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- Mar 26, 2006
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Sorry for the long post, but given all the bad stuff we read about the airlines I want to share something awesome that Southwest did last night!
A little background: two of my best friends (we’ll call them K and S) and I, back in January, planned a girls’ weekend in Vegas. Since then A LOT has happened to one of those ladies (K), including her mother being unexpected diagnosed with a variety of severe medical issues, ultimately resulting in her passing away last week. Over the years I’ve known her K has always called her mother her “rock” and her best friend. While she was going though radiation over the past few weeks K would come into the office early and leave mid-day so she could be with mom during her daily treatments. K has also been sleeping at the rehab center, including a night spent on the FLOOR because no one brought a cot in for her. And K has not complained ONE BIT about any of this, she has always said this was her mom and this is just what you do.
Last week K was out of the office due to her mom passing, and with our trip coming up next Thursday, S and I talked and decided we should cancel our plans so we wouldn’t be penalized by the airline or hotel. K had already cancelled another trip she and her husband had planned later in May so we assumed she wouldn’t want to go away next week.
Lesson one: DO NOT ASSUME. EVER.
I went up to the visitation at the funeral home last night and while K and I were talking she gave me a big hug and said the only thing she’s had to look forward to lately is our upcoming trip.
Holy shitoly.
So I immediately got on the phone with S who said, OK, let’s see if we can still go.
After driving home two and half hours in heavy rain I immediately logged on to Southwest. We could still get tickets out to Vegas on the same day but they were several hundred dollars more, and there were no seats available on the day we wanted to come back (with the exception of a red eye that would land us in Chicago early on Monday morning). I felt terrible. But my philosophy is if you don’t ask the answer is always no, so I called the Southwest customer service number and explained the whole thing to the nicest guy in the world. He said, OK, I don’t know how this is going to turn out, but let me see what I can do. After being on hold off and on for about two hours he finally came back and said operations had fixed everything.
What did that mean…?
Our original flights were reinstated. I asked how that could be since there were no tickets available on the day we wanted to come back and he said, unlike some airlines (!), Southwest plans to have a few extra seats on every flight “just in case.”
But there was a $1,256 difference in fare.
I of course wasn’t happy about that but I was just going to pay it myself and never say a word to K.
However… SOUTHWEST WAIVED THE FEE. Ate it. $1,256 – POOF!
I was so stunned that I sat there with my jaw open for a minute. You try something like this with one of the “other” airlines and they not only charge you $1,256 but then they drag you off the plan and take your baby stroller! (I kid, I kid!)
Amazing.
He said that K had been through a lot and I sounded like a great friend and they were just happy to get us back on track to have a nice weekend away. I offered details of K’s mom’s obituary on the funeral home’s website, etc., and the customer service agent said that wasn’t necessary, he believed I was absolutely telling the truth.
Double amazing.
Of course I asked to be put through to his supervisor and had a chat with him, and I am going to write a letter to Southwest, but I just wanted to share his because I am so, frankly, stunned and incredibly happy about how it turned out. Not just the money, but the fact that we can get K away for a few days after having spent the past three solid months caring for her mom.
No don’t everybody go calling up and trying to change your flights for free by saying they did it for Dee!
But seriously, from now on, I have every reason in the world to fly Southwest over the other airlines. And I fly A LOT.
LUV YA Southwest!
A little background: two of my best friends (we’ll call them K and S) and I, back in January, planned a girls’ weekend in Vegas. Since then A LOT has happened to one of those ladies (K), including her mother being unexpected diagnosed with a variety of severe medical issues, ultimately resulting in her passing away last week. Over the years I’ve known her K has always called her mother her “rock” and her best friend. While she was going though radiation over the past few weeks K would come into the office early and leave mid-day so she could be with mom during her daily treatments. K has also been sleeping at the rehab center, including a night spent on the FLOOR because no one brought a cot in for her. And K has not complained ONE BIT about any of this, she has always said this was her mom and this is just what you do.
Last week K was out of the office due to her mom passing, and with our trip coming up next Thursday, S and I talked and decided we should cancel our plans so we wouldn’t be penalized by the airline or hotel. K had already cancelled another trip she and her husband had planned later in May so we assumed she wouldn’t want to go away next week.
Lesson one: DO NOT ASSUME. EVER.
I went up to the visitation at the funeral home last night and while K and I were talking she gave me a big hug and said the only thing she’s had to look forward to lately is our upcoming trip.
Holy shitoly.
So I immediately got on the phone with S who said, OK, let’s see if we can still go.
After driving home two and half hours in heavy rain I immediately logged on to Southwest. We could still get tickets out to Vegas on the same day but they were several hundred dollars more, and there were no seats available on the day we wanted to come back (with the exception of a red eye that would land us in Chicago early on Monday morning). I felt terrible. But my philosophy is if you don’t ask the answer is always no, so I called the Southwest customer service number and explained the whole thing to the nicest guy in the world. He said, OK, I don’t know how this is going to turn out, but let me see what I can do. After being on hold off and on for about two hours he finally came back and said operations had fixed everything.
What did that mean…?
Our original flights were reinstated. I asked how that could be since there were no tickets available on the day we wanted to come back and he said, unlike some airlines (!), Southwest plans to have a few extra seats on every flight “just in case.”
But there was a $1,256 difference in fare.
I of course wasn’t happy about that but I was just going to pay it myself and never say a word to K.
However… SOUTHWEST WAIVED THE FEE. Ate it. $1,256 – POOF!
I was so stunned that I sat there with my jaw open for a minute. You try something like this with one of the “other” airlines and they not only charge you $1,256 but then they drag you off the plan and take your baby stroller! (I kid, I kid!)
Amazing.
He said that K had been through a lot and I sounded like a great friend and they were just happy to get us back on track to have a nice weekend away. I offered details of K’s mom’s obituary on the funeral home’s website, etc., and the customer service agent said that wasn’t necessary, he believed I was absolutely telling the truth.
Double amazing.
Of course I asked to be put through to his supervisor and had a chat with him, and I am going to write a letter to Southwest, but I just wanted to share his because I am so, frankly, stunned and incredibly happy about how it turned out. Not just the money, but the fact that we can get K away for a few days after having spent the past three solid months caring for her mom.
No don’t everybody go calling up and trying to change your flights for free by saying they did it for Dee!
But seriously, from now on, I have every reason in the world to fly Southwest over the other airlines. And I fly A LOT.LUV YA Southwest!
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Thank you so much for posting.There are amazingly kind and understanding people in the world and I love when someone shines a light on them. Great customer service is also often overlooked or not reported on. It's nice that you took the time to tell the tale.
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