Nuts About Southwest

This is it. I’ve had it with this monkey business you’re leading. For many years I had lost my faith in SWA and took my business to Alaska as I’d had enough of the hassle for having an airline that gouged me at every opportunity, canceled my flight when they didn’t have enough passengers onboard to combine it with the next flight then next fight being late. As a result you end up getting home 6 hours later, going to bed passed 2:00 am when you have to get up early to go to work! Don’t get me started!
To add insult to injury when we’re about to leave the plane, the sturdiest blames the weather. It was then when I felt like getting up and screaming that the weather had nothing to do with it. First you cancel our 5:50 flight to combine passengers with the next fight at 9, then that flight end up being late for mechanical issue till 10:35. The last flight I had 10 days ago, was 3 hours late for the door not shutting!
Mark my words. When you continue to treat passengers like cows in the pasture, not properly maintaining old plains when they constantly have problems, you’ll be out of business in about 11 month. Better enjoy that fat bonus you’re getting this Christmas. For next one you’ll get coal for wasting thousands of frustrating hours of your customer, soon to be going somewhere else, as I about to book the next flight of 4.
With not so kind regards
YazdD

Hi Yazdan,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts here on the blog, and given your complete disenchantment with Southwest Airlines, it's probable that nothing I could say would change your mind. Flight cancellations on Southwest are rare, during the last report from the Department of Transportation, we operated 99.6% of our flights in September (coincidentally, the same percentage as Alaska), and for the same timeperiod, our ontime percentage was almost identical to Alaska also. Yet your disappointment rests with us, and I am sorry. I am confident that your experience is not typical of the vast majority of Southwest Customers, and I hope you will try us again.
Brian

It's nice to consistently see that Southwest's good-natured culture is genuine and reaches all the way up to senior management. It is tough to find a large company that makes such an effort to be accessible and approachable. I look forward to hearing more from Gary Kelly and maybe meeting other members of the Southwest family at the Wings Club luncheon this week in NYC.

Nick Young
jumpFare

My wife & I our Very Upset with Southwest. We have been Loyal & Excellent Customers for many years. We had Always Loved them prior to the last couple of months. In Fact we have written a minimum of 15 letters commending many of Southwest's employee's Outstanding Customer Service. This includes the Customer Service Department as well.

It's Sad because three employee's went above & beyond once again to try to Help us Correct a Southwest Computer Glitch Error. Then just 3 days prior to Christmas & to date we have been given the run around by the Customer Service Department. They have told us they need to catch up as they were off for 4 days/ then told it takes time (after being assured that I would be e-mailed a confirmation note my credit which is my money would follow shortly. It is 1-4-10 & I have Money Owed & No Confirmation of where it is & when it's coming to me We were told we change our air tickets a lot (we do this ourselves ! Due to Very Important Reasons) We Felt Insulted & Slapped in the Face by Southwest Customer Service when we Explained this Nicely & were told "Maybe we can't Accomodate your needs & another airline may serve you better."

I am trying to reach Mr. Gary Kelly CEO Directly Via a Letter. However, have been told that I can't complain higher than a Mr. Rupple (whom I hear is Very Nice) However, the things said to my wife & I were So Nasty & Simply Wrong we Feel Mr. Kelly needs to Hear this Directly! We Feel our Complaint is being kept from him. We want our written complaint to reach him Directly.

We asked for NOTHING FREE WHATSOEVER , just Our Money Due/Owed per Southwests own error (Third error since June when s.west went to new computer system or at least that's what we were told.) WE want to reach Mr Gary Kelly CEO Directly.

