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More Great Press for SWA

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On Your Six

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 8, 2004
Posts
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I hope SWA has a great PR firm -this seems to be a recurring theme. I thought SWA stews from the past used to wear super-short skirts, etc. - right? Are SWA employees given any sort of real training????? Read below:


Southwest Airlines makes Florida man change T-shirt or else

Updated: 18 minutes ago

TAMPA, Fla. - Southwest Airlines said it will apologize to passenger who was told he would be removed from a flight if he didn't change clothes, the second time in recent months the budget carrier has been forced to do so.
Joe Winiecki, of Largo, Fla., boarded a Southwest flight in Columbus, Ohio, wearing a fictional fishing shop T-shirt which featured the words, "Master Baiter."
Winiecki, who was traveling home, said he was in his seat when an when an employee told him he had to change his T-shirt, turn it inside out, or get off the plane.
Winiecki protested that the airline was infringing on his right to free speech, but changed his shirt fearing he would miss the flight and a day's work.
Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said Friday the employee made a mistake because the Dallas-based airline does not have a dress code.
The airline apologized this summer after a college student wearing a denim miniskirt and a sweater over a tank top was told to change her outfit or get off a flight departing from San Diego.
Kyla Ebbert, who was 23, told the story on "The Dr. Phil Show." She was read a printed apology from Southwest Chief Executive Gary Kelly on the show.
Ebbert was allowed to fly after agreeing to alter her outfit. The airline offered Ebbert free tickets and tried to make light of the mix-up in humorous advertising.
Ebbert declined the tickets.
After the Ebbert encounter, Southwest President Colleen Barrett sent employees a generally worded e-mail reminding them that the airline has no dress code, Mainz said.
Southwest, like other airlines, has language in its contract of carriage that states it reserves the right to deny service to customers whose clothing is "lewd, obscene or patently offensive."
Airline officials have discussed giving employees more specific examples of what is considered lewd or offensive, Mainz said.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 
He has just as much right to free speech as the airline has the right to refuse service to anyone.

Why Southwest continues to apologize to these people instead of sticking up for itself, I have no idea.

Oh wait, yes I do. Colleen.
 
Ever since the mini-skirt day, people have been trying to press the issue and make themselves into a headline. Some people thrive on pushing the envelope to get recognition.

Just another day at the office.
 
When you fly people for peanuts, you are bound to get passengers like these on a routine basis. Not suggesting that wealthy people don't act this way or wear potentially offensive clothes like this guy, but you are going to have more people from a wider demographic base flying on your airplanes. One person's sense of class may be vastly different from another's sense of class based on cultural or geographic background.

It reminds me of a ValuJet pilot I spoke with years ago (1995 if I recall) who complained about passengers on his low-cost airline - he said, "we fly scum because we are so cheap." With fares this cheap, don't expect everyone to know what "classy" or "appropriate attire" means.

The ironic thing is that SWA used to have stews who completely lowered the bar in terms of so-called appropriate attire (even though I wasn't complaining at the time about those hot pants, etc.). That said, that attire was considered appropriate for Texas at that time.
 
The right to free speech ends where the public domain ends. In private businesses, homes, churches, internet message boards and such the owner has the right to limit speech or expression. The constitution only prohibits the government from limiting the freedom of speech in the public arena.
 
The right to free speech ends where the public domain ends....The constitution only prohibits the government from limiting the freedom of speech in the public arena.


EXACTLY! Someone finally gets it.

Anyone or any business can discriminate against anyone person(s) provided they are not discriminating against the 'protected class' status.

Idiots wearing what someone may consider offensive is NOT a protected class.

Take note idiots.
 
More details on the shirt

Our local paper here had a picture of the shirt-- a picture of a fisherman that said "Captain Jack Hoff-- Master Baiter Tackle and Reel Repair... Let the professional staff at Jack's get you lubed up and master baited today! It's all done by hand." I think that the employee had every right to ask him to change shirts...
 
He has just as much right to free speech as the airline has the right to refuse service to anyone.

Why Southwest continues to apologize to these people instead of sticking up for itself, I have no idea.

Oh wait, yes I do. Colleen.

Amen! I keep wondering the same thing.
 
oh please, it's a just t-shirt. What's the big deal. Go to cafepress.com and see the hundreds of t-shirts out there that will offend anything and everyone. This is Southwest Airlines, and I work for them, and we need to get off our high horse - we fly white trash and that's that - let freedom sound!

I think many of our Flight Attendants should be at Delta or United where they belong!
 

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