Southwest Airlines Community

This week’s episode of Red Belly Radio is about two people flying from Chicago to Nashville. They were not traveling together, nor did they know each other. Roy Harris, a Southwest Airlines Customer would meet Rachel Jacobs, a Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant. Their introduction was anything but typical.  ... View more

[asset|aid=240|format=image|formatter=asset|title=RBRiPodLogoSmall.gif|width=180|height=179|resizable=true|align=right]Did you know that Southwest Airlines has its own time zone? Well we share it with everyone else who lives and works in Central Time, but we have our own name for it. We call it Herb Time and it is what our Flight Crews use. On every flight, every day, every flight log book—Herb Time. And apparently, we are unique in the industry! Not too many people had the desire to take a job at a startup airline back in 1971, but the ones who did made this airline what it is today. Willie Wilson is one of those employees as he was only the 16th hired. On this episode of Red Belly Radio, Willie talks about the origin of “Herb Time,” a term that we now use daily and we learn about one of the people who got us off the ground. (Literally—Willie started as mechanic.) It seems other airlines schedule in the local time zones so a flight from Detroit to Chicago leaving at 0900 would land at 0900. It is then up to the crew to know that those two cities are one time zone apart and it is a one-hour flight. Our system would show that 0900 arrival in Chicago with an 0800 departure because the crews always stay in Herb Time. Time management for an airline, as you might imagine, is complex and we probably wouldn’t even think about it if we hadn’t started flying to El Paso in 1977. We would probably just still be using Central Time for everything. ... View more

Did you know that Southwest Airlines has its own time zone? Well we share it with everyone else who lives and works in Central Time, but we have our own name for it. We call it Herb Time and it is what our Flight Crews use. On every flight, every day, every flight log book—Herb Time. And apparently, we are unique in the industry! Did you know that Southwest Airlines has its own time zone? Well we share it with everyone else who lives and works in Central Time, but we have our own name for it. We call it Herb Time and it is what our Flight Crews use. On every flight, every day, every flight log book—Herb Time. And apparently, we are unique in the industry! ... View more

[asset|aid=240|format=image|formatter=asset|title=RBRiPodLogoSmall.gif|width=180|height=179|resizable=true|align=right]Teresa Laraba is our Senior Vice President Customer Services. On this episode of Red Belly Radio, find out how she spends her days and what keeps her up at night. Part of this show is a recording of a Customer call after his flight was delayed. But he wasn’t calling to complain, he was calling to thank. It seems our Customer Relations people were on top of things (as usual) and reached out to all of the passengers on that flight to apologize. The Proactive Customer Service Communications Team does this exact thing every day! Oftentimes, it is something very simple keeps people happy. ... View more

On this episode of Red Belly Radio, we find out how Senior Vice President Customer Services Teresa Laraba spends her days and what keeps her up at night. Part of this show is a recording of a Customer call after his flight was delayed. But he wasn’t calling to complain, he was calling to thank! On this episode of Red Belly Radio, we find out how Senior Vice President Customer Services Teresa Laraba spends her days and what keeps her up at night. Part of this show is a recording of a Customer call after his flight was delayed. But he wasn’t calling to complain, he was calling to thank! ... View more

[asset|aid=240|format=image|formatter=asset|title=RBRiPodLogoSmall.gif|width=180|height=179|resizable=true|align=right]Do you know that song that everybody erroneously thinks the name is “I’ve Looked at Clouds” and that Judy Collins wrote? I’ve been humming that song today (which is really named Both Sides Now and was written by Joni Mitchell) as I recorded this episode of Red Belly Radio. Why you may ask? Well, on this episode of Red Belly Radio, I recap my favorite thing to do on July 4, which ends with my observation of watching fireworks displays from an aircraft at 30,000 ft. The new verse, in my head, goes something like: I’ve looked at fireworks from both sides now, and then again, I still say wow!... You get the idea, it only works if you really force it and don’t try too hard to make sense of it. In addition to buying cars and mattresses (they always seem to be on sale over the 4th?), I like to float in an inner tube on the Comal River in New Braunfels, Texas. Spring fed and constant 72 degrees all year round, there is nothing better on a hot day. Give this episode a listen and see how I like to spend the 4th and it’s not too late for you to plan a trip to New Braunfels via San Antonio. ... View more

On this episode of Red Belly Radio, I recap my favorite thing to do on July 4, which ends with my observation of watching fireworks displays from an aircraft at 30,000 ft. On this episode of Red Belly Radio, I recap my favorite thing to do on July 4, which ends with my observation of watching fireworks displays from an aircraft at 30,000 ft. ... View more

