What the fuck is wrong with you, Southwest Airlines?

[Mrs Whiggins 13,050]

From social media, the comedian who inquired as to when Elon Musk bought SWA was on point.

 

The CEOs fare well, everyone else....well...say hello to higher fares.

[The Dog 44,060]

 

[troph 24,821]

Just now, lemonlime said:

The math can check out. My brother used to live about a ten hour drive from me. But he was about 60 miles from the nearest airport. And I had to connect to get there. So leave home 2 hours before my first flight. Then a connecting flight at least 4 hours assuming I don’t miss the connection. And then I had to drive another hour after we landed. It’s at least 7-8 hours assuming nothings delayed on either of the 2 puddle jumpers I had to take. And I didn’t have a car when I arrived. Much easier just to drive.

If you add layovers and connections then yeah the math can work. Direct, non-stop, usually not.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13,515]

Everyone is up in arms about SWA, but if SWA just makes their flights $20 than other majors, people will still fly them. Not to mention many people in smaller, non-hub cities love the SWA flight routes.

 

[safe sex 11,735]

2 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

 

I would also guess that SWA is simultaneously trying to maximize profit while fixing this. Sometimes the public image survival of a company requires that you set profits aside and fix the problem.

Lol good one

[troph 24,821]

25 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Everyone is up in arms about SWA, but if SWA just makes their flights $20 than other majors, people will still fly them. Not to mention many people in smaller, non-hub cities love the SWA flight routes.

 

I have no problem with SWA from Austin. Their non-stop/direct CA routes are spectacularly convenient.  I will say every year for the last 2-3 I’ve considered switching, but with companion pass, A list and points we damn well near fly for free for long weekend getaways.  I think as ABIA continues to grow we will likely switch to another shitty airline with more international destinations.

[Fudge Nuggets 19,199]

13 hours ago, royiv said:

I cannot recall another airline, with the exception of Spirit in the summer of 2021, that has had to cancel the vast majority of their schedule for multiple days to reset their operations. This failure by Southwest is unprecedented. No other airline, with the aforementioned exception of Spirit, has had this level of service failure. This simply does not happen 1-3 times per year on other airlines. 

I don't remember how much of their overall ops were affected, but I had to go through a shit storm with Delta in back in 2018.  Original flight was cancelled, the connecting flight the next day was cancelled but we got re-booked on an alternate later flight.  That was delayed several hours, etc. etc. etc.  Previous year we got stuck on the plane waiting on the taxiway when a winter storm blew through.  Pulled back up to the gate after sitting out there for six hours, the Delta personnel hauled ass and that was that.  No word on what the fuck was going on, how to make new arrangements, nothing.

All these US airlines are shit.  After those two incidents with Delta I never flew them again while we were living overseas.  Instead we would go seven hours out of our way on Emirates or Qatar Airways.  I never got fucked over by them and the trips were always a much better travel experience.  The extra seven hours each way was well worth my sanity and reduced chances of doing something that would land me in jail.

[Captainant 27,680]

2 minutes ago, Fudge Nuggets said:

All these US airlines are shit.  After those two incidents with Delta I never flew them again while we were living overseas.  Instead we would go seven hours out of our way on Emirates or Qatar Airways.  I never got fucked over by them and the trips were always a much better travel experience.  The extra seven hours each way was well worth my sanity and reduced chances of doing something that would land me in jail.

[Laughs in airline deregulation]

[royiv 9,324]

43 minutes ago, troph said:

It was catastrophic but SWA will be fine. Hopefully they will make the changes needed.  As for returning customers, wanna get away, companion passes, still one of the best points programs, and no bag fees will keep them competitive. As for travelers, the odds of being stranded at least 36 hours in this storm was substantial but I bet almost no one cancelled in advance.  Everyone from SWA executives to the flying public thought they were special and it wouldn’t happen to them. FAFO. 

