Here are this week's Internet specials offered on Southwest Airlines to Las Vegas


Las Vegas:
$34 each way to/from Burbank
$99 each way to/from Ft. Lauderdale
$99 each way to/from Nashville
$99 each way to/from New Orleans
$38 each way to/from San Diego
$51 each way to/from San Francisco
$42 each way to/from San Jose
$34 each way to/from Tucson

These fares are valid for travel March 14, 2000, through August 5, 2000, except for May 26 and 29, 2000. Ticketless travel must be purchased online by midnight Pacific Standard Time, February 24, 2000.

V,
Sometimes I wish Southwest flew out of a local airports for my travel plans. Then I see the mess at check-in and luggage drop, and gates and count my blessings. JMT, sorry but they sure didn't have "it" togeather in LV both times I was at the airport this most recent trip. The term "ZOO" comes to mind.
Hope this was just bad timing on my part, or just a bad couple of days on thiers.
Lee-PA

Lee: I have flown on Southwest and didn't have any zoo experiences, although I'm sure this happens with them and all the rest of the airlines. You should have seen LaGuardia on Saturday. Because of the East Coast storm on Friday, the chaos carried over into Saturday, so we never did get out that day on Delta. I tried to get out on another airline but all the airlines were in the same bad situation with the backup from the day before. Now we are talking the true definition of ZOO!

At the LV airport I consistently see America West's chaotic check-in lines every single time. I can cut 'em some slack here and there, but EVERY time it's a nuthouse? So I end up avoiding that particular airline because of their consistently long lines.



[This message has been edited by Veronica (edited February 23, 2000).]

V,
Your correct, American West is almost always a mess in LV! That's why I think I was so suprised with the clammering at the SouthWest gates ect..
I've just never seen it a mess like that.

BTW, American West was in just about the same shape too. But they had problems with the computers that do the flight plans (so I'm told) and from Thursday on till the weekend, they had to cancel some flights. This past long weekend with all the storm problems was a bad travel time.
Lee-PA

Lee, I'm not sure what to tell you since I don't actually stand in those lines much. There is probably a really good oxymoron to describe it, such as controlled chaos, because it's not really confusion...it's just extremely busy.

It seems to me that it is a numbers thing. There are many people to be processed in a limited space, for check in as well as bag claim. I'm surprised it works as well as it does. I don't think the long lines indicate a problem at the counter, as much as product of volume. But once they check in downstairs and go to the gate, it's another madhouse. Sometimes we need to turn 3 flights an hour off of a single gate. (many airlines do about one flight in 3 hours per gate) Even if things are flowing smoothly, there are gonna be some long lines. But if planes start getting backed up for weather, traffic, or whatever, it gets really crazy.

I've talked to a lot of passengers and it seems that the really experienced passengers know how to get through the process easily. They know the oversale rules, they know about the 10-minute rule for cancellation of no-shows, they know where to check their bags in, they know what gate to go to and when to be there, they know the limitations of their advance purchased tickets, and they know the proceedures...sometimes better than some of the agents that are checking them in. I don't know any of it. All I know is the first flight of the day less crazy and less stressful. I'm also glad I don't work in customer service. I love my coworkers that do deal with the public, and I am really proud of them, but it's not for me.

It used to just be a mess on Fridays. Then it was Mondays also. Then Thursdays got crazy. It doesn't seem to matter much these days. Just about every day is wild and crazy.

JMT,
I guess all that business at the counter and gate is a good sign. Atleast they have customers! I've only flown SW one time and it was a short flight. So I really have nothing to compare type service and such. Didn't even buy the ticket, American Airlines bought the ticket to make me go away! LOL
On another subject....
What did you think about the Alaskan Airlines cartoon printed in the USA Today paper on Thursday? I personaly though it in very bad taste. Did you happen to see it?
Lee-PA

No Lee, I didn't see the cartoon. I've seen dozens of poor taste airline disaster cartoons. They usually come out after a trend of a certain airline or certain type of plane being involved. Mostly, these are inside jokes that the public never sees. If it was bad, somebody at USA Today should be fired, and forced to work at the FOX Network.