I have to admit it, I just love to travel. It is not uncommon for me to arrive home from five days of flying and ask my wife if she would like to go somewhere for the weekend! When I was young, my uncle traveled the world for a communications company and to receive his postcards from the far reaches of civilization was pretty incredible. I still get a rush from thinking about a recent flight sequence where I awoke in Orlando, lunched in New England and had dinner on the West Coast. The only journey that is more amazing is the one experienced by any of the former astronauts and mission specialists working for Southwest where they had breakfast in Houston or Florida and lunch aboard the space shuttle circling the Earth. Now, that's traveling!
As Pilots we have a wonderful window seat that allows us an unbelievable view of this great world of ours as it passes below. I still can't pinpoint what I like best: is it the travel, meeting new people (I greet upwards of 1,000 Customers a day on our flights), the cities I visit, sites I see, or the different hotels we stay in? The half-day commute I have from my home to my base crosses 5 states; I even find that exciting. Just imagine, one of our West Coast based Flight Attendants commutes from her home in Greece; my fun meter is pegged out just thinking about that opportunity!!!
Hilton Hotels is presenting some new tag lines that I think were written with me in mind. I was on hold yesterday booking my next adventure and heard the following; "Travel should transform you; it should feed your mind and invigorate your body. Travel should be more than A to B. Travel should take you places." I couldn't agree more.
Comments
I've always enjoyed Southwest Airlines open seating. I travel at least once a month and almost always get boarding group A. People should just be proactive and check in 24 hours in advance. I wouldn't mind if they would sell some decent food though. If I'm on a plane for four to five hours cookies and peanuts just don't cut it.
You don't understand. I hate unassigned seats. Me and My boyfriend were going on a getaway and I didn't even get to sit by him because of the stupid open seating! Thats not fair to me on a six hour flight. Assigned seating is so much easier. Please get rid of the open seating, it just causes problems.
Whatever happened to the songs and silly stuff the flight attendants have done on past flights I've been on. I fly often Tampa to Phila and never here or see this type of corny entertainment...what happened some "crusty" get offended?
Bring back the fun loving crew that made Southwest what it is today!
I love to travel as well. I am a Life Coach and I believe strongly in the power of travel to give us a different perspective on life.
I am even planning a vacation coaching workshop in January 2007 in the Cayman Islands. Check out my website: www.innercompassllc.com for more details. If you love to travel and experience new places, I'd love to meet you on the beach for a life-transforming vacation retreat!
- Jennifer
Southwest pilots are lucky people. And you're even luckier if you still love travel after all of your trips. I love traveling too. I'm always looking out the window at this country and I'm amazed by the people who don't look. I once read some random trivia that you can, in theory, see 8% of the country out of an airplane window. I don't know whether that's true or not, but I like the idea.
I also really love it when the pilots give updates on the scenery and flight data as we travel.
Yes, I agree. The open seating policy sets SWA apart from the 'rest of the guys'.
Why follow in the other losers footsteps? The best thing the other airlines can do is lose money
on a record amount.
To the pilot who loves to travel, thanks for sharing, it must be tough to wear your heart on your sleeve like that. What a softie.
-Jeff
i love flying sw and i like unassingned seats. I like getting an A and getting an aisle seats
without making a reservation 2 weeks ahead of time. i like it the way it is!! no assigned seats
s valdes
As a Rapid Rewards Southwest Airlines flyer I urgently request SWA to keep the open seating. This is one of the most important things that set SWA apart from the other airlines. Flying out of ONT and LAX I have many selections but whenever possible I fly SWA because of the open seating policy. Without this, SWA would just become another carrier.
Nutty Stuff !!
Interesting, I was trying to book my Christmas trave plans on Southwest and was told Southwest is only taking reservations thru October 27th. So I just finished my reservations with Delta.
Also, as a Rapids Reward traveler that has earned a companion pass, I am constantly having trouble finding flights where I can use my free tickets and the comanion pass. I gues southwest has hit the big time.
Until now I was a big Southwest supporter, but not any more.....
I certainly hope the folks at SW will listen when I ask to keep the seating the way it has been traditionally. Open seating is one of the things that brings me back to SW regularly, I fly out of DAL and like to move up on connecting flights. Assigned seating will certainly level SW with the other airlines in my mind. Flexibility is very important to me. Take away the open seating and I might as well start flying AA out of DAL since thie price is very similar.