Southwest Airlines Community

Today we opened our new schedule making Southwest Airlines available for sale out through April 24, 2017.  We’ve got some great new nonstop markets to look forward to—let’s discuss! In the domestic network, we will add several new nonstops that are sure to start a few high-fives in the field.     We will add new double-dailies between Newark/Liberty and Ft. Lauderdale!  This gets Southwest Airlines into the New York—South Florida market, one of the largest markets in North America  (And that’s yet another phrase I never thought I’d write).  We will also add new, daily nonstop between Houston/Hobby and Omaha.  And seasonally, we have the usual list of eliminations and additions, but one seasonal addition in particular is certain to make a lot of Customers and Employees alike happy—we’re adding nonstop between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Las Vegas!  This joins more than 20 other domestic markets we’re adding seasonally—see attached PDF for details. Internationally, we’ve got some awesome news.  Our new service between Oakland and both San Jose Del Cabo and Puerto Vallarta are now available, effective February 12! The Southwest hook-up between the Bay and the Beaches of Mexico makes Oakland our eleventh international gateway.  In addition, we’ll add seasonal, weekend service between Denver and Belize, the first time these two airports have ever had nonstop service.   Overall the March/April schedule reflects the travel pattern shift from winter into summer—and, at 3,955 daily departures, continues our inexorable climb to the 4,000 flights-each-day mark. Until we reach that milestone, make plans now to fly in March and April!  And if you have questions, as usual I’ll be here to answer. ... View more

To everything, turn, turn, turn, there is a season, turn, turn, turn … and the schedule for the Winter 2017 season is now published!   We’re adding seasonal nonstop service in two first-time-ever (for Southwest) markets and they’re both exiting!   Beginning on Saturday, December 17, 2016, we’ll add a Saturday-only nonstop roundtrip: Newark/Liberty and San Juan, PR. We’ve been asked about this market many times, and Winter ’17 is a good time to fill some Saturday aircraft time with nonstop between the Turnpike and the Tropics.  The early morning departure times from Newark will get Customers to San Juan in perfect time for checkin time at a beachside resort—or dinner with family! Beginning on Saturday, January 7, we’ll add a Saturday-only nonstop roundtrip: Dallas/Love and Reno/Tahoe. Winter is the perfect time of year for a ski trip to beautiful Tahoe or to enjoy the gambling, shows, and bowling in Reno.  (Yes, bowling—Reno is the bowling capital of the world!) Besides those two new Seasonal Saturday markets, there are a few seasonal entries and exits, along with a large number of frequency adjustments to allow for the traffic shift going into the cold weather season. See attached for all the details¸ and if you have questions just let me know!     ... View more

To everything, turn, turn, turn, there is a season, turn, turn, turn ... and the schedule for the Winter 2017 season is now published! We’re adding seasonal nonstop service in two first-time-ever (for Southwest) markets and they’re both exiting! Beginning on Saturday, December 17, 2016, we’ll add a Saturday-only nonstop roundtrip: Newark/Liberty and San Juan, PR. We’ve been asked about this market many times, and Winter ’17 is a good time to fill some Saturday aircraft time with nonstop between the Turnpike and the Tropics.  The early morning departure times from Newark will get Customers to San Juan in perfect time for checkin time at a beachside resort—or dinner with family! Beginning on Saturday, January 7, we’ll add a Saturday-only nonstop roundtrip: Dallas/Love and Reno/Tahoe. Winter is the perfect time of year for a ski trip to beautiful Tahoe or to enjoy the gambling, shows, and bowling in Reno.  (Yes, bowling—Reno is the bowling capital of the world!) Besides those two new Seasonal Saturday markets, there are a few seasonal entries and exits, along with a large number of frequency adjustments to allow for the traffic shift going into the cold weather season. See attached for all the details¸ and if you have questions just let me know! ... View more

Skylines. Every large city has one, every smaller city wants one. They are the statement of “who” a city is and who it aspires to be. And it sparks as much debate as whose sports teams or local food is better! But “better” is a subjective matter, coming from the eye (and heart) of the beholder. As a longtime airline Employee I know one thing I always remember about a city (besides the airport) is that city’s skyline. After looking at other “best skyline” lists and going through my own memories, here is my top 10 skyline list (in Letterman order), based on three subjective lists and a heavy dose of opinion thrown in. I’ll also include factoids about each skyline if available. (Rules: Cities on this list must be in the United States and must be served by Southwest Airlines. List based on those by thrillist and by USAToday; additional history based on my memories and the book Skylines: American Cities Yesterday and Today by Goodspeed, Gjevere and Blakeway) #10. Pittsburgh: At the point where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers marry to create the Ohio River lies a beautiful surprise—downtown Pittsburgh! It’s a de-facto river “island in the stream” filled with gleaming glass and steel towers of every architectural style, all crammed close together. I dare anyone to pop out of the Ft. Pitt Tunnel and catch their first glimpse of Steel City USA and not gasp! In fact, much of the steel used in the construction of these skyscrapers was manufactured by the U.S. Steel Corporation, which is headquartered in the tallest building in Pittsburgh.  Clad in dark glass with an exoskeleton of steel, the metal supporting the building was designed to beautify as it aged by acquiring an ever-deepening patina of non-destructive rust (which was a very 1960’s design technique). Add the surrounding lush hills which frame the downtown area and you have an under-appreciated selection at #10 on our list! #9. Las Vegas: Okay, it’s hard to call the buildings that line the Strip a true “skyline.” They’re basically all the same height because of their proximity to the airport, but there the similarities end. The compilation of mega casino resorts that line Las Vegas Boulevard of every architectural shape make up a veritable trip around the world, from the Pyramids to the Eiffel Tower to NYC, with much fantasy in between. These architects know how to get their message across, and the message is  “SPEND MONEY HERE!” But it’s by night that the city shines brightest, when the Las Vegas skyline shimmers in the desert darkness with each building lit up like a Christmas tree on December 24 th .  But, hey—it’s Vegas, baby! #8. Atlanta: In the South, one wants to blend in, yet display a touch of flair. Nowhere is that more evident than in downtown Atlanta, where every street seems to be named “Peachtree” and every skyscraper seems to be adorned with some sort of spire or feature. What makes them all work as a cohesive and beautiful skyline is their variety. There is something for everyone! Just like the city they anchor, the diversity of Atlanta’s skyline components run the gamut, from the slender round glass Westin Hotel to the gothic spires of the Bank of America and One Atlantic buildings. Find a shady spot in Centennial Olympic Park, then soak in the modern, edgy skyline view of the #8 pick, Atlanta. #7. Philadelphia: For many years no building in Philadelphia could be taller than or block the view of the statue of William Penn atop Philadelphia City Hall. So, no downtown Philly skyscrapers are older than the mid-1980s, which is when developers crashed through “Penn’s Ceiling." Now, downtown Philly contains many super tall visual allusions to hypodermic needles, thumb drives, and the occasional glass box—all watched from below by William Penn, who is remembered by history but has been eclipsed by construction. The skyline is also the most compact skyline on this list which makes it a walker’s dream, and so easy to look at as you eat your cheesesteak at Pat’s or Geno’s. #6. Houston: Energy City has perhaps the oddest collection of skyscrapers in America. Where else can you find a skyscraper topped with a faux Mayan temple? Or how about one of the most honored modern skyscrapers in the world, which looks like three buildings of increasing height bolted together, each topped by dozens of little imitations of the gargoyles atop Dutch canal houses? Downtown Houston’s skyscrapers are named for civic leaders old and new, energy firms thriving and extinct, and the occasional boring street address. Still, despite its diversity, downtown Houston is world-class bold and beautiful and even more so when viewed from Sam Houston Park. It’s a breathtaking and futuristic skyline—very much befitting the city named for the first word ever transmitted from the Moon to Mother Earth. #5. San Francisco: Most of us have left our hearts in San Francisco, where the little cable cars climb halfway to the stars. But, because The City (they capitalize the T and the C) is spread across steep hills, the skyline of Fog City can be surprisingly misleading. For example, the iconic Transamerica Pyramid, which sits at sea level, appears from a distance to be the same height as 555 California St., a building which is 100 feet shorter but sits on much higher ground. Fun fact: Triple Five” California was the building used as the basis of the fictional “Glass House” in the 1974 disaster flick “The Towering Inferno." Still, illusions aside, the San Francisco skyline is a tightly-clustered group of buildings lining Market and California Streets and is made up of every imaginable style, some unique in the world, and is easily seen and photographed from the nearly any angle. If you want to see it destroyed, watch the really bad movie, “San Andreas” staring “The Rock." Better yet—grab some sourdough and a bottle of white, climb Telegraph Hill, and enjoy the San Francisco skyline in the shadow of Coit Tower. #4. New York: Volumes have been written about the jaw-dropping Manhattan skyline, or skylines—these days it’s more than just one. Lower Manhattan, best seen from the Brooklyn Promenade or better yet from the Hudson River Line, is maybe the most iconic cityscape on the planet, and new buildings are adding their own style and modern verve to the downtown area annually. Midtown, from roughly 35 th St. up to Central Park, is where you’ll find old favorites like the Chrysler and Empire State buildings. But now, Midtown is HOT—as of this writing there are 18 buildings proposed or under construction in Midtown that will top out at or over 1,000 feet! Still, the beauty of the NYC Skyline is spread out over a lot of real estate, which prevents an immediate and singular “OMG!” and knocks it out of the #1 spot. Like the city itself, New York’s skyline has to be unlocked one building (or neighborhood, or bar, or restaurant) at a time ... and nothing is more fun for an architecture junkie! #3. Seattle: It’s hard not to love a skyline that falls nearly 700 feet in elevation from the I-5 to the waterfront, is bordered by the Space Needle on the North and world-class stadiums on the South, and has snowy, shadowy Mt. Rainer keeping watch of the city from the South on clear days. Views from the top of the Needle are amazing, as are those from the top of the Columbia Tower (the dark-brown glass one that’s the current title holder of “tallest” in Seattle—taller ones are coming!). But not all of the tallest structures are made up of new construction. The very slender white tower on the South end of downtown, which is now known as the Smith Tower, was built as the headquarters of the Smith and Wesson company and opened in 1914.  Wild Wild West indeed! #2. Chicago: “Second City” is actually the first city in the world when it comes to architecture and skyscrapers. In fact, the word “skyscraper” was re-purposed in the late 1800’s to describe the ever-climbing early Chicago skyline, home of the first skyscrapers. “The Loop” contains dozens of older high-rises by architects like van der Rohe, Kahn, Sullivan, and SOM, joined by newer, taller ones like The Studio Gang, Pelli and Hadid. What might be even cooler is what’s not there, as there have been many buildings never built that would have really set archinerds’ tongues a’wagging, such as The Spire by Calatrava or The Illinois by Wright. It’s the diverse, large and historic collection of high rises that puts Chicago high on any skyscraper list, and for good reason—it’s enough to make you want to return to the Windy city again and again. That, and the hot dogs at the Billy Goat Café. #1. Dallas: Okay, this was NOT my doing; Dallas was named #1 in a USAToday poll. You can argue on the validity of any poll conducted by McPaper, but the fact is that Dallas came in #1. And I can give you three reasons why my hometown won. One, it’s a very compact, viewable cluster of skyscrapers with several “anchor” whiz-bang structures, such as Reunion Tower, the B of A Plaza (the Green Rocket), and the Chase Tower (the one with a hole in the top). Two, because of constant growth. The construction crane is our official bird these days. The view is always changing, especially for visitors that don’t see the skyline every day. And three, most importantly, Dallas is the most “lit” skyline in the world. Many of the major buildings downtown have some sort of external (and colorful) lighting built into them, from the new Omni hotel, which can actually scroll messages depending on who pays for them, to the campiness of the “ball” atop Reunion Tower, to the B of A “Big Green Monster” (which can change its colors into any hue in the rainbow). Now, truthfully, I expect this to be a “one-and-done” award, but you never know:  as the civic slogan says, Dallas is BIG ... who knows if we’ll prevail again! ... View more

