SOU Slots - Don't ask!
Recently I have heard several pilots from different airlines being tactfully chastised for asking TWR whether they have a slot outbound. I have heard responses along the lines of:
"HotJet 123 have you asked your handling agent?"
or
"FlashLine 123 we are very busy in the tower with controlling duties we don't really have the time to perform handling agent tasks."
In a pilot's defence, there have been many occasions where we call for push and are informed by a surprised controller that our slot is not until an hour's time so he can't allow pushback so early. On such occasions the pilots are usually oblivious to the fact that they had a slot in the first place. A quick R/T call to the handling agent is often met with the same response.....they have not received slot information either.
In summary it looks like you chaps in ATC receive slot information much sooner or even independently of an airline's handling agent. Clearly this is a communication issue that needs resolved somewhere but it occurs at airports other than SOU so you're not being singled out.
Just don't have a go at us pilots please chaps; we're not being thick when we ask!