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A funny letter of complaint to an airline with an unusual response from customer service

A funny letter of complaint to an airline with an unusual response from customer service Jan 16th, 2012 at 4:30PM: Apparently, Southwest Airlines' passenger B.J. Schone had a rather unpleasant experience on his flight, or at least once he got off, as his brand new TravelPro suitcase had been damaged. Instead of taking the action that most people on a late-night flight home for Christmas would take (i.e. cursing out a staff member or writing a nasty letter to the company), Schone took a different approach and ...

Microsoft and Southwest Airlines team up for picture perfect holiday

Microsoft and Southwest Airlines team up for picture perfect holiday Dec 18th, 2011 at 12:00PM: For the second year in a row, Microsoft and Southwest Airlines have joined forces to offer free holiday themed photos and giveaway some great prizes as well. Between now and December 24th, you'll be able to score a Windows 7 laptop each day and be entered to win free travel for a year on Southwest. The two companies have set up photo booths in 21 airports and 3 malls across the U.S. Visitor to ...

Video: Southwest Airlines' departure from the Oskhosh AirVenture

Aug 2nd, 2011 at 9:00AM: Though aviation enthusiasts are the focus of each annual Oshkosh AirVenture, there's also a big commercial and and industrial component. This year, for example, Ford, GE and Honda each had a significant presence on the grounds, largely for what seems to be exposure. As part of the festivities, Southwest also brought one of their Boeing 737s to display at the show, and they chocked the airplane ...

Photos from the Oshkosh Airventure

Photos from the Oshkosh Airventure Aug 1st, 2011 at 10:00AM: Festivities from the 2011 Oshkosh AirVenture are just wrapping up as we type, and as our photos come back from the dark room we're sending them straight out to print. As far as air shows go, one can do no better than the Oshkosh AirVenture in Wisconsin. Your typical small town air show this is not. Sure, they've got the warbirds and the experimental planes and the helicopters and the ...

Southwest Airlines suspends, reinstates pilot after profanity-laced rant

Southwest Airlines suspends, reinstates pilot after profanity-laced rant Jun 22nd, 2011 at 12:00PM: Southwest Airlines confirms that it suspended a pilot who was caught ranting over air traffic control channels in a profane, misogynistic and homophobic manner. The event, originally reported by CBS 2 in Houston, states that the pilot's speech on March 25 tied up frequencies for other pilots in the area. CBS 2 (see the video reporting on the incident) says the unidentified pilot "could be heard ...

Airlines offer in-flight menu items at food trucks, pop-ups

Airlines offer in-flight menu items at food trucks, pop-ups May 7th, 2011 at 12:00PM: In a marketing move best described as "ironic," a handful of airlines are now offering land-bound folk a taste of the finest of what they serve in the air. The New York Times reports that Air France, Austrian Airlines, Southwest, and Delta are trying to lure potential passengers by tempting them with samples of in-flight meals "from" celebrity-chefs. The modus operandi are primarily roving food ...

Video of the Day: SNL jokes about Southwest plane accident

Apr 11th, 2011 at 6:30PM: Southwest Airlines has had some troubles recently, including an incident where the roof of one of their planes just, you know, started to tear away from the rest of the aircraft. On this past weekend's episode of Saturday Night Live, Weekend Update welcomed a flight attendant from that damaged flight. Well, it was the talented Kristin Wiig portraying one of the Dallas-based airline's ...

Southwest grounds planes, investigation underway

Southwest grounds planes, investigation underway Apr 3rd, 2011 at 10:00AM: As a result of Sacramento bound Southwest Airlines flight 812 making an emergency descent Friday night after a large hole appeared in the fuselage, 79 Southwest planes have been grounded. While no one was seriously injured Friday as the Southwest flight carrying over 100 people rapidly lost cabin pressure and made scary descent from 34,500 feet, landing safely in Arizona, questions about ...

BREAKING: Southwest Airlines jet lands with fuselage hole

BREAKING: Southwest Airlines jet lands with fuselage hole Apr 1st, 2011 at 9:48PM: Sacramento bound Southwest Airlines flight 812 made an emergency descent this evening after a large hole appeared in the fuselage. The photo above was shot by a passenger on the plane who described the event in great detail on her Twitter account. According to Flightaware.com, the plane dropped 16,000 feet in one minute, and some passengers reportedly passed out due to lack of oxygen from ...

Southwest Airlines pilot saves the day - turns screaming boy into honorary pilot

Southwest Airlines pilot saves the day - turns screaming boy into honorary pilot Mar 26th, 2011 at 11:30AM: We all know that flying has its challenges - and most of us know that flying when trapped inside the metal tube with a screaming kid only helps make things worse. That was the prospect facing passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight from Houston to San Antonio earlier this week. When Captain Joe Gautille was preparing for his flight, he heard the screams of three year old Alex coming down ...