Mr. Kondracke,
I am so sorry for your disappointment with Southwest. I am sure you will receive a response from your letter, and I am forwarding your comment to our Customer Relations Department.
Brian

It has been 7 weeks since Southwest lost my luggage, leaving me stranded at my destination with nothing (on my 15th wedding anniversary.) I continue to get the run around from customer service. Why does it take so long to make your mistake right with the customer? I will not get back the time I have spent on this claim & can not erase the memories of the rotten experience it has been. :(

Dear Claim #
I am so sorry that we both dissapointed you with losing your bag and with tha handling of your claim. We usually don't post personal Customr Service issues on the blog, and I was going to e-mail you, but I didn't have your name. (I don't have access to our Central Baggage Service files.) I wanted to let you know that I shared your comments with our Baggage Service folks and they are (or may already have) gotten in touch with you with an update.
Brian

I called your customer service number for group travel looking for roundtrip tickets between Cleveland and Austin. I was booking for 20 people. I was told that the return flight information would not be available until June 1st but I was welcome to purchase 20 tickets to Austin. The cost one way was at the low price of $229 versus the internet one way price of $114. I was also informed that the group price was already discounted 10%. I could not believe that the agent expected me to book 20 seats at double the cost and no return flight. What customer in their right mind would do that? We have been tempted to book at other airlines but we were hoping to fly Southwest. She also informed me that the return flight would not be able to be booked until June 1st. I welcome any response you may have and am also forwarding a copy of this message to your company CEO. Thank you for your time.

C. Stewart
I am so sorry that we disappointed you, but it is important to keep in mind that group tickets are very different than our other fares. Almost always, our lowest fares are on the Internet at southwest.com. Our group fares are discounted off our regular prices, but Internet sale fares can be be less expensive. (The first thing you will hear when you call our Reservations number is "Lower fares may be found on southwest.com.") In addition, unlike our other tickets, group fares are only good for the date/flight for which they are ticketed and cannot be used toward another flight. The reason for this is that to accommodate a large group we take a significant number of seats out of our inventory. Should that group later change their mind, we may be unable to sell those 20 or 30 or 60 seats that we were holding for the group. Sometimes for small groups like yours it is less expensive if travelers book their own arrangements.
Again I am sorry for you disappointment,
Brian

Hello,

The following is a letter of appreciation for one of your Chicago Midway employees. I had a very brief encounter this morning and would like to conclude an unfinished conversation. Today, 7May, I was waiting at the B-22 gate for the 8:55 flight to BWI, half-listening to the preboarding instructions being delivered by the gate attendant in the engaging manner that sets Southwest apart from other airlines. When I approached to present my boarding pass, the quick interaction left me so speechless that I was halfway down the passageway before I knew how I should have responded. By then it was too late.

As he scanned my pass, he noticed my hat and asked, “You belong to the Patriot Guard?” When I nodded yes, he said, “Thank you." Maybe I looked puzzled, because he added, "I’m a Gold Star father.”

Words failed me. First, few people recognize the Patriot Guard Riders (PGR) emblem. The PGR is a informal group, centered around motorcycles, that is dedicated to honoring those who place their lives in danger—and sometimes lose them—while serving our country. Secondly, he said thanks. I consider it a privilege to be able to show my respect. Third, a “Gold Star” parent carries overwhelming meaning. That parent has lost a child who had been serving the country. I was at a loss for a proper response and may have mumbled acknowledgement. I’m not sure. By the time, I realized what I should have done, I was most of the way down the passageway. I second-guessed that he might not want to make any scene during boarding, so I found my seat and began writing this. I didn’t even get his name.

Could you please locate the employee and make sure he gets to read this?

Thanks

-------
Sir,

Given the mission of the Patriot Guard, putting words to what I want to say is always the hardest part for me. Words seem so insignificant given what you have endured. Please believe that they come from the most sincere part of me.

I so much wanted to grasp your hand, look into your eyes and somehow communicate how sorry I am for your loss. I’m not sure if it helps, but there are 1000s like me who want you to remember your child with pride and fully understand the vast respect everyone of us have for those who risk their lives to make the world a better place. If it were physically possible, thousands of riders would have shown up in those sad days. It is our very humble attempt to share a family’s grief and to show our respect during a time when we can only imagine how much such support is necessary.

You represent Southwest Airline well.

Bob Hamlin