Southwest Airlines Community

If Steve Heaser were here, he would say something like "direct from the Red Belly Radio Rerun Department."  Unfortunately, Steve is under the weather, so we are opening the vault to replay an earlier podcast he did about the Tuskegee Airmen.   Actually, this is a timely rerun because the Airmen were in Dallas this week on the Southwest campus. ... View more

Like December 7 and November 22, for most Americans of a certain age, today’s date still sends a shiver down the spine and causes the breath to quicken.  For those of us in the airline industry, our lives will never be the same, even eight years later.  I don’t know about my Coworkers, but I replay those events in my mind even today.  From the sheer horror of the day; to the incredible acts of courage that played out in smoke-filled stairways and crumbling buildings and in the cabin of an airliner over Pennsylvania whose passengers said “this stops here, no more”; to the unnatural quiet in our skies that followed, the images and memories remain fresh in my mind.  I never thought silence could be so deafening until I “heard” what life without air travel sounds like.  I also will never forget how my Coworkers came together in a unified purpose to get America back in the air and to bring the sound of Freedom back to the skies over our nation. This year on the anniversary of 9/11, we want to honor both those who gave and lost so much on that bright, evil September morning, and those who give us so much every day.  In order to salute the heroes of 9/11, including our friends at American and United, and to honor our soldiers, sailors, and airmen who continue to bravely and unhesitatingly march into harm’s way to keep us safe, we are encouraging all of our Employees to wear red or, for those who are required to wear a specific uniform like our Flight Crews, a patriotic item. ... View more

As the last steamy days of summer continue to hold sway, it’s hard to realize that Halloween is just around the corner.  Especially if you are looking for just the right Halloween persona, there just isn’t much time left.  Our CEO, President, Chairman, and once-a-year Halloween star asked me to write this quick post because he out on the road right now in every corner of our system meeting with our Employees. This is your chance to help select “who” or even “what” Gary will be this year.  The good folks at the Spirit Halloween Stores will then transform Gary into this year’s Halloween creature. If you need inspiration from past years, Gary has played Gene Simmons of KISS, Old West Legend, Wild Bill Hickok, Captain Jack Sparrow, Edna Turnblad, and last year, Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top.   So let’s get creative, and be sure to think outside the box for Gary’s costume this year.  He LUVs to live his part to the fullest, and he is a great sport..  (Oh one thing to keep in mind, he had to shave his legs to portray Ms. Turnblad, so he’d like to keep his hair if that is possible.)  So leave Gary your suggestion, and on Halloween, tune to Nuts About Southwest for your first view of his 2009 “look." Gary as Gene Simmons   As Wild Bill Hickok Cap'n Jack Sparrow Gary "Edna" does her ironing   "Billy Gibbons" and the "sharp-dressed" men. ... View more

Our sympathy goes out to the family of Senator Kennedy.  We were fortunate to see Senator Kennedy onboard our aircraft from time to time out of our Providence Station.  We also owe the Senator a great thank you for his early and staunch support of airline deregulation, which allowed Southwest Airlines to carry our low fares beyond the borders of Texas. In fact, his name was attached to the Airline Reform Act of 1977 (Cannon-Kennedy-Pearson Air transportation Reform Act), which when passed, became the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978.  In his opening statement for the 1977 hearings by the Subcommittee on Administrative Practice and Procedure of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Senator wrote:  “Regulators all too often encourage or approve unreasonably high prices, inadequate service, and anticompetitive behavior.  The cost of this regulation is always passed on to the consumer.  And that cost is astronomical.”  This legislation let carriers like PSA, Air California, and Southwest spread their low fares beyond California and Texas, and it opened the door for airlines like America West (now US Airways) and jetBlue to enter the market. ... View more

Travel correspondent Chris McGinnis sent us this link to a YouTube video of Gary Kelly speaking at the NBTA (National Business Travel Association) convention today.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24SxFCHWhJ8 ... View more

This year, Southwest Airlines has a big presence at the NBTA (National Business Travel Association) Convention in San Diego this week.  Our CEO, President, and Chairman Gary Kelly will speak on a panel today, and our Corporate Sales Team has a booth there.  Kevin Sullivan, our National Manager of Corporate Relations sent us this "dispatch" and the pics from the convention.   The Corporate Sales Team is spending the next three days talking face to face with over 1,000 travel decision makers from the Fortune 2000 companies. Our goal is to build and strengthen our corporate relationships, secure preferred airline status with these companies, and build awareness of our expanding breadth of service, our corporate travel distribution options and business traveler products and enhancements (like our new inflight coffee product).   ... View more