Tag Archives: Southwest Airlines

Flying with a Baby? Choose Southwest.

Flying around the country is nothing new in my book. Going to college out of state meant I flew at least twice a year to go back home, sometimes more. I never had loyalty to a particular airline; whichever was cheapest was the one I chose. Things have changed a bit since my college days. Bags often no longer fly free, and I’ve added a baby to the items I have to carry on the plane. I’ve flown three times with our daughter, and I have to say that the most recent, with Southwest Airlines, was by far the most … Continue reading →

Kevin Smith vs. Southwest Airlines

In case you haven’t heard director/writer Kevin Smith was kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight. Kevin had always purchased two tickets when flying because he says it is the “food-stamp airline” so he indulges himself. Last week, Kevin had purchased his usual two tickets, but decided to fly standby on an earlier flight in which there was only one seat left. He got seated, and then was asked to leave because he was too big. Southwest (and most other airlines) have policies that if a passenger cannot comfortably lower the armrest or hangs over their own seat so much that … Continue reading →

Entire Family Gets Kicked Off Plane—What would you do?

Imagine spending thousands of dollars to fly yourself, your pregnant sister and your four young children from Detroit to Seattle, but instead of getting to your final destination without incident you end up at a police station in Phoenix and details of your horrific encounter are splashed in newspapers from coast to coast. Hard to fathom, right? Well, that’s exactly what happened to Wendy Slaughter just a few short weeks ago. Slaughter, her four young children, and her expectant sister were traveling on a Southwest Airlines flight from Detroit to Seattle and had gotten as far as the Phoenix Sky … Continue reading →

Are You In Favor Of “Cattle-Call” Boarding?

There was a lot of attention paid to discount giant Southwest Airlines this week. First, the low-cost carrier announced it would no longer be allowing families with children to pre-board flights. Then, the company revealed that it would be sticking to its unique open seating policy—-a process many passengers have nicknamed the “cattle call.” In a previous blog I told you about Southwest’s efforts to experiment with different seating strategies. The carrier spent the summer running several different seating and boarding tests in San Diego and San Antonio. And according to airline executives, the results of those tests convinced them … Continue reading →

Families Flying Southwest No Longer Get To Board First

What parent does not dread the prospect of flying cross-country with a cranky toddler (or a gaggle of cranky kids)? Ask around and you will likely hear from any beleaguered mom (or dad) that one of the few perks of traveling with children is the fact that you get to pre-board. It’s one of the few times in life when cutting in line is perfectly legal. However, if you plan to fly Southwest Airlines with young children in the near future you can kiss that line jumping privilege goodbye. The airline just announced it plans to eliminate early pre-boarding for … Continue reading →

Airlines Turns Tables On Under-Dressed Passenger and Major Fallout Ensues

In a previous blog I discussed the state of airline passengers’ attire following the highly publicized incident involving college student Kyla Ebbert. Since my blog posted (shortly after Ebbert appeared on NBC’s “Today” show wearing the same controversial outfit she did on the Southwest flight in question) the college co-ed has made the rounds on various other talk shows, including “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and Fox News. During those interviews Ebbert complained that she had yet to receive an apology from the airline and specifically from the customer-service representative who told her earlier this summer that she’d have to “cover … Continue reading →

Airlines and Dress Codes: Woman Is Threatened For Wearing Skimpy Outfit

What do you usually wear on an airplane? If your typical plane attire includes a mini skirt and tight fitting shirt you may want to bring along an extra outfit just in case. At least if you are flying Southwest Airlines. The air carrier is currently embroiled in a nasty PR war with a 23-year-old woman who boarded a Southwest Airlines flight bound for Arizona in attire one flight attendant considered “too revealing.” Two months ago Kyla Ebbert was escorted off her flight from San Diego when an airline employee became disgusted with her outfit. Ebbert says she was wearing … Continue reading →