I will never understand the folks who go on and on about WN having the best points program. Where do those points take you? They have no partners, they don't interline, and they only fly domestically + touristy beach destinations. The free bags thing is also a farce since you don't have to pay for bags on the legacies if you have the least amount of status or a branded credit card.

[troph 24,821]

13 minutes ago, royiv said:

I will never understand the folks who go on and on about WN having the best points program. Where do those points take you? They have no partners, they don't interline, and they only fly domestically + touristy beach destinations. The free bags thing is also a farce since you don't have to pay for bags on the legacies if you have the least amount of status or a branded credit card.

Well you’re essentially saying I didn’t think it through, at best I have 4 days to travel without my kids most of the year.  So we go to CA, FL, MX, NYC, CO, OR, etc. so yeah it works just fine.  We’ve also flown the whole family on points to San Juan with SWA to island hop on a bareboat charter in the BVIs twice.  We’ve taken weekend getaways to Cozumel to scuba dive twice. I’ve taken the kids to Cozumel and Puerto Vallarta once each on points. Cancun 4-5 times to visit Isla Mujeres, Tuluum, etc. fishing lodges I want to go to are a car drive from Cancun so I’m sure we will do that again. We’ve flown to Costa Rica once, and Belize is on the list as well. We just took a family trip to SF on points this thanksgiving. I like to sail, scuba and fish warm waters. SWA is just fine for that.

for long haul international we use AMEX for points and fly the best business class route available for the points we have. We’ve flown to Tahiti and Athens in the last three years exclusively on points.

Traveling as much as once a month and all of that and I bet we haven’t spent more than $5k on flights over a 2 year period. 

I think we are doing ok.

 

the take way here though is loyalty is bullshit, use the airlines as you need them and know at one point or another they will fuck you. I’ve had flights cancelled on perfect days by AA because of mechanical issues. I’ve been stuck in an airport with SWA all night too. They all suck at one time or another.

Edited December 28, 2022 by troph

[Skipper 6,136]

I went to the link to submit a request for a refund for my cancelled flight.  I noticed there was separate instructions for where to email receipts for expenses incurred as a result of this disaster (meals, food, lodging, etc.).   If these idiots can't staff an employee hotline to coordinate their crews, how are they going staff people to review tens of thousands of passenger reimbursement requests LOL.   Passengers out of pocket thousands and no response from SWA will be the next big story in the weeks/months ahead.   The bad press for SWA isn't going away anytime soon.

[gmr548 16,580]

Are you married to Delta or just fucking her?

My experience may be a bit dated, admittedly, but I do fly Delta a lot and still just cross my fingers and hope for the best.  They were the bottom of the barrel for so long it's difficult to come around to the notion that they finally got their shit together, even if it's objectively true.

Living in Houston, I’ve flown Delta just one or two times in the past few years. They have just consistently graded the highest in reliability metrics in recent years. Southwest was close at one point but if I remember correctly the gap has widened in the past couple years.

That said, while they (Delta) are your best bet on any given day, when the top performer is 80% on time or whatever it is, there’s downside risk with them all. Add a weather event like this one and all bets are off.

SWA may not survive this. 

lol I hope this is a joke.

[immamac 42,859]

5 minutes ago, gmr548 said:

Living in Houston, I’ve flown Delta just one or two times in the past few years. They have just consistently graded the highest in reliability metrics in recent years. Southwest was close at one point but if I remember correctly the gap has widened in the past couple years.

That said, while they (Delta) are your best bet on any given day, when the top performer is 80% on time or whatever it is, there’s downside risk with them all. Add a weather event like this one and all bets are off.


lol I hope this is a joke.

Have you been following the FAA response? 

