Southwest Airlines

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As It Launches Buyouts, Southwest Blames Boeing

All-737 carrier says its plane deliveries have been delayed

(Newser) - Southwest Airlines is offering buyouts and extended leaves of absence to airport workers to avoid what it calls "overstaffing in certain locations," which it blames on a shortage of new planes from Boeing. The move on Monday comes as a hedge fund presses Southwest to increase profits and...

'She Looked Into His Eyes, and He Was Sold'

Southwest pilot Matt Prebish adopts kitten he was flying on hurricane rescue flight with 145 animals

(Newser) - What's part of Matthew Prebish's job as a volunteer pilot after natural disasters: evacuating displaced animals. What's not necessarily part of the job: adopting one of those uprooted cuties. But that's exactly what Prebish ended up doing after a weather delay earlier this month in Milwaukee,...

Investigators Explain Scary Close Call on Nashville Runway

Alaska Airlines jet, Southwest jet nearly collided

(Newser) - Investigators said Wednesday that air traffic controllers cleared an Alaska Airlines jet to take off from Nashville last month after telling pilots of a Southwest Airlines jet to cross the same runway. Pilots of the Alaska plane aborted their Sept. 12 takeoff at Nashville International Airport, applying the brakes so...

Big Changes Are Coming at Southwest
Big Changes
Are Coming
at Southwest
Jul 25, 2024 10:05 AM CDT

Big Changes Are Coming at Southwest

No more open seating, for starters

(Newser) - Southwest Airlines is unveiling what it says will be the biggest changes in its 53-year history, per CNBC .
  • No more open seating; after an undisclosed date, assigned seats only
  • Seats with extra legroom to be available next year, for a premium
  • Red-eye flights (initially Las Vegas to Baltimore; Las Vegas
...

Southwest Flight Flies Dangerously Low Over Tampa

FAA investigates new incident in which Boeing jet was about 150 feet off the ground

(Newser) - The FAA is investigating why a recent Southwest Airlines jet flew dangerously low:
  • No, it's not the one in Oklahoma that came within 500 feet of the ground.
  • And it's not the one in Hawaii that dipped close to the ocean.
  • This is a third flight, one that
...

Southwest Changes Schedule for Swift Fans

Airline adds 10 flights in October, expecting demand when her tour returns to America

(Newser) - You may have heard reference to the "Taylor Swift economy." A new move by Southwest Airlines provides an example of just how much of an effect she has: The airline is adding 10 flights to its schedule in October to accommodate fans trying to see her shows, reports...

Air Traffic Staff to Alarmingly Low Flight: 'You Good?'

Southwest flight drops to 500 feet above ground in Oklahoma, triggering air traffic control concern

(Newser) - If you're low-key wary of flying lately, we can't say we blame you , and the latest news out of Oklahoma probably won't ease your concerns. The Federal Aviation Administration is looking into Southwest Flight 4069 out of Las Vegas, which dipped to an alarmingly low altitude just...

Airliner Plunged, Stopping Just Above Ocean Off Hawaii

FAA investigates Southwest flight after first officer's error

(Newser) - A Southwest Airlines pilot inadvertently sent a Boeing Co. 737 Max 8 into a plunge off the coast of Hawaii, dropping at a rate of more than 4,000 feet per minute before the flight crew pulled the plane up. A Southwest memo to pilots said the airliner came within...

'Dutch Roll' at 34K Feet Damages Boeing 737 Max

Southwest flight landed in Oakland without injuries

(Newser) - A Southwest Airlines plane went into a rare wobble in midair last month, causing substantial damage to the Boeing 737 Max 8's tail section and prompting a federal investigation. The Phoenix-to-Oakland flight reached its destination without injury to the 175 passengers and six crew members, per CBS News . The...

Southwest Is Ending Service to 4 Airports

Airline has been hit hard by Boeing's problems

(Newser) - Delays to delivery of Boeing aircraft have been "very painful," Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan said Thursday after the airline disclosed rising losses in the first quarter of this year. He said the company is "reacting and replanning quickly to mitigate the operational and financial impact."...

