Southwest is fun again

Long known for its cheap fares and no-frills service, Southwest Airlines was once also known — in the pre-9/11 era — for its cheeky flight attendants.

Hubby and I are each frequent flyers, on Southwest and other carriers alike, and we had both noticed that Southwest’s no-nonsense approach had affected the flight attendants too for the past several years.

This past week, however, marked the return of the snark, puns, and levity.

Prior to this week’s Chicago trip, I’d flown Southwest as recently as two weeks ago to and from San Diego, and there was a marked difference between these two trips. San Diego’s flight crew tone was the same that it’s been for nearly the past seven years — to the point with no fluff (still never as curt as the Lufthansa employees, thankfully.)

All three legs of my Chicago trip (Sac-Chicago, then Chicago-Vegas-Sac) featured upbeat, fun, funny, and self-deprecating flight crews — even the captain. Always the party flight, the Vegas-Sac crew members were especially convivial.

I’m going to see what I can find out from my corporate communications counterparts within Southwest, as they’re consistently known for being the best at employee engagement, but does anyone have any insider scoop? Was there a memo that went out to bring the fun back?

P.S. If you need to go to Chicago, I highly recommend flying into Midway instead of O’Hare, then take the Orange Line to downtown — the train ride is about half as long as the one from O’Hare on the Blue Line.

6 thoughts on “Southwest is fun again”

  1. In my flying experience, it seems that the later the flight, the punchier the crew. A few redeyes that I’ve flown were particularly goofy, while the 6:30am businessman’s special from SMF to Burbank is rather somber.

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  2. A side note about Midway: They have THE BEST security screening process. I don’t know if other airports are doing this, but there are three different screening lines, depending on what kind of traveler you are. One line is for novice travelers and those with small children. Another line is for 1x-2x/year traveler, and the third is for expert travelers who know the rules and are prepared to go through security quickly. (My tip? Always wear slip-on shoes when flying.)

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  3. I’ve been on the 6:55am to BUR twice in the last two months and I thought the attendants were being fairly snarky both times. Maybe it’s a day of the week thing? I flew mid-week both trips.

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  4. Personally, I hope the “fun” was just the result of a particularly nutty crew. I absolutely HATED flying Southwest when everyone thought they were Shecky Greene. It was like being trapped in a phone booth with a Christian comedian for several hours. I enjoy “pleasant and polite”, but giggling hi-jinx delivered by someone in khakis and a polo shirt just makes me want to vomit, and not in that convenient bag. And on my many trips with the Laughing S/W crew, I was wondering why it was OK for them to make jokes about crashing, but a federal offense for a passenger to do so. I made a simple quip about hurling the caterwauling infant sitting next to me out of the emergency exits, and they put me in restraint.

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  5. Given the choice between the giant douche or the turd sandwitch, RG takes the turd sandwitch. If you need to go to Chi-town, TS would rather walk than fly.

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  6. Don’t forget to tell our Southwest customers the schedule for the FixI5 program

    Northbound I-5 closed:

    May 30th from 8:00 PM to June 9th at 5:00 AM
    June 26th from 8:00 PM to July 3rd at 5:00 AM

    Southbound I-5 closed:

    June 13th from 8:00 PM to June 23rd at 5:00 AM
    July 8th from 8:00 PM to July 15th at 5:00 AM

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