[asset|aid=240|format=image|formatter=asset|title=RBRiPodLogoSmall.gif|width=180|height=179|resizable=true|align=right]This episode of Red Belly Radio is about the lady we simply call "Colleen." If you don’t know Colleen Barrett, you are really missing something special. She is our President Emeritus and when she was the President of Southwest, she was the highest ranked woman in the American airline industry. She helped start this company as she was Herb’s legal assistant, but she her first job was typing bills of lading for a trucking company in Vermont. Hopefully you heard Red Belly Radio recently when Herb Kelleher was speaking about our history, but this is Colleen’s time to tell us about herself, her philosophies, and about a project she started working on in the late 60s called Southwest Airlines. ... View more

If you don’t know Colleen Barrett, you are really missing something special. She is our President Emeritus and when she was the President of Southwest, she was the highest ranked woman in the American airline industry. She helped start this company as she was Herb’s legal assistant, but she her first job was typing bills of lading for a trucking company in Vermont. If you don’t know Colleen Barrett, you are really missing something special. She is our President Emeritus and when she was the President of Southwest, she was the highest ranked woman in the American airline industry. She helped start this company as she was Herb’s legal assistant, but she her first job was typing bills of lading for a trucking company in Vermont. ... View more

I captured Gary speaking on Leadership, something on which he is fairly well versed. Back on March 17, I played the first part of this, and will have a few more segments over the next few months, but for now you will hear Brad Hawkins ask the questions (and I’m paraphrasing here): “The longer you do it, does Leadership become easier?”  And “What are the differences between power and authority?” ... View more

I captured Gary speaking on Leadership, something on which he is fairly well versed. Back on March 17, I played the first part of this, and will have a few more segments over the next few months, but for now you will hear Brad Hawkins ask the questions (and I’m paraphrasing here): “The longer you do it, does Leadership become easier?”  And “What are the differences between power and authority?” ... View more

Not too long ago I was lucky enough to be in the same room with our Founder and Chairman Emeritus Herbert D. Kelleher—better known as “Herb” and as is so often the fact, find myself with some recording equipment. This works out well for me because as a multimedia specialist it is a big chunk of my job to record things and share them with you—the non-multimedia specialists. This is part two of the series where Herb talks about some of the early fights and what it took to get this airline off the ground. If you missed part one, it is from April 14 and it, too, is some top-notch podcasting. ... View more

Not too long ago I was lucky enough to be in the same room with our Founder and Chairman Emeritus Herbert D. Kelleher—better known as “Herb” and as is so often the fact, find myself with some recording equipment. This works out well for me because as a multimedia specialist it is a big chunk of my job to record things and share them with you—the non-multimedia specialists. This is part two of the series where Herb talks about some of the early fights and what it took to get this airline off the ground. If you missed part one, it is from April 14 and it, too, is some top-notch podcasting. ... View more

[asset|aid=240|format=image|formatter=asset|title=RBRiPodLogoSmall.gif|width=180|height=179|resizable=true|align=right]This edition of Red Belly Radio is about the Southwest Airlines Shareholders’ meeting held last month. If you have ever been to a publically traded company’s shareholders’ meeting, well, they can be kind of dry. I am of course talking about pretty much every other company in the world. Every year at the Southwest Airlines Shareholders’ meeting we cover all the Securities and Exchange Commission stuff, but we usually try to give a little something extra, too. Last year we had David Holmes, the rapping Flight Attendant, rapping GAAP and non-GAAP accounting principles, but this year? This year we had Rampers! But before our boys in blue could attend this event, they needed to see a lady named Victoria. You see, Victoria is a makeup artist, but this day she was applying the makeup with a rather large brush. She is the one who painted the Ramp Agents for the Bags Fly Free commercials and recreated her masterpiece for our Shareholders. Meet Bobby from Houston and James from Denver, and Steve from Orlando. All three Ramp Agents with (at least) one thing in common. Painted chests! ... View more

If you have ever been to a publically traded company’s shareholders’ meeting, well, they can be kind of dry. I am of course talking about pretty much every other company in the world. Every year at the Southwest Airlines Shareholders’ meeting we cover all the Securities and Exchange Commission stuff, but we usually try to give a little something extra. This year we had Rampers! ... View more

