Took Southwest from Florida to New York. It was the worst experience of my life. Some stupid family from India had a infant that screamed for 2 and a half hours straight. It's a crime that parents are not required to purchase a seat for their infant, but the rest of us assholes have to suffer 2 and a half hours listening to the little bastard screaming for the whole flight. Flight rules should allow the rest of the passengers to toss the kid and family out the door of the plane. The loser parents didn't even bother to try and quiet their child nor did the flight crew even speak with the parents. I hate this airline and that shitty family.

Two other teachers and myself were scheduled to attend a conference in San Antonio, Tx, from 11/19/08-11/23/08. Another teacher purchased the airline reservation for us, using her credit card. We had no idea of the airline policies, she just indicated she received the cheapest rate she could find and we had to reimburse her for each of our tickets. I was unable to attend the conference and requested a refund of the amount ($316) since I did not fly. I was informed by Allyson Luppy and Anthony Whaley that I could not have a refund because the person that ordered the tickets had purchased them under "cannot cancel" terms of sale over the internet. I was unaware that this had taken place. All I knew was that someone had ordered my airline ticket and I had to reimburse that individual. I was not told of any conditions limiting the ticket in any way. I was told by Luppy and Whaley that I could use the ticket, exchange it or give it away to someone else up until July 2009 when it expires. I am not going to fly anywhere and I do not know of anyone that is flying any time soon. The conference was a one-time event paid for by the school district and will not happen again. My co-worker believed she was doing all a favor by purchasing the tickets and then we reimburse her. I feel that I am being held hostage by terms of sale I knew nothing about. Another teacher put the hotel reservations on her credit card, but I was able to cancel those without losing any money.

On 26 September, while returning to my home after doing military duty in Providence, R.I. at the War College, I checked my luggage through TSA. TSA never opened my luggage there for you are required to stand-bye until it clears the x-ray machine. I observed the Southwest employee take my luggage so it could be sent down too the plane for loading. While in Providence, I had about an hour and a half wait for Flight 290 to Chicago. I had a stop at Chicago Midway Airport for about an hour for Flight 266 and then preceded onto Tucson, AZ. Upon arriving in Tucson, I noticed that my luggage has been opened. After inspecting my luggage, I discovered that all my military police gear has been stolen, except for my duty belt. This consisted of two handcuffs, SOG EOD multi-tool with case, cuff key (long version), and a Cabelas 9v Flashlight (Same style as the Surefire 9P.). I talked to the Baggage Claim Officer of Southwest at the Airport in Tucson and got a report number and that is: 1002374781.
Over the next several days, I contacted TSA and they said there would have been no reason for TSA to re-inspect my luggage in Chicago since it had been x-ray-ed in Providence, R.I. I made contact with several people at Southwest with one being a “Sue Ann Larsen” telling me she would email me the forms and info on filing a claim with Southwest. I never did hear from her or get the email, and my last contact with Southwest out of Dallas, said Southwest will probably not do anything about replacing the stolen items for they are only responsible for the outside part of the luggage. This is not acceptable at all. I know Southwest contracts out its luggage handling, however that does still make them responsible for the actions of their contractors. Enclosed is a copy of what is would cost for me to replace the items stolen and that is: $208.13.

Now this is the letter that I sent to Southwest Airlines. Below was their response.
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We realize that perhaps the single most frustrating experience - for both the Customer and the
airline - is when a Customer finds something missing from their checked piece of luggage. When this
happens, the ideal solution would be to offer recompense for the loss - unlimited liability simply
can not be justified.
On a daily basis, we accept sight unseen thousands of bags for transport, and theoretically,
everyone that checks a bag could file a missing article report. There are certain policies that we must
follow when resolving a baggage claim. Unless there is evidence that a bag has been improperly
handled (delay in delivery or signs of exterior damage), we do not accept financial responsibility for
missing articles. We make every effort possible to locate the property but if neither of these conditions
were a factor in the reported loss; unfortunately, we are unable to accept liability.
You may however have recourse through the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Under their direction, all checked luggage must undergo some form of screening and in some cases;
federal screeners will open the bag as part of the screening process. When there is a need to open a
bag, the TSA screeners exercise great care to ensure that the contents are properly returned to the
bag and a written notification is placed inside or a plastic tag is secured to the outside of the bag. In
the event of loss or damage, TSA will assess, on an individual basis, claims that are made to their
office. If you have questions and wish to pursue your claim, you should immediately call the TSA
Consumer Response Center toll-free at 1-866-289-9673. To protect your rights under Federal law,
you must submit your information in writing to their office at the following address:

