The Joys of Flying
Jul. 8th, 2009 04:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chris_gerribSo, Jim Wright of Stonekettle Station is having a WONDERFUL time flying commercial air. It's an entertaining rant (Jim does a good rant, btw.)
Now, I don't fly that much, but when I do, I go Southwest*. It's not completely crap-free, but it's not bad. Specifically:
1) The average Southwest employee seems more friendly and competent. They have a better employee-management relationship and it shows.
2) Boarding by number with no assigned seating is quicker and less hassle-filled than assigned seating. The "20-pound bag in a 5-pound overhead bin" problem occurs, but, especially if you are on an early board group, you can bypass the worst of it.
3) Southwest flies into a lot of smaller airports. My hub, Midway, is an example of that. The nice thing is that smaller airports have less security theater then bigger ones. Midway in particular doesn't enforce the "put your liquids in a baggy" rule, which is nice.
4) Again, more a function of airport than airline, smaller airports have fewer delays. Midway is also an example. There is only one active runway at any given time, due to the airport's layout. O'Hare can, in good weather, have multiple runways working. So the airlines schedule for good weather, and when bad weather hits, go find a cot.
5) Southwest flights don't have a drink cart. They take your order in one pass, then bring you a drink. The aisle stays clear and it seems to move no slower. In those rare not-full flights, it actually goes faster.
* Isn't that a line from the Dos Equis commercial?
Now, I don't fly that much, but when I do, I go Southwest*. It's not completely crap-free, but it's not bad. Specifically:
1) The average Southwest employee seems more friendly and competent. They have a better employee-management relationship and it shows.
2) Boarding by number with no assigned seating is quicker and less hassle-filled than assigned seating. The "20-pound bag in a 5-pound overhead bin" problem occurs, but, especially if you are on an early board group, you can bypass the worst of it.
3) Southwest flies into a lot of smaller airports. My hub, Midway, is an example of that. The nice thing is that smaller airports have less security theater then bigger ones. Midway in particular doesn't enforce the "put your liquids in a baggy" rule, which is nice.
4) Again, more a function of airport than airline, smaller airports have fewer delays. Midway is also an example. There is only one active runway at any given time, due to the airport's layout. O'Hare can, in good weather, have multiple runways working. So the airlines schedule for good weather, and when bad weather hits, go find a cot.
5) Southwest flights don't have a drink cart. They take your order in one pass, then bring you a drink. The aisle stays clear and it seems to move no slower. In those rare not-full flights, it actually goes faster.
* Isn't that a line from the Dos Equis commercial?
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no subject
Date: 2009-07-08 11:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-08 11:58 pm (UTC)That was impressive. Another warning to never be That Guy(TM). ^_^
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Date: 2009-07-09 01:02 am (UTC)Southwest has a good rep in that regard in Dallas - for a long time I wanted to work there.
Sadly, there is not a lot of turnover and they can pick and choose for their hires.