Four thousand flights in one day.  New and discontinued markets.  Frequency adjustments on a nearly daily basis.  And all together?  Must be the November/December schedule, the most complex and difficult of the year, and it opens today! On Thanksgiving Sunday, November, Southwest will cross the 4,000 flights in a single day mark, when we’ll have 4,068 departures scheduled on one day, more than any day in Southwest history!  This is a huge milestone for Southwest—for any airline, really—but don’t forget, we’re flying over 4,000 flights that day all for one reason:  our Customers.  It’s not the number of flights, but the number of memories that Southwest will help our Customers to make.  After all, most folks like to get away for the holiday, and it seems like all of them want to travel back home on that Sunday.  And it’s not easy to meet all that demand! But with the way our airline is growing, I’d bet 4,000 departures a day will be routine for Southwest soon enough! Overall, the November/December schedule is reflective of the change in seasons, both from an operational as well as traffic perspective.  Flying times and turn times are reflective of cold-weather operations and travel patterns (Snow Birds, anyone?), and these are carried through all of the schedule permutations we’ve published for the Thanksgiving and December/New Year’s Holiday schedules.  Out of the 646 markets we serve in early November, we’ll add or initiate service in 97 of them, and reduce or eliminate service in 51 others. In “new nonstop” news, we are adding four totally new nonstop markets. Baltimore/Washington-San Jose, CA nonstop service will complement our four other nonstop transcon California markets from BWI—Oakland, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego. A new double-daily nonstop between Washington/Reagan and Providence answers our Customer’s requests for a connection between our Nation’s capital and New England. The double-daily nonstop between San Jose, CA and Salt Lake City links the original Silicon Valley with an emerging one in the Utah mountains, and a new daily nonstop between Kansas City and San Antonio offers great connectivity on both ends! Besides these brand new markets, we’re adding seasonal nonstops in 23 other markets. On the other end of the spectrum, we’re ending our nonstop between Atlanta and Oklahoma City (intended to be a permanent cancellation), and ending seasonal nonstops in three markets. Details on all frequency changes may be found on the attached spreadsheet.  Note when looking these specifics that those numbers are based on a typical weekday during November and December—the numbers on days when we’ve cut more service, or added more, may be different.  (And objects in the mirror really might be larger than they appear!) November 27 will definitely be a busy day for Southwest—certainly one for the record books.  But every day is a busy one, and every flight we complete is one for the record books! I also want to quickly acknowledge the big news Gary revealed at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders yesterday in Chicago: we’re applying to fly from LAX to Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and San Jose del Cabo/Los Cabos!  We’re filing the application for route authority with the DOT this month and if it is approved would start service in November.  It’s an exciting time as both countries are poised for a new chapter of low fares and more service as soon as the pending Aviation Agreement goes into effect.  Stay tuned for more on that! Enjoy the details page, have a great weekend, and let me know if you have questions. ... View more

Schedules for our new service to our 98 th airport—Long Beach, California—are now available! Effective June 5, Southwest will add four roundtrips between Long Beach and Oakland, California (three roundtrips on Saturdays).  Long Beach will be the fifth airport Southwest serves in Southern California (along with San Diego, Orange County, Ontario, Los Angeles, and Burbank), and with this new service between Long Beach and Oakland (the largest of our four Northern California airports) we’ll extend our Long Beach reach by offering connecting service beyond the Bay Area to 18 other Southwest destinations.  Of course, our new Long Beach-Oakland nonstops will especially benefit our Customers that want a new and more convenient way to fly between the Basin and the Bay! Long beach airport, Los Angeles Area, California. Copyright: xmarchant / 123RF Stock Photo The Long Beach Airport is just off the 405 Freeway, and is about half-way between LAX and the Orange County airports.  And for aviation enthusiasts this airport qualifies as hallowed ground!  It was here that Donald Douglas Sr. created and manufactured an aircraft that changed the face of flying in the 1930s—the venerable DC-3 (and its military sibling, the C-47) followed by the every commercial aircraft manufactured by Douglas Aircraft and its successors up to and including the DC-10 and the 717.  So important to the airport’s history was Donald Douglas that the City named the road into the airport after him.  The airport’s terminal is also hallowed ground to another group—architectural preservationists.  The main terminal building, opened in 1942, is an art-deco beauty and has been designated a “Cultural Heritage Landmark” (although the passenger concourse itself is new, opening in 2012). Southwest is very grateful to the City of Long Beach for awarding us the four slot pairs to operate this new service.  And what better way to show our gratitude than by operating full flights!  Come visit Southwest’s newest landing spot in Southern California.  Great value and lots of smiles are a given—sunscreen is optional. Featured image:  Longbeach's skyline, promenade, and marina.  Copyright: rigucci / 123RF Stock Photo ... View more

