When it comes to airlines, I have never been able to follow my mother's advice: "If you can't say something nice about somebody, don't say anything at all." With escalating airfares capped by extra fees, serious space shrinkage and endless tarriances on the tarmac ("OK folks, now we have to de-ice the plane before we can take off"), it's been open season to let 'er rip on these operations.
Until last Wednesday.
That morning, my way better half got a phone call we had been dreading: Her cancer-stricken brother was near death in Nashville. With bereavement fares having all but disappeared — American and United dropped their policies earlier this year — I feared the worst in finding an airfare, especially since this scenario begged for an open-ended return date.
To the rescue came Southwest. I found a one-way fare for that afternoon of $214. I don't need to know the reason for such a reasonable rate. (Delta's best fare, by the way, was $570.) I'm just glad we have an airline that still operates that way.
Thank you, Southwest.
