Non-verbal ordering on Southwest Airlines Flights, serving beverages again!

Southwest has been known to do things a little differently, whether it’s the way they conduct Southwest Airlines Flights or the way they treat their customers.

The new normal on Southwest Airlines Flights

The airline suspended all sorts of beverages and snacks as a preventive measure against COVID-19. But the airlines declared in March that they are bringing back a variety of drinks for their passengers. This is Southwest’s way of the new normal.

During mid-march, the airline announced that the passengers onboard can now place orders for their beverages, including Diet Coke, Coke, 7UP, in addition to water. This was the first time in a span of one year that the low-cost carrier announced a service enhancement on Southwest Airlines Flights.

Then what was the airline offering during the pandemic, you might wonder. The answer to that question is, the passengers were offered a bag of snack mix coupled with a cup of ice water. This amenity was available for long-haul Southwest Airlines Flights, i.e., flights over 250 miles. This may not seem much, but if you see from a passenger’s point of view who had no choice but to travel during the pandemic, this was his/her only hope for a “normal” flying experience. This is because all the U.S. airlines completely cut the in-flight services to make sure there is no flow of infection on board. This service is still suspended for shorter Southwest Airlines Flights.

How Southwest is encouraging other airlines?

We are in the second year of the pandemic;. At the same time, some countries have declared themselves completely COVID-free. Some are recovering quickly, and some are still in the midst of COVID’s second wave. Since the U.S. comes almost in the second category( the countries which are recovering), the aviation industry is slowly trying to get back on its feet.

Major American Airlines such as JetBlue Airways, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, etc., have started serving soft drinks as well. United and American are also offering proper meals for first-class passengers on selected flights.

What more announcements have been made by Southwest?

The airline announced that as of 15th March, passengers can board the flight in a group of 30 at a time, which earlier was reduced to just 10 passengers at a time. This will make the boarding process quicker compared to the pandemic times.

An airline spokesperson was quoted as saying, “Our customers are expressing a preference for additional beverage options, so this is one small way that we can meet customer requests while still limiting selections to support the wellbeing and comfort of our customers and employees.”

Southwest has decided to hold back on serving alcohol as of now. For the passengers carrying drink coupons, the expiry date will be extended till the end of 2021. The extension may be even longer depending on how passengers react to the changes.

With this initiative, Southwest has encouraged other airlines to resume their in-flight services as well. For example, Delta has announced that from 14th April 2021, it will start offering more range of beverages and snack options.

What is non-verbal ordering?

As we mentioned, Southwest does things a little differently; the way passengers can place orders is unique and really creative. Let’s talk about this in detail. What is the usual way a passenger asks for, say, a drink on the flight? He/she calls the cabin crew and tells him/her the order. When the pandemic hit, people were informed by the health experts that the virus spreads through suspended aerosols that disperse while talking. So the beverages and snacks facility was cut entirely down to contain the spread of the virus, but everyone knows without a light snack or beverage, flights tend to get a little boring, and people got a little more frustrated. According to research, our brains feel the safest when we are chewing something, giving a signal to our neurons and parasympathetic system that there is no one attacking us.

Southwest came with an innovative idea- “non-verbal ordering.” It requires no spoken exchanges of words whatsoever. How does this work, then? Extensive eye contact and telepathy? Thankfully! No.

The passengers on Southwest Airlines Flights can open the inflight portal on southwestwifi.com( Wi-Fi services onboard). The menu will be displayed on the screen. By zooming in on the menu, the passenger will see the drinks available. All he/she has to do now is hold up fingers (out of choices 1, 2,3, or 4). The flight attendant will have the menu as well; they will look at the option you are pointing to. That’s it. Isn’t that interesting?

Let’s hear what the experts have to say !

This brings a doubt in our heads- Since passengers are legally required to not remove their masks for the entire duration of the flight, taking off the mask can lead to transmission of the virus except for the small duration while eating or drinking. But what about the time when a passenger is in the middle of taking a bite, and the flight attendant comes by with the order? Will that put the entire Southwest Airlines Flights in jeopardy?

To answer this question, we have Dr. Elaine Hanh Lee, Chief Medical Officer for Healthline. Dr. Lee put an end to our doubts by saying-”In many ways, this new strategy of showing people a photo of the options with numerical badging and having the person indicate selection via hand signals is great, not just to prevent the spread of COVID or any disease that could be transmitted via air droplets. It is also potentially great for people who do not speak the native language or have hearing difficulties.”

This creative initiative, if appropriately executed, may improve the entire travel experience for a lot of passengers. For example, passengers who are non-English speakers. It is reported and observed that many non-English speakers feel uncomfortable or nervous placing an order. Hence, they decide to altogether skip this part of the service. It will be easier to communicate with the crew by holding a number card, thus eliminating all need for spoken communication. For elderly passengers and passengers with vision difficulties, this option is of no use. The flight attendant will go to them and will have to communicate by mentioning all the possibilities.

What can we do to help?

The U.S. Government is doing its part by implementing federal law, which states that every passenger is legally required to wear a mask during the entire duration of the flight, which includes boarding and deplaning. Failing to adhere to this law may result in denial of boarding, heavy penalties, and even removal from the Southwest Airlines Flights.

What does a properly worn mask look like? It should completely cover the nose and mouth, should be appropriately secured, and should not be loose against the side of the face.

With this information on hand, the least we can do is follow the guidelines, including but not limiting to wearing a mask, carrying proof of negative COVID-19 report, keeping a social distance, to name a few.

What else can we do to help the airlines? It is straightforward, but not everybody does it. The answer is to treat the airline staff (airport staff, customer service, and cabin crew) like you want to be treated as. Do not raise your voice or speak sarcastically when speaking to them. Like you and us, they are trying their best to deal with this pandemic. Be respectful and honorable with the choice of your words, and you might end making someone’s day.