Southwest Reality Show

[Aryeh]

Surely your not realizing now in 2004 that the company's culture (and many of its departments) are stuck in timewarps of decades long gone by.
I've had similar experiences which confirm my impression of those who run these departments:

They seem to believe that such ideas stemming from people other themselves aren't workable or worthy of serious consideration. Afterall its their job to come up with the ideas, not people from other departments.

They have to justify their jobs, don't they?

I'm reminded of an suggestion once suggested to the marketing. After volunteering with some charity fundraising walkathons, runs, etc. where many companies including airlines were represented, I called marketing to get US Airways involved with some future events. Not only were the causes worthwhile but the exposure for the company would be positive too. The answer I received was, well, uh, um, no, I don't think so. We don't get involved with such things. It's not our way of community involvement. It's never been done before. Blah, Blah, Blah...
Then, years later, I'm reading in US Airways Today about the company searching for employee involvement in a Breast Cancer Walk or AIDS Walk in DC.
Hooray, someone in the company, had the sense to realize it was a good idea. But years after other airlines were doing it. And though I appreciate the good sense of person who got the US Airways involved, there are many others through the company who act as roadblocks to sort of innovation or new ways of doing things. They're stuck, have no ideas, and can only borrow the ideas of others, claiming the ideas for themselves, while not doing a very good job at it!

 

[Hello Newman]

Yes, a show where psgrs stand in line for 30mins at an understaffed ticket counter and
then they are bullied into using the kiosk. Then they board a Mesa regional jet which
will depart behind schedule because no one can find the crew. Then they connect in
PHL with over 2.5 hours on the ground and their bags still will NOT make it to their
destination someone in management forgot to cover the shift. The winner will be the
one who holds his temper the longest. Then in episode 2 we have a lenghty mtc delay
while waiting for the mysterious part to be found. Just film a typical day's operation..

Wow! Talk about knee-jerk negativity! Yes, there are problems at US - but if this were the experience I encountered on a regular basis, do you believe I, or anyone else for that matter, would continue to fly US? I remain a loyal US passenger primarily because of service. Those who started this thread are right. If someone could tell the story to the public of the things that go right - the vast majority of the time - at US, then that would be the best marketing that you could ever hope to have.

At some point, you (collectively and individually) have to be proud of the work you do and make sure that the public knows about it. The responsibility for that doesn't just fall on CCY. As a matter of fact, CCY could have the best marketing program in the industry and it wouldn't help a bit if this kind of negative attitude seeped through to the passengers.

Given all of the adversity that US has gone through - and continues to endure - I think there is a great story to tell here of how this carrier remains the top choice for so many FFs like me.

No, not negativity. Just telling you what I see on a continuing basis and the problems
never get solved no matter how mant times local and corporate management is made
aware. I've got 22years in, would like to retire from UAIR, but we're consistently
failing to provide acceptable customer service. I'm not a "bad attitude type" just a
realist.

 

[Harry Callahan]

I think the reality show would be great. They could show all of our very full Caribbean & European flights arriving then they could show the hundreds & hundreds of bags that miss every single day off of these flights. They could then explain that there is not enough connecting time for the bags although we sell this to the psgrs. That all of these bags have to be rescreened before they can be reloaded on the domestic flight.(Darn blame the TSA for that one) Then explain why WE ARE UNDERSTAFFED EVERY DAY & no one cares.....

 

[Freighterguynow]

I also have to think that just because this is a hit in the UK, doesn't mean that the American audience will react to it so favorbly. It's a contrast of audiences that have drastically different: opinions, experiences, outlooks and humorisms.

121 you are correct. The number 1 reality in the UK right now is filmed in a salon. People recant somewhat interesting stories while getting haircuts interspaced with random security camera shots of the hot tub's occupants.
They love it but by American standards it's like watching paint dry.

 

[Colby]

Okay, After watching that show all I can say is............. I'm glad We Didn't do a show like this...... Brings out alot of the UNPROFESSIONALISM of LUV !!!!!

Guess your F/A s combined ages ......... ETC


Gee, Where's my Favorite................ THE PEANUT RACES !!!!

 

[Ramp Rat]

I think Herb was on his 30th Wild Turkey when he agreed to this, or he needs 30 to watch it

 

[ELP_WN_Psgr]

Bob is right.

A lot of what you describe as Southwest's "unprofessionalism" is exactly what I, along with a lot of other passengers, find endearing.

Southwest's folks are people, not faceless parts of a huge machine. Like everyone else, they have flaws and warts. But they tend to approach their jobs as people.....and I find it very pleasant to do business with people whom I like.

Call it corny...hokey......annoying.....the real bottom line is the bottom line. Southwest makes money with employees doing things like this.