[gmr548 16,580]

Well you’re essentially saying I didn’t think it through, at best I have 4 days to travel without my kids most of the year.  So we go to CA, FL, MX, NYC, CO, OR, etc. so yeah it works just fine.  We’ve also flown the whole family on points to San Juan with SWA to island hop on a bareboat charter in the BVIs twice.  We’ve taken weekend getaways to Cozumel to scuba dive twice. I’ve taken the kids to Cozumel and Puerto Vallarta once each on points. Cancun 4-5 times to visit Isla Mujeres, Tuluum, etc. fishing lodges I want to go to are a car drive from Cancun so I’m sure we will do that again. We’ve flown to Costa Rica once, and Belize is on the list as well. We just took a family trip to SF on points this thanksgiving. I like to sail, scuba and fish warm waters. SWA is just fine for that.
for long haul international we use AMEX for points and fly the best business class route available for the points we have. We’ve flown to Tahiti and Athens in the last three years exclusively on points.
Traveling as much as once a month and all of that and I bet we haven’t spent more than $5k on flights over a 2 year period. 
I think we are doing ok.
 
the take way here though is loyalty is bullshit, use the airlines as you need them and know at one point or another they will fuck you. I’ve had flights cancelled on perfect days by AA because of mechanical issues. I’ve been stuck in an airport with SWA all night too. They all suck at one time or another.

Southwest is the go to award program for domestic flights. Easy to earn, constant value, free bags, etc. Frees up Amex/Chase/legacy airline points to be used for international

[Jameslaw121 4,448]

8 hours ago, Captain Ron said:

I'm still calling BS on the 8 hours flying vs 10 hours driving. The math just doesn't work out. Even if you put some crazy remote place where you say 1 hour to the airport, 2 hours of check-in be early (and be a complete airport yokel), 2 hours flying, 3 hours driving post airport, that 2 hour flight still gets you a long damn way. Someone else mentioned Dallas-Atlanta. Austin-St. Louis comes to mind, and those are 12 hour drives non-stop, and each likely needs 2 stops for gas.

The 60 mile/90 minute circle thing also doesn't really work out much either. I would say less than 5% of people in either Atlanta or Houston. You're close enough to a major road that eventually you are on a quick path. Is there traffic? Sure, but nothing that will take you 90 min to get to the airport.

I'm not saying that you won't have a day of travel, but that's a totally different thing that we aren't talking about.

I pretty much fit the common case of a traveler - close enough to an airport (20 minutes for me to Logan). I can navigate my way around physically and socially through an airport. Any reasonable flight to my half of the US (like a direct to Austin - 5 hours): Nice breakfast at my house, half day of travel, land, get settled at my destination. I'm usually eating dinner at a restaurant or with family that I am visiting at a reasonable time too. This trip for me is sub 7 hours.

For work travel, where it is just me. I calculated it at about 6 hours of driving, it's faster to fly. With that being said, I will usually still drive if it's up to 8 hours just to avoid the headache of the airports/ rental cars and parking. Plus, there is a better chance of stopping for BBQ or Cajun food.

 

[Brisketexan 105,154]

2 minutes ago, gmr548 said:

Southwest is the go to award program for domestic flights. Easy to earn, constant value, free bags, etc. Frees up Amex/Chase/legacy airline points to be used for international

That has been my approach for a long time.  But....as my trust in SWA has plummeted, and their schedule actually got shittier (we used to pick from a couple of non-stop routes to LAX....now, there's just one), my use of SWA has gone down.  We go to SOCAL every summer for a week, and for nearly 20 years, always flew SWA.  Recently, we've chosen AA instead -- better schedule, cheaper fares.  And, apparently, slightly less likely to have their system completely fall apart.

[troph 24,821]

6 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

That has been my approach for a long time.  But....as my trust in SWA has plummeted, and their schedule actually got shittier (we used to pick from a couple of non-stop routes to LAX....now, there's just one), my use of SWA has gone down.  We go to SOCAL every summer for a week, and for nearly 20 years, always flew SWA.  Recently, we've chosen AA instead -- better schedule, cheaper fares.  And, apparently, slightly less likely to have their system completely fall apart.

