Does the TV show 'airline' do anything for SWA

Re: Does the TV show \'airline\' do anything for SWA

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Besides, I kind of liked how United did it on the last trip I took with them. I had the exit row seat, and thought I had it all to myself. I was a happy camper!

And then, just before the door was shut, two very pretty flight attendants sat down next to me and I was even happier. But if they boarded first, I might not have been as happy.

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Two very pretty flight attendants? On United? You lie!

(Just perpetuating the stereotype
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Re: Does the TV show \'airline\' do anything for SWA

I guess i'm not as far along in the industry as you guys cause honestly i've never jumped a flight and even gave a damn who the other passengers were or where or how much they paid for their tickets?
 
Re: Does the TV show \'airline\' do anything for SWA

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I never (well very rarely) see you guys start a legit post. But you are good at coming in and stirring things up. You're always on a soap box about something that is going wrong or how something could be better. I feel like you definately see the cup half empty!~

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JGiffis - do you know me? Have we met? If not, then you are absolutely talking out of your ass.

I've been a member of this site since November 2001. I came here before I had even taken my first flight. This site has seen me and helped me through my PPSEL, IR, PPMEL and as of next week, my CSEL and CMEL.... and all this while working a full time job, a weekend job, being married, paying a mortgage and loving the hell out of life.

"cup half empty"??? You have no idea what you're talking about, Junior.

Go do a search for topics posted by ready2fly and shayes (what ready2fly turned into after a website change a year or so ago).

If you don't like what you see then, then come and tell me I'm not legit.

Better yet - do a poll of members and ask them whether I'm "legit" or not. I'm all for it.

But if you don't like it becuase I call you on the mat when you snipe a one of the "old school" regulars here - tough.

Keep sniping and I'll keep calling you on the mat.

You have a vendetta against me or Tony - fine - drop us PM's we'll be glad to school you.

That clear?

R2F
 
Re: Does the TV show \'airline\' do anything for SWA

I echo what R2F said. He and TonyW are longtime contributors to this site ... they're not trolls or flame-baiters at all, just good guys who express their opinions. There are times I've disagreed with both of them, but I've got all the respect in the world for them.

As to the non-rev issue, unless one is traveling in uniform, the passengers around you will never know that you are a non-rev. If you're traveling in uniform and someone asks, you just tell them you're "going to work" ... which, if you're traveling in uniform, is probably true anyway.
 
Re: Does the TV show \'airline\' do anything for SWA

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Forget it. I don't want that circus crap.

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You know, I recently took a trip to MDW (ever notice how aviation types talk about destinations in terms of airport ID's) on SWA.

This was the second time, I love it. The trip before that was into LGA on AirTran, and before that was DFW on UAL.

Compared to SWA, UAL was the circus. I was on business, had the expensive full fare ticket. Had been assigned a window seat (as I requested), got on the plane, and someone was in my seat. In fact several people were moved because the group of foreigners (about 20 of them) wanted seats together so they could be loud and obnoxious. This was completely irritating (as the girl behind me put it, "Must be nice. They wouldn't let me sit next to my husband") esspecially since I was there right as bording started. Of course since we were supposed to have assigned seats those of us who were displaced had to rely on the FA (who screwed everything up in the first place) to find us new seats.

This wasn't the first time this has happened to me (first time on UAL though).

So, I think SWA's model is a good thing. Besides that, on SWA you're more likely to have a row to yourself since people don't like to sit next to people if they don't have to.

I will agree that the clientle with SWA is low class etc., but...I would say in general that people don't have the same class that they had in years back (of course we've discussed this here before). Of course in some ways I can't blame them. Going to the airport has become a pain in the arse. They're crowded, the customer service people are treated like dirt a large majority of pax, and in general you're always made to feel like a burden to the personel. Then that conflicts with what the fact that the pax think that the should be treated like royalty. Oy!

In the end the problem (if you want to call it that) is that people nowadays feel that they're entitled to everything. Hey, if you go to college and pay your bill you should get your degree no matter how bad your grades are right? That's where we're headed folks. Hold on tight, because the next couple decades are going to suck for those of us with an ounce of common sense.