Today’s the day! We have extended our open-for-sale date from August 6 through November 4 of this year, but we have even bigger news to share. Effective August 7, we will add Southwest’s first-ever international service from Ft. Lauderdale! Our new service between Ft. Lauderdale and Nassau is made possible by international documentation preclearance available at the Nassau International Airport. But make no mistake—it’s still an international flight, so don’t just bring your suntan lotion, bring your passport, too! Interesting service note:  you might remember that we did something very similar at Houston/Hobby before the Houston International Terminal opened. Then, it was service between Houston-Aruba, which is also a preclear destination. Besides being a good business decision from a traffic development perspective, adding limited precleared international service like these two routes before the main international terminal opens at those airports gives our local SWA Family a chance to get their feet wet (or stick their toes in the sand, as the case may be!) with their first international nonstop service. We have several new markets to tell you about, all of them with one weekday roundtrip, and all intended to be permanent! Baltimore/Washington-Sacramento Burbank-Portland, OR Charlotte-Nashville Ft. Lauderdale-Nassau Los Angeles-Pittsburgh Milwaukee-San Diego Ontario, CA-Portland   A couple of interesting notes about our new nonstop markets. Ft. Lauderdale-Nassau, discussed above, will be our shortest international nonstop market by a long shot! At just 183 nonstop miles it’s only one mile shorter than Dallas/Love-Austin—but still longer than current shortest nonstop domestic market in our system, Houston/Hobby-Austin. And Milwaukee-San Diego is a returning nonstop market, last served by Southwest last summer, in 2015. Of course, you will notice that there is no mention of Long Beach. Long story short? We’re not ready yet.  There remain lot of regulations, procedures, and approvals yet to obtain. We’ll let you know as soon as everything is ready to be published! Elsewhere around the network, weather-wise, this is always one of the quieter times of the year (with the exception of the occasional tropical system!). It’s also quieter from a traffic standpoint, with the summertime vacation travel ending as the kids go back to school. Following those trends, you’ll find adjustments to block times as well as to frequency. Overall, 106  existing roundtrip markets will see minor decreases in frequency while 20 roundtrip markets will see increases. The August schedule initially has approximately 3,700 weekday departures—and you can find a full list of nonstop markets with weekday frequencies in the attached spreadsheet. As always if you have questions—just ask.  Have a great day and a fantastic weekend!   ... View more

We all know that Southwest is the LUV airline—not just on Valentine’s Day, but 365 days a year. LUV has helped bring thousands of couples, both Customers and Employees, together, and each couple has a great story to tell. But the stories I love are ones in which, out of the blue, LUV unexpectedly swoops in like avenging Cupid to help turn a love story into a happily-ever-after story. This one could be my favorite! Meet Shweta and Peter.  Both are avid travelers (Shweta using her Southwest Employee Flight Benefits, Peter travelling during school breaks). They met and became friends while travelling through distant, exotic, romantic locales. As often happens, their friendship gradually deepened into the kind of love that leads to a lifetime together.  But seldom do memorable love stories lead directly to bliss, and there was one big problem looming large on the English horizon for newly-engaged Shweta and Peter:  she had a great job with Southwest, nearly 5,000 miles away in Dallas, while Peter was still in school in the UK. Love and the Law The best option would be for Peter to join Shweta in Dallas after he finished his studies—but it’s never that easy, is it? Obtaining permission for a foreign national without existing legal ties to the U.S. to move to America is notoriously difficult, but luckily as the fiancé of an American Citizen, Peter could petition the U.S. State Department for a “Fiancé Visa." So for the next entire year, Peter collected documentation that would establish their relationship in the eyes of the State Department and qualify him for a visa. And while Peter compiled his case, Shweta kept the transatlantic love light gleaming by using her Southwest Airlines flight benefits to commute as often as possible between the U.S. and the UK. With the documentation collected, Peter's next step was to plead his case during an interview with State Department personnel. Thousands try, yet only a small percentage walk away with the elusive “APPROVED” stamp on their application. Twenty Seconds that Changed a Life In order to even have their case heard, applicants spend hours standing in endless queues, are subjected to multiple security checks, have every page of their documentation examined in minute detail and, finally, must pass a notoriously intimidating one-on-one interview with a U.S. State Department official who ultimately holds the final decision-making authority on granting the visa. When the day of his appointment arrived, a very nervous Peter was acutely aware as he walked into the U.S. Embassy near Hyde Park in London that this indeed was “show time” in his quest to join the love of his life in Texas for their fairy-tale forever. Soon Peter's name was called, and he was shown to a shadowy interview room that contained a chair and a young woman sitting behind a desk filling out forms.  Peter sat down. The young woman didn’t look up as she held her hand out in his direction and said “paperwork.” Keeping her head down, she glanced over the paper and occasionally asked Peter questions in a bored monotone.  "Are you a British national?"  "Is your fiancée employed?" "Yes, she is," Peter replied, handing her Shweta’s letter of employment verification on Southwest letterhead. And right then … the Cupid of LUV burst into the American Embassy in London! The young woman looked up from the verification form with a beaming, surprised smile.  “Southwest Airlines?  Your fiancée works for Southwest Airlines?” "Yes, she does," answered Peter.  "For more than seven years." To which she responded, “Oh I LUV Southwest! I’m from Austin, and they’re the only airline I fly when I’m home,” she gushed. And with that she reached for a rubber seal and stamped Peter’s application with it, leaving the word “APPROVED” in large capital letters on the form. The whole interview process had taken twenty seconds. For the next few minutes it was as if Peter and the young woman were old friends, with her asking all about wedding plans and how he and Shweta had met, all the while gushing about Southwest Airlines. When he walked out of the Embassy shortly thereafter—his APPROVED Fiancé Visa form firmly in hand—he wasn’t sure exactly what had just happened, but he knew that it was a wonderful harbinger of a long and happy life with Shweta. The Future is Bright Peter is now settled in Dallas, and he and Shweta are busily putting final touches on their wedding plans. But neither one of them will ever forget how the loyalty and LUV that our Customers have for our airline extends far beyond the cities we serve. It can show up in the most surprising places—like London! Congratulations, Shweta and Peter—may you have a long and happy life together on the wings of LUV. ... View more

Beginning in April, Southwest Airlines will bring  LUV to the “international” of Los Angeles International Airport!  Daily service between LAX and Liberia/Guanacaste, Costa Rica will begin in April.  We don’t have a final schedule for the new service yet (international service takes time for approval!), but it’ll be a morning southbound departure and an evening arrival back at LAX. Our LAX-Liberia/Guanacaste service will be our first operation out of Terminal 2 at LAX, right next to our current Terminal 1.  T1 doesn’t have Customs and Immigration, and T2 does—which requires the new service to operate “next door.” As the second-largest metropolitan area in America, Los Angeles offers a deep pool of travellers that love vacationing “south of the border.”  And because Californians are so environmentally conscious, I think they’re going to LUV taking the official airline of friendly faces and two free bags to the premier country of eco-tourism.  Pura Vida y’all! This new service will be a GREAT complement to our international service from Orange County, just about 40 miles south of LAX—and the geography from NorCal and Las Vegas is essentially identical.  Californians are going to LUV having a better option to the West Coast of Costa Rica.  But after all, with service to nine California airports we have more intra-California flights than any other airline—so expanding our international footprint to include LAX is a natural! Be on the lookout for these schedules to appear in Altea or at southwest.com, and let me know via comments if you have questions.  Have a great rest of the week everyone! ... View more

Southwest is now taking reservations for next Summer!  The June 2016 Summer Schedule, effective June 5, opened for sale this morning, and as Sir Bernard Williams said, “If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance.”  Well—we are the love airline, so let’s start making romantic plans for next summer!  Lots of details below, so let’s dive in! Summer 2016 is a BIG schedule!!  With 3,914 weekday flights daily in its initial publication this schedule continues to cement our place as the largest single airline in the whole WORLD!  We’ll have thirteen Stations with more than 100 daily departures—including St. Louis which is new to that group.  No other airline can boast that (without regional subsidiaries or partners).  It’s a totally reoptimized schedule using our new SkyMAX optimizer and includes new flying times based on summer weather expectations and improvements to connectivity. We’re adding five new nonstop markets for Summer 2016, planned to be permanent: Cleveland-St. Louis returns ( last operated in 2011) Oakland-Reno ( last operated in 2013) St. Louis-Portland—brand new for us! St. Louis-Oakland Dallas/Love-Burbank. (HOLLYWOOD, MEET BIG D!) Lots of frequency changes coming out of spring and going into summer, and there are also lots of seasonal adds and discontinues.   Many of them are Florida seasonal reductions, and west coast additions.  There are lots of really interesting weekend additions so look for that.  And no markets are being permanently discontinued!  They’re all here. Please comment if you have questions.  I’ll be around and always love to chat with you guys!  I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving.  Have a great week! ... View more

