[Blindtlk] nfb and southwest

Fri May 27 16:44:07 UTC 2011

All airlines give vouchers, you have never been at the airport when they over book there flights and give you vouchers for either future travel or to take the next flight as possible.

It is also up to the person who is doing your flights whether it is a travel professional if they booked it for you, or doing it on your own to speak up and complain and to contact the proper authorities with the companies, whether southwest.com or anyone for that matter.

Group rates are also very expensive, not always the best way to go, to many fees involved period. You wind up paying more for group airfare travel then if  you did it on your own.

Also NFB as well as ASTA, which I am also part of American Society of Travel Agents are fighting not only for ourselves but fighting for our clients in Congress on different issues, I am asking them to work with us in issues pertaining to things currently going on, unfortunately since Southwest.com is not ARC affiliated not much that they can do over it, but know our issues as well, people in other state can actually go to the ASTA.org website and contact your local chapter and ask about these issues as well; and see if the local chapter will help, invite them to an NFB meeting.  ASTA is the NFB of the Travel Industry for both Agents and Clients.

Leading the Way in Independent Travel

Cheryl Echevarria
http://www.Echevarriatravel.com<http://www.echevarriatravel.com/> 
631-456-5394
reservations at echevarriatravel.com<mailto:reservations at echevarriatravel.com>

Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel CST-1018299-10
Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Absolute Cruise and Travel, Inc.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Peter Donahue<mailto:pdonahue2 at satx.rr.com> 
  To: Blind Talk Mailing List<mailto:blindtlk at nfbnet.org> 
  Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 12:27 PM
  Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] nfb and southwest

  Good morning Cheryl and everyone,

          It's also the responsibility of mistreated passengers to demand that 
  their issues be corrected and to not be lead in to thinking that their 
  complaints will be resolved by Southwest or other airlines giving them 
  vouchers for free travel. Please see my previous post for further 
  information. I must call out what Southwest calls "Customers of Size" as 
  they're a part of the problem as in most cases Southwest issued them free 
  travel vouchers making them believe that this problem will be fixed when in 
  truth they're going to keep doing their dirty work. They should have refused 
  the vouchers and demanded that wider seats be installed on their aircraft. 
  Yes it's true it would mean slightly higher prices but if paying more for a 
  plane ticket will mean that their planes will have seating capable of 
  accommodating passengers of any size and will be available on all legs of 
  their flights all I can say is "Bring it on!" Airlines have also done this 
  to the blind hence the illustration.

      As for us we tried booking travel on other airlines. I have enough 
  frequent flier points for a first class upgrade on Continental but they 
  could only give it to me on the legs between Houston and Orlando hence we're 
  stuck flying on Southwest. There are only four chapter members from here 
  going to the convention so a charter was out-of-the-question. All the best.

  Peter Donahue

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: "cheryl echevarria" <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com<mailto:cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com>>
  To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindtlk at nfbnet.org>>
  Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 9:20 AM
  Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] nfb and southwest

  Hi all, let me explain about Southwest and Airtran, which are now the same 
  company under Southwest.

  They might be the cheapest out there for flights, one problem is with them 
  they are not under the same umbrella of all the other airlines including 
  most International Airlines that fly in and out of the US.

  They are not ARC - Airlines Reporting Corporation, this really shouldn't 
  matter to the everyday client, but in the industry that is a pain in the 
  butt, we don't get updates from the airlines should your flights change or 
  be cancelled until the last minute, and here is a little more explanation on 
  what it is.

  is a technology solutions company providing transaction settlement and data 
  information services. Airlines, travel agencies, Corporate Travel 
  Departments (CTD), railroads, and other travel suppliers process more than 
  $80 billion annually through ARC's world-class settlement system - making it 
  the financial backbone of travel distribution. ARC COMPASS®, the leading, 
  trusted source for travel transaction information, powers data and 
  analytical tools that help ARC customers make confident business decisions.

  Now it also has to follow ADA and Air Carrier Access Act, which is stronger 
  then the ADA in our favor.

