No matter what I have said about Southwest Airlines, I have to hand it to their flight attendants for not indulging in corporate-speak. Nor communications guide in their back pocket. No tact, even. At least they don't talk as if someone gave them a work off a template.
Carole Adams shares this exchange (and many others) in Nuts About Southwest:
Passenger: Do I have to sit in the middle seat? (Last available seat)
Adams: When you're the last one to the dinner table for Sunday dinner, you don't get the best piece of chicken.
Now, if marketing had to craft that exchange,it would have been something like:
"Company policy on free seating allows passengers to adopt boarding strategies that ensure they get the seating most compatible with their desired flying experience."
And the legal department?
"The rights of a legitimate ticket holder on any of the 3,300 domestic and international flights a day, permits passenger or a nominated agent to request in advance, with no obligation or bias, a boarding pass that provides an aisle or window seat in accordance with FAA regulations and marketing policy. For further clarification, please see our marketing response - above."
Adams wins, hands down.
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