Southwest Airlines Reaffirms Its Two-Item Free Baggage Allowance

[roughneck]

Southwest Airlines Reaffirms Its Two-Item Free Baggage Allowance
Thursday May 22, 7:04 pm ET
DALLAS, May 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today's New York Times story on American Airlines' plan to charge for all checked luggage included a reference to Southwest Airlines that said, "Other major American airlines, including Southwest Airlines, said Wednesday that they were considering matching the fee." That is not true. The next line quotes a Southwest spokesperson saying, "We're doing everything we can do to boost revenue, but it's not our goal to nickel and dime our customers." That is true. We want to assure you that Southwest Airlines still allows you to check up to two free bags when you travel with us, and has no plans to change that. You can still count on Southwest Airlines to provide high quality air travel at a low fare, without a lot of extra fees. We look forward to seeing you onboard very soon. (And bring your luggage!)

 

[ReverseSensing]

"The SWA spokesman delivered the press release with a thumb in each ear, palms facing forward, while wiggling his fingers vigorously and sticking out his tongue."

 

[get2flyin]

It must take a lot of flexibility to blow your own "horn" with such enthusiasm.

 

[pipejockey]

"We're doing everything we can do to boost revenue, but it's not our goal to nickel and dime our customers."

No, seems your goal is to cause every other airline out there to nickel and dime their labor. AA tries to do something to makeup for the horrendously low fares they must charge to keep from losing their customers to the bottom feeders, and what does southworst do? What they always do. Every legacy carrier out there has announced significant capacity cuts come 4th qtr, so that they may gain some pricing power, and what does southworst do, what they always do, just increase capacity as they are doing in denver. Bottom line....if it erodes the pilot profession, southworst will take the lead. And don't anyone dare mention their pathetic 190 bucks an hour 737 pay. Because it pales in comparison to what the UAL and DAL pilots would be earning these days if their contracts were not thrown away, and what the others would be at as they followed suit.

You can still count on Southwest Airlines to provide high quality air travel at a low fare, without a lot of extra fees.

High Quality? Is this a joke? If you call getting people safely from point A to point B high quality, then I guess you're right huh?

 

[swa737-700]

No, seems your goal is to cause every other airline out there to nickel and dime their labor. AA tries to do something to makeup for the horrendously low fares they must charge to keep from losing their customers to the bottom feeders, and what does southworst do? What they always do. Every legacy carrier out there has announced significant capacity cuts come 4th qtr, so that they may gain some pricing power, and what does southworst do, what they always do, just increase capacity as they are doing in denver. Bottom line....if it erodes the pilot profession, southworst will take the lead. And don't anyone dare mention their pathetic 190 bucks an hour 737 pay. Because it pales in comparison to what the UAL and DAL pilots would be earning these days if their contracts were not thrown away, and what the others would be at as they followed suit.




High Quality? Is this a joke? If you call getting people safely from point A to point B high quality, then I guess you're right huh?

Pipejockey,

What? You have the nads to blame Southwest for the managament failures of the other airlines? If you can't stand the heat then get the heck out of the kitchen son. Ya' gotta be a big boy (realist) in this league, and by the content (or lack there of), your post indicates that a big boy you are not. Posts like yours are so extraordinary as to make one wonder what planet you are from.
Again, your comment on pay is not anchored in reality. What if, what if, "'aint" gonna' hack it my friend.
And I would think that most travelers would consider getting to their destination safely as a very high priority. Better to look good than go-around? Nice attitude. Go look at safety records. It is all about REALITY. Get some...please.

 

[navy737]

Yawn. Your right, PJ, there must be something wrong with Southbest's business model. These attacks are so mindful of the phrase "sour grapes".

 

[pipejockey]

Pipejockey,
Again, your comment on pay is not anchored in reality. What if, what if, "'aint" gonna' hack it my friend.
And I would think that most travelers would consider getting to their destination safely as a very high priority. Better to look good than go-around? Nice attitude. Go look at safety records. It is all about REALITY. Get some...please.

You speak of reality? The reality of the matter is that southworst has nearly singlehandedly changed the pricing structure of the industry. They have turned domestic travel into 1 big no frills, how low can you go, low cost adventure over the last 20 years. The current reality exists due in gigantic part to southworst. I would rather see a return to what used to be coach class travel. A meal served, a pillow, blankets, some leg room. If it means 20% of the current flying public is priced out of air travel, so be it!!

