Southwest Airlines to investigate pilot's purported anti-Biden chant

[Zorro]

Source: Washington Post

Southwest Airlines is conducting an internal investigation after one of its pilots reportedly said a phrase used in right-wing circles as a stand-in for swearing at President Biden over the plane’s public address system — apologizing to customers and insisting it does not condone employees sharing personal political opinions while on the job.

The airline faced turbulence on social media over the weekend after an Associated Press journalist was on a flight from Houston to Albuquerque on Friday when she heard the pilot use the phrase “let’s go Brandon,” writing that it brought on “audible gasps from some passengers.” Audio of the pilot’s greeting, which The Washington Post could not independently verify, was separately circulating widely on social media.

“Southwest does not condone Employees sharing their personal political opinions while on the job serving our Customers, especially when comments are divisive and offensive,” the Texas-based airline said in a statement to The Washington Post on Sunday.

“Southwest is conducting an internal investigation into the recently reported incident and will address the matter directly with any Employee involved,” the statement continued. “The airline apologizes for this event — an action that was not reflective of the Southwest Hospitality for which we are known.”

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/10/31/southwest-airlines-pilot-anti-biden-chant/

---

Hope they drop the hammer on this dipshit pilot. He probably thought he was being "funny".

[MontanaMama]

1. Saw this all over social media this morning.

This pilot should be suspended until the investigation is complete and fired if it is found that he did this. Unless and until there are consequences for actions like this, it'll just keep happening.

[PortTack]

2. Good..had intended to email them!

[PSPS]

3. Is Southwest now the official MAGA airline? They caved on their vax requirement for employees too.

[Blue Owl]

4. Anyone who uses that stupid 'let's go Brandon" phrase....

can go fuck themselves.

[Initech]

20. +10000000000000000000

Also fuck Bryson Gray and Loza Alexander for those idiotic songs too.

[rurallib]

28. along with that "white power" hand gesture

[Blue Owl]

40. They can cram that obscene gesture up their ass -- twice on Sunday

[Moebym]

5. Southwest Airlines is based in Texas, right?

Doesn't surprise me.

[barbtries]

14. yeah.

my favorite airline.

[TexasBushwhacker]

46. Yes, and the flight was out of Houston

which is BLUE. And it was going to Albuquerque, which is also BLUE!

[Aristus]

6. "I was just JOKING!

Sheesh! You snowflakes are all so sensitive!"

"Have you been vaccinated?"

"STOP ATTACKING MY FREEDOM!!!"

[LetMyPeopleVote]

7. Good

[Deep State Witch]

8. Shit

I wonder if it's too late to cancel my tickets on Southwest for February?

[elias7]

9. ours are for December

[dixiegrrrrl]

41. If they allow non-vaccinated employees I'd be concerned.

Air inside an airplane is re-circulated during flight, so viruses are quite happy to multiply.

[Snackshack]

10. So...Southwest caved

On the vax requirement to appease the maga idiots. There is no way I would risk my health on them. There are several other options that have required vax that can be used.

[LudwigPastorius]

11. What a bunch of weak shitheads.

If you're going to make a statement, say what you mean. Don't hide behind some stupid code words, you right-wing, sensitive snowflakes. Just say it.

You know, like "Fuck that fat, Nazi pigfucking traitor, Donald Trump!".

[mountain grammy]

12. They're everywhere

It’s so depressing

[SoCalDavidS]

13. It's Why I've Come To HATE This Country nt

[doc03]

15. Headquarters Dallas Texas. nt

[mn9driver]

16. As a group, airline pilots are highly trained and talented professionals.

But we seem to have more than our share of right wing dipshits. No offense to dipshits.

The first officers I fly with know not to bring up politics on my flights. I won’t put up with it since it could have a negative impact on safety.

[byronius]

17. Nazis gonna Nazi.

Perhaps he can get a job crop-dusting in Alabama now.