Today Southwest Airlines opened our April 2016 schedule, and there are LOTS of changes in this one, both from a schedule standpoint and from a construction standpoint. Let’s discuss! Coming out of the traffic peaks of spring break season, the April Base remains relatively the same size, coming in at 3,812 departures each Monday (totals on other days might be slightly different). St. Louis picks up four new markets (Des Moines, Pittsburgh, and Wichita permanent, and Seattle/Tacoma returns seasonally to become year-round) winding up very close to 100 weekday departures. Chicago gains three new nonstop destinations, all permanent—Dayton, Flint, and Grand Rapids. Phoenix is also picking up a new daily flight to Wichita, Kansas. Newark/Liberty picks up new nonstop to Vegas and Orlando and we’ll challenge I-85 by starting Atlanta-Greenville/Spartanburg service three times a day! (Insert everyone’s favorite B-52’s song here!) And seasonally we’re bringing back Washington/Dulles-San Diego and Albuquerque-Portland, OR nonstops. Much of this comes as part of a restructuring of a few small Stations. We also seasonally say goodbye to a number of leisure markets (Spring Break comes but once a year!). We also change frequency in almost 100 other markets across our network! For a total list of the details, click here! The April 2016 schedule is significant for another reason—it’s the first schedule to be generated completely from our new third-generation schedule optimizer, SKYMax. Our previous optimizer iterations, while awesome, operated primarily on the premise of meeting parameters and evenly spacing flights in markets. SKYMax takes this concept up to a whole level. SKYMax schedules to actual time-of-day Customer demand while still meeting constraints, which lets us say “Yes! We have seats when you want to travel!” more often! You will see some differences, however. Based on the time-of-day demand, you’re going to notice flights in some markets a bit more “bunched up” during peak demand times, and see longer gaps during times when our Customers have said they really don’t want to fly. It’s a VERY exciting development and one that’s been in the works for a while! This schedule has a LOT of intricate and cool stuff in it, so if you have questions, please let me know. If not—have a GREAT week, and have a fantastic Halloween!   ... View more

Ah, Spring travel.  Doesn’t matter if you’re a Spring Breaker, going to visit family, or travelling for business—it just always feels good to start getting out of winter chill and back into the “spring” of things, which happens every single year starting in March.  And Southwest Airlines March/April 2016 schedule—released today—is written with that in mind! Our schedule extension today covers the date range March 9 through April 11, 2016, and adds exactly 250 weekday departures t the schedule over January of 2016.   On a year-over-year comparison at 3,866 departures per day, the March-April schedule has nearly 150 more weekday departures than we had during the same period in 2015 and trust me, nothing makes a scheduler smile more than being able to grow the network.  In keeping with the spike in leisure travel during this time frame, many of our frequency increases are to/from warm weather or ski destinations.  We also include the normal structural changes we do in every new schedule, like updated flying times based on seasonal weather and wind changes.  But there are a few other notable changes to discuss.  Let’s discuss! Re-engineering Washington/Dulles We’re going to re-engineer our Washington/Dulles service pattern just a bit by adding two first-ever Dulles-Atlanta roundtrips, which will replace our Dulles-Chicago/Midway nonstops.  This is very reflective of the way our Dulles traffic pattern has evolved, with a much heavier concentration of Customers travelling to the south and Florida than to the Midwest, and Atlanta offers that connectivity beautifully.  We will also seasonally discontinue our nonstop Dulles-San Diego service. The River-to-River Express: Omaha-Washington/Reagan National Nonstop Service Our other permanent, new market addition is new nonstop service between Omaha and Washington/Reagan National.  Adding one weekday roundtrip, we’ll be the only airline with full-size Boeings in the market and we’ll have the privilege of connecting two great cities.  Call it our “River-to-River” express—the Missouri River nonstop to the Potomac! Additions Galore! Seasonally, we’re adding new nonstops in 10 markets, converting three markets from Saturday to daily for the “high” season, and adding Saturday-only nonstops in 12 other markets.  As always there are a LOT of other frequency changes, including the addition of: three more flights per day between Buffalo and Orlando three more flights per day between Chicago/Midway and Ft. Myers (for a total of six roundtrips weekdays in each market) two flights  between Chicago and Cancun (for a total of three each weekday) two flights between Orlando and San Juan (for a total of five each day!) All of the details in that are in the changes spreadsheet that I’ve attached here. As always, if you have question, just ask by posting a comment.  I’ll be around—and whether or not you have questions, enjoy your week, and thanks for taking the time to read Nuts! Book today at Southwest.com!  ... View more

Good afternoon, everyone!  Today Southwest extended its schedule through January and February, and out to March 8, 2016—there are several changes to note. First, this schedule reflects a bit of a reduction overall to about 3,600 weekday flights, but that happens every year as we move from the end-of-year frenzy into the somewhat quieter months of January and February.  There are a few notable market changes to talk about as well! New Service and Nonstops We’re starting our first-ever service between Burbank and San Francisco with three daily roundtrips.  We’ll also introduce new Boise-Sacramento daily nonstops, connecting two awesome State Capitol cities in the West!  Seasonal nonstop roundtrips will return between Nashville and Ft. Myers, Ft. Lauderdale, and Phoenix, and Grand Rapids and Tampa.  We’re also bringing back nonstops between Indianapolis and Chicago/Midway with two daily trips, which we last served in 2012.  Saturday-only nonstops will start between Buffalo, Dallas/Love, and Washington Reagan to Ft. Myers, as well as several other markets—click here for all the details! Changes in The Rock Our operation at Little Rock will be slightly redesigned.  We’re eliminating our Little Rock-Chicago/Midway and Little Rock/Baltimore nonstops in favor of bringing back two weekday Little Rock/St. Louis roundtrips.  This actually increases the connectivity of The Rock to Chicago, Baltimore, and to the breadth of the rest of our network with very little risk of losing competitive stature.  As far as market eliminations go, the rest are all seasonal. Let me know if you have questions—I’ll be happy to respond.  Have a GREAT week, folks!!! ... View more

