Longtime leaders at Southwest Airlines are out

I have been happy to fly Southwest, generally. I don't like crowding, but that is a feature of most airlines. I do *really* like that they have kept transporting my luggage as part of my fare instead of making it an extra cost item. I can't help but think that the luggage charges tend to increase cabin chaos as people try to fit too much into carry-on pieces. And Southwest's rebooking/refund policies have kept me a customer over other airlines like Delta.

One of the reasons I went to Southwest Airlines in 1997 was the culture. Working for Herb Kelleher and Colleen Barrett was a dream job. Once they retired the new management quickly forgot the values taught and proceeded to dismantle everything Herb and Colleen accomplished. I retired several years ago and I do not miss the job. I now mentor pilots to consider other airlines if they want to pursue that route.

WN will soon not be the airline it once was. Uncle Herb Keller is rolling in his grave.

the airline industry is changing a lot,as are passenger attitudes and preferences..many moons ago airline travel was considered "classy" and people treated the employess and the whole experience as just that..then came the big reduced rate fares of the 80's,where you had to have a degree in computer science to figure them out as there were so very many ymca2468 type fares where you had to travel on a sunday night when the moon was full!!southwest was popular because along with a different style of cheap air travel,they kept it "folksy" and real with no first class,no assigned seats and people who cared (thanks to mr kellerher, who actually di interact with the employee groups)management ideas and attitudes with most carriers at present is neither passenger nor employee oriented,and the complainst form both groups show it..im guessstin the upper levvel managment persons leaving have decided to "get out while the getting is good" and they will still retain sizeable pensions and/or stock options!

You simply can't keep the kind of corporate culture Southwest once had when you grow the airline to its current size. What made it great was Herb's hands-on influence and being a smaller company with less employees, airplanes and destinations.

I got stranded by Southwest. So, not a fan.