Official Peanut Gallery Thread
May 8, 2011, 1:40 pm
#241
Join Date: May 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 398
New companies often do something brash and iconoclastic to set them apart from the established competition whether it's WN, Volkswagen, MTV, Motel 6, Dell or McDonald's. Then they reach middle-age, become more conservative, less willing to take chances, and begin to look more like the companies from which they once tried to differentiate themselves. Spirit and their ilk are the new WN.
May 8, 2011, 3:59 pm
#242
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,621
nsx, I am really sorry that you felt it necessary to merge (which I translate into delete) my latest thread. It will certainly get lost with all the other things going on.
And the latest thread is really about this question: How successfully is WN merging the small quirky ethos that it grew up on with the large domestic trunk carrier it has become? Where are they meeting the challenges of who they are now and where are they falling short?
And isn't this the kind of discussion that FT'ers revel in and that WN would like to listen in on?
And the latest thread is really about this question: How successfully is WN merging the small quirky ethos that it grew up on with the large domestic trunk carrier it has become? Where are they meeting the challenges of who they are now and where are they falling short?
And isn't this the kind of discussion that FT'ers revel in and that WN would like to listen in on?
May 8, 2011, 4:11 pm
#243
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Alcatraz
Programs: CO-PLT,Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Silver, AA ex Platinum, Avis 1st
Posts: 544
yes, on the last DC-Chicago flight, we just broke out and sang the theme to "Hee Haw"
perhaps if we were more sophisticated, we'd pay a large premium to fly around the country on ancient 757s and RJs, but I think it would make us wise like you if we were able to watch a Jeff Smisek safety video before every takeoff
perhaps if we were more sophisticated, we'd pay a large premium to fly around the country on ancient 757s and RJs, but I think it would make us wise like you if we were able to watch a Jeff Smisek safety video before every takeoff
May 8, 2011, 4:15 pm
#244
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Alcatraz
Programs: CO-PLT,Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Silver, AA ex Platinum, Avis 1st
Posts: 544
May 8, 2011, 4:17 pm
#245
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Alcatraz
Programs: CO-PLT,Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Silver, AA ex Platinum, Avis 1st
Posts: 544
No. I was referring to the disastrous launch of the new RR 2.0 program, coupled with multiple customer-unfriendly policy changes. Followed by still-unresolved customer service and website technical issues, leading to an overburdened and often testy staff. Which is resulting in the subsequent significant loss of goodwill by once-loyal customers, who are expressing their displeasure to a now seemingly uncaring Southwest Airlines and looking elsewhere for their flight needs.
May 8, 2011, 4:18 pm
#246
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Alcatraz
Programs: CO-PLT,Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Silver, AA ex Platinum, Avis 1st
Posts: 544
May 8, 2011, 4:19 pm
#247
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,621
rrz518 - the word "hijacked" referred to the exchanges between DontCallMeShirley and spineangel when the thread turned into appropriate places to put a carryon bag.
I actually think it was about then that all the threads got merged, throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
I actually think it was about then that all the threads got merged, throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
May 8, 2011, 4:24 pm
#248
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Alcatraz
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Posts: 544
May 8, 2011, 4:28 pm
#249
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Alcatraz
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Posts: 544
This interests me. I'm curious why a customer service rep would tell a customer something that isn't true, simply to appease him/her. Isn't this dangerous, to have us be told something that's not actually in practice? It would be especially risky in the arena of FT, where most fliers are extremely frequent fliers - not someone who flies a couple of times a year during the holidays when everything goes to hell anyway.
I'm not trying to add fuel to the fire - I'm genuinely curious why in-flight employees (whose daily tasks include face to face customer relations while on the clock) would not have the support of the company's public relations if what they're putting into practice is protocol. I don't understand all this stuff about overhead bins and whatnot, but on a large scale, this could be a very big deal.
As far as SW CS telling a caller whatever they want to hear, in my experience that's not been true. Unfortunately for me, I've been told other than what I thought was correct on a few occasions.
I'm not trying to add fuel to the fire - I'm genuinely curious why in-flight employees (whose daily tasks include face to face customer relations while on the clock) would not have the support of the company's public relations if what they're putting into practice is protocol. I don't understand all this stuff about overhead bins and whatnot, but on a large scale, this could be a very big deal.
As far as SW CS telling a caller whatever they want to hear, in my experience that's not been true. Unfortunately for me, I've been told other than what I thought was correct on a few occasions.
May 8, 2011, 4:37 pm
#250
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Alcatraz
Programs: CO-PLT,Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Silver, AA ex Platinum, Avis 1st
Posts: 544
rrz518 - the word "hijacked" referred to the exchanges between DontCallMeShirley and spineangel when the thread turned into appropriate places to put a carryon bag.
I actually think it was about then that all the threads got merged, throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
I actually think it was about then that all the threads got merged, throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
May 8, 2011, 7:55 pm
#253
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,624
nsx, I am really sorry that you felt it necessary to merge (which I translate into delete) my latest thread. It will certainly get lost with all the other things going on.
And the latest thread is really about this question: How successfully is WN merging the small quirky ethos that it grew up on with the large domestic trunk carrier it has become? Where are they meeting the challenges of who they are now and where are they falling short?
And isn't this the kind of discussion that FT'ers revel in and that WN would like to listen in on?
And the latest thread is really about this question: How successfully is WN merging the small quirky ethos that it grew up on with the large domestic trunk carrier it has become? Where are they meeting the challenges of who they are now and where are they falling short?
And isn't this the kind of discussion that FT'ers revel in and that WN would like to listen in on?
2. Yes, this is a good topic and I left it separate to see if it would avoid the Food Fight zone. It did not. You might want to try again in a few weeks after things have settled down, but if you toss chum into shark-infested waters, you can expect sharks to show up for dinner. I suggest instead that you try a narrowly focused discussion of one specific change. It's up to you to create and maintain a constructive conversation. It's not up to the moderators to control the sharks you enjoy observing. Put yourself in our shoes and you might see my point.
rrz518 - the word "hijacked" referred to the exchanges between DontCallMeShirley and spineangel when the thread turned into appropriate places to put a carryon bag.
I actually think it was about then that all the threads got merged, throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
I actually think it was about then that all the threads got merged, throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
See point 1 above.
Members should not expect to agree with every moderation decision. However these decisions are not on topic for public debate. That sort of post is forum pollution and that's why IMHO it's against the rules.
PM me if you have a constructive question about a moderation decision. I will read and respond, and I have been known to change my mind.
This thread is still an experiment, a place for people who love to hate Southwest to have a little more freedom to make disruptive posts. If reading these posts disturbs you, I strongly suggest that you avoid this thread, and that you especially avoid posting in this thread. The moderators will keep the rest of the forum fun to read.
Disruptive posts made outside this thread remain subject to traditional FT rules. They will drawing warnings and eventually suspensions as would other rule violations. During this phase of the experiment, disruptive posts in this thread will be either tolerated by the moderators or deleted. The tolerance threshold is likely to tighten over time, because people have been pretty nasty here. Those people should count themselves lucky that the moderators have not had the time to act systematically on their violations of the rules.
May 8, 2011, 8:48 pm
#254
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
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Posts: 15,399
They were out in full force on my DEN/LAX flight thursday morning. Whole bunch of them flying to see Mickey
May 8, 2011, 8:52 pm
#255
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Programs: WN Nothing and spending the half million points from too many flights, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8,043