I prefer it when they sing it out loud and proud. Identified and known forever. Better than hiding like spiders they way they did for decades.

[NNadir]

18. I'm clueless as to what that Brandon phrase means.

[PatSeg]

19. I was as well and had to Google it

It is hard keeping up with everything these days.

Here you go:

https://www.npr.org/2021/10/30/1050782613/why-the-lets-go-brandon-chant-turned-meme-can-be-heard-on-the-floor-of-congress

[Codifer]

22. Thank you.

Sometimes I feel really old and out of it.

[PatSeg]

25. You're welcome

It is really hard keeping up, though sometimes less is more. I don't want to spent my entire life being outraged and upset.

[Codifer]

39. Yes, less is more.

My daughter tried to explain "incel" to me but I can't really wrap my head around that. "Bitcoin" will be forever a mystery to me. Words that I used to know have changed. "Patriot" once had a positive meaning for me. Now when I hear that word I think only of some hate-filled wannabe in a costume party militia.

I hate it when that happens.

[PatSeg]

42. Oh yes, so much change in such a short period of time

The many new words are bad enough, but the dramatic change of old, established words is very unsettling. Some days it feels like up is down and east is west. Add to the new words, the excessive use of acronyms and it is like people are speaking a new and foreign language.

I am inclined to like change, but so much change in a short period of time is overwhelming and often not terribly constructive. You are not alone.

[NNadir]

23. Oh. Just when I thought they couldn't possibly be more puerile.

[PatSeg]

27. I've learned to assume

that they can always be worse and they rarely prove me wrong, unfortunately.

[dameatball]

21. I had to do a search earlier today. It is a childish code for the "F--- Biden" stuff. Popular in the

MAGA universe. I guess the double secret handshake wasn't enough for them.

[NNadir]

24. I guess not. N/t

[Cozmo]

26. There's no way I would have flown with this pilot after this BOYCOTT

[Tommymac]

29. I fly fairly often. Will NEVER fly Southwest for sure after this event.

Any Southwest lurkers here, please let your company know. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

[Sherman A1]

38. You should email them directly

and let them know your feelings.

[BlueIdaho]

30. Fuck that pilot

Fuck Southwest.

[Lonestarblue]

31. We think it's a stupid phrase, but it's another concerted effort to keep the tribe loyal.

They want to feel they’re part of the “in” group, so they have a not-wo-secret secret phrase that makes them fell special because they think they are owning the libs. Meanwhile, we just shrug it off and continue thinking they’re stupid beyond belief.

[Thunderbeast]

32. Let's launch a new meme!

From now on the phrase "HI THERE" shall be a media-appropriate code for "LOCK UP THE 45TH F*CKIN PRESIDENT FOR LIFE AS WELL AS HIS CO-CONSPIRATORS".

[KS Toronado]

43. And the phrase "How Are You Today?" shall be a media-appropriate code for

"F##k all Fascist Repugs"

[NullTuples]

33. How'd that last "internal investigation" of theirs go?

The racist rant on approach to...was it San Jose / SJC last March? IIR they said they were, "fully addressing the situation internally". Sorta like the RCC does with problem priests, or police departments after an egregious killing.

[we can do it]

34. One more reason to avoid this shitty airline.

[Grokenstein]

35. Got lectured, here today, that we should "ignore" this chant

and that any response, paradoxically, garners a "LOL thanks for playing" reply from trolls.

But this is what happens when you ignore them. They just take it further.

[Cryptoad]

36. I will never ever ever...

Fly Southweat again,,,,!!!!

[rockfordfile]

37. He should be fired. If he did that on his own time at home or something like that, then so what

[BradAllison]

44. "Audible gasps"?

How does anyone even know what this fad of the week is? Never mind a right-wing meme?

I suppose considering AP reporters try to say "F Biden" in every piece they write they'd be clued in.

[godfree2]

45. Freedumbo Air

[Steelrolled]

47. Plot twist - co-pilot's name is Bran**n.