Every seat has a story, and we’re glad you want to share yours! After submitting your story, it is reviewed by our Editorial Team. The following guidelines will ensure a smooth takeoff on the Southwest Airlines Community! Below is everything you need to know when you’re crafting your story, submitting it, and reacting to it once it is posted. Allow us to post your story by following these guidelines.
Story Submission Guidelines for the Southwest Airlines Community
- Proper grammar and punctuation: Please pay attention to squiggly lines. The story submission interface has a built-in spellcheck function. Please proofread your posts to ensure your sentences are complete and words are spelled correctly!
- Acceptable story length: Posts should be between 200 – 600 words. Posts under 200 words will only be considered if there is also a video included. Submissions of 600 words is our absolute max.
- Keep it classy: We love hearing stories about experiences with Southwest, traveling abroad, tips for travelers, and a host of other things. Please keep in mind your audience when submitting a post, and review the Community’s user guidelines and Terms of Service. Offensive or threatening content will not be accepted.
- Photo uploading: Photo uploads are encouraged, however please ensure that you own or have express written consent to use the photos you are uploading. Photos should not contain copyrighted or trademarked content unless it is owned by the uploader or approved for usage by the copyright or trademark owner. Photos should be clear and at least 300 x 300 pixels. Unclear or low resolution photos may be deleted by the Editorial Team. By uploading your photos, you are providing permission to Southwest Airlines to repurpose your content on other internal and external Southwest-operated social channels.
- Video uploading: Video uploads are also encouraged, and follow the same upload criteria as photos. Uploaded videos should not contain copyrighted or trademarked content unless it is owned by the uploader or approved for usage by the copyright or trademark owner. Videos should not be longer than five minutes in length. Videos longer than five minutes may be deleted by the Editorial Team. By uploading your photos, you are providing permission to Southwest Airlines to repurpose your content on other internal and external Southwest-operated social media channels.
- Relevant discussions: When writing your story, think about the relevant questions a fellow user might ask about your experience. Are those questions represented on the discussions portion of the Southwest Community? If they are, be sure to reference them and link over to them. The most successful posts tell a great story and also leave breadcrumbs for users to get their questions answered.
- Story submission process: After submitting your story, please allow 72 hours for the Editorial Team to review it. Once your story has been posted, you will receive a notification that it has been published. If your story is declined , you will receive an email from the Editorial Team explaining why it was declined .
- Get social with your story: Did your story get published? Be proud of it! Share a link to the story with your various social networks. You can do so at the bottom of your published post by clicking each applicable social network icon.
- Respect everyone’s opinions: Engage with fellow users who are commenting on your post, but please do so respectfully. Online communities are popular because people feel free to express themselves. Do not challenge these thoughts and opinions, and do not become defensive, even if you feel challenged or criticized. It is the Community Moderators’ role to ensure that all conversations remain constructive and acceptable in tone.
- Rejected posts: A user will be notified by the Editorial Team if a story has been rejected. The notification will explain why the user’s post was unsuccessful, and suggest ways to correct it. Multiple rejections as a form of spam may result in revoking a user’s submission privileges. Further disruption may result in the user being banned from the Southwest Community.
- Reporting violations: Please use the “Report Inappropriate Content” button to alert the Moderation Team to review the violating comment thread so that appropriate action may be taken.
The Southwest Airlines Community is intended as a peer-to-peer community website. For official communication with a Southwest Customer Relations Representative, visit southwest.com/contact-us.
If you have any questions or feedback please do not hesitate to contact the Social Business Team at “Community Mods – DG@wnco.com.”
Ashley
Community Manager
Southwest Airlines Community
