Southwest or every other airline in the history of the world?

[Party_Taco 3724]

Love Field is the worst.   Difficult to walk or turn around without bumping into someone.  Takes an hour to get a whataburger.   Bathroom?  Yeah, horrible experience.   I realize all hubs are like this.   That's why they suck.

BWI is a southwest hub and 95% of the time it’s not like that, but I hear you. Love is wild like that… you feel strangled until you make it past the Starbucks out towards baggage claim.

[Firemans4Horn 18046]

8 hours ago, ClubWhatever said:

Love Field is the worst.   Difficult to walk or turn around without bumping into someone.  Takes an hour to get a whataburger.   Bathroom?  Yeah, horrible experience.   I realize all hubs are like this.   That's why they suck.

Love field is my home airport and it normally scores pretty highly but like you I find a lot of faults with it.
 

Not nearly enough bathrooms and all of them need more stalls, both Starbucks are horrible traffic jams, food is all chains (and shitty ones at that), new Uber/lyft location is a disaster,  Garage A is the worst designed parking garage ever. 
 

Although the ability to park and be at my gate in 10 minutes trumps all my complaints. 

[Grimas 669]

SWN cuts all flights to/from IAH and Cozumel...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-13350475/Vacation-chaos-major-airline-axes-flights-four-airports-fires-2-000-employees-major-shake-up.html

 

[royiv 9290]

WN having all their eggs in the 737 MAX bucket is going to make for a painful couple of years until Boeing can get that airplane back on track. WN management might be in the find out stage after forcing Boeing’s hand to produce the MAX instead of a clean sheet design.

[kevwun 15774]

We flew maxes to Nola and back last week.  Me and the wife were talking about how all that extra leg room might be worth the possibility of an engine or window falling off.

[Brisketexan 105096]

Love field is my home airport and it normally scores pretty highly but like you I find a lot of faults with it.
 
Not nearly enough bathrooms and all of them need more stalls, both Starbucks are horrible traffic jams, food is all chains (and shitty ones at that), new Uber/lyft location is a disaster,  Garage A is the worst designed parking garage ever. 
 
Although the ability to park and be at my gate in 10 minutes trumps all my complaints. 

Once they got rid of the bar at the corner of old Love Field, the best bar in Texas, love was dead to me. Just another sterile modern airport now.

[rage-a-holic 4382]

22 hours ago, Grimas said:

SWN cuts all flights to/from IAH and Cozumel...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-13350475/Vacation-chaos-major-airline-axes-flights-four-airports-fires-2-000-employees-major-shake-up.html

 

SW fucking blows. Now it's gonna be the bag drag from Cancun, or fly AA and pay out the ass.

[Wally Fairway 5543]

6 hours ago, kevwun said:

We flew maxes to Nola and back last week.  Me and the wife were talking about how all that extra leg room might be worth the possibility of an engine or window falling off.

It is good to hear that, as Mrs Fairway and I have a couple of trips this year and by luck they are both 737-8 or -9 Max, but we've checked and our life insurance is paid up for the year. So we have that going for us.

[Js1 85313]

All airlines blow but I will give some credit to AA for getting us on a new plane and out of Chicago instead of making us all spend the night. Granted we were supposed to leave at 9 and it’s turned into 1am after a maintenance issue

Edited May 22 by Js1

[elfenix 34231]

Quote

Elliott criticized the company's leadership for "disappointing" financial performance at a time when the airline industry is experiencing strong travel demand. It asked for new leadership from outside of the company, saying CEO Bob Jordan has delivered unacceptable financial and operational performance quarter after quarter.

...

The carrier has called Boeing's delays "significant challenges" for this year and next as they have forced Southwest to moderate its growth plans.

To mitigate the impact, Southwest has accelerated plans to control costs and improve productivity. It is also reviewing its products and boarding policy.

 

Southwest's shares are up about 3% this year, compared with a roughly 12% rise in the S&P 500 index. Shares of rivals Delta and  United have gained more than 25%

s new tabhave gained more than 25%.Southwest shares trade about 19.52 times their forward profit estimates, compared with United's 4.74 and the industry multiple of 7.19.Southwest shares trade about 19.52 times their forward profit estimates, compared with United's 4.74 and the industry multiple of 7.19.