What do you call a flight with eight legs? a. SpiderRouting b. OctoFlight c. Totally Confusing Technically, both “a” and “b” are correct—spiders have eight legs, and octopi have eight tentacles.  But also correct answer, at least in this context, is “c,” totally confusing! I know many of you have wondered what Network Planning is thinking, stringing flight legs together with no apparent regard to geography.  But we really do have a method to this apparent lapse in routing logic.  It’s really very simple.   We’re running out of flight numbers! Like any airline, Southwest has to live within a very strict set of flight number ranges and rules.  To start with, the numero-uno industry-wide rule is that no flight number can contain more than four digits, meaning we only have up to flight number 9999 to work with.  (No airline can use 5-digit flight numbers!   While this has been debated in the industry for years, the level of effort to make the change from four to five digits would be HUGE, and even the level of technology change to add alpha characters to published flight numbers would be gargantuan…although it would be fun to “name” flights—“Now boarding, Southwest Airlines flight FRED to Los Angeles.”)   We make the rules. The majority of our current flight numbering rules are more internal to Southwest in nature, dictated primarily by our operating and scheduling systems, as well as by history.  A few examples: Scheduled, WN-operated flights must (for now) be numbered between 1 and 6999.  Numbers 7000-9999 are reserved for use by Maintenance, Dispatch, and Charters, in specific ranges for each. DAL-HOU/HOU-DAL numbers are absolutely sacred during the week, with flight 1 operating the 0700 DAL-HOU and flight 2 as the 0630 HOU-DAL.  You can even see “holes” in the flight number sequencing reflecting our frequency decrease in that market, with those gaps reflecting flight numbers that were assigned to flights that have since been eliminated.   And even if the DAL-HOU/HOU-DAL legs are on multi-legged flights—the DAL-HOU/HOU-DAL flight number “wins!” Flight 711 must be assigned to a SAT-LAS flight, just because.  🙂   Superstition? There are many flight numbers that are simply off-limits.  Some are pure superstition—you won’t see flight numbers 13, 1313, or 666. Others are operational/safety prohibitions, like 737 or any flight number ending in 000 (1000, 2000, etc.) which could cause confusion between the cockpit and ATC.  And some flight numbers literally cancel each other out because they are operating through the same airport at the same time—Southwest has a very complex automated algorithm (called MUFN—Maintain Unique Flight Number) to prevent flights arriving and/or departing at the same airport from sounding too similar to other flights at similar times, confusing flight crews or air traffic controllers.   We’re not the only ones! Southwest isn’t alone in doing this—most other airlines have new ways to save flight numbers, because they’re running out of numbers as well.  For example, most of the others used to assign odd flight numbers to Westbound or Southbound flights, with even flight numbers assigned to Eastbound or Northbound flights.  But that’s changed . Some, like AA and DL, are scheduling many out-and-backs, where a flight leaves one of their hubs for somewhere then comes back to the same hub.  For example, over at AA their flight 1958 operates DCA-PBI-DCA, while Delta’s flight 1990 operates ATL-SAV-ATL.  United has a different flight numbering strategy, in which they string together flights together but change the aircraft types on each leg (a practice called “change-of-gauge” but really amounts to a connection from the Customer standpoint).  United 1644 operates BDL-IAD-IAH-MCO, yet BDL-IAD operates as a 737-800, IAD-IAH operates as a 757-200, and IAH-MCO flies with a757-300.  And yes, they sell BDL-IAH as a onestop through flight!   Why eight legs? Unfortunately, neither of those flight-numbering methods work for Southwest, due to technology issues in numerous Southwest systems.  But because of the linear nature of our network, we came up with a different solution to minimize flight number usage.  At Southwest, any flight can have up to eight legs, as long as they don’t touch the same city more than once, and each flight has to do (more or less) the same things at the same thing at the same times each day of the week.  Not all of our flights have that many legs—actually this summer only three have eight legs, and 17 others have seven legs. But our flight-numbering scheme creates some very “interesting” flight routings, like our flight WN3 which operates ICT-DAL-HOU-MDW-OMA-DEN-ABQ-LAS-BDL.  Trust me….we don’t expect anyone including our enemies or ex’s to fly that itinerary from ICT to BDL, and to prevent that we suppress sale of anything more than a three-stop direct.  And while we do suppress most of the more obvious and bizarre onestop and twostop directs that just fly in the face of geography (like WN4562 LAS-OAK-PHX), sometimes when there are no better alternatives we’ll sell some seemingly odd ones, like WN835 GSP-BWI-BHM or WN125 ATL-BWI-CHS.A change is coming.   Eventually this will change.  We’re working to implement technology changes to give us more lee-way on flight numbering.  But given Southwest’s vast, deep, and linear network, we’re always going to be a maverick (which should surprise nobody!).  So next time you’re looking at a flight number’s routing and you think “ARE THEY CRAZY?” you can answer …… YES.  Yes, we are … crazy like a fox, just like Southwest has always been!  Have a good week everyone!   ... View more

Houston, we’re fixin’ to have liftoff! On October 15, 2015, Southwest is going to put the International back into William P. Hobby International Airport! Plus, we’ve extended the schedule through the incredibly busy November/December time period, with lots of associated changes.  So much cool news ... read on! International Houston’s awesome new International Concourse will open on October 15, and to inaugurate it in true Southwest Style we’ll add SIX new international destinations from Houston/Hobby International (HOU).  Four cities in Mexico—Cancun, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas, as well as service to Belize City, Belize, and San Jose, Costa Rica.  We’ll have one daily nonstop roundtrip in each market except for Cancun, which will get double the LUV with two daily roundtrips.  Then, on November 1, we’ll broaden our Hobby horizons even more by adding new daily roundtrip service between Houston/Hobby International and both Montego Bay, Jamaica, and our newest international destination, Liberia, Costa Rica.  Well also add Saturday-only service between Baltimore/Washington and Liberia. Liberia is on Costa Rica’s phenomenally beautiful Pacific coast (and it’s pronounced Lee-BEAR-ee-ya, y’all), and will be an instant hit with our Customers AND Employees!  (Note:  Hobby International service to Montego Bay, Belize, San Jose, and Liberia are subject to governmental approval) Houston/Hobby International New Markets (Roundtrip) Effective October 15, 2015 Market Trips      Notes HOU-Belize City, Belize 1x Daily      SFGA* HOU-Cancun 2x Daily HOU-Mexico City 1x Daily HOU-Puerto Vallarta 1x Daily HOU-Cabo San Lucas 1x Daily HOU-San Jose, Costa Rica 1x Daily      SFGA* Effective November 1, 2015 Market Trips      Notes HOU-Liberia, Costa Rica 1x Daily      SFGA* HOU-Montego Bay, Jamaica 1x Daily      SFGA* *Subject to foreign governmental approval November/December 2015 Schedule Besides the exciting Houston/Hobby International additions, we have lots of other changes in this new November/December schedule.  Out of our nearly 1,300 nonstop markets (directionally), we’re changing frequency in nearly a quarter of them for this schedule, with 112 markets being trimmed and 182 getting flight additions.  (You can refer to this summary spreadsheet for greater detail) The November/December schedule extension makes Southwest flights available through January 4, 2016, and (of course) includes the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Holiday schedules.  There are a lot of traffic peaks and valleys in that 80-day period, so much so that this isn’t really just one schedule—it’s actually a series of schedules that were individually optimized, babied, and worked based on expected traffic patterns, then “jammed” together.  You will, therefore, notice frequencies and scheduled departure times during November and December shifting around more than normal.  To steal the title of the Meryl Streep/Steve Martin movie—“It’s Complicated!”   But it’s all for reaching the goal of matching our airline’s capacity with anticipated Customer demand to generate even more record-setting results, so it’s definitely effort well spent! ADDITIONS: New daily nonstops are coming between Austin and both Boston/Logan and Seattle/Tacoma, as are daily nonstops between Cleveland and Denver, and between Indianapolis and New York/LaGuardia! We’re also connecting Orange County (SNA) with both Kansas City and St. Louis with our first-ever nonstops effective November 22.  All of those new additions are expected to be permanent.  Seasonal frequency upgrades to daily service are also coming to Aruba /Baltimore, Austin/Cancun, and Denver/Cabo San Lucas, as well as a large number of Florida markets, and many other seasonal reinstatements will happen for primarily warm-weather markets.   And in response to amazing Customer response, we’re also adding an extra Saturday flight between Orange County and beautiful Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta.  We’ve been connecting the OC to Mexican Beaches with Southwest Spirit for over a year now, and our Customers are LUVing it! Also in November, we’re shifting our Atlanta to San Francisco nonstops across the Bay to Oakland.  Flying between Atlanta and Oakland maintains our presence between HeartLanta and The Bay (and Southwest will offer the only nonstop service between Atlanta and Oakland!) plus it adds additional connectivity between Georgia and the Pacific Northwest. New Nonstop Markets Effective November 1 (unless otherwise noted) (Roundtrip) Market Trips        Notes Akron/Canton-Ft. Myers 1x Daily Seasonal Akron/Canton-Las Vegas 1x Daily Effective Nov. 15 Albany-Ft. Lauderdae 1x Daily Seasonal Atlanta-Oakland 1x Daily Aruba-Baltimore/Washington 1x Daily Sat. only to Daily Austin-Boston/Logan 1x Daily Austin-Cabo San lucas 1x Sat. Only Seasonal Austin-Cancun 1x Daily Sat. only to Daily Austin-Seattle/Tacoma 1x Daily BWI-Liberia, Costa Rica 1x Sat. Only SFGA* Cleveland-Denver 1x Daily Columbus-Ft. Lauderdale 1x Daily Seasonal Denver-Cabo San Lucas 1x Daily Sat. only to Daily Denver-Puerto Vallarta 1x Daily SFGA* Flint-Ft. Myers 1x Sat. Only Seasonal Flint-Tampa Bay 1x Daily Seasonal Ft. Lauderdale-Indianapolis 1x Daily Seasonal Ft. Lauderdale-Milwaukee 1x Daily Seasonal Ft. Lauderdale-Philadephia 2x Daily Seasonal Ft. Lauderdale-Pittsburgh 1x Daily Seasonal Ft. Lauderdale-Raleigh/Durham 1x Daily Seasonal Ft. Lauerdale-Kansas City 1x Daily Seasonal Grand Rapids-Ft. Myers 1x Sat. Only Seasonal Grand Rapids-Orlando 1x Daily Seasonal Hartford/Springfield-Ft. Myers 1x Daily Seasonal HOU-Tucson 1x Sat.Only Seasonal Indianapolis-LaGuardia 2x Daily Kansas City-Orange County 1x Daily Effective Nov. 22 Milwaukee-Ft. Myers 2x Daily Seasonal SNA-Cabo San Lucas 1x D/2x Sat. Addl Sat. frequency SNA-Puerto Vallarta 1x D/2x Sat. Addl Sat. frequency SNA-St. Louis 1x Daily Effective Nov. 22 Rochester-Tampa Bay 1x Daily Seasonal West Palm Beach-Philadephia 1x Daily Seasonal  *Subject to foreign govt approval DISCONTINUATIONS: Markets to be permanently discontinued on November 1 are New Orleans to Newark, and Chicago/Midway to Rochester, NY.  And also between Akron/Canton to Boston, Washington/Reagan National, Denver, and New York/LaGuardia.  We’ll seasonally discontinue Nashville-Seattle/Tacoma and Chicago/Midway to Reno/Tahoe, and ... Discontinued Markets - Permanent unless noted (Roundtrip) Market Trips Notes Akron/Canton-Boston/Logan -1 Akron/Canton-New York/LaGuardia -2 Akron/Canton-Washington Reagan -1 Akron/Canton-Denver -1 Atlanta-San Francisco -1 Replaced by ATL-OAK Chicago/Midway-Reno/Tahoe -1 Seasonal Chicago/Midway-Rochester -2 Nashville-Seattle/Tacoma -1 Seasonal Newark-New Orleans -1 Lots of new chapters being written in the Story of Southwest lately, and this is going to be an EPIC one!  Welcome, Houston/William P Hobby back to international gateway status, and bring on the Holiday bookings.  Let me know if you have questions—and have a fantastic weekend, all! ... View more