[asset|aid=240|format=image|formatter=asset|title=RBRiPodLogoSmall.gif|width=180|height=179|resizable=true|align=right]Last week, Southwest Airlines served 68 cities across the country, this week were are up to 69! On May 23, Southwest launched service to Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport. But I have a feeling that this airport, not unlike LAX, will be referred to by its city code, not the actual name.  The city code is ECP and it is easy to remember since it allegedly stands for Everyone Come Party! This week’s episode of Red Belly Radio is about a family I met there and a band with one of the greatest names I have ever heard. Tim and Holly Klan like to travel with their son Mark. More specifically they like to fly on Southwest Airlines to the cities we serve. Every one of them.  I would wager that most Employees, including Pilots and Flight Attendants have not been to EVERY Southwest City! Yes, the Klans have done that. In fact, now days they travel to our newest cities on the first day of service! ... View more

On May 23, Southwest launched service to Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport. But I have a feeling that this airport, not unlike LAX, will be referred to by its city code, not the actual name.  The city code is ECP and it is easy to remember since it allegedly stands for Every Come Party!  This week’s episode of Red Belly Radio is about a family I met there and a band with one of the greatest names I have ever heard. ... View more

[asset|aid=240|format=image|formatter=asset|title=RBRiPodLogoSmall.gif|width=180|height=179|resizable=true|align=right]If you heard the last episode of Red Belly Radio, you know it ended with me theorizing that downtown Las Vegas could be its own show. Well, as it worked out, I was at the Spirit Party last week and took a walk down the 1500 meters (the length of the world’s largest TV: Viva Vision) of Fremont Street. Hear my take on what makes downtown Las Vegas and Fremont Street great. Any number of factually inaccurate statements may litter this podcast, but I enjoyed recording it, and I had a great time later that night at the party. ... View more

If you heard the last episode of Red Belly Radio, you know it ended with me theorizing that downtown Las Vegas could be its own show. Well, as it worked out, I was at the Spirit Party last week and took a walk down the 1500 meters (the length of the world’s largest TV: Viva Vision) of Fremont Street. ... View more

There are few places in this world that I like more than the city known as “The Meadows,” although you might know it by its Spanish pronunciation, “Las Vegas.” On this episode of Red Belly Radio, I fulfill a dream. It is a simple dream years in the making, but for some time, I’ve been wanting to record a drive up the Las Vegas strip. Record my thoughts about favorite hotels, restaurants, shows, and of course, Vegas trivia. The timing is perfect because next week is the Southwest Airlines SPIRIT party! Our friends at the Fremont Street Experience, the Golden Nugget, and Only Vegas are helping to put this on and if it is anything like the last two, it will be a HUGE party! ... View more

There are few places in this world that I like more than the city known as “The Meadows,” although you might know it by its Spanish pronunciation, “Las Vegas.” On this episode of Red Belly Radio, I fulfill a dream. It is a simple dream years in the making, but for some time, I’ve been wanting to record a drive up the Las Vegas strip. Record my thoughts about favorite hotels, restaurants, shows, and of course, Vegas trivia. The timing is perfect because next week is the Southwest Airlines SPIRIT party! ... View more

You may have seen the video of the building of Florida One, but did you stop to think about how the plane was kept secret and got to Tampa? On this episode of Red Belly Radio, I interview Director Flight Safety, Captain Jeff Hamlett who was one of the pilots that flew the plane from its hiding place in Louisiana to the first stop on the all-city-tour of Florida. Some of the other Employees involved were HOU Assistant Chief Pilot Larry Thomas, Maintenance Team Leader Airframe Field Services Guy McQueen, Maintenance Supervisor Aircraft Field Services Patrick Smith, and Maintenance Supervisor Quality Control Rob Mabry. These Maintenance folks helped to get the plane ready after it was delivered (under the dark of night) from Boeing, and helped with the unwrapping—yes, it was literally under wraps! ... View more

You may have seen the video of the building of Florida One, but did you stop to think about how the plane was kept secret and got to Tampa? I interview Director Flight Safety, Captain Jeff Hamlett who was one of the pilots that flew the plane from its hiding place in Louisiana to the first stop on the all-city-tour of Florida. And, yes, it was literally under wraps! ... View more

[asset|aid=240|format=image|formatter=asset|title=RBRiPodLogoSmall.gif|width=180|height=179|resizable=true|align=right]This is episode of Red Belly Radio is not so much about the 40th anniversary  of Earth Day but more about some of the actions Southwest Airlines is doing to conserve and recycle. The name comes from this being the 101st episode of Red Belly Radio, and not so much a first class about Earth Day.   I talk with Marilee Mcinnis, who has explains our efforts on our “Green Plane” and then Debbie Neel from Facilities Maintenance tells us about our recycling efforts both at headquarters and systemwide. ... View more

This episode is about some of the actions Southwest Airlines is doing to conserve and recycle. The name comes from this being the 101st episode of Red Belly Radio, and not so much a first class about Earth Day. ... View more

