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SW Airlines Pilot stops plane for a man trying to attend a funeral

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by penda45, Jan 14, 2011.

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  1. penda45

    penda45 Member

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    Link to the Story Lock if already posted.

    What's this? News from an airport that doesn't make you want to vomit blood in outrage? Finally. A man stuck in airport security gridlock could say goodbye to his dead grandson when his flight's pilot refused to depart without him.

    The man, whose grandson had been murdered only days earlier, arrived two hours early for his domestic flight. Thanks to the complete indifference of the security staff he encountered, he was given no assistance as he struggled to make it through security in time for takeoff. Finally, having arrived at his gate in his bare feet, 12 minutes late, he was greeted with the following: "Are you Mark? We held the plane for you and we're so sorry about the loss of your grandson."

    The pilot, informed of the family's loss, had delayed the flight by 12 minutes to allow the man to board. When the man's family thanked the pilot, he, in a line that I'm sure will be delivered in the film version by Jon Hamm, replied only: "They can't go anywhere without me and I wasn't going anywhere without you. Now relax. We'll get you there. And again, I'm so sorry."

    It's not often you get to call an airline classy—or really anything other than completely awful, but way to be the exception Southwest. [Elliott via Consumerist]
     
    #1 penda45, Jan 14, 2011
  2. Tb-Cain

    Tb-Cain Member

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    Finally, it's the "friendly" skies again.
     
    #2 Tb-Cain, Jan 14, 2011
  3. DonnyMost

    DonnyMost Member
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    +1 for Southwest.
     
    #3 DonnyMost, Jan 14, 2011
  4. htownrox1

    htownrox1 Member

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    Man thats messed up.
     
    #4 htownrox1, Jan 14, 2011
  5. apollo33

    apollo33 Member

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    Geez i just read the story of the kid getting murdered, it was pretty messed up too

    the 3 year old was body slammed by a live-in boyfriend...............

    http://consumerist.com/2011/01/southwest-pilot-holds-plane-for-murder-victims-family.html
     
    #5 apollo33, Jan 14, 2011
  6. Xerobull

    Xerobull ...and I'm all out of bubblegum
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    Airport Security = Low-paid government worker apathy.
     
    #6 Xerobull, Jan 14, 2011
  7. rhadamanthus

    rhadamanthus Member

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    Actually, the airport (well, the TSA) still makes me want to vomit blood in outrage at this story. The airline (well, the pilot) did the right thing.

    EDIT: Apollo33 I did not need to read that. I hate people. :(
     
    #7 rhadamanthus, Jan 14, 2011
  8. rockbox

    rockbox Around before clutchcity.com

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    The problem with TSA is most of them were hired when the economy was bad in a rush after 9/11. My friend had a job hiring them, and said they pretty much hired anyone with a pulse and a clean record. They definitely didn't have the luxury of going after the cream of the crop.
     
    #8 rockbox, Jan 14, 2011
  9. rrj_gamz

    rrj_gamz Member

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    I love SW. I fly them all the time...Its very rare for a pilot to hold a plane as I've missed many a flights when I was connecting from somewhere (Delta sux)...

    Rip to little boy...
     
    #9 rrj_gamz, Jan 14, 2011
  10. trustme

    trustme Member

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    Their stock is going to go sky high.
     
    #10 trustme, Jan 14, 2011
  11. across110thstreet

    across110thstreet Member

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    while I'm happy for this man and impressed with Southwest, I don't see what any gate agents or security agents did wrong by NOT letting him cut through the process faster...

    he should have arrived at the airport earlier, regardless of his situation.
     
    #11 across110thstreet, Jan 14, 2011
  12. bigtexxx

    bigtexxx Member

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    Yes, it should really take off
     
    #12 bigtexxx, Jan 14, 2011
  13. penda45

    penda45 Member

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    I think you missed the part where it said he arrived 2 hours before his flight which is the time the TSA suggests.
     
    #13 penda45, Jan 14, 2011
  14. rocketsjudoka

    rocketsjudoka Member

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    I'm guessing the pilot figured wind conditions where favorable for the direction they were flying so a few minutes waiting wouldn't be a problem. Still with all the complaints about flight delays and on time performance I am wondering what his superiors thought and other passengers.
     
    #14 rocketsjudoka, Jan 14, 2011
  15. penda45

    penda45 Member

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    I did a case study on SW Airlines in my undergrad and believe it or not this kind of behavior is encouraged over there. The fact that people in the industry take less money for an opportunity to work at SW should say that they have a great culture there.
     
    #15 penda45, Jan 14, 2011
  16. across110thstreet

    across110thstreet Member

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    thanks, I did miss this.

    has anyone ever had to wait two hours standing in line for the gate/security?

    the worst situation I was in was arriving at the airport 45 minutes before departure, checked in with 30 minutes to go. they allowed me to the front of the check in line and I had to go through normal security.

    I made the flight as did my baggage.

    I really would like to see more details of this incident that would delay someone 2 hours without being able to board a domestic flight...
     
    #16 across110thstreet, Jan 14, 2011
  17. Rocketman95

    Rocketman95 Hangout Boy

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    we rode a shuttle with an employee last summer and he talked the entire time about how much he loves working for them. also, they're one of my clients at work and everyone there is about the nicest person you could hope to deal with.
     
    #17 Rocketman95, Jan 14, 2011
  18. rawool

    rawool Member

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    You can't blame security... I bet you they hear all these excuses all the time. If this happened all the time, everyone would abuse it, sadly.
     
    #18 rawool, Jan 14, 2011
  19. SunsRocketsfan

    SunsRocketsfan Member

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    well anyone with any skills also doesnt want to be a TSA officer at the airport. It's a low paying crappy job.
     
    #19 SunsRocketsfan, Jan 14, 2011
  20. Fyreball

    Fyreball Member

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    My girlfriend knows a bunch of people who work for TSA in Orlando. Every single one of them makes me want to Hulk Smash them into oblivion. I've never met a more lazy, moronic, promiscuous group of people in my entire life. Seriously, TSA is a cesspool of STDs and ignorance, and it's only perpetuated by the fact that they all believe they hold some sort of power at the airport. They actually take pride in knowing that you are at their mercy when you are in that security line. It's nauseating, but I guess that's the world we live in today.

    Kudos to the pilot, and to Southwest for doing the right thing. It doesn't happen nearly enough these days.
     
    #20 Fyreball, Jan 14, 2011
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