Sorry for the digressing rant.

Naunga
 
Re: Does the TV show \'airline\' do anything for SWA

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I will agree that the clientle with SWA is low class etc., but...I would say in general that people don't have the same class that they had in years back (of course we've discussed this here before).

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Good story!

I think that the above paragraph really hit the nail on the head. It's a class issue. In past years, only certain people could afford to fly. In the 1980's, some airlines really made it affordable for alot more people to be able to fly. In the last 5-10 years, Southwest has made that groupd of people much larger. Suddenly, we (not me in particular, but those of us who fly often) are forced to ride on a plane with people that have no place on an airplane - come on, we all know that they should be riding Greyhound, right?

Of course nobody will say this - that would be wrong. But I think that's what alot of it is!! Keep those Greyhounders on the bus!!

(hides in the corner, waiting for the stoning!!!)
 
Re: Does the TV show \'airline\' do anything for SWA

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...It's a c'ass issue. In past years, only certain people could afford to fly....

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And now those people are flying charter or fractional or corporate...
 
Re: Does the TV show \'airline\' do anything for SWA

It all goes back to the American mindset. Give me everything, right now, and I don't want to sacrfice at all for it.

I want to lose the 100 pounds that I put on over the past 10 years in 10 weeks, and oh, yeah, I don't want to exercise any more or eat any less.

I want to pay Wal-Mart prices but I don't want any American jobs shipped overseas.

I want to pay $250 for a transcon but I want you to treat me like the folks in first class.

And they're breeding, people.
 
Re: Does the TV show \'airline\' do anything for SWA

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I want to pay $250 for a transcon but I want you to treat me like the folks in first class.


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Most people that fly on Southwest could care less about first class luxuries...
 
Re: Does the TV show \'airline\' do anything for SWA

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Most people that fly on Southwest could care less about first class luxuries...

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Well....I think they'd go for the free alcohol, don't you?

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Re: Does the TV show \'airline\' do anything for SWA

I think the TV show does give them exposure. It could be good, or it could be bad depending. The incidents portrayed are pretty common from what I have seen though. Same crap, different day/city. It just so happens that this time it's gonna be on TV. And it's not just SWA, either. You'll never see the idiots/jerks/loudmouths on the other carriers cause they aren't the subject of the series. Having worked for two carriers, with 15 yrs at SWA, it happens ALL OVER. The 'trailer trash' isn't just on WN! The differance is nly theirs is televised.

"If this flight to BWI had been full, how is the priority determined on who gets on the next one if there's say, 2 seats open. The SWA one and one other, but which one? Also, isn't the jumpseat not allowed for other airline's pilots, and if so, what kind of a moronic safety measure IS that?"

They still call it 'jumpseating' even when the other carriers pilots sit in the cabin, which they must post-9/11. If the cabin is full, then no other carriers may ride, and the SWA guy will take the cockpit JS. If there are open seats, the other carriers will be accomodated in back on a first come first serve basis. SWA generally takes as many JS-ers as there are open seats. However, some airlines are limited to only 1 or two from that carrier per flight while several guys from other carriers will be accepted. Depend on the other carriers JS agreement. They airlines who are cool to SWA get unlimited jumpseats in return while carriers like American will only get one AA guy per flight. **Plus, anyone holding a 4th flight attendant/cockpit JS form is preboarded to meet the crew! ** (Or should be.) A normal non-rev boards with their group unless they get the hook up from a friendly Ops agent.

"Tony I see your point but you are assuming that those people did not pay for their seat. Oh yeah, they pay. They pay with low wages. So-called "non-rev" benefits are figured on to the whole employee package. In addition, most airlines charged a reduced price for "non-rev" tickets."

On SWA all travel is free for employees, dependants & buddy pass travellers. Only other airline non-revs pay a service charge. (Usually a 90% or 75% discount off the highest coach fare. Some pay a flat $25 ow.) As for the low wages, that depends on seniority. I now make half what I did on the ramp as a pilot. Plus, I now have to pay to fly on my own airline! I jumpseat off line whenever possible as we are charged and denied the free JS as long as there is an empty in the cabin. How UN-SWA.

