Southwest Airlines – The Other Side Dallas

December 18, 2023December 18, 2023

Southwest Fined $140M

Southwest Fined $140M for 2022 holiday “meltdown” which was impetus for nearly 17,000 flight cancellations and 2 million stranded passengers.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) consent order resolves a lengthy government investigation into the Christmas travel disruption.

The settlement requires both a cash fine and vouchers or payments to passengers affected by the delay.

Passengers should know that vouchers will be only awarded “upon request,” Southwest said.

Southwest Fined $140M For Failing Consumer Protection

DOT found Southwest violated multiple consumer protection laws by failing to provide adequate customer service assistance.

This occurred “via its call center to hundreds of thousands of customers” as well as failing to provide prompt flight status notifications.

Other Side Dallas will provide Dallas local breaking news and other local business news updates as able.

November 27, 2023November 27, 2023

Southwest Flight Panic

A Southwest flight panic took over passengers yesterday after a passenger exits the plane via emergency exit in New Orleans.

The Southwest Airlines passenger reportedly tried to hijack a tarmac vehicle. He was apprehended by local authorities.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office issued a statement about the man arrested at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner.

The man is alleged to escape the plane through the emergency hatch. He then ran out onto the tarmac Sunday night.

The plane was still parked at the terminal and had yet to push back from the gate for takeoff.

Witnesses told media that the man opened the over-wing emergency exit door aboard a Southwest Airlines flight, jumped down off the plane, and ran across the tarmac in an attempt to drive away in a service truck before being stopped by authorities.

According to the JPSO, the man was later escorted to a hospital for evaluation.

Southwest Flight Panic In New Orleans

In a statement, by the airline, Southwest said, “We commend our flight and ground crews for their swift action…”

They also apologized to customers for the inconvenience.

Other Side Dallas will continue to update this story as details permit.

(This story has been updated to include video of the incident.)

July 13, 2022July 13, 2022

Disabled Florida Woman Hurt by Southwest

A disabled Florida woman hurt by Southwest Airlines is suing the airline. The lawsuit is in Broward County’s court system.

It states Southwest Airlines refused to push Gabby Assouline’s wheelchair. Assouline suffers a muscle disease. While moving from terminal to aircraft the jetway incline threw her to the ground. She landed on her head and is now paralyzed from the neck down.

Assouline was not assisted by customer service or supervisory staff.

Her mother, Sandra Assouline, set up a GoFundMe page. The page says the younger Assouline has cracker vertebrae. It also says she must use a feeding tube after the injury.

The GoFundMe continues. “She can’t speak because she has a tube down her throat, and she has no movement below her neck,” the mom wrote on the page. “The fear and pain she is showing in her eyes when she wakes up in those brief moments of clarity is too much to bear.”

Disabled Florida Woman Hurt by Southwest Airlines

The Dallas airline has been out front on other medical issues. Southwest Airlines dropped COVID19 mask requirements. This came despite Gary Kelly contracting the virus saying his planes were safe.

Southwest Airlines has not returned emails requesting comment on their actions.

Southwest Airlines headquarters in Dallas, Texas.

The airlines schedules service to more than one hundred twenty locations around the United States. They also serve ten additional countries.

Federal transportation data shows Southwest Airlines carries more domestic passengers than any other.

April 19, 2022April 19, 2022

Love Field Drops Masks Requirement

Dallas Love Field drops masks requirement hours after a federal judge in Miami, Florida ruled they were unconstituional. The Dallas Airport wasted no time after given the go ahead by the judge’s ruling.

US District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle said the mandate was unlawful because it exceeded the statutory authority of the Centers for Disease Control. Her ruling stated it was unconstitutional because of its implementation violated administrative law.

Southwest has been pushing to elimenate the mask mandate for some time, despite Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly getting coronavirus himself.

The mask mandate itself has led to multiple arrests and assaults on aircraft.

Southwest Airlines, Love Field Drops Masks Plus More

Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, JetBlue, and United all dropped their masking requirements in the immediate hours after the ruling.

There is no indication the Biden Administration will appeal the decision.

December 19, 2021December 19, 2021

Gary Kelly Has COVID19

Southwest Airlines Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly has COVID19 just days after glibly telling Congress he doesn’t think masks provide any health benefit in contradiction to Centers for Disease Control guidance.

It is unclear how many cases are happening within Southwest Airlines right now, but more locally Dealey Montessori cases shot up immediately when unmasked students were allowed it the classroom in violation of Dallas ISD’s mask mandate.

Gary Kelly Has COVID19, But Losing Control At Airline?

Weeks ago Southwest Airlines had to cancel 2000 flights in a weekend stranding tens of thousands of passengers across the United States. At the time they blames weather and technology, but insiders say it was a mass Blue Day – where employees call out sick from work. American Airlines had similar issues.

Southwest also said it would follow Goveror Greg Abbott’s mask mandate prohibitions instead of federal government rules.

October 19, 2021October 19, 2021

Southwest Surrenders To Protests

Dallas’s Southwest surrenders to COVID19 protests and disregards the Biden Administration mandates for federal contractors to have employee compliance on mandatory COVID19 vaccinations.

The airlines has scrapped a plan to put unvaccinated employees on unpaid leave starting by a federal deadline in December. Those who have applied for but haven’t received a religious or medical exemption would be on this list.

American Airlines and Southwest Airlines are among the carriers that are federal contractors subject to a Biden administration requirement that employees be vaccinated against COVID19 by December 8.

Federal contracting rules are stricter than those expected for large companies, which will allow for regular Covid testing as an alterative to a vaccination.

Southwest Surrenders After Pledging For Mandate

Southwest Airlines is experiencing what one employee called a “schizophrenic episode.”

He continued, “they don’t know if they are coming or going. Last week they stood with American Airlines against Greg Abbott’s statewide executive order. Now they’re against Biden. There’s really no leadership.”