And I guess I will rephrase 1 of my last comments since you apparently didn't have the mental acumen to understand it without taking it out of context. If southworst considers "high quality" as only getting people safely to their destinations, than EVERY airline is a high quality carrier I suppose. You know as a southworst employee, I can understand how you could be confused by the term "high quality" as it is in complete opposition with their business model. Air travel shouldn't be all about low fares and no frills. Although southworst has seemingly fooled everyone in believing it is true. I will die a happy man if I live long enough to see a world minus southworst.

 

[airlinepilot]

Clearly PJ didn't get selected on his 3rd interview or he bumped his head too many times getting into and out of that RJ cockpit! At SWA we are happy to take that 20% of the public he doesn't care about serving! Just send them all our way and ask them if they want meals or low fares for their families. Really sounds like he should be in management (somewhere besides SWA...thank you).

 

[GuppyWN]

No kidding. Go ahead and price your product where you see fit Pipe. Give all the amenities you want. Show the flying public how good it really can be.......... then watch as we kick your ass because the common demoniator that you are overlooking is safe and friendly travel. We got it. You want to charge for it.

Who do you fly for? Just so I can understand a little better where you're coming from.

Gup

 

[luckytohaveajob]

then watch as we kick your ass because the common demoniator that you are overlooking is safe and friendly travel.

Gup

SWA is the LOWEST common denominator.

1950's till 1978, airline travel moved past safe and friendly to be luxury. If you wanted safe and friendly during those times, one would take Greyhound.

SWA has reduced the luxury of flying to that of taking the Greyhound bus. Thanks you corndog losers.

 

[USMC319]

SWA is the LOWEST common denominator.

1950's till 1978, airline travel moved past safe and friendly to be luxury. If you wanted safe and friendly during those times, one would take Greyhound.

SWA has reduced the luxury of flying to that of taking the Greyhound bus. Thanks you corndog losers.

Your disappointment with the evolution of the industry is understandable but it isn't the SWA pilots' fault. They just show up and do what we all do; fly as professionally and safely as they can and hope their airline will get them to retirement. For those who chose to fly there, the latter seems to be a good bet in todays environment.

 

[say again]

I go out of my way to try and fly Southwest. They have far superior customer service (from ticket/gate agents to their FA's) then every legacy carrier. Legacies could learn quite a bit from SW, and I wouldn't hesitate to fly them if they did!!!

 

[Ex737Driver]

Pipejockey,

What? You have the nads to blame Southwest for the managament failures of the other airlines? If you can't stand the heat then get the heck out of the kitchen son. Ya' gotta be a big boy (realist) in this league, and by the content (or lack there of), your post indicates that a big boy you are not. Posts like yours are so extraordinary as to make one wonder what planet you are from.
Again, your comment on pay is not anchored in reality. What if, what if, "'aint" gonna' hack it my friend.
And I would think that most travelers would consider getting to their destination safely as a very high priority. Better to look good than go-around? Nice attitude. Go look at safety records. It is all about REALITY. Get some...please.

Management failures? Sorry. Your managment is no different than any other airline out there. If you truely believe that they are, your are quite the naive little child. Your managment took a very large gamble on fuel, and it paid off. Simple. No magic bullet. No recipe that any other airline doesn't have. To rub others noses in it, well, quite low class.

 

[bravodude]

Management failures? Sorry. Your managment is no different than any other airline out there. If you truely believe that they are, your are quite the naive little child. Your managment took a very large gamble on fuel, and it paid off. Simple. No magic bullet. No recipe that any other airline doesn't have. To rub others noses in it, well, quite low class.

If you think we took a gamble on fuel then you know nothing about us. We do have a magic bullet its called cash and a great credit rating, how about you? when oil was at 50 you could have hedged did you? no, how about when oil was at 70? again no. don't lump us in the same group with your own inept mgt. team.

 

[FlyinGuy]

Here we go again...SWA needs to shut down so that other companies can prosper. Go ahead and sell your product. You can't because you know that you will be in ch7 overnight. Why don't you do something that makes people want to get on your planes?

