the Love Field/DFW controversy: On a September flight from DFW (at a non-rush hour and good weather) the time lapse from the closing of cabin door until we actually took off was more than 45 minutes. It seemed most of the time was perhaps waiting for permission to take off due fact we were on a small carrier and it seemed planes from the largesr carrier at DFW were allowed to break in line ahead of us. From Love Field, it seems that often in 45 minutes from closing the cabin door, flights to Houston, Austin, etc are at least starting their descent to these airports---I would suggest Southwest should authorize a survey to back up this observation as a further argument for doing away with the Wright amendment.