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Southwest Rushes Woman Home to Son in Coma

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Southwest Airlines says that it empowers its employees to make important decisions on the spot. (Photo: AP) Southwest Airlines went above and beyond the call of duty to rush a woman home to her ill son earlier this month. (www.yahoo.com) More...

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bbabis
bbabis 10
Good for Southwest on this one. We always hear about the bad airline interactions of which Southwest has their share. The occasional good one coming to light, gives hope that all is not lost.

richmixon
Rich Mixon 1
I agree with bbabis. I fly SWA often (6+ times annually), and each Flight is a different experience...due to ONE Flight Attendant. As many of you are "Aware", SWA flies B-737 Series. Therefore, on each flight, each of the three Attendants have "repetitive" responsibilities depending if they are assigned Rear seating area, Mid Section, of Front. I often have a great, fun Attendant, commonly on evening arrivals at BNA. I flew SWA one year before I knew a Corona was $5. On March 7 (2015), THE SWA Attendant almost knocked me down trying to be the first off the plane when we landed at HOU. It is primarily good from my experiences. But I feel they really would prefer you to bring anything you may need, on board, so you leave them alone. But 4 ounces of Corona does not last from BNA to New York, so I utilize their "conveniences".
KennyFlys
Ken Lane -1
You must have missed that rule from the military...

"One oh shit wipes out ten atta boys."

I'm not saying there are not a LOT of great people at SWA. But how they handled one case where there was one's death involved and they were well aware of it... I find that very, very hard to excuse. SWA should be on their knees apologizing to that woman for her loss. No, it's not their fault he committed suicide but what about the mere minutes it would have taken to contact law enforcement which might have prevented his death? That failure on behalf of the FAs and any effort to excuse them by SWA is entirely inexcusable.

Vote this down all you want. But it shall not change my opinion nor the facts of that event.
greerbk
Greer Kemp 5
I have never flown with them as I don't live in the US, but things like this renew my faith in the humanity that can be shown by big business.

Very well done Southwest! If I have reason to fly in the US, I will certainly use your services if I can.
NukeJets
Don Arsenault 5
And that's what Customer Service looks like folks!
jbbooks1
Lewis Tripp 9
Some people make sure every good deed won't go unpunished. 2 idiots on here just plain criticize everything and always find fault.
mariofer
mariofer 5
That is the new society we live in. We need to put everything good down in order to make ourselves feel better. That is why kids don't have real life heroes anymore. It is apparent that people that makes these comments have no idea what it takes to run an airline in today's world; armchair quarterbacking at its best. SWA did not have to do any of this, yet they did it. Why don't we focus on the deed instead of the means? I am sure if any of these folks had been the precipitants of the good deed, they would be writing very different song.

[This comment has been downvoted. Show anyway.]

AWAAlum
AWAAlum 2
If you aren't an employee of SWA working in its PR office, writing news releases, you haven't an inkling of the airline's reasons for doing anything, much less for this particular incident. Who do you think you are posing as someone who knows the inner workings of SWA. Bah! Shame on you. It DOES make you an idiot.
KennyFlys
Ken Lane -3
Southwest normally has an excellent relationship with customers. But two FAs really struck a nerve when they refused to even notify the CA of a women's text from her husband saying he was going to commit suicide. They were still on the ground when that happen.

There's no excuse for that lack of concern and were I a member of that family I would not react kindly by any stretch of the imagination. She would hear my wrath and feel much more. Their actions are the epitome of less than human.

I hope that woman sues and wins big. I also hope SWA suspended and maybe even terminated those FAs. Such a person has no place in this business.
KennyFlys
Ken Lane 0
I find it interesting I'm getting voted down.... FOR STATING FACTS!
VKSheridan
VKSheridan 1
I think you got down voted for sharing your opinion that the SWA associates should be held financially liable simply because they did not react in a manner of your preference to a fabricated story of a tragic text message.

No disrespect but how many people would sit silently, buckled in their seat after reading and announcing such a note to the crew, turn their phone to airplane mode in compliance with crew member instruction and conclude, "No biggie, I'll sue when we land"......

It is extremely unlikely there's many that would support such an illogical reaction by all involved as factual. Just sayin'....
KennyFlys
Ken Lane 1
Where, exactly, did I say the SWA employees pay for anything? Other than their jobs?
VKSheridan
VKSheridan 1
"I hope that woman sues and wins big. I also hope SWA suspended and maybe even terminated those FAs."

With a lawsuit, frivolous or not, everybody pays mate. Job loss is indeed a form of "payback".

Interestingly, the only one seemingly telling her tale is her. Not a single other passenger offered her their phone or challenged the alleged FA behavior? Not a single caring soul on board created sufficient ruckus to stop the plane before take-off (including her)? Seems extremely unlikely but for the purpose of debate, if she is entitled to sue for being denied a simple courtesy of compassion, why stop with SWA? Why not sue everyone on board who had a phone but denied her access?