 

[Bake]

SWA has reduced the luxury of flying to that of taking the Greyhound bus. Thanks you corndog losers.


Your welcome. Just be sure and call me a loser when you're mowing my grass you freakin' man pleaser.

 

[Dude]

Most of us wouldn't be on this board having such conversations if it weren't for Southwest Airlines' business model and the Deregulation Act. Before SWA less than 15% of adults had ever ridden on an airplane. As for cost, we weren't the only whores in the sky willing to give more for less. Texas Air, Braniff, and a few others did it too. We just did it better, because it was never our intention to compete with other airlines in the first place. We competed directly with ground transportation. As for the service; you certainly got more bang for your buck. This is especially true today. Southwest's ability to keep costs low, innovate, reward productivity, and do what others were unwilling are a fwe reasons this conersation even exists. Trying to explain to most of you terminal-legacy guys the whofors and whynots of SWA is like trying to describe the wonders of sex to a virgin; or an orgasm to a Delta pilot's wife.

Seriously, this industry has been intellectually bankrupt ever since Juan Trippe convinced the government to pay him whether the goods arrived or not. Competition and survival of the fittest are the only two things that will make this industry and whole. The labor lobby and political posturing have kept too many companies around at the expense of the healthy. Passengers have had enough of being held hostage by $hit service and ridiculous pricing in uncontested markets.

The red-bellied warriors on this board don't gloat; they celebrate and defend their company. We are proud of our airline and do not relish in the failure of others. We have shared cockpits with many from other companies and understand that it is not their decisions that fail them, but that of their management. They just happened to work for folks that do not value their people or customers. Sad.

 

[waveflyer]

yeah-this is where all the free market/capitalist (of which i am one) republicans that helped to vote in anti-labor Bush, now get vehemently anti-capitalist..... it's a page out of 'Atlas Shrugged' or Hmm in 'Who moved my Cheese' and it's pathetic and frustrating to have my own career tied to you guys.

the legacies are not a good product-- to argue that they are is silly.

The only mystery in this game is why the legacies have not adopted SWA's management style- ie: employees first -> customers-> investors--but then again, as much as most legacy pilots trash SWA, would legacy managements be rewarded for such investment in their employees? I don't know that answer- many times, i think not- it's ridiculous- and i agree Dude-- it's sad.

 

[FlyinGuy]

Wave, the reality is that if SWA does not continue down that road, we will be like everyone else.

Hey Bake, the legacys have reduced the idea of making money to that of the federal gov't.

 

[waveflyer]

true enough-- it's a point i've made often-- our seniority systems can trap us in what used to be great companies- but then become awful ones. Honestly hope that doesn't happen to WN

 

[Donald]

No, seems your goal is to cause every other airline out there to nickel and dime their labor. AA tries to do something to makeup for the horrendously low fares they must charge to keep from losing their customers to the bottom feeders, and what does southworst do? What they always do. Every legacy carrier out there has announced significant capacity cuts come 4th qtr, so that they may gain some pricing power, and what does southworst do, what they always do, just increase capacity as they are doing in denver. Bottom line....if it erodes the pilot profession, southworst will take the lead. And don't anyone dare mention their pathetic 190 bucks an hour 737 pay. Because it pales in comparison to what the UAL and DAL pilots would be earning these days if their contracts were not thrown away, and what the others would be at as they followed suit.




Pipe, you must hate capitalism and everything it stands for. Do you protest Walmart and Target stores too?

 

[mdf]

Most of us wouldn't be on this board having such conversations if it weren't for Southwest Airlines' business model and the Deregulation Act. Before SWA less than 15% of adults had ever ridden on an airplane. As for cost, we weren't the only whores in the sky willing to give more for less. Texas Air, Braniff, and a few others did it too. We just did it better, because it was never our intention to compete with other airlines in the first place. We competed directly with ground transportation. As for the service; you certainly got more bang for your buck. This is especially true today. Southwest's ability to keep costs low, innovate, reward productivity, and do what others were unwilling are a fwe reasons this conersation even exists. Trying to explain to most of you terminal-legacy guys the whofors and whynots of SWA is like trying to describe the wonders of sex to a virgin; or an orgasm to a Delta pilot's wife.

