The least complained about Airline? The Winner is....
Feb 13, 2014, 5:56 pm
#1
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Alki. Seattle, WA
Programs: WN~A List Pref, CP, Hyatt-Diamond, Hilton Diamond, ANT~a Dave Matthews Addiction thing
Posts: 723
The least complained about Airline? The Winner is....
WN!!!
Just saw the article. Made me laugh a little. I'm a strong WN supporter, mostly because of my routes and not having to travel East to West and Vice Versa.....
My question. Is this more about WN or WNs customers? I've complained. Don't get me wrong. But I feel like overall they do a good job. I'm too big of a loyalist to WN I guess...
Just saw the article. Made me laugh a little. I'm a strong WN supporter, mostly because of my routes and not having to travel East to West and Vice Versa.....
My question. Is this more about WN or WNs customers? I've complained. Don't get me wrong. But I feel like overall they do a good job. I'm too big of a loyalist to WN I guess...
Feb 13, 2014, 6:56 pm
#2
Used to be 'FTcadence'
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: SAN
Posts: 432
They didn't do thaaaat poorly...
http://www.news10.net/story/news/201...aints/5447291/
Southwest had the fourth-worst ranking for arrival time and a lot of that had to do with connections and tight turnarounds, per the DOT report.
Feb 13, 2014, 8:34 pm
#3
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: WN A+ CP, UA 1MM/*A Gold, Mar LT Tit, IHG Plat, HH Dia
Posts: 6,284
I disagree with this line in the blog:
To say that Southwest "keeps expectations low" is an unfair statement. It's true that they don't have, e.g., a first class cabin that frequent travelers expect to get upgraded to. But the reason that Southwest is popular, amongst frequent short-haul travelers and infrequent leisure travelers alike, is that the airline delivers what it promises. It's a "no bull" airline. It gets people to where they're going better, its prices are more transparent, its staff are friendlier, and it charges fewer fees than its domestic competition.
It’s not surprising that Southwest is top-ranked, with the lowest level of complaints. The airline has consistently succeeded by keeping consumers’ expectations low, and then exceeding those expectations.
Feb 13, 2014, 8:49 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Houston (HOU/IAH)
Programs: WN, UA, DL, AA, Chase UR, Amex MR
Posts: 2,267
WN!!!
Just saw the article. Made me laugh a little. I'm a strong WN supporter, mostly because of my routes and not having to travel East to West and Vice Versa.....
My question. Is this more about WN or WNs customers? I've complained. Don't get me wrong. But I feel like overall they do a good job. I'm too big of a loyalist to WN I guess...
Just saw the article. Made me laugh a little. I'm a strong WN supporter, mostly because of my routes and not having to travel East to West and Vice Versa.....
My question. Is this more about WN or WNs customers? I've complained. Don't get me wrong. But I feel like overall they do a good job. I'm too big of a loyalist to WN I guess...
Feb 13, 2014, 11:48 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: AA Gold AAdvantage Elite, Rapids Reward
Posts: 38,320
I will not able fly on Southwest ever again. It was very worst on-time arrivals. It's not good at all. This is very bad. They have to get better on-time performance. They have improved more. You can't be worse.
Feb 14, 2014, 12:40 am
#6
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: LAS
Posts: 1,525
Feb 14, 2014, 12:46 am
#7
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: AA Plat Pto, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,536
How much of this is the customers' unfamiliarity with the "Southwest way"? I would likely be complaining too if I had not known about the kindergarten style lineups for boarding ending up with C59 and middle seat last row or if I ignored the 1 stop on the booking page and found myself randomly spending 35 minutes on the ground in Cleveland.
Experienced flyers know and expect the quirks. It will be a desperate situation before I book a connection on to the last flight of the day out of Midway again.
Experienced flyers know and expect the quirks. It will be a desperate situation before I book a connection on to the last flight of the day out of Midway again.
Feb 14, 2014, 2:44 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,185
If you have flown WN even once, you should be able to avoid "C59," except maybe for IRROPS.
WN is not designed for elites, who ought to go elsewhere if they want their benefits.
Never understood the complaints about this.
Feb 14, 2014, 6:36 am
#9
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 260
What is so bad about lining up and boarding in a straightforward way? You prefer the insane scrum on a legacy where you have to fight through a crowd?
If you have flown WN even once, you should be able to avoid "C59," except maybe for IRROPS.
WN is not designed for elites, who ought to go elsewhere if they want their benefits.
Never understood the complaints about this.
If you have flown WN even once, you should be able to avoid "C59," except maybe for IRROPS.
WN is not designed for elites, who ought to go elsewhere if they want their benefits.
Never understood the complaints about this.
Feb 14, 2014, 7:08 am
#10
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
Just to be clear this is about complaints to DOT, not to the Airline. If the Airline resolves the complaint and it never gets to DOT it don't get counted.
I complain to Airlines a lot when I think they haven't done the right thing. I have never files a complaint with DOT.
I complain to Airlines a lot when I think they haven't done the right thing. I have never files a complaint with DOT.
Feb 14, 2014, 7:16 am
#11
Formerly known as I_Hate_US_Airways
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Just South Of North
Programs: My Loyalty Programs? I now VOTE with my wallet!!!
Posts: 2,568
Feb 14, 2014, 7:51 am
#12
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
The Airtran method, for example, works very well, people get assigned seats in advance and are called in reasonably sized groups to board.
Most (maybe all since I haven't flown all of them recently) of the legacies have some variation on this system. I haven't been involved in a scrum boarding a plane for a good long while.
The other airlines also seem to have far fewer cheating pre-boarders and other scammers, because there is no benefit to do it.
Feb 14, 2014, 8:27 am
#13
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: HOU
Programs: WN CP, A+, UA Sil, MR Amb LTP, Hyatt Plat, HH Dia, National EE
Posts: 466
Because there are better ways to do it.
The Airtran method, for example, works very well, people get assigned seats in advance and are called in reasonably sized groups to board.
Most (maybe all since I haven't flown all of them recently) of the legacies have some variation on this system. I haven't been involved in a scrum boarding a plane for a good long while.
The other airlines also seem to have far fewer cheating pre-boarders and other scammers, because there is no benefit to do it.
The Airtran method, for example, works very well, people get assigned seats in advance and are called in reasonably sized groups to board.
Most (maybe all since I haven't flown all of them recently) of the legacies have some variation on this system. I haven't been involved in a scrum boarding a plane for a good long while.
The other airlines also seem to have far fewer cheating pre-boarders and other scammers, because there is no benefit to do it.
Feb 14, 2014, 8:35 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,509
Elite couples are likelier to sit together...they buy up or earn status.
Or stage an act with strangers.
Feb 14, 2014, 9:18 am
#15
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Alki. Seattle, WA
Programs: WN~A List Pref, CP, Hyatt-Diamond, Hilton Diamond, ANT~a Dave Matthews Addiction thing
Posts: 723
I'm sure every airline has routes that are much better and routes that are much worse. My 48 flights were WA - CA - NV in 2013... I'd say ontime performance for me was 90 plus percent if were talking 10 mins or less delayed. Then again I take 75 percent of the flights first one out. Weather is rarely an issue
If I did fly west to east often, my loyalty would go to another airline...