  But the problem is that since they are not part of ARC, they think they can 
  do anything they want, until someone like NFB or any other organization 
  comes around and shows them that they are wrong and then does it again.

  I have not had any issues flying southwest, and they are the only airlines 
  out of my are of Long Island I can use without going to JFK.

  Just putting my 2 cents again.

  They don't work well with us Travel Professionals either. Since we have to 
  have ARC Certification to book air fees, since I am under a host agency, 
  rather 2, that they have the ARC certifications. So if someone is just 
  looking for airfare unless they cannot maneuver the websites I have no 
  problem in booking airfare for anyone.

  Leading the Way in Independent Travel

  Cheryl Echevarria
  http://www.Echevarriatravel.com<http://www.echevarriatravel.com/<http://www.echevarriatravel.com%3chttp//www.echevarriatravel.com/>>
  631-456-5394
  reservations at echevarriatravel.com<mailto:reservations at echevarriatravel.com<mailto:reservations at echevarriatravel.com%3Cmailto:reservations at echevarriatravel.com>>

  Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel CST-1018299-10
  Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Absolute Cruise and Travel, 
  Inc.
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: David R.Stayer<mailto:davidandloristayer at verizon.net<mailto:davidandloristayer at verizon.net>>
    To: blindtlk at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindtlk at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindtlk at nfbnet.org%3Cmailto:blindtlk at nfbnet.org>>
    Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 9:11 AM
    Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] nfb and southwest

    We passed a resolution regarding this issue last year.

    ----- Original Message -----
    From: mr. hooper 
  <james_hooper at earthlink.net<mailto:james_hooper at earthlink.net<mailto:james_hooper at earthlink.net%3Cmailto:james_hooper at earthlink.net>>>
    To:  <blindtlk at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindtlk at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindtlk at nfbnet.org%3Cmailto:blindtlk at nfbnet.org>>>
    Date: Friday, May 27, 2011 02:58:10 AM
    Subject: [Blindtlk] nfb and southwest

    >
    >
    > greetings all federationists am i correct that their was an issue 
  between nfb and southwest?
    >  at one time up to a week ago   their site had a link that made it very 
  usable.  they hav since moved the link to a different screen making it 
  vertually imposible  to book a flight i was just wondering what nfb's sbance 
  had been with accessability of their website.
    >   i have contacted both southwest and their response was we don't have 
  to comply with scrreen readers. i also contacted nfb's answer line in terms 
  of technology so hopefully they can fesove the issue.  when i first 
  contacted southwest a week ago i wasn't confruntational at all,  i just 
  wanted to point out that at one time their site worked quite well.
    > _______________________________________________
    > blindtlk mailing list
    > blindtlk at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindtlk at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindtlk at nfbnet.org%3Cmailto:blindtlk at nfbnet.org>>
    > 
  http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org%3Chttp://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org>>
    > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
  blindtlk:
    > 
  http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/davidandloristayer%40verizon.net<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/davidandloristayer%40verizon.net<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/davidandloristayer%40verizon.net%3Chttp://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/davidandloristayer%40verizon.net>>

    Each day is a precious gift.
    David R. Stayer,  LCSW-R

    _______________________________________________
    blindtlk mailing list
    blindtlk at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindtlk at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindtlk at nfbnet.org%3Cmailto:blindtlk at nfbnet.org>>
    http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org%3Chttp://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org>>
    To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
  blindtlk:
    http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx%40hotmail.com<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx%40hotmail.com<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx%40hotmail.com%3Chttp://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx%40hotmail.com>>
  _______________________________________________
  blindtlk mailing list
  blindtlk at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
  http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org>
  To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
  blindtlk:
  http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/pdonahue2%40satx.rr.com<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/pdonahue2%40satx.rr.com> 

  _______________________________________________
  blindtlk mailing list
  blindtlk at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
  http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org>
  To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindtlk:
  http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx%40hotmail.com<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx%40hotmail.com>