I think AA is going to bust the schedule monopoly SWA had out of Austin for the last 20+ years. But we like the non-stop/direct to San Jose, CA probably more than any other flight schedule out there - easy to go north to SF or south to Carmel/Big Sur. Time of day is ideal going and coming back. Leave at 11am (easy morning flight) and land at 1pm, return leave at 3pm and land at 9-10pm.  I'm sure there are competitive flights, but it's been such a staple for us for the last 10 years that I just haven't messed with it.

I will say that if I could rack up enough points for AA business I would, the first come first serve seating - aka cattle call / free for all does get old.

I also have historically appreciated the friendliness of SWA personnel, and I don't think this event changes that, you can see it from posts from staff saying wait a minute this is corporate not us.  AA and other airline personnel are not as friendly unless you have status or are flying business/first class in my experience.

Edited December 28, 2022 by troph

[Bobby_Batronic 1,994]

26 minutes ago, royiv said:

The free bags thing is also a farce since you don't have to pay for bags on the legacies if you have the least amount of status or a branded credit card.

Everybody pays for bags. The ULCC’s make you do it a la carte and the nationals and legacies bake it into the cost of the ticket and then wink at you, and suggest it’s free. 

[TrashMaster G 17,559]

1 hour ago, troph said:

It was catastrophic but SWA will be fine. Hopefully they will make the changes needed.  As for returning customers, wanna get away, companion passes, still one of the best points programs, and no bag fees will keep them competitive. As for travelers, the odds of being stranded at least 36 hours in this storm was substantial but I bet almost no one cancelled in advance.  Everyone from SWA executives to the flying public thought they were special and it wouldn’t happen to them. FAFO. 

Fuck em. I'm done with Southwest.

[CooterBrown 18,014]

Frontier just rolled out a $799/year unlimited flights ticket. They’re coming for you Southwest.

[troph 24,821]

Just now, TrashMaster G said:

Fuck em. I'm done with Southwest.

fair enough. the others will no lube you soon enough too.  I hear luxury bus travel is a thing now.

[The Dog 44,060]

Based on what's available on FightAware it appears Southwest plans to be fully recovered by Friday. I don't see how that's possible considering they are cancelling over 60% of their ops today and have already cancelled 58% of their flights for tomorrow. They aren't going to magically know where everyone is and whether they have the crews to operate a full schedule by Friday. 

Until they come close to operating a full schedule any comment about them being able to "shake this off" is naive. 

Also, what is happening at Southwest is completely unprecedented in US aviation history. Comparing this Delta's meltdown last year, Spirit's recent meltdown, or UAL's 2009 IT meltdown is disingenuous at best and completely ignorant at worst. Those airlines recovered within a couple of days and went on about their business. 

What worries me is that this could easily happen again before Southwest addresses all of the issues that led to this mess.  

(edited to remove the first paragraph because it was wrong - they plan to cancel most of their flights on Friday)

Edited December 28, 2022 by The Dog

[gmr548 16,580]

Have you been following the FAA response? 

The WSJ dropped a story about the FAA’s overly cozy relationship with Southwest just last week, which is not the first report on that topic. They will not face serious consequences from the government on this.

[gmr548 16,580]

That has been my approach for a long time.  But....as my trust in SWA has plummeted, and their schedule actually got shittier (we used to pick from a couple of non-stop routes to LAX....now, there's just one), my use of SWA has gone down.  We go to SOCAL every summer for a week, and for nearly 20 years, always flew SWA.  Recently, we've chosen AA instead -- better schedule, cheaper fares.  And, apparently, slightly less likely to have their system completely fall apart.

AA has been aggressive in Austin so that makes sense. Being no one’s hub has bred some competition there. From Houston, it’s basically Southwest or United for domestic flights anywhere that isn’t a AA/Delta hub.