"As to the non-rev issue, unless one is traveling in uniform, the passengers around you will never know that you are a non-rev. If you're traveling in uniform and someone asks, you just tell them you're "going to work" ... which, if you're traveling in uniform, is probably true anyway. "

Very true! Unless you are one of those SWA geeks who likes to walk around with your ID boldly displayed hanging around your neck while in civies non-reving. How UN-discreet.
 
Re: Does the TV show \'airline\' do anything for SWA

Perhaps it's just me, but I don't notice all that much difference between SWA and the others. I travel CAL and SWA regularly, with Airways, and AirTran on occasion as well (all as a jumpseater). The difference between the SWA "cattle car" and everyone else, is that with SWA the mess is organized. If I travel on others, you see people having to fight through the crowd to get to the agent when their row is called. On others you constantly have people coming up to the gate agent and asking for two seats together, only to be told there isn't any. With the expedias, travelocitys and such these days, you get the "low class" passenger on every airline. In my experience as well, some of the supposed "high class" travelers can be as rude and obnoxious as the supposed "low class" travelers.

In any case, I don't see how we, as professional pilots, or aspiring professional pilots, can be too critical of a major airline that pays well (for equipment type), continues to make money and expand, and has NEVER furloughed a pilot. I'd be as happy as a pig in #@$% to fly for them.
 
Re: Does the TV show \'airline\' do anything for SWA

Wanting to get a paycheck from them and wanting to be one of their passengers are two different things.
 
Re: Does the TV show \'airline\' do anything for SWA

I'll put it plain and simple for me...I needed to fly from Dallas to LAX in January. Priced SWA first, then priced Delta, American, United, etc. Nobody came within $330 of Southwest. I had to stop in Albuequerque (sp) but who cares? I sat a little closer to people, drank coors light out of a can, sat in the back, but damn I saved $330.
 
Re: Does the TV show \'airline\' do anything for SWA

Well, good for you.

Me? I don't even bother to price Southwest. The whole idea of having to get to the airport to wait at the gate for two hours -- whether I'm travelling for business or pleasure -- combined with the whole cattle call thing makes me say screw it. I've got several other airlines to choose from, and if one of them doesn't have the seats I need for the price I can afford, I just don't go.

Or I just burn the miles I've accrued over the years to get a free ticket.

They've got a great business model, but it's not one that I want to partake of. Kind of like Wal-Mart.
 
Re: Does the TV show \'airline\' do anything for SWA

I live in an SWA market right now, and would happily go fly for SWA one day. However, I very rarely fly as a passenger on Southwest. I like flying on them ... they've always taken great care of me on the handful of occasions I have flown them. I have found, though, that I can get the same fare (or sometimes an even better one!) from one of the "Big Six" airlines. For me, 90% of the time this is Northwest or Continental. Flying them, I get the same inexpensive fare, plus thanks to NWA Elite status, I get upgraded to first class whenever there's a seat available, which so far has been over 75% of the time. The wide leather seat, free food and booze, extra legroom, and attentive service up front are worth having to go to Detroit or Newark in order to get wherever I want to go.

Like I said, Southwest has a great product ... I just seem to get more bang for my buck elsewhere, so that's what I do.
 
Re: Does the TV show \'airline\' do anything for SWA

I didn't mean that in a sarcastic way, seriously. If anyone likes the Southwest experience, good for them.

I'm not one of the people who does. It doesn't mean that I'm right and those who like it are wrong, or vice versa.

Just another case of different strokes for different folks!
 
Re: Does the TV show \'airline\' do anything for SWA

I value my time more than a few bucks. If I'm on vacation, it's worth some money to be able to spend less time at the airport and more time doing what I went on vacation for.

And if I'm working, well, first of all, it's not my money. Second, if it was important enough to send me there, then it's important enough to make sure I get there with the least amount of hassle and it's important to make sure I spend the most amount of time doing work instead of sitting at the airport. Besides, if I don't spend the money, they'll just sweept it up and cut our travel budget the next year by the amount that we didn't spend.
 
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