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/southwest-airlines-jumps-after-report-elliotts-2-bln-stake-2024-06-10/

boarding changes reportedly on the way

Edited June 11 by elfenix

[royiv 9290]

For anyone that’s interested, here’s the link to Elliott’s presentation. In my personal experience of working at a company that had an activist investor take a stake in the organization, this won’t end well for the CEO or board.

https://strongersouthwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Stronger-Southwest_06102024.pdf

[Surly Bevo 24908]

3 minutes ago, royiv said:

For anyone that’s interested, here’s the link to Elliott’s presentation. In my personal experience of working at a company that had an activist investor take a stake in the organization, this won’t end well for the CEO or board.

https://strongersouthwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Stronger-Southwest_06102024.pdf

[The Ace of Aces 5182]

They’re vulture capitalists that’ll destroy the company to get any profit out of the stone. That is their mission. They’ll do everything to jack up the stock price for shareholders, anything in the name for revenue. Customers and culture be damned. 

[Gil Bang 25944]

That's what we do here in America. 

[TxTower 650]

From the Reuters article.

Robert Mann, a former airline executive who now runs a consulting firm, said Elliott has given reasons for Southwest's poor stock performance without offering any answers.
"Unless you have specific ideas in mind, it's just kind of throwing grenades," Mann said. "All you're doing is saying, you don't like what's going on.”

[Slacks 6819]

On 6/11/2021 at 2:25 PM, billfromlaketravis said:

SDG gets it. It’s hotter than f*** on the tarmac in Houston. You want to spend as little time as possible on the ground. 
 

I think United’s boarding policy is a little better, but they get very cute, very early with the overhead bins.  Especially on week day, early morning business flights. If you have to check your bag, there’s a good chance you’re going to be late to a meeting. 
 

Air travel by its very nature is terrible. If you’re not flying private or first class, you might as well find the cheapest, fastest flight available. I’ll get flamed, but it’s for this reason that I like Spirit. 

Lololol good luck getting anywhere on time on Spirit.

The only reason I like SWA is the convenience of Hobby airport over Bush... Yet I still mostly fly United so I can pick a seat, get an upgrade (with chosen or purchased) and generally not have to deal with chaos of people.

I don't do connections on SWA, but I will on United. SWA connects can be hours. United is usually 70 mins.

But to the original question, the boarding process for SWA doesn't bother me. The seating process does.

[Upgrayedd 5810]

I like the seating process.  Of course, I’m on a SWA flight 6x per month and am usually one of the first 20 on (this morning being the exception- jfc was TSA San Diego a shit-show).

[gernblansten 3196]

1 hour ago, Upgrayedd said:

I like the seating process.  Of course, I’m on a SWA flight 6x per month and am usually one of the first 20 on (this morning being the exception- jfc was TSA San Diego a shit-show).

I was A3 recently. With pre-boarding, I was the 22nd person to get on the plane. 

[Upgrayedd 5810]

6 minutes ago, gernblansten said:

I was A3 recently. With pre-boarding, I was the 22nd person to get on the plane. 

Ya that preboarding is a scam.  Only saving grace is that they can’t sit in first class seats 

[gernblansten 3196]

1 minute ago, Upgrayedd said:

Ya that preboarding is a scam.  Only saving grace is that they can’t sit in first class seats 

Yep, unless it was the Dallas to Denver flight recently when apparently the flight crew were morons. Normally the ticket scanner says "please tell them you're A1" or "the first". She didn't say anything to A1. When I get close to boarding I see people in the first row. You can't complain and try to get a dozen+ elderly and scammers to move. I thought about sending an email to complain, but while annoying, in the end I wasn't in a rush or anything. The elderly I get, but the 45 year old guy with his 15 year old son with no visible physical ailments, that's some questionable pre-boarding.

[Skipper 6133]

14 hours ago, The Ace of Aces said:

They’re vulture capitalists that’ll destroy the company to get any profit out of the stone. That is their mission. They’ll do everything to jack up the stock price for shareholders, anything in the name for revenue. Customers and culture be damned. 

