www.nytimes.com/2025/03/11/business/southwest-checked-bags-fee.html
I believe in Southwest Airlines.
I think it's the irreverence that hooked me. The flight attendants who pick up the intercom with attitude, who make jokes, like regular people. You see more of that in advertising these days, what works is the vernacular, with a sense of humor. But on most airlines... Everything is deadly serious, and the flight attendants are working reluctantly. You go into the back and ask for something, anything, and they roll their eyes and...
Not on Southwest.
And I like that it's egalitarian. That we're all in it together. That there's no first class. You line up and you get on. And if you're willing to pay a small fee you can get closer to the front of the line so you can get a seat that will satisfy you. I've always gotten a seat on the aisle, which is what I am looking for.
But in the past couple of years...
People have started to break the rules. There's an endless parade of pre-borders. Handicapped, with children...but they're walking no problem and the kids are old. That sucks, I'm paying for early access, why can't they?
And then there's the saving of seats. Which is a no-no. One person pays the additional fee for being closer to the front of the line and then saves seats for people who are at the back of the line.
What is it? What changed in America? When did everybody become so cheap, when did everybody become so myopic, not caring about others?
That's one thing I used to like about Southwest, the feeling of congeniality.
As for the other airlines... They upsell you on everything. And you've got to worry about bin space, because everybody is trying to save money by not checking their bags. And I know, I know, if you carry on you can get off and walk away without waiting at the conveyor belt, but you should see what people bring on!
Which is why I love Southwest, because bags fly free, and more people check theirs. Even the baggage attendants are nice at Southwest, they're on the curb, taking your bags, you don't have to schlep them inside.
But then they changed the policy. Assigned seats. I don't like it, but since people were abusing the system I understood it.
But today Southwest said they would start charging for bags.
Now the people who actually run the airline are against this, they researched the issue:
"Executives cited an analysis by a consulting firm that determined bag charges would bring in at most $1.5 billion in revenue a year, but cost the airline $1.8 billion in lost market share. Free bags ranked just behind price and schedule among the top reasons travelers pick Southwest, executives said then."
www.wsj.com/business/airlines/southwest-airlines-bag-policy-charge-basic-economy-9549218e?mod=Searchresults_pos1&page=1
But activist investors Elliott Investment Management wanted to make more money, they got seats on the board and forced the executives to change the no-bags policy.
Ain't that America. Shortsightedness by people only considering the bottom line.
But in this case it's worse, because they destroyed brand equity overnight!
If Southwest flew there, I took it. Not anymore. F*ck them. I'll do my best to take another airline. Southwest eviscerated what was special about it and I'm PISSED!
Let's be clear, this is not Ticketmaster, the public has options. Rarely is Southwest the only airline available.
Now they could reverse this no-bags policy before it starts in May, but I doubt it.
This is like Jimmy Page joining the Carpenters. Who could respect him after that?
Then again, music is just like Wall Street today. If it grosses big, it's good. Where in the hell did they write that? If I read one more word about Ariana Grande... She's got a new album...a good voice for nincompoops. This is not artistry, this is commerce!
But what we hear from the industry is this is what everybody else is doing. Whereas those who are doing it differently are the ones with the hard core fans. They may not be in the Spotify Top 50, but they never have to worry about their career tanking, as long as they continue to be true to themselves. Case in point, Phish. I get more e-mail about that band than any other extant, and believe me they aren't the biggest in the world, but they've got passionate fans! Who can't stop spreading the word.
I used to be a passionate fan of Southwest Airlines. I always talked it up.
But it turns out Southwest Airlines doesn't care about me, didn't even think of me, my experience.
You're nothing without your customers. This is what bugs me about corporate titans, they think they're responsible for all the success. But without people buying the product or service, there is no business.
You take what makes you unique, an outlier, that bonds people to you, and then you slice it off overnight?
Some twenty year old with a spreadsheet probably told you to do this. You hired McKinsey, which employs recent college graduates to tell you what to do, how insane is that? Just like the twentysomethings running DOGE. Experience has no value to these people, numbers rule everything. They've got no feel for the business.
Which is why they destroy it. Private equity blows up companies on a regular basis, can you say Toys "R" Us?
But they bleed them dry before they do it, getting their investment back.
And all the people manning the aisles?
They're SOL. They've put in years of work and now they've got nothing.
Southwest is laying off people after they said they wouldn't. This is like a spouse saying they'll never file for divorce and then doing same. Talk about undercutting trust... (And that happened to me!)
We live in a bottom line nation. That's what DOGE is all about. Screw the people, just make the numbers work, so a certain set of people can pay less taxes. As for the rest of us, F*CK YOU!
But homey don't play that no more. There comes a point where people have had enough and react.
Southwest, I'M DONE!
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