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Southwest Airlines Community

40 Years in 40 Days: Class of 1975

dwaggoner
Explorer C

My sister is actually the person who discovered Southwest Airlines.  She worked at a young flying service in Harlingen, saw Southwest was hiring, and encouraged me to apply.

There were only two or three people to interview, and I became only the fourth person to work at the Harlingen Station, at the ticket counter.

Back then, we didn't have a Reservations Department, we had the Dallas Reservations Center.   They would confirm or deny passengers by phone.  Dispatch was also housed out of the DRC.  You got to know a lot about the other stations that way.  I'd venture to say everybody knew about 75% of the Company, because it was so small.

We learned as we were growing.  We still do, but back then it was learning about transfers and through routes, and how to accomodate Customers in ways we'd never had to think of until that point.

Our operations were simple, but we had a lot of fun (and, of course, still do).  We actually had cash registers that gave out receipts, and if I'm not mistaken, Flight Attendants took the tickets on board.

I started my career in Harlingen, but had a few stops in between.  I worked at Corpus Christi for just under a year, before moving to Dallas for 15 years.  I remember being in Dallas when we first got our transfers (Lubbock and Midland, I think it was).  Houston shut down for storms, and we had to hold the planes for the transfers.  I remember the panic: we didn't know what to do with them!

But we found a way, like we always do.  Southwest is a Family, and we work together and take care of each other like a Family.  I remember in my earlier years, I'd invite Crew over for holidays.  In those days, the Crew would work a flight in the morning, then have a break during the day, and have another in the evening.  They'd come over for dinner in between working flights, because they were my Southwest Family.

Through the years, the Company has grown, and the only drawback of that is not being able to know each and every person on a one-to-one basis.  I'd love to know everyone, because I know you're all equally great, but still so unique.

And you're Family, and always will be.  Happy 40th, Southwest, from Shine!