Jul 8th, 2009 at 12:01AM: Usually, we at Gadling don't raise much fuss when an airline puts a few routes on sale. But Southwest really isn't an airline when it comes to fare pricing. They're a paradigm. When they drop fares, other airlines usually drop fares. As a result, shockwaves surge through the entire pricing network, travelers like you and I jump on tickets from any variety of carriers and everyone goes home happy. ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
SouthwestAirlines posts
Southwest launches massive fare sale
Jul 8th, 2009 at 12:01AM: Usually, we at Gadling don't raise much fuss when an airline puts a few routes on sale. But Southwest really isn't an airline when it comes to fare pricing. They're a paradigm. When they drop fares, other airlines usually drop fares. As a result, shockwaves surge through the entire pricing network, travelers like you and I jump on tickets from any variety of carriers and everyone goes home happy. ...On Southwest, the internet's no longer free
Jun 23rd, 2009 at 5:00PM: Starting tomorrow, Southwest Airlines is going to start charging for internet access on four of its planes. The fees will range from $2 to $12, based on how long you're in the sky and how you connect. For the past few months, access has been free, but the lure of additional revenue must have been hard to resist.
Yep, another extra fee to add to the list ...
Both Delta Airlines and American ...Southwest Airlines new fees: Pets, children and baggage
May 30th, 2009 at 3:30PM: Starting in June, Southwest Airlines is allowing for pets on board for a $75.00 pet fare. This doesn't mean the animal that won't fit in a small carrier can climb on board. The carrier will count as a carry on bag. Hmmm, what if the pet fits in a purse and no one knows it's there?
In the human realm, there's another fee being tacked on in June for children flying solo if they are between the ages ...Southwest Airlines to offer free booze to military personnel on Memorial Day
May 24th, 2009 at 11:30AM: What's the best way for an airline to honor those who have fought for America's freedom? Free booze, of course!
This Memorial Day, Southwest Airlines will be offering all military servicemen and women with valid ID a complimentary alcoholic beverage. Don't drink? That's okay. Southwest will also be providing free Monster Energy Drinks to military personnel-- perfect for helping you fall asleep on ...Misery works: airlines making money on baggage fees
May 14th, 2009 at 12:00PM: The one thing nobody says about the "nickel and dime" strategy is that it can work. For the airline industry, charging passengers for extra bags translated to more than $1 billion in lifeblood to a struggling business last year, according to the Department of Transportation. As much as you may hate to shell out that extra cash, last year, it went to businesses that desperately needed it.
Before ...March airline plunge softens in April
May 9th, 2009 at 3:00PM: Passenger traffic is still falling. That's not going to change for a while. But, the decline slowed in April, signaling that the prolonged sharp dips may be behind us. Some optimists even believe that the worst is over – though I maintain a healthy skepticism.
Note the metric being used: passenger traffic. There's a lot of mileage between asses in seats and money in the bank. On a positive ...Galley Gossip: Flight attendant of the month - David Holmes (Southwest Airlines rapping flight attendant!)
May 8th, 2009 at 9:30AM:
Name: David Holmes (AKA The rapping flight attendant)
Hometown: Bay Area and Chicago...I claim them both.
Base: LAS
How long have you been rapping? Was in a group about 1000 years ago, hadn't rapped after that until flight attendant training
The first time you rapped on a flight were your coworkers stunned? Yes, they thought I was the shy, quiet type.
Offers must be ...Extra seat charges: big bias or svelte snobbery?
