Southwest Gate Agent Captivates Passengers With Games During Delay

Passengers waiting for their delayed Southwest Airlines flight were growing tense last week before a friendly gate agent turned the ordeal into a fun game night.

According to People.com, a traveler named Kristen Dundas shared a story on social media that explained how a Southwest employee awarded prizes for the worst driver’s license picture last Thursday while travelers waited 2.5 hours for their delayed flight.

Dundas was scheduled to depart from Orlando en route to Washington D.C. when the passengers were informed bad weather had moved into the area and the flight would be delayed. The woman said she was about to get mad, but the unidentified gate agent diffused the situation.

Video of the impromptu games was shared by Dundas on Twitter:

@SouthwestAir @MCO my flight to Washington DC has been delayed for almost 2 and a half hours and I was getting HEATED until this gate agent started playing games with everyone waiting to pass the time and now I’m like I’ll wait all damn night if you keep this up #amazing pic.twitter.com/K0WnThxcW6

— Kristen Dundas (@kdunds13) August 23, 2019

The official Twitter account of Southwest responded to Dundas:

I'm glad our Agent was able to make the delay a little more bearable for y'all, Kristen! We hope to have you on your way ASAP. -Alec

— Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) August 23, 2019

In addition to the worst driver’s license picture competition, Dundas said the gate agent also orchestrated a paper airplane contest, both of which earned winners Southwest merchandise and $25 vouchers toward future flights.

In the past, other Southwest employees have used similar ideas to help passengers impacted by delays, including offering free Wi-Fi for the best paper airplane during a 2017 delay in Dallas.

Southwest Airlines spokesperson Dan Landson told people, “The customer service agent in the video is known for putting a smile on our customers’ faces by playing games in the gate area while making travel fun and enjoyable for everyone.”