Death of Herb Kelleher
Er there was................. people complaining that as they boarded last that, no 4 seats available close together so everybody could sit beside each other as they had been eating in Burger King etc etc.
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Ireland
Posts: 216
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
In the free seating era families with small children where boarded first. People boarding late where an exception with the rush for seats and absolutely no-priority queues. More important to this forum the model said all crew should be able to go home after a shift and overnighting out of homebase was to be avoided, as should having small bases all over the place overinflating cost and the amount of crews needed for standby. Nothing about just avoiding paying for overnighting crews or spread them thin to avoid organisation. Don't think that was an advice from Mr Kelleher
In the free seating era families with small children where boarded first. People boarding late where an exception with the rush for seats and absolutely no-priority queues. More important to this forum the model said all crew should be able to go home after a shift and overnighting out of homebase was to be avoided, as should having small bases all over the place overinflating cost and the amount of crews needed for standby. Nothing about just avoiding paying for overnighting crews or spread them thin to avoid organisation. Don't think that was an advice from Mr Kelleher
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Dallas
Posts: 108
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
For many years Herb sent me a birthday card. Well, someone at Southwest did, but his signature was on it. I suppose at some point there were so many Rapid Rewards members, it became expensive and unmanageable.
Just another example of the focus on customer relations at the airline.
Just another example of the focus on customer relations at the airline.
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Ireland
Posts: 216
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Can't have been there in the early days of the pure model, around going public. Priority boarding was one of the first adons that watered out the model, thought up as so much of the soul destroying stuff by somebody internal that knew only money making schemes would get you positively noticed. Before that there where classic families with children and people with disabilities invited to board first. Some where a bit laissez faires with anouncements but if families milled around the front instead of hiding at the back they where boarded first.
Can't have been there in the early days of the pure model, around going public. Priority boarding was one of the first adons that watered out the model, thought up as so much of the soul destroying stuff by somebody internal that knew only money making schemes would get you positively noticed. Before that there where classic families with children and people with disabilities invited to board first. Some where a bit laissez faires with anouncements but if families milled around the front instead of hiding at the back they where boarded first.
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: houston
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I flew so much on SWA as an unaccompanied minor. I remember quite well the boarding order of the plastic boarding passes, and the polite out of the way area for minors like myself, seeing parents of small children, elderly passengers where we could quietly board first before the throng of other passengers. I also remember traveling as a youth, queuing up with the adults - who behaved as adults as well. If you wanted to get on "first" you arrived first and you queued first. My wife flew solo with two kids in tow a while back when I didn't understand how for the worst the mentality had changed, and priority boarding has become a joke. I got to see it for myself a few years later. What is the point of even bothering with staggered boarding when everyone gets to pay for cattle class and board through "line A." Now its been turned into a pay your way to the front, or rather I should say pay to not be last. It may be the same great people in ops, but I'd rather select my seat than endure that mob again. Remember stand-by. I'd even rather do that.