Apr 28th, 2009 at 8:00AM: As airlines are scrambling for any shred of extra revenue they can find, some policies are getting more attention than others. The so-called "fat passenger policies," which govern the accommodation of passengers who require more than one seat, have attracted the ire of the NAAFA. Never heard of it? It's a new one on me, too: the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. On the other hand, ...Woman goes berserk while waiting in line for the bathroom - plane diverts
Mar 29th, 2009 at 3:30PM: Another week, another passenger loses her mind and starts beating up fellow passengers. This time it involves a "large lady in her 60's" who was in line for using the bathroom on her Southwest Airlines flight. At one point, a fellow passenger bumps into her, and all hell broke loose. The lady accused him of touching her, so she starts beating the crap out of him. Not content with just beating ...Rapping flight attendant entertains passengers on Southwest
Coolio caught with crack cocaine at the LAX airport checkpoint
Mar 7th, 2009 at 11:00AM: Someone needs to tell Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (a.k.a. Coolio) that the workers at the airport checkpoint are on the lookout for more than just guns, bombs and terrorists. When they go through your stuff and discover crack cocaine, the will haul you off to jail. And not the good "Gangsta's paradise" jail, they'll lock you away in the dirty jail, with all the other naughty people. Coolio posted a ...Southwest suffers softer stats
Mar 5th, 2009 at 1:00PM: For Southwest Airlines, the numbers are down all over the place. The low-cost carrier flew 5.1 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) in February 2009 – a 6 percent drop from the 5.4 million in February 2008. Available seat miles were down 6.5 percent to 7.4 billion. This continues January's trend. RPMs for the first two months of the year are down 6.2 percent (from 10.9 billion RPMs to 10.2 ...Passengers take fun out of Southwest's supermodel airplane
Mar 4th, 2009 at 4:00PM: Try to have a little bit of fun and those pesky passengers get all bent out of shape. Last month, Southwest Airlines joined up with Sports Illustrated to paint the side of one of their Boeing 737s with the image of Bar Rafaeli, an Israeli supermodel, in a white, two-piece swimsuit. It's a brief promotion aimed at promoting the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition and tickle a few passengers who ...Boston reaps the rewards of airline competition
Mar 3rd, 2009 at 1:00PM: It's funny. Airlines blame last year's industry implosions on consumers' non-stop demands for low fares. Ask any analyst and they'll say "Transcontinental fares are as low this year as they are were in 1986! Where's the inflation! The Humanity! The Humanity!" We can't be completely to blame though. Three out of four times, a consumer like myself needs to buy a ticket, logs on to Kayak, finds the ...Southwest Airlines announces service to BOSTON
Feb 19th, 2009 at 12:00AM: At long last, Boston has been freed from the grips of legacy carriers. Virgin America just started service to Beantown this month, and tomorrow morning, Southwest Airlines plans to announce that they will be starting flights. Coincidence? Maybe. Great for the everyday passenger? Definitely. Because with Southwest, comes competition, and with their low fares (read: hedge) driving the market, other ...Southwest Airlines spices up a 7-3-7 with a bit of 34-24-35
Feb 12th, 2009 at 2:00PM: Southwest Airlines just unveiled their newest flying PR stunt in the sky. One of their 737's has been decorated with a sexy photo of Israeli model Bar Refaeli. This 23 year old (who by the way is taken, she's dating Leonardo DiCaprio) appears on the cover of this months Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. Of course, the whole thing is really ironic, since it was Southwest Airlines that ...Southwest Airlines joins the "superskyway" with inflight Internet trials
Feb 10th, 2009 at 5:30PM: Southwest Airlines just announced their first inflight WiFi trial. The service is installed on one of their 540 planes, with an additional 3 planes to be equipped by March. Access is provided by Row 44 - who opted for a satellite-to-plane system, unlike the technology in use by Aircell who use a ground-to-plane system. In addition to the inflight internet access, Southwest also partnered with ...Fare alert! Seattle is on sale!
Jan 22nd, 2009 at 7:00PM: We're a couple of days late to the party because, well, of all of the partying, but these fares were just too good to not tell you about. Southwest Airlines (WN), the great low cost carrier based out of Dallas, TX, has done it again, launching a 50% off fare sale from and to Seattle, WA, originating anywhere that WN flies from. Tickets are rocking as low as $150, with some of the best deals on ...Go to Orlando, but don't pay for it
Jan 15th, 2009 at 9:00AM: The "Bundles of Free Smiles" gig is exactly what you need in this dismal economy. Instead of settling for a disappointing "staycation" (oh, how we all loathe that expression) or digging deep into your pockets for regrettable recreation, the Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau is giving you six months to pack your bags and get out of town. From now until the end of June, you can check out ...Southwest pilot called in sick after passengers accused him of drinking
Jan 8th, 2009 at 8:00AM: Because I live in Columbus, this story ended up on Wednesday night's local news. As I listened to the report, this is what I picked up.
At 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, two guys heading for a Southwest flight at Port Columbus International Airport saw a pilot who seemed like he had been drinking at the security check point and decided to intervene. First, they told TSA officials that they were ...
