Southwest Airlines Boarding Procedures - Not a Showcase for Adult Intelligence

If you have ever flown Southwest, you know everything is different with these folks, and in most cases certainly more efficient. These guys are on time and take on-time performance seriously. But the reason for this post is to just pass on an observation or two concerning their boarding procedure. The process is simple but forces one to think a little. When you check in for the flight, you will be assigned a boarding group which is always lettered, "A" "B" or "C" and a number will be printed beside the boarding group.

For example, my boarding pass tonight for my flight from MDW to IND(y) says "A17". This simply means that I line up in the "A" line and make sure I am in front of whoever is holding A18, but behind A16.

This is where the chaos starts. I would love to have a video camera out when these groups try to line up. I have never been on a Southwest flight where everyone has this figured out. There is always someone who stands in the boarding area completely dumbfounded by this. It's just amazing. If you can get them to at least get up with their appropriate group, that's outstanding, but getting everybody numerically sequenced would be an miracle. Southwest has even been forced to upload a little Flash video presentation called Southwest Boarding School.

I'm amazed at how overwhelmed people seem to be when you confront them with a letter and a number in the same sentence. I should know, my consulting business is centered around federal regulations which are always written in a legal code involving letters and numbers.

I hate to say it, and you may think I'm just too negative, but travel will convince you quickly that this country has not gotten more intelligent in recent years. Just go to the nearest Southwest boarding gate for confirmation.

Business Travel - Graduate School

Early 2009 has been calm insofar as my schedule has been concerned. But that is changing on Sunday. In a 5 day period I will fly:

Chicago Midway to Indianapolis
Indy to Salt Lake City with a stop in Denver
Salt Lake to Pasco, WA.
Pasco back to Salt Lake
Salt Lake to Houston Hobby
Hobby back to Chicago O'Hare

This will be exhausting and challenging. One delay or blown flight will mess up everything. So if you want to know what graduate school travel is like, keep checking in next week. I'll keep you posted -- if I'm not asleep!

The National Transportation Safety Board

These are the people who show up as quickly as they can for most aviation accidents and incidents. Their work is very thorough and professional. Reading their accident reports provides intense insight as to the goings on in the cockpit when trouble arrives. Regarding the recent US Air incident, all signs point to multiple bird strikes. The NTSB knows their stuff. The pic I'm attaching comes from the NTSB investigation into the US Air incident. One feather was found ingested in an engine. This photo shows the professionalism and the detail this agency employs. The NTSB is one of the few agencies which seems to hold itself above all the chaos that goes on in Washington, DC.

Take a look at some of their reports. This is impressive reading.

Nothing is Automatic with Air Travel

A few days ago I mentioned that one of my biggest complaints about legacy airlines who run hub and spoke operations is that often you pull into the gate and it takes a long time for an agent to come down and attach the jetway. This has happened so many times to me I have lost count. Typically the flight is late anyway and the second the seat belt sign goes off, everybody jumps up (remember your connection is already under pressure from your late arrival). Then we wait, and we wait and we wait. This is very frustrating and yes, I've blown a connection in ATL as well over this stunt.

One of the most ridiculous things that happened to me in the last year was up at BWI where the jet way broke down just a few inches from the door. So we had to take a maintenance delay just to get off the flight! And as the delay dragged on (and lasted about 40 minutes) the pilot finally allowed us to deplane the MD-88 (yeah, this was Delta) through the back airstairs. This was fun considering it was raining and of course, TSA does not want customers walking across any airplane ramp. I better calm down; I'm starting to get agitated over this memory already!

Passengers Stop Flight After 'Drunk' Pilot Sparks Panic

Just when you think you have heard everything there was an apparent "passenger revolt" aboard an Aeroflot flight recently when it appeared that the captain might have been intoxicated. Some of the remarks quoted on this story are just hilarious. Enjoy!

Hotel Etiquette - Part II

Even though I'm working in Chicago this week, and not sleeping in a hotel, a few random thoughts about hotel life crossed my mind today.

At breakfast please do not block the coffee pot(s). Some people will stand there and pour everything into the cup; cream, sugar, etc. either before or after pouring the coffee. They seem completely oblivious to the fact that there is a line of people waiting on them to clear out, and these people are in desperate need of coffee! This always amazes me.

Do your homework before checking in so you don't have to delay everyone else by asking things like "what time is breakfast"? "do you have internet"? etc. Again, clueless people ask the most inane questions while the line behind them gets longer and more agitated. Read the web site of the hotel; everything the front desk can tell you is right online.

Turn the volume down on the TV at night. I remember my first experience with this kind of thing years ago. I was just north of Chicago, in Waukegan, IL, staying in a Marriott Courtyard. The guy in the next room decided to watch some kind of horror movie with a lot of screaming. The noise came through my wall, and woke me up. All the screaming led me to believe that somebody was being attacked in the hallway. I actually opened the door and looked out before realizing what this was about.

Always tip the shuttle driver who picks you up at the airport, and tip for the "free" drinks you get at the Embassy Suites happy hour! On the first subject, I'm amazed at how amateur travelers can't figure out that the guy in front of the vehicle is trying to hustle, he's loading/unloading your bags. You will notice that airline crews always tip the guy, as it should be. These crews travel for a living. If you don't know what to do, follow their lead. Regarding the Embassy Suites, the drinks are free. The person behind the bar is hustling as well. Leave a dollar every time you approach the bar. Getting unlimited refreshments for one or two bucks is still a good deal!

It is always the little things, the details, that separate the veterans from the amateurs.

Super Bowl Sunday

I took another chance today and got lucky; flying into O'Hare just two hours before the kickoff of the Super Bowl. But the weather was good all the way from Tennessee to ORD and that makes a big difference!

So despite all my harsh remarks concerning Eagle, they got me back here in time. Just had a great plate of pancakes (gracias corazon) and now watching the ball game. I'm working here in Chicago all week. Easy!