Pilot Stops Plane for Family of Murdered Son

[T-Bird76]

Way to go Southwest...this is customer service at its best...simply amazing. As for the TSA agents...they are total pigs…. There’s no other side to the story…they are pigs!


http://gizmodo.com/5731946/pilot-stops-plane-for-family-of-murdered-son

[jerslice]

Southwest: where class & compassion meet

[emshighway]

My condolences to the man and his family but I don't see how someone can have all the information from the following statement:


Every step of the way, he’s on the verge of tears and trying to get assistance from both TSA and Southwest employees to get to his plane on time.


So based on your assumption, Southwest are also pigs. The other side of the story is not known. I have seen TSA Officers go out of their way to help people, salute soldiers and do what they could for special situations.

[mirrodie]

for special situations.

except here.




EDIT: WN isn't classy. The pilot was. Gpa just got lucky.

[Derf]

Just read this and was not surprised at all. Most captains are really nice but Southwest is usually in a class all in its own. Very Nice to hear these hear warming stories

[adscram14]

What a classy and great move by that pilot. I'd love to see that kind of attitude from more people these days...

[threeholerglory]

Truly a class act from the crew...I have only heard good things about WN and have only flown them twice with exceptional experiences on both rides.

From a management standpoint, I'd be interested to know how executive management feels about the 12 minute delay. Hopefully they look at it from a customer service perspective and not from a monetary perspective as I'm sure that 12 minutes cost the company at least SOME money. It's sad to think that in today's world many other airlines would most likely punish the action of the crew in a case like this.

Again, way to go WN...keeping it real!

[steve1840]

I have known a few people that have flown Southwest and have gotten mixed reviews on the airline. This weekend will be my first experience with the airline and it definitely gives me a good feeling after reading an article like that. Looking forward to my flights!

[Alex T]

Truly a class act from the crew...I have only heard good things about WN and have only flown them twice with exceptional experiences on both rides.

From a management standpoint, I'd be interested to know how executive management feels about the 12 minute delay. Hopefully they look at it from a customer service perspective and not from a monetary perspective as I'm sure that 12 minutes cost the company at least SOME money. It's sad to think that in today's world many other airlines would most likely punish the action of the crew in a case like this.

Again, way to go WN...keeping it real!

Management would have NO problem with this at all. They encourage this type of behavior. WN just posted on their internal website about the story and how proud they were the Captain made this decision because "it was right thing to do" WN is willing to swallow some money or time lost if it is in the best interest of the Customer involved.

The idea I developed working at WN, was when a Customer had an issue with us that we could solve on the spot, we were told to not ask permission for the most part from the supervisor or higher up. If we could take care of it very quickly on the spot, do it, and WN will ask questions later. So, do it now, ask questions later, instead of the other way around, ask questions then solve it.

While nothing compared to what the Captain did, but I had a Customer come running up to me at the ticket counter claiming he left his camera bag in the overhead bin and if he could go get it. He could not because he would have to re clear security, I immediately took it upon myself to get the flight info he came off, ran back through security, run to the gate, onto the plane, found a F/A and had her and myself search for the camera bag. I may have held up the flight for a minute trying to do so, but in the end, I saved the Customer 800 dollars (the price of his Camera he claimed) and saved us, the Employee the headache of filing the paperwork, POSSIBLY having to pay for his camera and trying to trakc it and find it possibly delaying it down the flight line. WN Employees do this every single day without asking higher up, can we do this, are we allowed? I Dare say we even think of publicity, we do this because we as Employees at WN wanted what was best for the Customer in the end, and I personally just loved making our Customers happy, even if it meant I got in trouble for it later (which I never did).

[NLovis]

Way to go WN. First off my condolences to the man and his family for the tragidy. Next off WN did the right thing by waiting for him. Im glad to hear there is a company out there that isnt money hungry and has humans working it. I hope one day WN's influence will change the airline industry for the better in this mannor and hopefully it can one day become a major low cost airline.

[Alex T]

I hope one day WN's influence will change the airline industry for the better in this mannor and hopefully it can one day become a major low cost airline.

It already is! :wink: It's been a Major airline for many years, and is the largest domestic carrier for passengers carried. What else did you mean by your statement?

Alex

[T-Bird76]

I hope one day WN's influence will change the airline industry for the better in this mannor and hopefully it can one day become a major low cost airline.

Ah you're kidding right? They are the largest airline in the country for passengers boarded with a fleet over 400 planes.....wow...I'm really amazed at your response.

[ch2tdriver]

Way to go Southwest...this is customer service at its best...simply amazing. As for the TSA agents...they are total pigs…. There’s no other side to the story…they are pigs!


http://gizmodo.com/5731946/pilot-stops-plane-for-family-of-murdered-son

While I'm no big fan of TSA, I'm confused as to where they did something wrong in this case that deserves them to be called pigs? Certainly not from this article? Unless you have some more information on the incident?

There are some airports where the lines for security are notoriously long. Take for example MCO. It is set up where EVERYONE comes to the main terminal, clears security in one big massive line with multiple screeners, and then takes a monorail to their respective terminal. You have to see it to believe it. It's a mass of humanity. The craziest thing is the huge bins piled high like dumpsters with bottles of liquid that can't be carried on, and the TSA agents yelling "chug it or dump it!" Coming from JFK where you go to your individual terminal to clear security which results in much smaller lines, seeing this really took me back.

So maybe this gentleman although he arrived 2 hours prior to his flight, ran into a huge rush like this? Should he have been given priority because he was heading to a funeral? Yes? Well maybe there were others on that line who would like priority too?

"My sweet aunt Sally is in the hospital and might not make it!" or "My child is autistic and if we don't get on our flight to see Micky today he won't understand!" The point is where do you draw the line?

So Kudos to WN, I have always had a pleasant experience myself. But don't slam TSA in this case unless you have some more details you'd like to share.

[NLovis]

It already is! :wink: It's been a Major airline for many years, and is the largest domestic carrier for passengers carried. What else did you mean by your statement?

Alex

Well what I mean is one day become a legacy carrier. I hope one day to see this airline be named the next US legacy carrier and its influence will change other airlines like DAL and UAL in terms of customer service.