The Whole Point of Social Media

is to learn about great experiences your friends have had so can do the same...so here it goes:

You probably already know this but Southwest Airlines rocks. Their customer service is well known already and has garnered much attention in the blogsophere. But if you've flown them (especially since they went to the numbered seating line instead of cramming into the the three gate corrals) you already know how they differ from other airlines when it comes to friendly staff and an enjoyable experience. It would be perfect if they could do something about airport security but that's another story.

Back in Spring we took little Bloggerman to Florida to enjoy Spring Training. On the way back the bag that was carrying his car seat got cut up a little. The Southwest bagagge counter was not intersted in hearing the story but when I took it to the Twitter their Customer Service Team jumped into action and gave us $200 in vouchers.

Fast forward to today when the Bloggerman family is ready to head to Atlanta to visit my inlaws. I go to Southwest's website and get my flights lined up. Back to my email to find the vouchers but....only one of them is there. What??? Yep...only could find one for $100. Am I out of luck?

I call Southwest today and after punching a few options into the phone I get a real person who listens to my story and is able to quickly tell me that she can't help but if I call their Customer Relations Department, they should be able to help me. A new phone number and a few minutes on hold got me "Johnathan". I told him my name and story and he says that he has the voucher right there and he'll email it back to me. Wait...what?  That's it?  I don't need to provide a blood sample or deed to my home?  Score.

This doesn't sound exciting but try the same thing with United or American...chances are if you even reached somebody who works in the US and speaks English fluently you still wouldn't have a good shot at getting that lost money back. At most you might get a free drink coupon...even that would be a stretch.

Speaking of which...does anybody have a few SWA drink coupons I could have? I did say I was seeing my inlaws!

Spirit Airlines Can Charge My Fat White Carry On!

Don’t let these SOB’s get away with it people! Spirit Airlines announced the other day that they are going to begin charging you to carry on a bag and stow it in the overhead bins! They say it’s an attempt to save time loading and unloading the plane. I say it’s a revenue stream meant to capture passengers in a no win situation. If you pay “ahead of time” to use the bins it will run you $30, compared to $25 to check the bag underneath the plane. However Spirit also charges you a $16 fee to book online (free at the counter). So theoretically you’re trying to save a ton of money and book the ticket at the counter, don’t check a bag and head right to the gate. As we learned from TSA security in last week’s post, they’ll screen pretty much anything you carry through with no restrictions on amount or size. So now you show up to the gate with a roller bag and a personal item. BAM! $45 for your bag to go above your seat. But wait, the CEO Ben Baldanza (sounds like a George Costanza alter-ego) says you can board first if you are paying for the overhead space. Well big whop-de-doo there Benny boy.

Here’s what I’m proposing. If Spirit’s goal is to save time by forcing people to check more bags then I need at least one volunteer per flight (uncompensated unfortunately) to stand up before the plane takes off and make the biggest, loudest, most profane (using partial nudity if necessary) tirade ever so that the plane cannot leave the gate, airport police have to come on board to subdue you (with or without tasers) and the flight can’t leave on time. If just one person per flight does this, Spirit’s already wonderful on time and approval ratings will continue to take a nosedive further increasing the smile on my face.

Note to the airline industry. When first 9-11 and then the financial stuff hit the fan only a few airlines didn’t need government handouts. One of them was Southwest. Do you know why? Because they know how to run their business. They publish all of their rates (ahead of time!) and they let you check your bags for free. That is another reason I will continue to fly them whenever possible.

Odds, Ends, and Milkshakes

Just a few brief odds and ends today:

1) Following up on yesterday’s Peachtree rant; about 30 minutes after posting that, I finally got through the application process and received a confirmation. But I wasn’t done there, as I went ahead and signed up Mrs. Bloggerman for the race as well. Even better then that, we found that by sister-in-law and mother-in-law also signed up so we’ll have a small army out on the race course. The race isn’t until July so I still have some time to figure out costume choices. I will say though that a fully body stocking (ala Costanza) is still in play.

2) Since tomorrow is the honoring of all things Irish (especially their wonder-livers) we are going to celebrate here at NBLJ by sharing a cool little St. Patty’s Day treat with you courtesy of Spirit Magazine (Southwest Airlines) and the good folks at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas. I present to you the Guinness Milkshake

Guinness Milkshake
4 ounces Guinness
14 ounces super-premium vanilla ice cream
Whipped cream, for garnish
Green chocolate-covered sunflower seeds, for garnish

Combine ice cream and Guinness in a blender. Pour into a glass, then add a swirl of whipped cream and sunflower seeds to taste.

3) I had the pleasure of attending a meeting today in the Old Executive Office Building (next to the White House) and I happy to report that security was relatively easy to go through and not at all obtrusive (however it was thorough which is good to know). Why is it then when I walk into other Federal (and some private) buildings, I have to practice my striptease routine just so I can be scanned and gain access? Just a thought here: if it’s good enough for the President, it’s good enough for everybody!

4)Last week I promised you Spring Training pictures. Here they are. Enjoy.