TSA Claims Management Office
601 South 12th Street - TSA 9
Arlington, VA 22202

Hopefully, you will be able to understand our position in this matter and will not allow this
experience to permanently tarnish your image of our airline. You are a valued Customer, your
patronage and confidence are equally important to us and we look forward to the opportunity to serve
you again.

Sincerely,
Anita Weaver
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I hate to say it but they did not ever read my letter for I addressed the TSA issue from the start. If Southwest can not protect our luggage, and will not replace the stolen items that their contractors stole from us. How can we trust them at all? I have since wrote to the FAA, and to two member of my state representatives in Washington to help resolve this matter. In addition, I am going through official channel with the military to see if there is something they can do.

I'd like to complain about Southwest's new electronic standby list. twice, i have been forgotten by a southwest agent who didn't check the electronic list. both instances i checked in early. both instances i had approached the ticket counter a second time within 30 minutes of departure and been told to wait for my name to be called. the first instance, i was lucky because there was noone in line, i approached the counter right before the gate was about to close and they got me on. the second time, yesterday, i waited patiently at a seat near the counter. When I realized most of the passengers had bordered, i approached the man at the gate because there was a long line at the counter. He told me i'd have to stand in line. while standing in line, the gate closed and i missed my flight. What frustrates me is the plane only had 80 passengers, but they still wouldn't issue me a boarding pass twenty minutes before the plane was supposed to leave. The rest of the flights that day were booked. i was transfered from tampa to jacksonville although the flight from jacksonville was booked as well. then i was transfered to nashville, and finally home to baltimore at one in the morning instead of 7pm at night. I used up all my extra standby tickets. And to top it off, the agent who'd forgotten to call my name didn't even acknowlege it.

I just wanted to voice my outrage about Southwest airlines and the fact that they did not protect my grandchildren when they were flying with them.

My grandchildren were flying Southwest airlines, Flight 3938 from San Diego to Denver on 8/1. We requested them to be unaccompanied minors, but southwest said no as my oldest Granddaughter is 16, the other two are 11 and 9. When they were put on the plane, Southwest split the kids up, placing the two youngest away from the oldest and placing the oldest next to a strangely acting man. During the flight, the man took out a roll of tape. The flight attendant noticed it, but did not say anything. Then the man handed my oldest granddaughter a magazine. When she accepted it, he grabbed her hands and taped them together. Although they screamed for a stewardess, no one showed up. The youngest one went over and had to bite through the tape to get it off of her wrists. Finally the flight attendant shows up and moves the kids to a new site. Then she says I saw that guy with the tape and thought he was strange.

When the plane lands, Southwest lets the guy off the plane, never calls police and THEN lets the kids go to the baggage area unattended. The guy follows them which prompts my grandkids to turn around and request that someone take them to baggage claim. Southwest STILL did not detain that man. After spending several hours with Southwest, my daughter-in-law was told she could have credit towards another flight, of which she refused.

The next day my daughter-in-law spent the day on the phone and then went to the Denver southwest terminal to get someone to deal with this issue. She is so worried that this crazy man is doing other things to other kids. Southwest would not deal with this.

She has contacted Homeland security and now the FBI is interviewing the kids and are looking to press two charges of minority assault when they find the guy. Airlines need to keep people and especially kids safe on their airlines.

With all these cutbacks with airlines, child safety should not be one of them.