Ponder how you or any other sane person would react if what occurred happened to you or in the seat near you. She doesn't seem bashful spreading her story so is assertiveness a newly acquired trait or is there a slight chance things didn't go down quite the way she says.....But you believe her enough to hope people lose their livelihood?

Think it through amigo. A blade of fact does not constitute the lawn of truth.
KennyFlys
Ken Lane 1
Yes, job loss for someone who showed absolutely no mercy nor concern for a woman who just received word her husband was going to commit suicide.

After what the FA did to the woman and her phone, I doubt no other passenger would risk getting thrown off the flight.

If this happen with someone next to me, I'd be demanding they contact the captain. DEMANDING IT. If they threw me off the plane, so be it. I'd then be contacting the airline to answer for such pathetic actions, along with my lawyer, if necessary. No, I would not be silent given the circumstances.

Southwest basically admits there was fault on the part of FA:

"Flight attendants are trained to notify the Captain if there is an emergency that poses a hazard to the aircraft or to the passengers onboard. In this situation, the pilots were not notified."

I'd say such news to that wife is worthy of contacting the captain.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/widow-airline-prevented-stopping-husband-suicide-article-1.2224683
VKSheridan
VKSheridan 1
Ken, that's my point.

The average person wouldn't sit in their seat quietly sobbing as the plane backed from the gate. The average PAX wouldn't quietly sit by, watch the exchange and do absolutely nothing. Nothing?

Again, that's my point - She alleges all the above occurred and the only one telling the story is her. I suspect the only reason SWA apologized was just to shut her up since stories like this tend to draw out people desperate to believe the worst even if it conflicts with reality. If SWA did nothing, they would be perceived twice as callous and ignorant by that same group.

Sorry amigo, I just don't think this story went down as she alleges. Too many people like you and I that would have intervened.........


Good conversation, thanks for the debate.
KennyFlys
Ken Lane 1
News indicates the FA knocked the phone out of her hand. So, let's find out some more facts.

Right now, given the fact the CA was not notified and SWA acknowledges this... it does not look in SWA's favor.

And, if it did not happen as she suggest, where is SWA's counter on the issue? There's virtually nothing said. No defense.
AWAAlum
AWAAlum 4
To the nay-sayers and doubting Thomases who possit the motivation behind the actions taken by Southwest in this case, I will only say this: it matters not why it went the waaaaay extra mile for this pax in her time of need, but that it did. The general public will never know the reasoning that went behind each decision made, and so what? Southwest did a great thing and I say hallelujah - good for SWA.
Inky90
Thank God he is ok. With all the hidden fees added to our airline tickets it's time to step and give back any which way possible. Well done Southwest.
doublethetrouble
Good they did it. But this was not a heroic act, it is something every airline should have done. It costs them nothing and they get good PR back.
bbabis
bbabis 4
In the fantasy world that many want to exist, that is a true statement. In the real world, that we all must live in, it didn't have to be done and it's a good story that it was.
ko25701
ko25701 1
Bravo SWA!
Platteman
Orrin Eldred 1
Finally a good story about an airline going above and beyond what many would call service.

There really are some very good people in this world, not all are thugs and such. God bless those employees who did this for this woman.
basstrumpeter
Robert May 1
Southwest is a member of the Air Charity Network and partners with Angel Flight for connections between its flights and private hops, such as to Mayo or to/from small home airports. This is not at all unusual except for not being scheduled in advance. I think it's the only US airline doing it. As an Angel Flight Central pilot I've connected with SWA flights at MSP a few times.
Gpliego36
SW its nice but the bastards on counter &at the gates are bad, i have on the same Token cases of funerals when people have to go and are charged more than to go to Europe.
Also I was left at Reno when travelind with a bussiness partner and we did reservations at the same time , and where asigned to different seat Areas when we where to be taking care of bissines in the flight It was Oct. 10 the day of Air Show accident..
I complained about not being in next area of plane. And was upset, after explaining the situation. Was grounded and a security officer came to interview me and was left out of the plane until next.
She took off and landed at Denver with no Flapps. So we gott to San Antonio almost at the same time She at 8:00pm and I 8:30 Pm
Guillermo Pliego
richmixon
Rich Mixon 1
...further more, I have seen a man almost have a Heart Attack (or possibly was a mild Stroke), and he was told (by SWA Attendant), "You'll be fine. We're almost there...and we had 80 minutes flight time remaining. (And...bring your own peanuts...if you like Peanuts). SWA, I believe is overall a good Airline.
rco18
rco18 1
Bravo Southwest,you are the best.
patpylot
patrick baker -2
think of the corporate structure that encourages this type of action, and then feel sad that it is unlikely your company8 thinks like this or acts like this, when the occasion calls for it.

[This comment has been downvoted. Show anyway.]

[This comment has been downvoted. Show anyway.]

phineasfreak
phineasfreak 3
I do not have all of the details but this seems more like the action of caring rank and file employees and not a calculated PR move. The PR benefits sure don't hurt though.

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