[SaucyJack 3,488]

30 minutes ago, troph said:

Well you’re essentially saying I didn’t think it through, at best I have 4 days to travel without my kids most of the year.  So we go to CA, FL, MX, NYC, CO, OR, etc. so yeah it works just fine.  We’ve also flown the whole family on points to San Juan with SWA to island hop on a bareboat charter in the BVIs twice.  We’ve taken weekend getaways to Cozumel to scuba dive twice. I’ve taken the kids to Cozumel and Puerto Vallarta once each on points. Cancun 4-5 times to visit Isla Mujeres, Tuluum, etc. fishing lodges I want to go to are a car drive from Cancun so I’m sure we will do that again. We’ve flown to Costa Rica once, and Belize is on the list as well. We just took a family trip to SF on points this thanksgiving. I like to sail, scuba and fish warm waters. SWA is just fine for that.

for long haul international we use AMEX for points and fly the best business class route available for the points we have. We’ve flown to Tahiti and Athens in the last three years exclusively on points.

Traveling as much as once a month and all of that and I bet we haven’t spent more than $5k on flights over a 2 year period. 

I think we are doing ok.

 

the take way here though is loyalty is bullshit, use the airlines as you need them and know at one point or another they will fuck you. I’ve had flights cancelled on perfect days by AA because of mechanical issues. I’ve been stuck in an airport with SWA all night too. They all suck at one time or another.

 

18 minutes ago, gmr548 said:

Southwest is the go to award program for domestic flights. Easy to earn, constant value, free bags, etc. Frees up Amex/Chase/legacy airline points to be used for international

I'm in this camp.  Have been for years.  I'll also buy the stock on the dip.  Sorry for partyin'.

[troph 24,821]

3 minutes ago, gmr548 said:

The WSJ dropped a story about the FAA’s overly cozy relationship with Southwest just last week, which is not the first report on that topic. They will not face serious consequences from the government on this.

you sure about that? Biden's team telling travelers to contact USDOT to determine if they are entitled to compensation. Cronyism gonna crony but there's at least some notion that travelers should be compensated.

[gmr548 16,580]

you sure about that? Biden's team telling travelers to contact USDOT to determine if they are entitled to compensation. Cronyism gonna crony but there's at least some notion that travelers should be compensated.

I think a mandate for compensation is probably about as far as it goes (can DOT even do that?) That’s something Southwest has already started to some extent simply because of the PR. That’s definitely not going to rise to “SWA may not survive this.”

Maybe this prods Congress into legislation regarding compensation for flight cancellation.

[Captainant 27,680]

3 minutes ago, gmr548 said:

I think a mandate for compensation is probably about as far as it goes (can DOT even do that?) That’s something Southwest has already started to some extent simply because of the PR. That’s definitely not going to rise to “SWA may not survive this.”

Maybe this prods Congress into legislation regarding compensation for flight cancellation.

Sounds like commie pinko REGULATION that's going to kill jobs, or something. 

Or we the taxpayer will end up bailing out yet another massively mismanagement for-profit corporation because of some mealy mouthed "too big to fail" justification 

[Chopper 17,236]

The FAA is cozy with every established airline. Perhaps akin to NCAA enforcement. Beholden to the big guns but free to fuck around with the insignificant. The FAA knows they can't get over their skis and appear anti-industry, or the airlines will have congress raising hell in a ny minute. It takes a colossal fuck up like this before they can even hope to have enough leverage to take even the most basic pro-consumer steps that could've been taken 20 years ago.

 

Edited December 28, 2022 by Chopper

[The Dog 44,060]

21 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

Frontier just rolled out a $799/year unlimited flights ticket. They’re coming for you Southwest.

 

[Pancho 44,856]

Damn nearly getting arrested because if Soufwest

 

[RPM 26,322]

We need to extract the dna of Herb Kelleher and Tom Braniff then let science build us a good airline.

