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What's in Your Belly?

wdevereaux
Employee
Employee
As part of my job with Southwest Airlines, I travel quite a bit, and, as a result, get to see some interesting places and things...not a bad perk!  I also see various unique aspects of Southwest Airlines, and the things that we do as a Company. One aspect that I certainly find to be amazing is the incredible array of products moved as air cargo in the belly of our aircraft, which is a good thing since I'm on the Cargo side of our business.  This is particularly interesting since our normal Customer "above the wing" in not familiar with the fact that we have many Customers "below the wing" as well. I commonly hear "I didn't know Southwest Airlines moved cargo..."  The fact is, Southwest Airlines does move quite a bit of cargo, cargo that impacts all of us on a daily basis.  To illustrate, consider your average, or maybe not so average, day...
  •      The dreaded alarm clock that woke me up this morning...
  •      The clothes I'm wearing...
  •      The newspaper I read...
  •      The book on CD I listened to driving in this morning (and the CD player)...
  •      The computer I'm writing this blog on...
  •      The fish in my fish tank...
  •      The dinner I plan to eat tonight...
  •      The flowers and card I should be giving my wife for the fabulous dinner...
  •      The blood I should give at the blood drive today...
  •      And the money to pay for it all...
All of these commodities, and many more, move on Southwest Airlines every day. So, to answer the seemingly age old question, yes, Southwest Airlines does move cargo (and very well thanks to our Ramp and Operations folks).  Next time you find yourself on a Southwest Airlines flight, which will hopefully be soon, take a look out the window.  You might be surprised at the products you see. Thanks for reading!
10 Comments
g-man
Explorer C
I flew into ISP, and you guys SUCK!!!!!! We waited a whole hour at one carosel serving three flights because there was not enough cargo crew. Last time I'm flying Southwest.
blusk
Aviator C
g-man, I am so sorry for your experience, and I can assure you that this isn't the norm for Southwest. It sounds like our Ramp Crew (the Cargo folks don't work the flights) had some issues that evening. I hope you will give us another chance. Brian
Anonymous4064
Explorer B
g-man I have flown Southwest about 100 times and never waited an hour for luggage. There must have been something unusual happen that time you flew with Southwest. I would fly Southwest more if they went to other cities. I'm really hoping that with the Northwest-Delta merger, NWA gives up some gates at MSP and Southwest moves in.
Tom1
Explorer B
I fly into ISP a few times a year on SW. SW does a good job at ISP. The staff is very efficient at check in, TSA at ISP does a good job moving people through security (although it is not a crowded airport) and the CSA's at the gates tend to be more informative than at other SW stations. Bags tend to come out quickly at ISP. Good job SW at ISP. Tom
wdevereaux
Employee
Employee
g-man, While that's a little different than the freight side of the business, I am sorry to hear about the delay in getting your luggage. Typically, our folks do a good job getting it to you in a timely fashion. I would have to agree with Steve that there were probably some unusual circumstances involved, but that's certainly speculative on my part. Regardless, sorry you had to wait... Wally
Bryan
Explorer C
I'd love to know more about the cargo stuff (including pictures or a video tour). Any chance that can be arranged for the blog? The stuff is just too cool! Bryan
Jeffrey_Sigmon
Explorer C
I've seen SWA transport so many fish.... if I had to guess I would bet they supply every pet store in New Orleans!
wdevereaux
Employee
Employee
Bryan, Great idea...We're actually considering doing something like that in the not too distant future. Stay tuned... Wally
Michael_Domingo1
Explorer C
Hey Wally, I'd sure be interested in some of the more unusual things that Southwest Airlines Cargo has carried over the years. Keep up the great work! Best, Michael (former SWA employee #435XX) Washington, DC
wdevereaux
Employee
Employee
Michael, Sorry for the delay in responding...Did a little survey internally regarding your question, and the overwhelming favorite in the "unusual items carried" category is....elephant semen! Believe it or not... Thanks for the question! Sorry to see "former" in front of that SWA Employee number... Wally