Airline - The reality TV Show

[Pugdog007]

ALL airlines overbook. It's standard operating procedure. Most airlines are operating in the red right now. Every little bit helps... and if someone pays and doesn't show up it's non-refundable. And it happens all the time in business. Example: I'm told I have to go to NYC and book a flight... find out at the last minute I'm needed even more for an important meeting elsewhere. They get to keep my company's money and still have the seat filled = double revenue. Make sense?

 

[cynsaun]

Originally posted by Pugdog007
ALL airlines overbook. It's standard operating procedure. Most airlines are operating in the red right now. Every little bit helps... and if someone pays and doesn't show up it's non-refundable. And it happens all the time in business. Example: I'm told I have to go to NYC and book a flight... find out at the last minute I'm needed even more for an important meeting elsewhere. They get to keep my company's money and still have the seat filled = double revenue. Make sense?

This may be how it works at other airlines, but not at Southwest.

Additionally, at Southwest, if you don't use your non-refundable ticket for some reason, you have one year to use it another time.

 

[Pugdog007]

Originally posted by cynsaun
This may be how it works at other airlines, but not at Southwest.

Additionally, at Southwest, if you don't use your non-refundable ticket for some reason, you have one year to use it another time.

You are correct in that SW will give you a "credit" if you cancel ahead of time. But if you just don't show up... you still get credit?

 

[cynsaun]

Yes, you do still get the credit good for up to a year.

 

[monkeyboy]

I heard a funny SW story about a pilots wife and what happened at a party

 

[Pugdog007]

Originally posted by cynsaun
Yes, you do still get the credit good for up to a year.

Wow that's awesome. That's enough to make me want to fly them anytime I have the choice!

 

[cynsaun]

Originally posted by monkeyboy
I heard a funny SW story about a pilots wife and what happened at a party

SHHHHHHHH!

 

[Shugardrawers]

No, actually it doesn't make sense to me. If you have 200 seats on an airplane, you sell 200 tickets. You don't buy tickets for a show get told when you get to the theater that they sold your seat twice so you're out of luck. To me it's just BAD service. As an example, did anyone see the episode where they overbooked by 53 people and NO ONE wanted to give up a seat? A huge number of the people who were bumped were headed to FLA to catch a cruise for which they had paid $$$$$ and THAT wasn't refundable either. Because of SWs (and other airlines too I know) greed these people who booked and paid for their flights months ago were left behind for both their flight and their cruise. A family had no way how to contact an elderly man who'd been bumped. Another family of 6 wound up having to rent a car and drive 12 hours in the middle of the night because they'd been bumped. I just can't feel sorry for the airlines in this case. Sell what you have and stop at that. Bump me and I GUARANTEE you'll never see my business again. Or that the very least inform people that they may be flying standby. Or even better, instead of just telling them that they need to be at the airport 1 1/2 hrs early tell them if they aren't they risk losing their seats!!! That'll get their butts there on time! Sorry, didn't mean to hijack this thread and turn it in to a debate. Overbooking just makes my blood boil. You may now return to your regularly scheduled posts.

 

[cynsaun]

Originally posted by Pugdog007
Wow that's awesome. That's enough to make me want to fly them anytime I have the choice!

Good to hear!

Shugardrawers -- This is the way it is done, unless the public would like to pay 30% more per ticket. There is typically a 15% no-show factor, and the airlines lose a lot of money. Then people would complain about how high the ticket prices are.

If someone shows up 10 minutes before a flight, they should know that their seat is given away. End of story.

With Southwest's checkin feature on the internet, there is no excuse to check in late anymore.

In our world today, passengers should get to the airport expecting the additional screening, and make sure they have plenty of time to spare. You can thank the terrorists for that one, not the airlines.

 

[Jasminesmommy]

Does this show revolce around SW or other airlines as well? I never heard of this show. When does it air? How long has it been on?

 

[Shugardrawers]

I'ts only SW airlines. There is a british version called Airline UK that features an airline called Easy Jet (I think) that airs directly after it. It's on A&E I believe Monday nights at 10 here on the east coast. It's actually quite fascinating to see how people behave and how absolutely unreasonable they can be. Overbooking aside, (sorry Cynsaun, I'll NEVER agree with that practice) it does show SW to be a pretty decent airline with great employees who really try to make their passengers happy. It's obvious they sometimes don't even agree with the policy SW has set but they have to follow it. Then they take a lot of bunk for it. I was actually toying with the idea of working at our airport but after watching this show I've decided I don't need that kind of grief in my life! More power to the people who can do it and actually still like their jobs.

 

[MosMom]

I've learned that a short black velour mini-skirt can qualify as a "kilt".