Southwest Airlines recently unveiled a new paint job on some of its Boeing 737 aircrafts. The new paint has a bikni-clad model painted on the fuselage. The temporary paint job is a promotional deal with Sports Illustrated for their annual swimsuit issue.
A lot of customers are fuming, claiming that the company putting soft pornography on its planes which is very inappropriate.
Double Standards?
In 2007, the airline’s flight attendant had scolded Kyla Ebbert for wearing an outfit that was inappropriate. The airline supported the flight attendant’s actions.
After the incidence, Ebbert went on talk shows, posed nude of Playboy and photographed with Richard Branson. The airline did apologize to her about the incidence.
Some comments from the Southwest’s Blog -
That is great. Looks awesome, but the woman plastered all over your airplane makes the girl you kicked off your flight look like a nun!
Does anyone else find this kind of trashy for Southwest? Having a woman in a bikini on the side of the plane hardly seems like the epitome of the friendly, down-home airline I’ve grown accustomed to. This seems like something Spirit Airlines would do.
I agree with some posters, that i find this tacky and somewhat offensive. I am a twenty-something male, and I would not want to have to watch this plane pull up to the gate traveling with my young child, or mother, grandmother, etc. I know Southwest is known for its fun, laid back qualities but this is just completely inappropriate to plaster all over the side of the plane.
The whole thing is in poor taste, and I’m acutally sort of let down that Southwest, a company I really admire, would stoop this low.And the great irony, as mentioned, is that Southwest would (rightfully) not permit anyone dressed this way to fly in their aircraft so as to not offend other customers. But somehow they don’t seem to mind offending their passengers from the outside of the aircraft.
What a stupid decision? I am extremely disappointed that Southwest would choose to have such a near pornographic picture so publicly displayed. It will likely damage the good reputation of Southwest for many people, as it has for me. What did they gain? Questionable publicity and some amount of revenue in exchange for less respect.
poor taste… try to explain that to kids.
I am an often traveler with SW, even earned a companion pass for my wife. She won’t fly with you anymore. How many people buy tickets for the pic on the plane? Fun is great… edgy is controversial.
Personally I don’t see what all of the fuss is about. It’s called advertising. I saw that Southwest has FINALLY added e-mail to there website (welcome to the 21st century) as a way to contact them so I fired off an e-mail telling them I think it’s fine. If you have a thought on the subject, go to their website and hit “contact us” at the bottom of they page and tell them what you think.
nice post.thanks.
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Aircraft and Aviation Suppliers Network
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Regards
Ruth
I totally agree with Flyhereguy. It´s just advertising. You can in a way compare it for example with banners on busses. And from my point of view I can´t understand the big fuss. Everywhere, if yout watch Tv or read newspapers or maganzines you can see models just dressed in bikinis. Of course one can argue about the sucess of such an advertising, because an airplane can´t be seen by many people, just like busses, which drive through the whole city. But this is a decision of Southwest Airlines.