Seriously, this industry has been intellectually bankrupt ever since Juan Trippe convinced the government to pay him whether the goods arrived or not. Competition and survival of the fittest are the only two things that will make this industry and whole. The labor lobby and political posturing have kept too many companies around at the expense of the healthy. Passengers have had enough of being held hostage by $hit service and ridiculous pricing in uncontested markets.

The red-bellied warriors on this board don't gloat; they celebrate and defend their company. We are proud of our airline and do not relish in the failure of others. We have shared cockpits with many from other companies and understand that it is not their decisions that fail them, but that of their management. They just happened to work for folks that do not value their people or customers. Sad.

Thanks Dude!,

That about sums it all up. We can put this thread to rest, and if pipe is still not happy, I volunteer to put the training wheels back on his bicycle for him.

 

[GFunk20]

Man that's pretty ignorant to think the only reason Southwest is successful is cause of a "fuel gamble." Good lord.

I'd like to see the legacies provide the same friendly service or do a 20 minute turn.

Many legacies I have jumpseated on can't even get a jetbridge/gate agent to arrive in that amount of time.

Like it or not, customers pay the paychecks and nickle/diming them isn't the answer.

 

[Ex737Driver]

Man that's pretty ignorant to think the only reason Southwest is successful is cause of a "fuel gamble." Good lord.

I'd like to see the legacies provide the same friendly service or do a 20 minute turn.

Many legacies I have jumpseated on can't even get a jetbridge/gate agent to arrive in that amount of time.

Like it or not, customers pay the paychecks and nickle/diming them isn't the answer.

And where do you think SWA would be if the gamble had failed? I think you might need to examine your quarterly reports to understand this.

 

[olympus593]

Passengers have had enough of being held hostage by $hit service and ridiculous pricing in uncontested markets.

Somebody drug test this guy what have they put in the koolaid, You get the F/I tool of the year award.

 

[Cobraair75drvr]

or an orgasm to a Delta pilot's wife.


As a NWA pilot you just made me spew my coffee. Thanks. On another note, I think some are getting sick of the arrogance of a FEW swa pilots. I think they are the minority by far though. I have a few relatives that are pilots and flight attds. there and all are very humble and know enough about this industry to know they are a couple of bad mgmt mistakes away from where we are. I guess my point is enjoy your time at the top with grace and dignity unlike the AA pilots of the 80s, UAL of the 90s etc. We at NWA never got the big head because we are use to being treated like ********************. It is that Minnesota nice thing they got going on up there in the frozen white north.

 

[Dizel8]

Pipe, you must hate capitalism and everything it stands for. Do you protest Walmart and Target stores too?

Cannot speak for Pipe, but I for one no fan of Walmart and I don't think you really want to compare SWA to Walmart.

Walmarts employee relation is atrocius, their benefits are a joke, they are staunchly anti union, have no problems with putting american flags on goods made in China, etc, etc. I suppose you could call it capitalism run amok.

I doubt the great Sam Walton would be proud of what Walmart stands for today, just like Herb would be sad, if Frank Lorenzo/JO style tactics happened at LUV.

 

[imacdog]

Somebody drug test this guy what have they put in the koolaid, You get the F/I tool of the year award.

No he's fairly spot on, service on the legacies is pretty poor compared with Southwest.

 

[Donald]

Cannot speak for Pipe, but I for one no fan of Walmart and I don't think you really want to compare SWA to Walmart.

Walmarts employee relation is atrocius, their benefits are a joke, they are staunchly anti union, have no problems with putting american flags on goods made in China, etc, etc. I suppose you could call it capitalism run amok.

I agree, but we have been called the "Walmart" of the airlines. I also agree that Southwest is only a few mgt mistakes away from the same situation at the other airlines.

 

[jmreii]

Cannot speak for Pipe, but I for one no fan of Walmart and I don't think you really want to compare SWA to Walmart.

Walmarts employee relation is atrocius, their benefits are a joke, they are staunchly anti union, have no problems with putting american flags on goods made in China, etc, etc. I suppose you could call it capitalism run amok.

I agree, but we have been called the "Walmart" of the airlines. I also agree that Southwest is only a few mgt mistakes away from the same situation at the other airlines.

Everybody makes mistakes, and there will be a but, some people's mistakes are the type of mistake that need to cost you your head literally.