Dad's Tweet Gets Family Kicked Off Southwest Airlines Flight

[garyoak99]

You are now free to move about the country, but only if you delete that nasty Tweet.

A Twin Cities man is hopping mad at Southwest Airlines after he and his two children were temporarily removed from a flight on Sunday after he criticized the airline's customer service on Twitter – although Southwest says there's more to the story.

As an "A list" passenger on Southwest, Duff Watson is entitled to priority boarding. But after being told that his 9-year-old and 6-year-old wouldn't be able to board with him, he vented his frustrations on Twitter.

He wrote "something to the effect of, 'Wow, rudest agent in Denver. Kimberly S, gate C39, not happy @SWA,' " Watson tells WCCO in Minneapolis.



Soon after the family of three boarded, they were asked to leave the plane. The Southwest employee said "her safety feels threatened at this point because of what I Tweeted," Watson said.

The family was eventually allowed to reboard and fly from Denver to Minneapolis, but only after Watson deleted the Tweet. "I was left, you know, very upset, very embarrassed, very humiliated," Watson says.

Southwest, however, says it wasn't just about the Tweet. The airline says the argument between Watson and the employee escalated aboard the aircraft, and that the airline removed Watson to resolve the dispute away from the other passengers.

Dad's Tweet Gets Family Kicked Off Southwest Airlines Flight

[A mali]

What ever happened to "May I speak to your manager(or superior), please?" I think the knee-jerk ranting/venting on social media can get really damaging.

[Bunni Ravvit]

While the airline does have the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason, their handling of this seems like overreacting.

[MemoriesOfGreen]

Bunni Ravvit

While the airline does have the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason, their handling of this seems like overreacting.

Not really. If he was becoming argumentative and causing a disturbance that upset other passengers, I can understand them removing him from the flight. I can also understand why the Southwest employee felt afraid for her safety. He gave out specific information about where the employee was located and what her name was. You just don't do that these days.

[Lady Vizsla]

Well he didn't need to put the whole name of the lady and her gate. But I think Southwest could have acted differently. It's just a Tweet. People complain on Twitter all the time about companies and employees.

[Malee]

Pretty sure Weird-Al Yankovic just wrote a song about this.

[Bunni Ravvit]

MemoriesOfGreen

Bunni Ravvit

While the airline does have the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason, their handling of this seems like overreacting.

Not really. If he was becoming argumentative and causing a disturbance that upset other passengers, I can understand them removing him from the flight. I can also understand why the Southwest employee felt afraid for her safety. He gave out specific information about where the employee was located and what her name was. You just don't do that these days.

Now that I think about it, you're right. That was uncalled for. The fact that he feels entitled to personally attack someone and give their personal information away is pretty disturbing. emotion_donotwant

[The Herald of War]

MemoriesOfGreen

Bunni Ravvit

While the airline does have the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason, their handling of this seems like overreacting.

Not really. If he was becoming argumentative and causing a disturbance that upset other passengers, I can understand them removing him from the flight. I can also understand why the Southwest employee felt afraid for her safety. He gave out specific information about where the employee was located and what her name was. You just don't do that these days.

If they handled it better there would have been no argument or disturbance. The employee should not have gone to confront him.

[Alexander J Luthor]

KimberlyAriel07

Well he didn't need to put the whole name of the lady and her gate. But I think Southwest could have acted differently. It's just a Tweet. People complain on Twitter all the time about companies and employees.

I'm sorry, but I've yet to meet anyone with the last name "S."

[washu_2004]

What worries me is that for her to know this this she must of been checking her twitter account rather than doing her job.

[Erynne]

Alexander J Luthor

KimberlyAriel07

Well he didn't need to put the whole name of the lady and her gate. But I think Southwest could have acted differently. It's just a Tweet. People complain on Twitter all the time about companies and employees.

I'm sorry, but I've yet to meet anyone with the last name "S."

But how many Kimberlys works for SWA stationed at gate C39, though? Few dozen perhaps? More? Less?
I did know of a Mrs. S., but then, that's how we contracted the names of our teachers back in the day. And there is this lady. ninja

[Ame Yuki Kaze]

Airlines have too much power over their passengers. What happened to the days when a stewardess' lines were supposed to be, "Have a nice flight" and "coffee, tea, or milk?"

[xdivision_whitey]

Makes me look forward to flying to visit my sister Via the plane. TSA pat downs, X-ray scans of people going Viral, Down Planes, Flight delayed, Flights cancled, People being asses, Babies banned from Flying because they share the same name as some freak on their black list, Scabbies and Lice on board. I'll go walking the plank. Sound less of a chore.

[Mitsuki Horenake]

While this seems pretty big and horrible, I wouldn't be surprised that he'd be this mad after told that his children wouldn't be allowed to priority board and would have to fly economy or something with total strangers.

[Old Blue Collar Joe]

The Herald of War

MemoriesOfGreen

Bunni Ravvit

While the airline does have the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason, their handling of this seems like overreacting.

Not really. If he was becoming argumentative and causing a disturbance that upset other passengers, I can understand them removing him from the flight. I can also understand why the Southwest employee felt afraid for her safety. He gave out specific information about where the employee was located and what her name was. You just don't do that these days.

If they handled it better there would have been no argument or disturbance. The employee should not have gone to confront him.

Telling a customer 'no' is not argumentative and required in certain situations. I think we've got a situation of an asshat of a passenger who went off because he didn't get his a** kissed the first time he stuck out his lower lip.
And SWA knows damn good and well if they say too much they'll get whacked for some silly a** lawsuit that they just don't need.