As every Southwest Employee, our Customers, and Houstonians continues to get excited about the opening of the new International Concourse at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) in Houston later this year, I thought it might be cool to look back at Hobby’s international history.  And yes, it has one—a storied and vibrant one, in fact! We all know that Hobby was Houston’s first commercial airport, but international service from Hobby has a long history:   Going back to the 1930s and into the days of Juan Trippe, (the “Herb” of the legendary Pan American World Airways), Houston’s Hobby Airport was a significant gateway for Pan Am’s Clippers to Central and South America.  DC-4s, DC-6s and DC-7s heading to Mexico City, Merida, Tampico and Guatemala with continuing service to Panama, Bogota, Caracas, and cities further south.  Those flights were a daily happening at Hobby in the 40s and 50s.  Howard Hughes even landed at Hobby after his round-the-world trip, prompting a three-day celebration at the old Rice Hotel! 1940 Air Terminal (photo from: fly2houston.com) Entering the Jet Age, in 1961 Pan Am brought Boeing 707’s into HOU to serve the Mexican and Central American markets, connecting Hobby to the rest of the extensive Pan Am Latin American network.  Also in the early 1960s, the Europeans arrived in Houston with Air France 707’s flying from Hobby to New York’s Idlewild Airport (now JFK), and then on to Paris  (I can’t even imagine a fully-loaded Boeing 707-321 blasting out of Hobby on a hot summer day but they did it!).  KLM also arrived in Houston early in the 1960s—(after all, don’t forget it’s Royal Dutch Shell!) giving frequent DC-8-73 service from the Bayou to the canals of Amsterdam via a variety intermediate points like New York, Montreal, and even Halifax.  Aeromexico was in the mix with service between Hobby and Mexican destinations like Mexico City, Monterrey, Merida, Tampico, and even Veracruz.  Also buzzing in were a number of Latin American carriers that no longer exist.  Of course, when Houston’s Bush Intercontinental opened in 1969—all of Houston’s international service moved 45 miles to the north into the pine trees. Later this year ... SWA will bring the international back to the HOU.   After all, Hobby has the history.  Hobby was the origin of the very first international flight from the City of Houston.  For decades, Hobby carried the flag for Houston’s international air service.  Guess who is about to put that flag back on the pole? Southwest Airlines. In many respects, the official countdown begins next week as Gary and our Board of Directors host our annual meeting of Shareholders in downtown Houston—the first time that’s ever happened outside of Dallas in our history!  And very soon, we’ll be announcing the opening date of the terminal facility, when our first flights (and low fares) will make good on the pledge to Free Hobby, a grassroots fight so many Southwest Employees and supporters helped make happen. New International terminal rendering  The fourth quarter opening will be here before we know it and William P. Hobby Airport will open a BEAUTIFUL new International terminal, with a larger ticket counter, improved parking, Customer security screening, and we will all celebrate that in perfect Southwest Style by LUVing new Customers and LUVing on each other.  But just for a second—think about the amazing international history that Hobby Airport has had.  Back in the days of propellers and ground-level boarding, Hobby was one of the biggest Latin America embarkation points in the United States.  And then think—and get excited—about how Southwest is going to bring the International back to Houston William P. Hobby International Airport.  With a fantastic facility, with a great Customer experience, and with something no other airline can ever match. ... View more

Ah, three-letter airport codes.  The bane of most airline new hires!  I had to memorize and pass a test on 240 airport codes before my very first day of reservations training at that “other” airline on June 24, 1978. (I aced it.)  I thought you guys might enjoy some airport code history, trivia, and Fun! The Origin of the 3-Letter Code Originally, airports just had two letter codes (LA was Los Angeles, NY was New York, DC was Reagan National, etc).  Three-letter codes came about in the 1930’s, as air travel started to become a valid option and cities everywhere built airports.  Airport codes are now assigned to airports by IATA, the International Air Transport Association, and no two airports can have the same code.  (Note to pilots and dispatchers:  these can be different than the four-character ICAO codes—i.e., DAL vs. KDAL, or LHR vs. EGLL).  Many airports are pretty easy to figure out—DAL is Dallas, MSP is Minneapolis/St. Paul, DEN is Denver, and so on.  But some of them are really inscrutable … some have interesting stories … and for one in particular, I was an eyewitness to its creation! Some Odd Ones Some of the “odd” ones are named after historical figures that are more or less forgotten now. My favorite—and the one that most other people in my class in 1978 got wrong—is SDF.  Even though it stands for Louisville, KY, the airport itself is Standiford Field, and is named after long-since deceased Kentucky State Senator, Elisha David Standiford. GEG in Spokane is named after Air Force pilot Major Harold Geiger. New Orleans’s code, MSY, comes from a very old stock yard near the present airfield—Moisant Stock Yards—which was named after a New Orleanian barnstormer, John Moisant.  MSY was recently re-named in honor of hometown jazz legend Louis Armstrong. Kansas City’s old airport was MKC—Missouri Kansas City—but the current airport is MCI, for Mid Continent International. Orlando took its code from the former air force base that occupied the property, McCoy AFB—and the Florida ANG maintains a presence on the Western fringe of the facility, very near AirTran’s former headquarters. John Wayne International Airport in Orange County is named after the city in which it sits, Santa Ana. Back up in New England, BDL in Hartford is named for Air Force Lt. Eugene Bradley. Portland, Maine’s airport code is taken from an old name for the field, Portland-Westbrook Municipal Airport. Some Funny Ones Then there are the funny ones. Wenatchee, Washington’s airport code is EAT.  The area is in one of the most productive apple-growing areas in the world, and rumor has it that the airport code was a wink and a nod to encourage people to EAT more apples. Sioux City, Iowa, had the unfortunate luck to be assigned SUX as its code—and after years of trying to have the code changed (after all, who wants an airport that SUX?),  they now embrace the code and use it as their slogan—“Fly SUX”! And Canada ... mon Dieu, Canada ... all Canadian airports were originally required to start with the letter Y, and they've recently added the letter Z as an option.  But this means you’ve really got to think about those!  YVR is easy enough—Y, because it’s Canada, and VR, for Vancouver.  But others are apparently random.  YYZ stands for Toronto’s Pearson Int’l airport, even though there’s not an extra Y or a Z in the city or the airport name.  Montreal’s airport, Dorval, is similarly inscrutable, as neither the city name nor the airport name has a “U” in it. Some I’ll Never Forget My favorite airport code story is the one I got to sit in on.  Before we announced service to the beautiful new Panama City Airport in Northwest Florida, there was quite the kerfluffle between the airport, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT),  and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).  The airport and DOT had agreed to use the code TFB, for The Florida Beaches.  The problem with that is that TFB was already assigned by IATA to some remote airport somewhere else in the world.  So one afternoon, a group from Southwest's Marketing and Network Planning Departments got the IATA, DOT, and Panama City airport people on a conference call to hash the issue out.  After a bit of bluster, they started going through available three-letter codes, and one of the first to be mentioned was ECP.  We all realized it had no meaning at all—until one of my favorite Network Planning colleagues very quietly said—“Everyone Can Party.”  And after we muted the conference call and laughed like crazy for a bit—the code stuck! ... View more