I mean let's not pretend Southwest really has any "culture" left at this point.  Current management already destroyed that and their reputation over the last decade or so.  Not sure new management could do much worse.

[royiv 9290]

15 minutes ago, Skipper said:

I mean let's not pretend Southwest really has any "culture" left at this point.  Current management already destroyed that and their reputation over the last decade or so.  Not sure new management could do much worse.

This. Herb’s airline is dead. The current management destroyed it and now it’s just a big, messy airline with 100% reliance on Boeing, another once admired American company that can’t quit slamming its dick in the door, for its aircraft. 

[Bateshorn 9927]

On 4/10/2024 at 11:37 PM, Party_Taco said:

BWI is a southwest hub and 95% of the time it’s not like that, but I hear you. Love is wild like that… you feel strangled until you make it past the Starbucks out towards baggage claim.

Late to this, but that Wine bar before you hit the exit is pretty solid. Mostly because it's so expensive it keeps the riff raff out. 

[Brisketexan 105096]

2 hours ago, gernblansten said:

I was A3 recently. With pre-boarding, I was the 22nd person to get on the plane. 

F'ing this.  The pre-boarding group size is f'n ridiculous now, even for "non-touristy" destinations.  FFS, we flew to OKC recently, and I think that 20-30 people pre-boarded before they even called A1.

[Carl Spackler 3481]

I haven't flown SW a ton in the past few years due to COVID, working remotely, reduced # of work trips, etc., but I can tell that it's not operating at the level it did 10 years ago.  And that's a shame, because IMO in its prime it beat the pants off most other major carriers in terms of price, convenience and service.

That said, I haven't had terrible experiences in my recent SW flights -- instead, things have simply gone from good to meh.  I still think SW is useful for quick jaunts from where I live in the LA/Burbank/Ontario area to places like Vegas, Phoenix, Bay Area, etc.  For longer trips, I'm typically booking with another airline.    

[Upgrayedd 5810]

Don’t know how many other airlines where the gate agent would have called me this morning as I was sloggging thru TSA to ask “Hey, you still coming?”

[royiv 9290]

4 minutes ago, Upgrayedd said:

Don’t know how many other airlines where the gate agent would have called me this morning as I was sloggging thru TSA to ask “Hey, you still coming?”

Had this happen three weeks ago on AA for a DFW-LHR flight so sample size of two says two will do it.

[Upgrayedd 5810]

2 hours ago, royiv said:

Had this happen three weeks ago on AA for a DFW-LHR flight so sample size of two says two will do it.

Good to know.  To be honest, there has been plenty of times they did call.  Especially when the pull the ole SWA Switcharoo (flight delayed 90 minutes, I go to bar, flight changes to 45 minutes delayed).  Doesn’t happen anymore since I started using Flight Aware.

[Biff Tannen 45676]

4 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

F'ing this.  The pre-boarding group size is f'n ridiculous now, even for "non-touristy" destinations.  FFS, we flew to OKC recently, and I think that 20-30 people pre-boarded before they even called A1.

I mean...it's OKC.  Most of them were probably great big fat people with diabeetus.

[Biff Tannen 45676]

Probably not Southwest specific, but the overhead baggage situation is pure chaos now.  There should be a maximum of 3 bags per row up there.  2nd carry-on goes under your seat.  I don't understand how or why people would put their bags above someone else's row.  And no jackets, purses, or hats allowed up there either.  WTF people.

[Brisketexan 105096]

5 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

I mean...it's OKC.  Most of them were probably great big fat people with diabeetus.

You ain't lying.  Half the plane was people who looked like they lettered for four years in "eating at Golden Corral."

2 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

Probably not Southwest specific, but the overhead baggage situation is pure chaos now.  There should be a maximum of 3 bags per row up there.  2nd carry-on goes under your seat.  I don't understand how or why people would put their bags above someone else's row.  And no jackets, purses, or hats allowed up there either.  WTF people.

