Viva Southwest....

I, kenemac47, do solemnly swear to forever and always, be faithful to the airline that is Southwest.  I offer my deepest apologies for my recent lapse in loyalty. You see, over the Christmas holidays i took leave of my senses, opting to use instead another airline, whose initials are AA.  AA sold me a ticket to fly my daughter k. home on 12-23, in order that she might drive to big A-town with the wife. before that thrusday, k. became quite ill and opted to forgo flying and thus exposing those who would have been cooped up with her, breathing the aairline's recirculated air on two separate flights. That is not to mention the multitude who would then have been exposed by those who had been exposed to her.

On Christmas day, it was AA that flew me to Dallas.  But not on a sleek, swift, and sexy 737. (pictured above)  Instead AA, chooses to use a slightly different craft for flights leaving little a-town in the middle of the day, an AT7. (pictured below)-- a twin engine prop job!

                                                                   

Not as sleek, not as sexy, not as fast.  Louder, with tons more vibration through the body of the plane.  Still, to AA's credit, the flight left on time and arrived Big D right on time.  To their discredit, the pilot held us on the apron, close enough to the terminal I might have hit it with a rock thrown left handed, to the tune of forever.  After a time, we passengers were dumped unceremoniously from the plane in order to walk to the jet way and make our way into the terminal. 

By this time, i had to pee, and pretty quickly.  Having accomplished that and finding a screen to remind me which terminal my connecting flight was leaving from, i raced to  sky link.  Of course, we landed at Terminal A and my connecting flight was leaving from Terminal C.  I raced through the terminal ala O J Simpson, arriving at Gate C out of breath.  Handing the gate attendants my boarding pass, i heard, "mr. mac you made good time!" "your flight has already left." "we've booked you on the next flight out. it leaves at 4:10 from  Gate A-9." 

back to Terminal A, without a way to let the fam know i was still coming and when. (that's a whole 'nother story) i could only hope when i didn't show up as scheduled they would somehow figure what was the deal.

the flight from a-9 left right on time with me seated between a mom and her 10 year old son.  he is a charming young man who talked incessantly with me understanding 3 of every 10 words he said, but a short 33 minutes later, at last i arrived big A town and was greatly relieved to see the familiar and smiling faces waiting there to retrieve me. both were waving, as relieved to see me as I was to see them.

some time later, i was talking with k. about when we might get her on up here to a-town.  She informed me she had spoken to AA and while she had credit in the amount of her ticket, AA would charge a $150.00 rebooking fee.  WHAT?? are you effin-- kiddin' me? So I e-mailed, and then called AA, thinking she must have understood.  but no, she was not mistaken, not in the slightest.

out of curiosity, i went to the delta and continental airline sites, to see what their policies are in regards to flights booked but not taken. they are the only other airlines, besides SWA and AA, with flights to and from Rick Husband International.  i shouldn't have been surprised, but i found that delta charges $100.00 to re-book a flight; continental--$150.00!  SWA charges $0.00.  nuttin', nada, zilch! 

and that's why, friends and neighbors, I pledge to always and forever choose SWA for my air travel plans.  i urge you all to consider doing the same. aio