[Ghost of LL 15,532]

20 minutes ago, troph said:

you sure about that? Biden's team telling travelers to contact USDOT to determine if they are entitled to compensation. Cronyism gonna crony but there's at least some notion that travelers should be compensated.

Narrator: They're probably not.

Buttigieg is going to make some noise because it's good politics to do so.  But as things currently stand, there is very little the DOT can do under existing law.  There have been various "passenger bills of rights" floated through Congress over the past 20 years; nothing substantive ever gets done.

And now, if the DOT goes out and tries to do any regulation, it's going to get struck down by SCOTUS under the major-questions doctrine.

So yeah--you can just about forget any federal intervention coming to the rescue on this.

[troph 24,821]

4 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

Narrator: They're probably not.

Buttigieg is going to make some noise because it's good politics to do so.  But as things currently stand, there is very little the DOT can do under existing law.  There have been various "passenger bills of rights" floated through Congress over the past 20 years; nothing substantive ever gets done.

And now, if the DOT goes out and tries to do any regulation, it's going to get struck down by SCOTUS under the major-questions doctrine.

So yeah--you can just about forget any federal intervention coming to the rescue on this.

I'm so far away from being a decision maker here all I said was there was a notion of it.  wouldn't be surprised if crony shows up and tells passengers to FAFO. That's the American, I mean Southwest way.

[SuperSport 1,333]

9 hours ago, Assman said:

As a SWA pilot like @Your Mom, I have my little "burn it to the ground" foam finger on as I watch this meltdown happen.  The bigger the disaster, the more leverage we have as a pilot group to FINALLY get the scheduling changes we've been asking for for years.  Our union has put in 1000s of hours of research and handed the company a scheduling proposal that would benefit both the pilots and the company by cutting the number of deadheads, reroutes, and other inefficiencies, but SWA has stood firm that their practices are good enough.  This is the result.  I don't care what Bob Jordan, Gary Kelly, or any of the other Bobs have to say unless it's "getting a new contract with our pilots is our #1 priority".  FUPM.

I thought you said schedules were the issue.

As an airline employee myself (and airline pilot legacy), I try not to begrudge the rank-and-file for demanding their fair share after decades of corporate malfeasance. But ALPA/APA/TWU/IAM (and most other labor unions for that matter) can absolutely get fucked. They have two explicit goals: 1) increase membership (read: increase income from dues), and 2) get their members paid as much as possible for doing as little work as possible. They relish every opportunity to hold the company hostage and have zero interest in its overall health, insofar as 1) and 2) above are unaffected. FUPM, indeed.

Sorry for the thread derail, back to your [regularly] scheduled SWA meltdown.

[Ghost of LL 15,532]

10 hours ago, Assman said:

As a SWA pilot like @Your Mom, I have my little "burn it to the ground" foam finger on as I watch this meltdown happen.  The bigger the disaster, the more leverage we have as a pilot group to FINALLY get the scheduling changes we've been asking for for years. 

This is so Eastern Air Lines of you.

[RPM 26,322]

13 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

Narrator: They're probably not.

Buttigieg is going to make some noise because it's good politics to do so.  But as things currently stand, there is very little the DOT can do under existing law.  There have been various "passenger bills of rights" floated through Congress over the past 20 years; nothing substantive ever gets done.

And now, if the DOT goes out and tries to do any regulation, it's going to get struck down by SCOTUS under the major-questions doctrine.

So yeah--you can just about forget any federal intervention coming to the rescue on this.

LL is right. They can't even get us decent leg room. You want compensation?

 

Edited December 28, 2022 by RPM

[bullzak 422]

they are so screwed. If they money whipped an entire overhaul of systems and everything went perfectly youre probably looking at years before its live. Ugh. 

Edited December 28, 2022 by bullzak

[lemonlime 5,503]

They may be screwed by not having an integrated booking system with the other carriers. Many aren’t going to realize the $20 savings on WN if they’re searching best fares on Expedia. They’d have to actually choose to seek out the cost on southwest and compare

[kevwun 15,795]

Maybe they'll let Google Flights have access to their flight schedule while they're entering the 20th century.