At Reagan Airport, a Near Disaster on Runway

Southwest plane nearly crossed runway in front of departing JetBlue plane Thursday in Virginia

(Newser) - Two planes nearly collided at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on Thursday, and might have done so if an air traffic controller hadn't yelled "Stop!" Around 7:40am, an air traffic controller instructed Southwest Flight 2937 to cross runway 4 on its way to runway 1....

These Are the Best Airlines in America

Alaska Airlines tops WalletHub's overall list for 2024

(Newser) - The safest airline in the US also happens to be the cheapest—and yet, not the best overall. That's according to WalletHub , which compared the nine largest US airlines and one regional carrier (SkyWest, which serves more than one major airline) across 13 metrics, including cost, delays, cancellations, injuries,...

Boeing Airliner Loses Engine Cover at Takeoff

Southwest flight makes emergency landing in Denver

(Newser) - A Southwest Airlines jet returned to Denver on Sunday morning after the engine cover fell off and struck the wing flap during takeoff, the Federal Aviation Administration reports. The Boeing 737 landed safely, and the passengers headed to Houston were being put onto another aircraft, Southwest said in a statement,...

Southwest Takes Big Hit From DOT for 2022 Holiday Fiasco

Agency levies $140M fine; airline says it's 'grateful to have reached a consumer-friendly settlement'

(Newser) - If you were caught up in Southwest's holiday chaos last year and found yourself at any point muttering, "Someone's got to pay for this," your wish has been granted. The Department of Transportation on Monday announced it's hitting the airline with a $140 million fine,...

Southwest Passenger Climbs Out of Plane, Jumps to Tarmac

The man was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation

(Newser) - A Southwest Airlines passenger was hospitalized for evaluation Sunday night after he opened an emergency hatch on an aircraft, climbed out onto the wing, and jumped down onto the tarmac, authorities say. Witnesses say the man ran across the tarmac at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and tried to...

Mom: Southwest Accused Me of Trafficking My Own Daughter

Mary MacCarthy, who's white, says she and her biracial 10-year-old child were racially profiled

(Newser) - A single mom has sued Southwest, accusing the airline of racial discrimination after a flight attendant suspected she may have been trafficking a child—her own daughter. NBC News reports that Mary MacCarthy, who's white, was traveling with her then-10-year-old daughter, Moira, who's Black, in October 2021 from...

Fellow Passengers Bring Man 'Back to Life'

Emily Raines and Daniel Shifflett, both nurses, save a man with no pulse aboard plane

(Newser) - After a four-day cruise in the Bahamas, Baltimore couple Emily Raines and Daniel Shifflett were eager to get home. So eager, in fact, that they twice tried to switch to an earlier flight out of Fort Lauderdale, where their cruise ship docked around 9am on May 1. Ultimately, they stuck...

White House Is Cracking Down on Airline Cancellations

Airlines would have to reimburse customers for delays that were within their control

(Newser) - The Biden administration is proposing new regulations that would require airlines to compensate passengers and cover their meals and hotels if they are stranded for reasons within the airline's control. As the AP reports, President Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg were unveiling the plan on Monday. It continues...

Epic Plane Outburst Began With 'Shut That Baby Up'

Southwest Airlines passenger forcibly removed by police in Orlando

(Newser) - Orlando police had to escort a Southwest Airlines passenger from a plane on Monday after what USA Today calls an "adult tantrum" over a crying baby. Passenger Mark Grabowski recorded a nearly 4-minute viral video of the outburst as the flight, bound for Fort Lauderdale, was stuck in a...

Here's How America's Major Airlines Rank

WalletHub places Delta at the top of its list

(Newser) - Finding the cheapest flight is often a traveler's priority, but there are other reasons to pick one airline over the other. WalletHub checked out the nine largest US carriers, plus two regional airlines, to see how they ranked on everything from baggage, departures, and safety, to in-flight comfort (think...

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