Huh.  I regularly fold up my jacket and put it in the overhead on top of my own bag.  In other words, taking up no extra space, just that sliver between the top of my bag and the top of the compartment.  Now, if you're bitching about the people who put their damned jackets up there all folded up on the floor of the overhead compartment, taking up the entire space, then yeah, fuck that shit.

[Biff Tannen 45676]

6 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Huh.  I regularly fold up my jacket and put it in the overhead on top of my own bag.  In other words, taking up no extra space, just that sliver between the top of my bag and the top of the compartment.  Now, if you're bitching about the people who put their damned jackets up there all folded up on the floor of the overhead compartment, taking up the entire space, then yeah, fuck that shit.

Clearly this would be an exception.  Flight attendants used to police this shit, but I guess they got tired of being assaulted or something.

[Chewbacca 7773]

4 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

F'ing this.  The pre-boarding group size is f'n ridiculous now, even for "non-touristy" destinations.  FFS, we flew to OKC recently, and I think that 20-30 people pre-boarded before they even called A1.

It's not any better on United.  With all the 1Ks that get to pre-board, there are regularly 30+ people who board before group 1 starts.

[4th&Five 41525]

34 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

Probably not Southwest specific, but the overhead baggage situation is pure chaos now.  There should be a maximum of 3 bags per row up there.  2nd carry-on goes under your seat.  I don't understand how or why people would put their bags above someone else's row.  And no jackets, purses, or hats allowed up there either.  WTF people.

This might be my biggest pet peeve. There should be 3 slots with a seat number on it since people are selfish pricks. 

[elfenix 34231]

58 minutes ago, 4th&Five said:

This might be my biggest pet peeve. There should be 3 slots with a seat number on it since people are selfish pricks. 

bags can be 14" wide.  3 bags is 42".  row pitch is 30-32".  there's not enough space to do that until they start putting in bins big enough for bags to stand on their sides. 

[4th&Five 41525]

I see more of the sideways bins lately, at least. 

[Redneck Mutha 7954]

1 hour ago, elfenix said:

bags can be 14" wide.  3 bags is 42".  row pitch is 30-32".  there's not enough space to do that until they start putting in bins big enough for bags to stand on their sides. 

 

[Steel Shank 9422]

Move your shit, Brisket.

 

[kevwun 15774]

Getting off the plane take for fucking ever also because people have so much shit in the overheads.  

[Tailgate 3021]

I’m not a fan of activist investors. But SWA has gone from great to the worst airline I’ve flown the last two years.

Change is needed. FWIW been a frequent flyer member since 1991.

[Aqua Buddha 14590]

On 6/10/2024 at 8:40 PM, Surly Bevo said:

Very well played, sir.

[MonkeyDoughnut 10233]

11 hours ago, kevwun said:

Getting off the plane take for fucking ever also because people have so much shit in the overheads.  

I used to travel with just a backpack, but since they won't let you put in overhead I now have a roller bag. Team - leg room matters 

[PilotsError 2287]

I've never, not once, not been allowed to put my backpack in the overhead bin.  

[WBT 20562]

I always put my backpack overhead too but it's my only bag.  Rolling carryons should be outlawed.  Boarding would take half the time.

[PilotsError 2287]

The entire airline industry fucked up way back when by not making planes with two exits, front and back, and not designing airports around that.

[Ignatius 4017]

3 hours ago, PilotsError said:

The entire airline industry fucked up way back when by not making planes with two exits, front and back, and not designing airports around that.

Austin was a test market for that on at least some SWA flights maybe 1st years ago? Was fucking great…

[Sam Lin 3556]

I definitely deplaned down the tail center stair of some aircraft way back when.

[Carl Spackler 3481]

I fly in and out of Burbank quite a bit, where they deplane front and rear.  It's great and it spoils you.  Makes it frustrating at other airports with front deplaning only.    

[kevwun 15774]

They do it in Belize and it’s awesome.

[shakahorn 1645]

10 hours ago, Carl Spackler said:

I fly in and out of Burbank quite a bit, where they deplane front and rear.  It's great and it spoils you.  Makes it frustrating at other airports with front deplaning only.    

Yeah all the regulars sit in the back when flying into Burbank.