For those who love SW and those who don't...(long)

[mazzarafe]

I left on Friday May 5th for the airport around 3:15pm for our 6:20pm flight. Our airport ride is about a hour if you are not in the mist of rush hour. We got to the lot that we park our car and took the shuttle to the airport. After doing the switching clothes from one suitcase to another because we had one overweight to went to check our luggage. Then the dreaded question of "can I see your boarding passes and ID please?" came up. Went to my travel wallet which is condensed and I forgot my license! This is really bad because we were going on the Disney Cruise. The agent said to me not to worry because I had enough other cards with me with my name that I wouldn't have a problem with SW. But, my problem was going to be with the cruise.

So, with not enough time to get back home and to the airport before the flight I called my parents. They rushed to my house to get my purse and sped like maniacs to the airport. We had checked in at the desk at the gate and I was talking to one of the SW employees about what was going on with my id and she offered to help by waiting for my parents to arrive at the drop off area if we had to board. Well as it would happen (my luck of course) we lost contact with my parents via cell phone. Tara, I believe her name was, had offered to get the license to me on the first non-stop plane out in the morning that would arrive at 12:40pm in Orlando, still giving us enough time to get to port for the cruise. I was at first hesitant, but that was a plan. She could put it in a box so it would be safe, it had been done before.

So after the final boarding call as the plane was waiting for DH he ran thru the airport to get on the plane that SW new he was coming to get on, they were holding the plane pretty much for him, he arrived empty handed and still no contact from my parents. Needless to say the 3 hour flight was the longest of my life as we were both nervous and upset. But I knew that the girl at the desk was going to go over the the front check in and wait for my parents. But my parents did not know that anyone would be waiting to help us out. So by chance my parents kept driving and arrived close enough for the front desk to call to the gate, but we had just left. Missed us by less than 5 minutes. But, Tara was there and once my mother said my name she assured her that she would take care of getting it to me.

Friday night was very long, and so was the wait until that plane arrived at 12:40pm on Saturday. But, one of the first packages out of the luggage carousel was a box that said "RUSH" on it. DH picked it up and we brought it into the office so they could open it for us. Inside was my license wrapped up like a gift inside.

Sorry, this is long, but I had to tell you all about SW going above and beyond the norm to help me be able to have a vacation. Not sure if I would have been aloud on the boat without it, was told by DCL that it would be up to the port authority. I know it was stupid to forget my only photo id, but I had been keeping it somewhere else to go back and forth to the gym without having to leave my wallet in the car or taking my purse. I had been rushed to finish packing and getting ready before we left that day and it never dawned on me when I was making my travel wallet that I forgot something so important. It did end up being a blessing in disguise because they had a bomb scare at the port that day and we were stuck at the airport in line for buses instead of being out in the heat.

But, all I know is that even though this was our third trip taking SW and I liked them from the first, they now have a passenger for life. Both Tara and the gentlemen who was at the gate scanning the boarding passes knew what was going on and did everything they could to help us. From keeping the plane until DH arrived to sending my id on another flight, they went above and beyond. Now that is what I call customer service!

 

[debster812]

That's a GREAT story, and I'm glad it worked out the way it did for you.

 

[cepmom]

now that's what I call customer service!! Glad everything worked out well for you and glad to hear such a good story about Southwest. I am flying SW for the first time in August and now I'll be looking forward to it even more!

 

[samano]

What a great story!!! So glad to hear it all worked out. This is one of the reasons I love SW, I have had nothing but above and beyond customer service from them.
If you haven't already, why don't you put your sentiments in a letter to their Guest Relations dept? I did that a few years back to commend a SW gate agent who made our trip magical. I didn't even know the guys' name, but they were able to track down who it was from the information I gave. A few weeks later they cc'd me on a letter they wrote to him, his supervisor, and the CEO of the company thanking him for a job well done. I, too, am a SW customer for life!!

 

[Nedlo2]

SW gets a lot of raps for their boarding procedures, but you can't beat that for customer service

 

[Fan2CSkr]

I'm so glad it all worked out for you. Thanks for sharing your story, SW is terrific and they sure did go above and beyond.

 

[castlegazer]

That is a story for a movie - AWESOME!!! I only fly SW now, unless I simply can't for work. But they are my ultimate airline!

 

[DonnaL]

I also agree with all above posters.....my family are SW customers for life. The only way I will fly another airline is if SW doesn't service where I am going. Given a choice......it's SW all the way!!!!! We have had nothing but excellent customer from everyone employed by SW and this is after several bad experiences with other airlines. Can't beat them!!!

 

[Chicago526]

That's great! I'm not a fan of SWA, not because of customer service, but because some of their policies don't fit with the way I like to travel, just my personal preferance. But I've always heard good things about their CS, and it's nice to see that confirmed by a real life experiance.

But my real reason for replying to this thread, is to give a suggestion in case anyone here ever finds themselves in a simular situation, no id when trying to travel!

As far as (domestic) flights are concerned, you do not need a photo id to board a plane, you just have to go through the extra-strict security screening. There are too many legitimat reasons people may have to travel without photo id (some people don't drive and don't have a passport, or they are on vacation and have had their wallet lost or stolen, things like that) so the TSA and the airlines have guidelines for allowing people to fly w/out an id.

Now in this case, the OP was also going on a cruise, so an id was truely needed. In her case, if SWA had been unwilling or unable to help, an option for her parents would have been to FedEx the id to the OP to arrive 1st thing in the morning at their hotel. This would work as long as it wasn't a Sunday, since FedEx won't deliver on a Sunday (I beleive). Even if it was Saturday, you can pay extra for Saturday delivery in most areas of the country.

Now, the moral of the story is to not forget your id to begin with! But these things happen to the best of us, and I just wanted to point out another option that may work, depending on your circumstance.

 

[mazzarafe]

samano, I will be getting a letter out to SW this week. I want them to KNOW what wonderful people they have working for them.

I did have to go thru extra screening at the airport thru security. Kinda scary seeing someone come at you with latex gloves on. Also had my purse looked thru and my shoes wiped down and tested. But it was necessary and I know I'm safer for these precautions being done.

Chicago526, we did think of FedX, but it was 4:45pm when my Mom got in from work and she still had to get to my house which is 15 minutes away on a good day of no traffic. This was rush hour on Friday and here in CT it is bad by 2pm in our area.

BTW, I did get the most wanted "A" boarding pass. But in the mist of loosing contact with my Mom on the phone I lost track of them boarding and ended up having to go on at the end of the "B" group. Then the people in "C" boarding were giving me dirty looks because I went in front of them. And both our flight down and back we got in early.

I love SW!

 

[rdsx28]

Thanks for sharing. Glad everything worked out for you. SW is the best!