Why Southwest Airlines' In-Flight Services Are Changing

PALM SPRINGS, CA — Whether you're flying Southwest Airlines out of Palm Springs International Airport or back home from a faraway destination, inflight services will be a little different beginning this week.

Starting Wednesday, Dec. 4, Southwest is ending food and drink services earlier during flights to bolster safety and prevent injuries among cabin crew and passengers, the airline first confirmed in an internal memo, as first reported by Business Insider.

Southwest crews will also begin landing preparations at 18,000 feet, rather than 10,000 to reduce the risk of in-flight turbulence injuries, according to the airline. That means in-flight services, such as snack and drink distribution, will wrap sooner and tray tables will need to go up with items like laptops and bags stowed beneath the seat.

According to an internal memo from the airline, the change comes in response to safety concerns around turbulence injuries, especially as climate change influences weather predictions.

While airplanes are built to withstand heavy turbulence, most flight-related injuries are sustained from turbulence caused by rough air.

From 2009 through 2018, turbulence-related accidents accounted for more than a third of all accidents aboard airplanes, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. Most of these accidents resulted in one or more serious injuries but no aircraft damage, the agency said.

"Turbulence arises from eddies in the atmosphere and is typically categorized by its source, such as convection, nonconvective wind shears in clear air, mountain waves, surface features, and aircraft wake vortices. Like many accidents in aviation, turbulence-related accidents can often be influenced by multiple human, aircraft, environmental, and organizational factors," according to the agency.

According to Southwest's internal memo, a review of thousands of data points from Flight Attendant and Pilot reports, along with data from the Flight Data Analysis Program, demonstrated that seating flight attendants earlier can reduce their injuries by at least 20%.

The memo also says that pilots will also announce the beginning of the plane's descent before a chime sounds off at 18,000. This announcement signals the start of a "sterile flight deck," which means that cabin crews cannot be prompted or asked for anything unless an emergency is occurring. During this time, crewmembers must be in their jumpseats.