 

[CaptBud330]

Hey,give credit where it's due. The employees enjoy working and it shows. To bad we don't have the magic anymore. It was once that way. What went wrong.

 

[aerosmith]

SouthWest to star in it's own reality show????

Wow, talk about some nice marketing. They are sure to crush us now.

Why is it that we don't have the brains in our marketing team to think of things like that?

Of course, our "reality" at US would make us lose customers anyway.

do you think usair really wants any of it's employees on national tv exposing the "reality" of this company? :down: :down: :down:

 

[enilria]

Brings out alot of the UNPROFESSIONALISM of LUV !!!!!

Instead of building yourself up by tearing them down, you'd better start looking at what they do RIGHT and see how to apply it. Otherwise they kick your assets in PHL and then you get to work for them after U goes belly up.

I'm assuming you didn't see the show. I agree with Colby that it painted a pretty negative picture of Southwest. I would say since the show is built around "problems at the airports" it can't produce a positive image regardless of the airline featured. Every airline has these situations, but putting them on TV is a bad idea.

For example, there was a large, young, football lineman type who missed his flight because his car was stolen. When he arrived to check-in they told him he had no reservation and that he hadn't paid. After he proved he had paid and the agent demanded he be "grateful for finding his reservation", then the agent determined his butt was too big and he needed to buy a second seat. You'd think after losing his ticket auth that they would have let that one slide, but no. He then spent 7 hours waiting for one cancelled/overbooked flight after another.

While that is clearly WN's policy, it got very bad press when it became public, why would you want that on the debut show?

Another feature was a homeless guy flying on them that they went of their way to help, which was sweet but painted a rather lowly picture of their clientele.

Next they had a drunk that was acting fine until they told him he couldn't get on the plane, while that is probably a sensible policy it came across as the agent provoking a confrontation.

Another segment was a "red coat" trying to help some connecting passengers make their flight on China Airlines which they were missing because of a WN delay. She escorted them to the terminal, but when China told them to come back the next morning the agent said, "looks like they are going to take care of you" and left. So she basically stuck China Airlines with the tab for food vouchers/room/etc. when it was WN's late flight.

The only time I felt sorry for the WN employee is when a black woman accused the agent of not letting her whole family go to the gate to meet her arriving 13 year old because she was black. She said "this is racial profiling". I would have suggested she take it up with TSA who established this policy (they would probably arrest her for arguing with a TSA agent).

Again, not to say these don't happen to every airline, but who wants the dirty laundry in public?

 

[etops1]

the show could make or break southwest. there were more negative aspects about it than positive. it was actually kind of funny. but it showed what actually happens on the line in any airline. passengers can be jerks. this show showed the negative side of the flying public. not the negative side of wn. if you saw all the wn employees found a solution to fix the situation. even though i am not fond of wn. i have to give them credit. but i don't know if i would want camera's with me on my layover. but then again he did win $450 and has the footage to prove. no one can say its a rumor good for him.

 

[USAirUnited]

One Word:

DUMB

 

[Bear96]

1. Next they had a drunk that was acting fine until they told him he couldn't get on the plane, while that is probably a sensible policy it came across as the agent provoking a confrontation.

2. Another segment was a "red coat" trying to help some connecting passengers make their flight on China Airlines which they were missing because of a WN delay. She escorted them to the terminal, but when China told them to come back the next morning the agent said, "looks like they are going to take care of you" and left. So she basically stuck China Airlines with the tab for food vouchers/room/etc. when it was WN's late flight.

1. It's more than "sensible policy." Rather it is federal law not to let a drunk passenger board an airplane.

2. Why should WN pay for their hotel or food? WN has no interline marketing / baggage / etc. agreements with other airlines, so they have no obligation to assist or guarantee people making connections to them in any way. In fact this is often touted as one of their "strengths" in how they keep costs low-- they don't have to deal with hassles like this. If anything, it shows the risks of booking on an airline like WN if you want services like that. Maybe an example of you get what you pay for. Then again why was the flight late-- if the airline is blaming it on "weather," in most circumstances most airlines would not pay for food or lodging for even missing a connection on their OWN airline.

I agree with your point though that most people don't know WHY airlines work the way they do or why certain policies are in place, and it can make an airline look bad when employees are just following the rules.

 

[Bear96]

the show could make or break southwest.

I think that's a bit melodramatic. An airline that has consistently made a profit like no other for decades is going to be brought down somehow by a cable TV show? Doubt it.

 

[Bradly71]

B) Who actually watched it besides other airline employees anyway? Just like the Brittish version of the show last summer or Airport on Discovery Wings. Only people in the US that watch it are Airline employees... I don't see where it would hurt or help them.