Firewind

:-::-::-::-::-:

I agree with all your points here, and was looking to post your first paragraph in this thread. (I'm glad you have first, in part, because I'm sure I have the reputation of never being satisfied with Southwest.)

Anyway, doing it today does tend to raise expectations. When the new paradigm began, I saw instances at MDW where Southwest GAs moved service personnel into the BS slots (not on Armistice Day). I brought it up here, was asked about it, and never saw it happen again. I believe that Southwest deliberately stopped it as an ongoing practice.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...497&highlight=

To your second point, I read recently somewhere in FlyerTalk that there is a DOD-wide directive that Service personnel are not allowed to fly in First or Business in uniform, so as to avoid the possible appearance of wasting money. I know I saw it, but can't remember where. ClueByFour, have you had different experience?

If Southwest were to change its policy and make it an ongoing practice, it would be a truly unique Southwest perk that would not violate military policy. There seems to be wisdom in that... a WN WN, so to speak.** Moreover, I wonder if this thread could be a place to start?



** As an analogy, per a thread over on the UA board, United just sent out an email introducing a policy of boarding Premier Executives ahead of Boarding Group 1 - starting today, coincidentally - heralded as a true enhancement that doesn't cost UA anything. The suggestion above would also be a no-cost enhancement.

jrpaguia

Let's just agree to disagree.

My point is that we all need to eat, our children need to learn how to read, and unfortunately, fires do occurr. I'm not so sure that what our troops are currently deployed for is actually in defense of our nation.

Firewind

And I must respectfully disagree with you in the strongest terms regarding firefighting. I apologize if this sounds like a koolaid-inspired response.


EDIT: And this is not to argue for priority for firefighters, except when an airline is participating in an airlift to get them into position in a crisis.

ClueByFour

I have had a serviceman decline an upgrade once. Light-bird, USMC (and frankly, coming from a family of jarheads, I firmly believe it's because he'd feel uncomfortable eating his lunch of broken glass and nails in front of the wussies up front ). Other than that, I once had a gate agent from US insinuate the same thing (DOD can't take an upgrade), so I told her to upgrade the corporal and ensure he was the last one on the plane before the door closed. He was fine with that, and everyone came away happy.

I believe DOD got it's hand slapped by the GAO in 2003 or 2004 about paid FC travel. However, if you look here, it seems that the issue is if it's paid for by the government. Frankly, I'd be a bit pissed if an E-4 or lower had to decline an upgrade to a nice seat and an extra drink (at no cost to them or Uncle Sugar) because some REMFs messed it up for everyone by buying FC tickets.

pitflyer

I've been on a few Southwest flights where there have been special announcements and/or they asked people to wait for military personnel (typically when there's a larger group). Most of the time they seem embarrassed with the attention. I think this treatment is fine as an occasional thing. If it happened every flight as Southwest policy... eh. Like others I will choose to (respectfully) disagree. But we don't agree on all changes to Rapid Rewards, etc, so why should this be any different!

Firewind

FWIW, heres the link re UA's new procedure...

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...7#post10718737

OT: Interesting that comment #76 (deniah) uses the term "micro-segregation" for their evolving boarding process, as UA moves toward Southwest's model...........

curbcrusher

Not everyone got the memo. I dropped off my wife's uncle, an Army veteran, this morning for a flight, and he reports that there was no mention of this prior to boarding or in flight.

irabk

Maybe he did not use a military ID?

Firewind

I'm thinking there are more veterans than those with military ID, including those long out of the military. So, in order to work, this would have to be by invitation -- I mean initiated by the GAs.

formeraa

Like EVERY airline, WN depends on its employees and managers to be AWARE of the policies. Like EVERY airline, WN has its good and bad apples who don't read the morning's news. Sorry to hear that your wife's uncle was NOT properly recognized. Hopefully, curbcrusher will let insiders know that the policy was NOT consistently executed.

Crazy Dave

I thank SouthWest Airlines for recognizing the men and women who have served and continue to serve, keeping our country free and allowing people to express their opinions, whether I agree with them or not. These people did not join to receive special treatment in boarding a plane, they joined the military for many other reasons, but it is nice to have someone recognize them from time to time, it makes a long journey packed onboard a plane just a little bit better.
As a veteran retired from the military, yes, I decided to join the military, I did it because I wanted to, and after serving enough years, I decided that retirement before I was 40 was a pretty good deal. I now teach 8th grade at risk students, but I would not trade anything for the experiences that I had in those 20 years in the Navy.

JudyS

This is a nice gesture by Southwest.

However, I don't get the part about veterans being the first to get off each flight. Does Southwest just mean that, since veterans will be the first ones on, they can chose to sit at the front of the plane, making it easy for them to get off the plane? The way it's written, it sounds as if other pax were asked to remain on board until the veterans disembarked -- that would be difficult if a veteran was sitting in a window seat and non-veterans had the middle and aisle seats!

curbcrusher

It means exactly what it says, which is what irabk reported upthread:
Your situation requires only that everyone else remain seated unless they need to move for a veteran or service member.

indyscott

I also missed out on this event yesterday on my flight. I didn't see or hear about before-hand (but I wasn't really looking for anything either).

I agree they would have had to ask each person in order to truly catch us all. There are many vets and current military who do not look like a stereotypical service member. While I always carry my military ID, I use my driver's license as my default form of identification.

nsx

The Marine I described sat near the front but was one of the last people off. You wouldn't think these guys could feel fear, but he had serious jitters about seeing his wife and baby after all that time away!