Happy Opening Day from Southwest Airlines

[brodriguez]

The view of a perfectly manicured field, the sound of the crack of a bat, the smell of a yummy hot dog...this can only mean one thing!  Hey Batter, Batter, it's baseball season!

Southwest shares the passion for all thing baseball with our Customers, and we're bringing that passion to the streets this year in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Denver.  Just before the first pitch of the season is thrown, we'll be handing out something very special to the fans headed to enjoy opening day in these markets.  We have exciting scratch-off cards to celebrate baseball's opening day and Southwest's 40th anniversary.  Baseball fans will be able to scratch off an area on the card to determine if they've won 10% off their next Southwest flights, 20% off their next Southwest flight, or...drum roll...40% off their next Southwest flight! The Brand Engagement Team worked closely with the Marketing Planning Team in order to offer our beloved baseball fans the chance to win such an incredible offer.

So, if you happen to be at opening day cheering for your team in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Dallas, or Denver, look out for these fun Southwest scratch-off cards for your chance to win up to 40% off your next Southwest flight!

So, root, root, root for your home team!  If they don't win it's a shame!  'Cuz it's 1, 2, 3...ways to save on your next SWA flight!

[Mike_Barnbaum]

Brooke: I am relieved that Opening Day is here for 2011. My Oakland A's have recorded an Opening Day Record number of strikeouts. The Oakland pitchers have combined to throw more than ten strikeouts on Opening Day 2011, an Oakland Franchise Record. I use Southwest at Oakland, but most often in Sacramento. Sacramento happends to be Oakland's Triple-A Baseball Club. Known as the RiverCats, Sacramento has a great baseball history. The RiverCats have called Raley Field in West Sacramento their home since the 2000 Season. I found your blog post to be interesting in what you have done in the markets of Baltimore, Dallas, Denver, and Philadelphia. In looking at all of the Major League Baseball Teams, Southwest, at the time of this writing, serves every Major League Baseball City except three: Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Toronto. With, what I hope to be in the near term is an expected acquisition of AirTran Airways, Atlanta would be crossed off of the list as noted above. In what Southwest Airlines did for Opening Day 2011 in Baltimore, Dallas, Denver, and Philadelphia, I would encourage you and Southwest Airlines to consider similiar activities and programs in Pacific Coast League Cities as well as International League Cities. These are the two leagues that make up the highest level of minor league baseball known as the Triple-A Level. You could consider ballparks in Triple-A markets you already serve like Sacramento, Tucson, Salt Lake City, Reno, Nashville, Omaha, Tacoma, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, and Round Rock via Austin in the Pacific Coast League. In the International League, cities that have ballparks and Southwest Service include, but are not limited to Norfolk, Indianapolis, Pawtucket via Providence, Buffalo, Raleigh-Durham, Columbus, Rochester, and Louisville. It should be an exciting season both in Major League Baseball and in Triple-A Baseball. Here's hoping that the list above opens up some eyebrows as to just the many cities Southwest serves that happen to make their cities home to Triple-A Affiliated Baseball teams. Hope to see you at the ballpark and of course on board soon. Oh, and one more thing while we are on the subject of Southwest Airlines and Sports, Don't forget, College Football is going to be her before you know it and Southwest Airlines is now open for many weekends this fall for all of your college football travel. Labor Day weekend, I'm already booked roundtrip to Corvallis via Portland to see Sacramento State battle Oregon State. Sincerely, Mike Barnbaum, Rapid Rewards Member in Sacramento, California