Does Southwest Airlines have a big problem with baggage handlers at Midway? - Chicago Business Journal

175 baggage handlers out

 

With a SWA capt (Allen nice guy) he calle SWA scheduling and they blew him off. He was trying to help out but scheduling was overwhelmed.

 

I keep having people ask me what I thought of Southwest landing at the wrong airport.

Initially my reaction was to be critical. I put some thought into it before I replied however.

Now at AT we always backup our visual approaches with and instrument approach and only once did I go to a runway that did not have an approach in our data base (7R in LAS). Without knowing how SWA does it I could easily see a situation where when cleared the visual at night the combination of visual illusions and proximity to destination could set a crew up for failure.

Many guys at AT will have a fix in for the destination in the FMS as a backup to distance remaining.

I have to give the crew Cudos for stopping on a runway 1000' feet shorter than Key West.

Now I know how conservative our data is. I am sure ACAR Landing performance would have said it was an unlikely stop.

My question is this:
What is taught if anything at SWA on backing up visual approaches?

Fly safe, we can be our own worst enemies

 

ATNs procedure is to overfly the final approach fix at charted altitude at night. No exceptions.

Any reason SWA shouldn't adopt this (and many other ATN procedures?)

 

Back to the original topic. No problem 1/14 LAS - DAL or 1/15 DAL - LAS.

 

That should be standard procedure for a stabilized approach.

 

Oh please, just what we need

 

Somehow, I don't see SWA adopting a lot of ATN procedures. Not that they're not open to change, but you don't turn an aircraft carrier on a dime either.

Frankly, why mess with success? SWA has had its issues, but they remind me of an Alaska Bush Pilot legend Harold Gilliam: "He thrill 'em, chill 'em but no kill 'em Gilliam."

 

Why mess with success? Because they're making $ despite themselves. Talk about effed up flt ops.

It's scary how much more money they'd make if they just operated more efficiently.

 

All the shareholders care about is that they're making money. Period, end of story.