[asset|aid=240|format=image|formatter=asset|title=RBRiPodLogoSmall.gif|width=180|height=179|resizable=true|align=right]This episode of Red Belly Radio is of when I was recently lucky enough to be in the same room with Southwest Airlines founder and Chairman Emeritus Herb Kelleher.   I will be playing parts of this over the next several months so here’s the first installment. Questions answered include: Originally Southwest looked into flying the Lockheed Electra. What other aircraft did you look at initially for Southwest airlines before service began?   How did you stay so focused on the 737 and not experiment with larger aircraft—America west experimented with 747s to Japan, what was the discipline involved? And, as the traveling public expects more while paying less, while the world keeps changing, is it going to be harder for us to compete? ... View more

This episode of Red Belly Radio answers to questions with Southwest Airlines founder and Chairman Emeritus Herb Kelleher.  I will be playing parts of this over the next several months so here’s the first installment. ... View more

[asset|aid=240|format=image|formatter=asset|title=RBRiPodLogoSmall.gif|width=180|height=179|resizable=true|align=right]For the third time since I began Red Belly Radio, I am interviewing a celebrity chef. Even if you don’t, I see a trend. Long-time listeners may have heard Tom Colicchio from New York City, or Wolfgang Puck from 560 feet above downtown Dallas, now it is chef Tim Love’s turn. Chef/owner of Lonesome Dove Western Bistro in Fort Worth’s historic Stockyards. Tim was on Top Chef Masters in 2009 and he has also been a judge on Top Chef.  Tim is considered the foremost pioneer of urban western cuisine and was at a local Save-A-Lot doing a cooking demonstration and teaching kids about food. So how does this tie in with Southwest Airlines? Easy. I asked him about chili! And since our 37th and Last Chili Cookoff is coming up next week I thought it was time to get you fired up about a nice bowl of red, too.As promised in the podcast, I offer this recipe of Texas’ official dish to any and all. It is my friend, Margaret Nadeau's Recipe. I say she is my friend because she is the type of person you meet once and you feel you’ve known her for years. I have known her for years but you know what I mean. Trust me; she is no slouch when it comes to cooking chili. She is a two-time winner of the Terlingua International Chili Championship and her husband is a Texas State Men’s Champion. I’m sure if you ask her if this is the recipe that she won with she would tell you it is. I’m not actually calling her a liar, but if you were a two-time world champ, would you give away your exact recipe? Step 1 2 lbs. course ground beef (chili grind) 1 TBS Cooking Oil1 TBS Granulated Onion Add ingredients together and lightly brown meat Step 2 Add: 1 Can (8 oz) Tomato Sauce 1 Can Beef Broth Cook for 30 minutes Step 3 Add: 1 TBS Light Chili Powder 2 TBS Dark Chili Powder 1 tsp Garlic Powder ½ tsp Salt ½ TBS Ground Cumin ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper ½ tsp Black Pepper 1 tsp Chicken Granules (or 1 cube) Cook for 1 hour Step 4: Add: 1 TBS Light Chili Powder 1 TBS Dark Chili Powder 1 tsp Paprika ½ TBS Ground Cumin Add water if needed Leave covered and simmer for 30 minute ... View more

For the third time since I began Red Belly Radio, I am interviewing a celebrity chef. Even if you don’t, I see a trend. Tim Love is the chef/owner of Lonesome Dove Western Bistro in Fort Worth’s historic Stockyards. Tim was on Top Chef Masters in 2009 and he has also been a judge on Top Chef.  Tim is considered the foremost pioneer of urban western cuisine and was at a local Save-A-Lot doing a cooking demonstration and teaching kids about food. ... View more

This is an encore edition from about a year ago. It still works. A lot of people might think the title of this blog sounds a bit like an Agatha Christie novel. Perhaps with enough time and effort it could become my first novel. Realistically? I have my doubts. Lots of story ideas come to me and some are short and some are longer. For this episode, Red Belly Radio[asset|aid=240|format=image|formatter=asset|title=RBRiPodLogoSmall.gif|width=180|height=179|resizable=true|align=right] comes in two (shorter) segments. Of everything to pick from, the first part was recorded on my way to Las Vegas, when I hosted an inflight contest to guess how many bags of peanuts Southwest Airlines gives out in a typical week. Only to be outdone with a wonderful interview with Sofia Proll, a Southwest Flight Attendant. Luckily our paths crossed, and I was able to record the story of a passenger who seems to like averages. Sofia explains how a quick conversation with a couple of passengers could be turning into an iPhone app to track the average number of peanuts per bag. ... View more