Daily Happiness – Southwest Airlines

After a recent travel incident it really struck me how much I appreciate Southwest Airlines. Sorry for the long post, but I needed to get it all down.

It’s not about the lower rates (which have been progressively getting higher) or even the ‘Bags Fly Free’ policy (I raaaaarely check a bag). To me, it’s all about customer service, change/cancel policies and frequent flyer program. My incident Sunday hit on all three.

It started with a cancelled US Airways flight from a few months ago. Their cancel policy is for them to keep your fare (in my case $550) and if you want to reinstate it you have to pay an additional $150 on top of your fare. I booked a one-way flight from Vegas to KC at a fare of $330 and was informed that the rest of my credit ($220) would be forfeited. Also, the $150 reinstatement fee couldn’t be applied to the credit. It was ‘in addition to.’ So to at least retain some value for my $220 I booked it first class. Hell, if I was paying out the ass for it I might as well feel fancy about it.

So I already wasn’t happy about my situation and then the S hit the F on Sunday. I’m running a little tight to my (now $700 total) flight. But still arrive at the gate with 25 minutes to spare. The ticket kiosk only spit out a boarding pass, no seat assignment. This has happened before so I didn’t think anything of it and went to the gate attendant to receive my seat assignment. When I gave her my pass and said I needed a seat assignment she immediately barked back “You have to wait till someone volunteers to forfeit their seat.” Apparently I was supposed to already know the flight was overbooked. I asked her what my options were as I needed to catch a connecting flight in Phoenix (US Airways doesn’t fly direct to KC). Her only answer was that they’d give away my seat on that flight too… OK, but WTF am I suppose to do? She refused to even help me understand my options until the flight had loaded. So I’m left to stand there and “hope” that I make it on a flight I paid a lot for. As everyone boards I hear another gate attendant mumble to the lady ‘helping’ me that there is a seat open. She mentions nothing to me.

As the plane is nearing the time to depart they rush me down the jetway, gate check my bag as there was no more overhead room, and allow me on the plane. When I enter there are still numerous passengers it the aisle. The flight attendant asks me to step back till everyone sits and I can find the one empty seat. Everyone sits. No seats. Woops, they miscounted. “Sorry, you have to get off the plane.” Oh great. “But what about my bag?” I want to know. “It’ll meet you in KC.” Screw that, I have no idea where or when I’ll be. I wanted it back. They obliged thankfully.

Back at the gate with the same woman. Me staring. Her typing. Is she helping me? I have no clue as she doesn’t even acknowledge the fact that one of their customers just got booted from their purchased flight.

Finally, another guy comes up to help me. His option is to put me on a Southwest flight as they would be the only one to accommodate me. Thank God I tell him. I should’ve just booked that flight to begin with. He can only give me a shrug. At first he offered a $400 credit for my inconvenience. Then he takes that back and says since the Southwest flight gets me in only an hour late that according to their policies they don’t owe me anything. But what about the lost time? What about the lost ticket value? Nope. He gives me a US Airways policy brochure and sends me off to the ticketing desk.

They give me a check (for $440) to take to Southwest to pay for my flight. When I do the Southwest attendant lets me know my flight is delayed 2 ½ hours which doesn’t get me in to KC till 3am. Great. (I’ve been pretty lucky avoiding delayed flights. So this was an anomaly). She mentions there’s an earlier flight I could rush to and try and get on stand-bye. I rush back through security (for the second time). No seats. Ok, at least she tried.

As I sit at the airport and weigh my options I decide to take an early flight so at least I can spend the night in Vegas and get some sleep. I inform the gate attendant. They switch my flight no problem and with no fee.

In the morning I return. Flights on time thank god. I opt to pay a $20 upgrade fee, which gives me A1 seating. (An aside, I love the seating policy. It boards planes more efficiently. I’m religious about checking in though so I always get an early A assignment.) The upgrade also gives me an additional Rapid Rewards credit, which just so happened to give me a free flight.

Finally. Back in KC. For 8 hours. Then it’s back to the airport to board a Southwest flight for Dallas. Again, the gate agent informs me of an earlier flight that’s just about to leave. I head straight to that gate, they let me on and I don’t even have to worry about printing out a new document or anything.

So, this whole ordeal just reminded me why Southwest is my go-to airline. Customer service is great. The policy to transfer/change/cancel flights is easy and there is absolutely no guessing needed. And I build up credits so fast for the Rapid Rewards program (just received my 5^th free flight this year).

Thanks for sticking with this. It was honestly more for my own benefit to sort out that whole ordeal and see if it’s worth going back and bitching to US Airways for effing me over that day.

(Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yolopey/148937112/ )

-Glen

http://www.glendonscott.com