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Skirting Bad PR

By: Susan Iskiwitch | 09/17/2007

Southwest Airlines has done it. They have turned the media hoopla over the airline passenger who, in the opinion of one flight attendant, was dressed in clothes too skimpy to fly, into a marketing rouse.

For a limited time, the "miniskirt fare sale" will offer "skimpy fares" for under $150.

Southwest is famous for being a customer service company that just happens to fly airplanes. When the airline's actions did not live up to this idea, it took steps to gain back any client favor that was lost. Luckily, in a consumer-driven business, the promise of "free stuff" (or in this case, discounted stuff) is usually what it takes to earn clients.

In announcing his apology to the passenger at the center of the controversy and unveiling the miniskirt fare sale, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said that the airline needs to "lean towards the customer."

By saying such, Southwest is able to put its mission back in focus and can begin to move past this incident (or if nothing else, a few more people will be able to fly cross country for less than two tanks of gas).

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