New Airline Change Will Impact Utahns Before Holiday Season

Last week American Airlines announced a new technology to fight “gate life” and now Southwest Airlines is making changes to in-flight cabin services.  

Utah is a great place to go somewhere else say from the Salt Lake City Airport. There are a ton of connecting flights and you can enjoy a pretty cool atmosphere with the artwork. For those using Southwest Airlines, some big changes will be in store, especially on shorter flights.  

USA Today said that Southwest Airlines will start preparing for landing at 18,000 feet instead of 10,000 feet starting Wednesday, Dec 4.  

This change is a safety measure for both the passengers and flight attendants who tend to get hurt during turbulence. This year there were several turbulence-related incidents across different airlines. Some resulted in hospitalization, and one resulted in a death.  

Southwest Airline flights will stop doing cabin service about 10 minutes earlier, USA Today said. This means that electronics will also need to be put away and seats set upright earlier as well.  

Turbulence incidents have become more common place and the reason for that is climate change, USA Today said. Not only is turbulence getting more common, but it is expected to become more severe as climate change increases.  

So, for those Utahns who are regulars at the airport and more specifically, regulars with Southwest Airlines, these changes will be most notable on your shorter flights. For your safety, follow all directions given by the flight crew and be extra nice this holiday season.