Josh,

This is getting exciting - the hospitality industry is notoriously very cautious with new technologies and I hadn't expected to see any of the players blogging for awhile yet. But this is the second new corporate blog for a hospitality company I've seen this week (the first was Starwood's new blog which you can find at www.thelobby.com, but frankly it's a big yawn. Might as well have just called it a hospitality news site - they're pumping it full of PR junk).

If this one goes well I'm curious to see how many other companies start jumping on the bandwagon.

FLEW SOUTHWEST AIR FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS PAST WEEKEND AND THE LAST!REMINDS ME OF A CATTLE YARD...LINE'EM UP 'TIL WE FILL IT UP.
OVERBOOK SO MUCH THAT MOST ARE HAPPY JUST TO GET A SEAT. TRAIN THE STAFF HOW TO APOLOGIZE AT LEAST SEVENTEEN DIFFERENT WAYS.PLAN TO ENOUGH STAFF ON HAND TO JUST GET BY, TO REQUIRE TRAVELLERS TO EITHER GET IN LINE VERY EARLY OR MISS OUT...THAT'S THE PRICE TO PAY FOR CHEAP FARES.
IT AMAZED ME HOW MANY FELLOW TRAVELLERS COMPLAIN ABOUT OVERBOOKING,LACK OF SERVICE,POOR SERVICE,ETC.THEY MUST BE SHORT OF CHOICES. THIS AIRLINE STINKS AT THE BASICS.

I live in the DFW area, which some of you know is going through an issue of what to do with the Wright Amendment. I am tired of hearing this crap, but it did not get to me till I heard a commercial on the radio, driving home from school, directly from the man himself Herb Kelleher (THE CRY BABY) aka co-founder, chairman and FORMER ceo of Southwest Airlines, trying to appeal to people so they will help him remove the Wrights Amendment. The information provided is at best, one-sided. I attend a church in downtown Dallas which is right in the path of Dallas Love field airport, the noise coming from the cattle trucks that Southwest fly is unbelievable, standing outside you can not carry a normal conversation, not to mention the black smoke that follows. I am just glad that I don't live near the Dallas Love field, because I think I will go and cut the wings off these planes.

p.s. message to the Cry Baby, stop crying and move to the DFW international airport, so people do have a choice and are not forced to support your near monopoly in the Dallas love field and REALLY COMPETE, don’t cry anymore.

On Sunday 6/11/06 I flew Southwest on flight 428 from Tampa to Midway. Half way into the flight, the plane took a nose dive down. Needless to say, it was very scary! After we straightened out, the plane was still dropping. Passengers on the flight were screaming and drinks were flying. The pilot never made a statement as to what had happened. When we landed the pilot never opened the cock pit door. We never received a explanation as to what happened. I will never fly southwest again. I don't know if I can get on a plane again. Thank you Southwest.

I watched a program on cable tv and noticed the cavalier manner in which Southwest Airlines treats their customers. Without any prof whatsoever they refused to honor a passengers ticket based on the assumption of intoxication. For a company the size of Southwest to purchase one hand held breathalyzer per concourse would be such a insignificant thing as it compares to aircraft safety and customer service. This just proved to me that this airline cares about nothing but profit. If they can be so cold towards the people that they are highlighting on a cable show what makes me think that this airline would give a dam about those of whom a camera is not on. My dollars shall be spent elsewhere.

Why is it that rescheduling a flight costs me the same price as buying a new one!?! I have a dying dog in the hospital and rescheduling my flight even a day ealier costs me and my family 750$ !!!!!! this is especialy unfair in light of the fact that Southwest gives away free tickets to friends and family and brags about it to other paying patrons. !!!!!! This policy is especially damaging to the average business person who might need to do a little rescheduling. The page on southwest airlines that says "Reschedule your flight" sends you directly to the link right next to it wich is "Purchase a ticket" Capatalistic ransom at a high point.

It is good to see that swa has come out of the closet with this LUV stull. I noticed today while trying to get a stuck daughter and new grand child out of ABQ (they started in PTL and as it turns out won't make it out because a gate attendent was "too busy to anounce" standby's) that swa has a new and I mean VERY prominant GAY page. It really answers alot of questions. It turns out that my feelings from years of travel are correct and I am glad that I followed them and quietly stopped using swa for myself, family and employees. I am NOT anti-gay or homophobic. I had noticed a very butch attitude taking over the entrupenual spirit that was so attractive early on. I do find it interesting that the culture switched rapidly from a customer enabled to employee entitled. Now I know why>

vette

Southwest sucks. It is basically the equivalent of the "self-Service" checkout aisle at the grocery store. Once a great company, now not so. Frankly this happens to nearly every operation where the employees think they are golden and above all the pilots think they are above it all. It is time for SW to get a swift kick and all of us that supported them for years should move on.

Well I love South West Airlines and fly them all the time. I would not travel any other airline and never had a problem once. In fact once in Chicago they took six of us home. It was an amazing flight six people on a plane that could hold 250 passengers it was neat experience. I often drive two hours out of my way to take South West and would never fly any other airline.