Dear Southwest Airlines:
You are usually one of the crappiest airlines I've ever had the displeasure of flying with, until today.
Too many times your flights are overbooked, delayed, cancelled, filled with screaming brats and all I want to do is sit in the aisle seat and get ready for the anxiety I always feel when flying.
Your staff are usually unhelpful and unfriendly, especially when it comes to allowing people to pre-board with no obvious disability and yet without fail when I ask permission to pre-board it takes a ton of questions.
Do you think I travel with a cane just for the sake of it? Do you really think I actually like carrying that thing around? It's fucking hideous and nobody in their right minds would carry it around as an accessory. I've taken to having to bring my disabled parking placard paperwork with me when I travel with you to prove it!

But today, your lovely lovely staff actually told me the security line was huge, wheeled me through in a wheelchair so I didn't have to stand in line and then deposited me at the bar. On top of that, the chap went off to the Southwest enquiries desk and came back with a permanent pre-boarding pass for me which allows me to pre-board on any of your flights without standing in line in the first come/first served basis.
And then, when takeoff today was a hell of a lot bumpy and I'm sat there clutching the arm of the seat, one of your flight attendants came and sat next to me and re-assured me and brought me a beer once we were at cruising level before serving anybody else.

It made for a pleasant flight after a pleasant weekend, and even though the descent was quite a bit bumpy, your flight attendant kept looking over at me from his seat and making sure I was ok.

I can honestly say it's the first time I've never felt anxiety on one of your flights.

Thank you.

(p.s. I'll still be flying Virgin America though for Vegas and San Francisco trips...sorry, but they are superior).
( Batshitmentalist is sane for once, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 0:17, 3 replies)

Don't just write that letter here
This kind of behaviour needs to be encouraged from airline staff. A compliment letter sent to an airline is such an easy thing to do, it ensures recognition for the staff concerned and means that this type of treatment is more likely to be repeated in future.

If you do decide to send a similar letter to Southwest, you may want to leave off the bit about Virgin.
(Blue_in_Exile, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 8:21, closed)

Hear hear!

(Smale is stuffed, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 10:36, closed)

and also maybe reword the first line if you are going to be complementing them.
(The_Mighty_Spleen, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 15:19, closed)