Ah, Daylight Saving Time.  The two days each year that mess around with our sleep patterns (and I don’t count New Year’s Eve—that’s self- inflicted!).  This weekend, Sunday, March 8 to be exact, is the one where we LOSE an hour of sleep.  But, we trade an hour of early morning sunshine for an hour of evening sunshine, so after the sleep deprivation wears off most of us appreciate the change! Daylight Saving Time (DST) has a history that goes back thousands of years. Many ancient civilizations including the Greeks, Romans, Aztecs and Mayans used to practice something similar to what we know as DST. Still, the United States didn’t adopt what we know now as DST until World War I as an energy-saving measure in 1918.  What’s interesting from our perspective is that for the first 11 years of our existence, Southwest didn’t really have to worry about time change.  All the cities we served up until 1982 all observed DST, all on the same day (by national decree), and since we didn’t fly overnight flights we didn’t have to jump through a lot of hoops.  But in June of 1982 we brought LUV to the Valley of the Sun, and because Arizona doesn’t observe DST, Southwest had to start dealing with how to handle the shift in time zones.  Then we added Indianapolis, which also at the time didn’t observe DST, then we added Tucson.  Then Indiana decided to start observing DST so we had to adapt again.  So we’ve gotten good at dealing with the bi-annual DST change in America! All US cities and states that use DST make the change on the same two dates. It’s predictable, doesn’t change often, and all we know this drill.  But now that Southwest is a player (and a growing one!) in the international arena, we have LOTS of new Daylight Saving Time rules…and they change, sometimes suddenly!  Many destinations in the Caribbean and Latin America don't observe DST, others do on the same dates as the United States, still others observe DST but change on different dates than the USA, and a few have different sets of rules for the nation depending on what region you’re in.  And many of you may ask how other airlines (including AirTran and Morris) were able to handle this for so long.  Easy answer:  we’re different!  Seriously, we are, in terms of all of our operating systems.  The majority of them were internally developed for Southwest’s unique operating profile.  And now…we get to change again to handle more international ops! So as we get ready to lose an hour of sleep in most of the USA, it might be a good opportunity to lay out how nations around the world handle Daylight Saving Time. The Bahamas. Of the nations we serve, the Bahamas are easy—they observe DST and change on the same dates most of the USA does.  Aruba, Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica do not observe DST at all. Mexico. Mexico is unique among the nations in the Western Hemisphere in that not only do they have one state that doesn’t observe DST (specifically, Quintana Roo, home to Cancun), the ones that do don’t all change on the same date.  (How confusing must THAT be??)  Regions along the border within 20 miles of the US observe the same change dates as the USA, while rest of Mexico moves from Standard to Daylight Saving Time on first Sunday in April and back on the last Sunday in October. And beyond. And if we look even farther afield, the rules get even more confusing.  Most of Europe is unified but on different dates than the US, Springing Forward the last Sunday of March, and Falling Back on the last Sunday in October.  Most of Asia doesn’t observe DST at all.  And diving WAY South of the Equator, since North America DST is designed to give us more daylight in the evening, in much of the Southern Hemisphere it’s reversed, as are the seasons.  There, it is Fall Forward, Spring Back! Next week, as you’re waiting on the caffeine to kick in, think about how the rules may be different but nearly two billion people on our planet at some point have to go through the same “DST Blues.”  And as we grow to be the world’s most loved, most flown, most profitable airline—we get to keep embracing change!  Let me know, as always, if y’all have questions or comments.  Enjoy your weekend! ... View more

Our home at Dallas Love Field is growing again. Effective August 9, we’re adding more nonstop destinations, more flights, and more capacity to and from Love than ever before! On August 9, we’ll add one nonstop weekday roundtrip between Dallas/Love Field and: Boston/Logan Charlotte Detroit Omaha Philadelphia Pittsburgh Raleigh/Durham Salt Lake City We’ll also add an additional roundtrip daily flight between Dallas Love Field and eight other airports, including expanding our pattern between DAL and CHS to daily service! Atlanta will have 5 weekday roundtrips Austin will have 11 weekday roundtrips Baltimore will have 4 weekday roundtrips Charleston, SC will have 1 DAILY roundtrip Chicago/Midway will have 7 weekday roundtrips Houston/Hobby will have 21 weekday roundtrips Little Rock will have 4 weekday roundtrips Seattle/Tacoma will have 2 weekday roundtrips With these additions, Southwest will schedule 180 weekday departures from DAL to 50 nonstop destinations, an obvious milestone for our Company. It also means our Customers will have more nonstop service to more states than Love Field has ever had—and I do mean EVER! I absolutely LUV that our airline is able to expand at Southwest Airlines’ home—and, for me, the first airport I ever visited or flew out of—Dallas Love Field. It may be a nearly 100-year-old airport, but with the improvements Southwest has made to the terminal and the City has made to the runways and taxiways (which will complete later this year!), this historic airport will be state-of-the-art. And Southwest is complementing Love Field’s rebirth with our super-efficient and quiet Next-Generation Boeing 737s. We are good neighbors … because we ARE Dallas—born and bred! But this isn’t new for OUR airline. It continues to build on the legacy that Southwest Airlines has built in Texas since we started in 1971, and look at us now! We fly more daily nonstop seats between Texas airports than any other airline, all on full-size Boeing 737s—and these additions just add to our lead. Southwest invented low fares and great service in Texas in 1971. And 44 years later, connecting people with low-cost air travel is still our business, Texas is still our home … and LOVE is still our field! Enjoy your weekend everyone, and if you have questions, just let me know! ... View more

Today we’re making Southwest’s schedule from August 8 through October 30—WOOT!  This is the time of year in which we transition from the uber-busy summer travel season to the back-to-school, take-a-breather time just before and after Labor Day.  But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be quiet.  Seriously, these days—when is it quiet?  Answer:  NEVER! As we go into the August-October period, you’ll notice a few changes, including: Three new nonstop markets:  Boston-Columbus (twice daily) and Columbus-Oakland (once daily), plus we’ll add two daily nonstop roundtrips between Orange County and Portland, OR, complementing our new Orange County-Seattle/Tacoma service , which begins on June 28.  (Hi, Orange County.  We LUV you!) The swapping our daily Washington/Reagan National to Ft. Myers nonstop for a Washington/Reagan National to Ft. Lauderdale nonstop.  This one’s kind of interesting (for the geeks out there!)—the operating slot we’re using for the DCA-RSW nonstop is restricted, and can only be used for a nonstop from DCA to one of three airports:  Ft. Myers, West Palm Beach, or Ft. Lauderdale.  We’re making the switch because Ft. Lauderdale is a larger market, and also because it offers more connecting opportunities. The end of a number of seasonal, summer-oriented markets—26 of them, in fact, and four more markets will go from daily in the summer to Saturday-only in August-October.  They’re listed in this summary, and we expect them all to make a triumphant return later!  And besides the Washington-Ft. Myers market, these are the only nonstop markets being discontinued for this schedule. Adjusted frequency levels to match traffic with demand for this quieter (well...kind of!) time of year.  Of the roughly 600 roundtrip nonstop markets we serve, we’ll adjust frequency levels in 150 of them (23 increases, and 127 decreases).  This is typical going from summer into August!  On weekdays we’ll still offer at least 3,600 departures. The next schedule extension—the November/December one, which is the most complex of the entire year!—is planned to be released on May 14.  In the meantime, be on the lookout for schedule changes, and I will try to walk everyone through them as they are released.  As always, if you have questions just post a comment and I’ll try to answer.  Have a fantastic weekend everyone! ... View more