[Samson's Wig 3,192]

18 hours ago, Reagan1k said:

If you live 100 miles, or even 50 shitty/slow miles from an airport and have to leave home 3 or more hours before a flight to be reasonably assured of parking and getting through security on time,  - It's not hard for a 2-3 hour flight to become an 8 hour travel day (all in)........Especially if the travelers aren't airport savvy (pre-check/clear/priority) and/or grandma doesn't live in close proximity to the destination airport

Draw a 60 mile circle around ATL or IAH and look at how many people would consider that their "closest airport", but are still over 90 minutes away from home when entering a parking garage there.

Thank you for taking that one for me.  Some people, myself often included, can't see beyond their own situation.  It's a big part of what's fucked up in society. We all assume that everyone is in the exact same set of circumstances as we are and draw false conclusions from the flawed premise.

[Captainant 27,680]

43 minutes ago, Pancho said:

Damn nearly getting arrested because if Soufwest

 

Cop is probably disappointed he didn't get to book anyone... He was condescending as fuck to her and treating those people like they're just fucking cattle. 

Super classy move by Southwest to call the cops on their own customers that they fucked over

[The Dog 44,060]

https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18236177677195214/

^ Southwest FA with her experience over the previous 72 hours or so (was posted yesterday I think). 

 

[BearSchlong 8,098]

For work travel, where it is just me. I calculated it at about 6 hours of driving, it's faster to fly. With that being said, I will usually still drive if it's up to 8 hours just to avoid the headache of the airports/ rental cars and parking. Plus, there is a better chance of stopping for BBQ or Cajun food.
 

Excellent points. If I'm alone I can also focus on an audiobook or podcast which seems to make the time pass faster. Or make phone calls.

My main use of WN is nonstop flights from HOU, and since I live 90 minutes away I will pick the earliest flight and go over the night before and use my seemingly unlimited hotel points to get a good night’s sleep.

But 75% of the time I'm taking the 6am AA flight from BPT. 10 minutes from home, parking 75 yards from the TSA, at DFW by 7:30 and the next nonstop to wherever, especially if it's on my employer’s dime.

[4th&Five 41,558]

2 hours ago, troph said:

I have no problem with SWA from Austin. Their non-stop/direct CA routes are spectacularly convenient.  I will say every year for the last 2-3 I’ve considered switching, but with companion pass, A list and points we damn well near fly for free for long weekend getaways.  I think as ABIA continues to grow we will likely switch to another shitty airline with more international destinations.

We switched to Alaska a couple years ago for our SD flights.  Better experience and cheaper most of the time.

[52-80 19,162]

2 hours ago, Fudge Nuggets said:

All these US airlines are shit.  After those two incidents with Delta I never flew them again while we were living overseas.  Instead we would go seven hours out of our way on Emirates or Qatar Airways. 

Boasting about burning 7 hours so you can give money to 2 airlines fully bankrolled by authoritarian monarchies. Lmao. 

[BearSchlong 8,098]

Oh please, those same countries own the refineries that produce your gasoline and liquefy natural gas for export from Texas.

[GhostOfTomJoad 9,331]

4 hours ago, Prepuce of Doom said:

Or perhaps the airline itself is troubled by the prospect of a pilot who doesn't believe in science and is vocal about encouraging others not to believe in it, either. 

Fuck around and find out, caveman. 

USAFA grad and retired Lt Col. Funny, he never had issues w/ mandatory vax requirements prior to deployment to during his 20+ years AD.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,103]

1 minute ago, GhostOfTomJoad said:

USAFA grad and retired Lt Col. Funny, he never had issues w/ mandatory vax requirements prior to deployment to during his 20+ years AD.

Well, there is the problem right there.

[The Dog 44,060]

Both United and American are doing the same: