Southwest Airlines Offers Passengers to Fly Jets

By Johann Glauber
Chicago | Wed July 28, 2010 4:45pm

(REPREAL) - Not to be outdone by Lufthansa and Continental Airlines, which are two air carriers implementing self-boarding at gates, Southwest Airlines aims to go one step further and enact self-flying. Just swipe your pilot’s license at the automated machines at any “You Fly It” gate, and you will have a fueled Boeing 737 that has been pre-flight checked and ready to push back for take off.

“Southwest passengers are already accustomed to printing out their own boarding passes and finding their own seats on our flights,” explained Chicago-based Southwest Airlines spokesperson Claire Zweifelt, “Many can recite the safety instructions by heart. We suspect that many are eager and ready to assume control of the cockpit.”

“From our research, United Airlines allows passengers to listen to the pilot and co-pilot converse with air traffic control. Most business travelers have the air traffic lingo down pat. The natural progression is for the passenger to fly the plane him or herself.”

“Southwest is migrating out of the service business and moving toward empowering customers to meet their own transportation needs,” Zweifelt continued, “Budget, National and a few other car rental agencies allow their frequent renters to choose their own vehicle on the lot and go. C’mon. Do you expect Hertz to drive the car for you?”

An independent survey of costs showed the potential for over $350 million in savings annually for Southwest Airlines from reduced pilot salaries and cutbacks in flight crews.

“Safety is priority # 1,” Zweifelt said, “From wheels up to landing, Southwest Airlines plans to make available in the cockpit written and recorded step-by-step instructions in English and Spanish guiding the passenger as they fly the jets to their destinations.”

“We wanted to be the first to let passengers fly the planes. We re-focused on our past advertising campaigns about Freedom to move about the country.”

“Go where you want to go, when you want to go, and choose the route!” Zweifelt explained excitedly, “Connect in cities you want to connect in. Who wants to connect in Newark? Avoid the craziness of O’Hare and DFW! I, myself, can’t wait to fly to New Orleans and Orlando.”

FAA and Homeland Security approval are the last major hurdles for Southwest Airlines to enact its new policies allowing passengers to fly planes.