There is no better early Valentine's Day present than added flights.  Well, from a Network Planner’s perspective, anyway! Dallas Love Field Starting on April 8, we’re adding brand new nonstop service between Dallas Love Field and eight airports—Columbus; Indianapolis; Memphis; Milwaukee; Portland, Ore.; Seattle/Tacoma; San Jose; and Sacramento!  Here's the breakdown of all the changes at Dallas as of April 8: Each market (except for Memphis) will have one weekday roundtrip service. Dallas-Memphis will have two weekday roundtrips.  (To quote Paul Simon:  “I’m going to Graceland … Graceland … Memphis, Tennessee.”) We’re adding one more roundtrip between: Dallas and Ft. Lauderdale (for a total of 3 each weekday), Dallas and Oakland (for a total of two), and Dallas and Orange County (for a total of two) Our Saturday-only service between Dallas and Panama City Beach, Fla. will be daily for the summer season. Adding Saturday-only service between Dallas and Charleston, SC. With these new flights we’ll offer up to 166 weekday nonstops between our home at Dallas Love Field and 43 destinations—and THAT’s what I call LUV!   Orange County And not to exclude the West Coast, beginning on June 28 we’re adding double-daily nonstops between Orange County and Seattle/Tacoma.  We’ll also bring back daily nonstops between Orange County and Chicago/Midway. All of our new service at Dallas and at Orange County is available right now, and we’ve got some awesome introductory fares, so book now! And (of course) we’re not done yet.  Check back next Thursday (February 19), as we’ll open our schedule from August through the end of October. As always, please post a comment if you have questions and I’ll be happy to respond.  Have a GREAT Valentine’s Day, everyone! ... View more

Some of you may remember the book “Who Moved My Cheese?” that came out in 1998.  It was quite the thing then and it was all about how people deal with change. In the 16 years since, it’s safe to say that Southwest has seen its fair share of changes. From new cities and new airplanes to international service, Southwest’s cheese has moved a lot as we’ve grown in the last decade and a half.  But with all that cheese-movin’, sometimes unexpected things burst through the front door like rowdy guests at a surprise party. This is one of those times!  We found out last week that the State of Quintana Roo, Mexico—which includes Cancun—has decided to change its time zone during Standard Time (i.e., not Daylight Saving Time) to “spring forward” an hour.  Changing time zones for an airport or a state is highly unusual anywhere on the planet—I can only recall it happening a couple of times in my 37 years in the airline industry.  But we’re equipped to handle change like that. But the rowdy-surprise-party-guest kicker?  The change is effective February 1; less than 2 weeks from today!  SAY WHAAAAAT? After close synchronization between Network Planning, Technology, Legal, and lots of other workgroups, we came up with a solution and it tested fine.  So today, Friday, January 23, we changed the schedule.  It’s really not as scary as it sounds, as only the arrival and departure times in Cancun are changing—they’re all shifting an hour later, and only for the date range of February 1 through April 4.  No domestic departure or arrival times are impacted.  Plus, our partners at Amadeus have created a script that will take care of much of the manual reaccommodation work for affected Customers’ reservation.  Additionally, individual Departments will notify their workgroups of any impact. El Estado de Quintana Roo has made a good case to the Mexican Federal Government to enact this change, effective sooner rather than later.  The biggest benefit is giving the huge tourist trade an extra, useful hour of sunlight, which makes sense.  After all, right now sunrise in Cancun is about 6:40am, and sunset is about 5:30pm, and this change will shift both of those an hour later.  And really, who is up in Cancun at 6:40am?  A secondary benefit of the change is energy savings, brought about by not needing to turn on the lights in homes and commercial establishments until an hour later. Not all questions have been settled.  Remaining unanswered is whether Quintana Roo will “spring forward” for Mexican Daylight Saving Time which this year runs April 5 through October 25.  If they do, there’s another schedule change in Cancun’s future!  But just as we learned how to handle moving cheese over all these years, we’re learning how to deal with moving queso.  Can we get chips with that? Comment if you have questions, and have a great weekend! ... View more

Congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots on their wins last night! You know what that means—both teams are headed to the Phoenix area for the biggest annual football show-down in America. Earlier this morning Southwest introduced extra sections, and added connecting itinerariesgiving party people and football fanatics more ways to fly Phoenix’s favorite airline to and from the Valley of the Sun. And why not?  Southwest carries more Phoenix Customers than any other airline—so we’re proud to bring even more people to Arizona to enjoy the party of the year.  But book these quick, as I can’t imagine they’ll stay available for long! So…who are YOU rooting for? Better yet, since my Cowboys are out of the running, who do you think that I should root for—and why?  Leave a comment and me know!  Have a great week! ... View more

If you thought after Southwest's HUGE international announcement last Thursday’s that we’d be tired of talking about new schedules, you’d be wrong!  Today we release the Summer 2015 Schedule, making Southwest flights available for sale from June 6 through August 7, 2015. The increase in summer traffic lets a scheduler do what a scheduler LUVs best—add stuff! And there is a LOT of added service to talk about, all across the USA, as well as internationally. So let’s discuss what makes this schedule different than the rest! More flying than ever before. We achieve this through a small increase in our scheduled flying fleet, by the lower good-weather summer flying times, and a slight lengthening of our operating day—meaning we’ll start the day a little earlier and end it a little later. However, we absolutely are keeping our enhanced ontime-performance schedule standards in place.  We’ll tweak our frequency set, as usual, but this time we’re really turning the volume up on the amount of change.  I can honestly say that every single workgroup in Network Planning (that’s my group!) had a hand in creating this schedule, but many other groups in the Commercial organization worked incredibly hard providing input and information.  It was truly all hands on deck! Southwest will operate at least 3,800 flights each weekday next summer.  Not only is that about 150 more weekday departures than the combined Southwest and AirTran networks published last summer—that’s  more than any other single airline on the planet!  We’ll add service in 83 roundtrip markets—including eight new nonstop markets that will be permanent additions (including the long-requested, nonstop service between New Orleans and Oakland, which we eliminated after Hurricane Katrina in 2005). We’ll also add 13 new seasonal markets on weekdays, plus six additional seasonal markets that will operate on Saturdays only.  We’ll decrease service in 41 markets, primarily seasonal, and end seasonal nonstops in two markets (both of them to/from Ft. Myers).  See here for a complete run-down of the summer 2015 changes. International Continues. Our new service to Southwest’s fourth city in Mexico—Puerto Vallarta—begins on June 6 with one daily round trip from and to Orange County. Seasonal, daily nonstop service between Austin and San Jose del Cabo will return, and we’ll add the industry’s first-ever nonstop service between Baltimore and San Jose del Cabo on a Saturday-only, seasonal basis. Believe it or not, next summer we’ll operate up to 78 international flights on peak days, including up to three daily Chicago/Midway-Cancun roundtrips—the most service between Chicagoland and Cancun of any airline.  (Note: the new Baltimore and Orange County to Mexico service is subject to final foreign governmental approval.) Nonstop LUV. Domestically, we’re adding what our Customers have told us that they want—nonstops—in markets that can support them.  And some of the markets may surprise you; what’s interesting about the new nonstop markets for next summer is that they’re spread across all kinds of markets (again, thanks to the “all hands” approach!), and not just flights to or from our largest Stations. Examples include first-ever daily nonstop service between Austin and Orange County (starts June 28), and double-daily roundtrips between Los Angeles and Portland, OR. Both of these are intended to be permanent new nonstop markets for us, plus we have other new permanent ones—and an even larger list of new or returning seasonal service.  For a full list of the new markets, frequencies, and start dates, click here. So to sum it all up! Southwest will have 3,800 flights per weekday next summer, and Gary says there’s even more growth possible.  We of course have the best Customer Service, and the best Employees, in the entire industry – with a future so bright we’d all better stock up on SPF50.  In my almost 25 years as a member of this Family, I’ve never felt more fortunate or more excited about the future.  If you have questions, just post a comment and I’ll be happy to answer.  Here’s to a fantastic 2015—and to everyone, from my family to yours, HAPPY HOLIDAYS! ... View more