Twenty free iTunes downloads - courtesy of Southwest Airlines InAirtainment

Twenty free iTunes downloads - courtesy of Southwest Airlines InAirtainment Feb 18th, 2011 at 5:30PM: What better way to end the work week than snagging twenty free song downloads from iTunes, courtesy of Southwest Airlines? To celebrate forty years of flying and the launch of their new InAirtainment portal, Southwest put together a list of artists "about to fly". In the lineup, you'll find songs from artists like Laura Jansen and a personal favorite of mine - Ellie Goulding. To get your ...

Southwest Airlines new Rapid Rewards program: what it means for travelers

Southwest Airlines new Rapid Rewards program: what it means for travelers Jan 7th, 2011 at 4:30PM: Today Southwest Airlines announced changes to its popular rewards program, Rapid Rewards. the all-new program, which promises to eliminate blackout dates and allow redemption for international flights for the first time, will launch March 1 and will will allow members to redeem points for any seat on any flight, with no blackout dates or seat restrictions. AOL Travel has covered the basic ...

Airlines have best quarter ever ... thanks baggage fees!

Airlines have best quarter ever ... thanks baggage fees! Dec 20th, 2010 at 3:30PM: Every time you pay to check an extra bag you're making someone's life better. The latest data from the U.S. Department of Transportation reveals that the third quarter of 2010 was the most profitable for the U.S. airline industry since the department began keeping score in 2002. The industry's operating profit margin hit 10.5 percent in aggregate. Low-cost carriers, as a class, had an operating ...

Which airline made the most money on baggage fees?

Which airline made the most money on baggage fees? Dec 13th, 2010 at 2:30PM: Last year, baggage fees were used by airlines to make up for lost fare revenue, as the recession kept people on the ground. This year, it's just been a great source of extra revenue, as passenger traffic and fares are up – and the fees haven't gone away. Almost all airlines are getting in on the action, some more egregious than others. Well, data for the third quarter of 2010 is in, and ...

Southwest launches "12 days of luv" Twitter promo

Southwest launches Dec 10th, 2010 at 6:00PM: We at Gadling are big on contests - particularly when the prize involves deeply discounted travel. As the song goes, for 12 days in December, your "true love" is supposed to give you gifts. Well, this year, Southwest Airlines wants to be your own "true LUV," minus those silly Turtle Doves and annoying Drummer Boys. They're giving away 12 $1,000 gift cards, one each day during the "12 Days of ...

Airlines, airports and passengers: nothing but gains this year [INFOGRAPHICS]

Airlines, airports and passengers: nothing but gains this year [INFOGRAPHICS] Dec 10th, 2010 at 12:00PM: There are a whole lot more of us flying this year: 4.3 percent more, to be exact. That's the increase in domestic air traffic from September 2009 to September 2010, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Transportation. In that month, U.S. airlines had 57.3 million passengers, leading to the largest year-over-year gain since September 2007. Meanwhile, international passenger ...

The death of cheap tickets? Four factors to watch!

The death of cheap tickets? Four factors to watch! Dec 7th, 2010 at 1:00PM: Are the days of bargain pricing over? There's a lot of pessimism around this issue. After getting smacked around in 2008 and 2009, this year has been a good one for air carriers, and USA Today reports: "Airfares are on the rise again and unlikely to fall again anytime soon." Yet, a travel industry recovery comes with advantages, as more people want to fly, and they tend to be willing to stomach ...

Bullets found on Southwest flight by CNN photographer going to cover Sarah Palin

Bullets found on Southwest flight by CNN photographer going to cover Sarah Palin Nov 24th, 2010 at 8:00AM: Let your kids kick the seats in front of them: it could save your life. If you're the passenger being inconvenienced, it may behoove you to find a way to cope. A kid who would otherwise be branded a royal pain found a loaded gun magazine ... that should have been in the hands of a law enforcement official ... on a Southwest Airlines flight. To make matters worse, the media was actually on the ...

Airline profits may mean more elbow room for a little while

Airline profits may mean more elbow room for a little while Oct 24th, 2010 at 10:00AM: The airline industry wants to thank you. Last year, it was mired in despair. The post-financial crisis recession left the carriers beleaguered and desperate for a turn of fortune. Corporate and leisure travel had fallen precipitously, and doubling down on extra fees, though prudent for profits, alienated both those considering a flight and the passengers with little choice but to hit the road. The ...

Fallen American Airlines could be next to merge ... with JetBlue?

Fallen American Airlines could be next to merge ... with JetBlue? Oct 12th, 2010 at 12:00PM: American Airlines used to be the largest airline in the industry – now it's third. Merger activity has narrowed the field, with Southwest-AirTran and United-Continental the latest deals that hit the sector. So, all eyes are on who will succumb to the urge to merge next, and American is being eyed as the next player. According to a Forbes blog post, analysts from Morningstar believe that ...

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