Southwest Airlines Community

Joe Gulick Lubbock Avalanche-Journal How can a big and heavy airplane - such as the 36-ton Boeing 737 airliners flown by Southwest Airlines - lift off the ground and fly? That's a question a lot of children wonder about at some point during their elementary school years. The fifth-graders at Maedgen Elementary know the answer is the forces of lift, thrust, drag and gravity. The Maedgen students learned that and many other aviation-related facts from Southwest Airlines pilot John Sims, who has been "adopted" by their school once again this spring. Sims is a former Maedgen Elementary student and one of about 750 Southwest pilots who participate in the airline's Adopt-A-Pilot program. to read more, visit: http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/051309/fea_439182169.shtml ... View more

The top performers in each category of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report for March 2009 are listed below.  For March 2009, Southwest placed first in Complaints, third in Ontime Performance, and eighth in Baggage Handling.   March 2009 Complaints (Per 100,000 Customers) 1. Southwest 0.08 2. ExpressJet 0.28 3. Comair  0.35 4. Alaska  0.37 5. Mesa  0.43 6. AirTran  0.69 7. JetBlue  0.71 8. Skywest  0.74  9. American Eagle 0.76 10. Atlantic Southeast 0.76 Ontime Performance (Percent) 1. Hawaiian 91.5 2. Pinnacle  85.1 3. Southwest 83.9 4. Northwest 82.7 5. Skywest  82.4 6. United  80.5 7. US Airways 79.6 8. JetBlue  79.2 9. American Eagle 78.4 10. Frontier 78.4 Baggage Handling (Per 1,000 Customers) 1. AirTran  1.68 2. Hawaiian 1.82 3. Northwest 2.32 4. JetBlue  2.45 5. Continental 2.82 6. Frontier  2.89 7. US Airways 3.46 8. Southwest 3.52 9. United  3.81 10. Alaska  4.08 The Air Travel Consumer Report can be viewed in full online at http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/reports/index.htm ... View more

By Helen Anders Austin-Bergstrom International is planning its 10th birthday party on May 22, and that could be good news for you if you’re traveling that day. At exactly 10:10 a.m., the Del Valle Elementary School Choir will sing “Happy Birthday,” cake will be served and Southwest Airlines will find a 10-year-old child who’ll win free round-trip tickets. to read more, visit: http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/andersmeanders/entries/2009/05/11/traveling_through_austinbergst.html?cxntfid=blogs_anders_meanders ... View more

Ann Schrader, The Denver Post Captain Kirk seems to be beaming down in more than the new "Star Trek" movie that opened this weekend. Southwest Airlines counts three pilots named captain Kirk — Scott, Steve and David. There's laughter in the passenger cabin when Captain Kirk announces his presence on the bridge — er, cockpit — via the communicator — uh, PA. to read more, visit: http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_12332015 ... View more

by Warner, Gary Orange County Register One of the hottest airline wars in the country ratcheted up a notch Saturday with the launch of Southwest Airlines service between Orange County and San Francisco. to read more, visit: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/virgin-airlines-southwest-2401589-service-airport ... View more

by Scott Laird It takes a certain type to deal with all the airline industry has to offer. After several years of wild items from passengers and crew alike, I know I’m nowhere close to having seen it all. But I thought I might take a moment and share a few bizarre, funny, and/or wacky items I have seen in my time in the skyways. To read more, visit: http://www.examiner.com/x-3584-Oklahoma-City-Airport-Examiner~y2009m5d8-Top-ten-airline-humor-moments ... View more

Southwest Airlines and the International Association of Machinists (IAM) and Aerospace Workers District 142, representing the airline’s Customer Support and Services and airport Customer Service Employees announced today the two parties have reached a tentative agreement. The tentative agreement is for a new, four-year contract through October 31, 2012. The current contract became amendable on October 31, 2008. Southwest Airlines and the IAM began contract negotiations in August 2008. The Company is pleased with this tentative agreement that delivers wage and benefit increases in exchange for work rule improvements and scheduling flexibility along with productivity and gained efficiencies for Customer Support and Services Representatives in the airline’s call centers and for its airport Customer Service Agents. The Negotiation Teams struck this tentative agreement during challenging economic times. Today’s announcement demonstrates the IAM’S commitment to maintaining Southwest's competitiveness and overall financial strength as it weathers the current volatile economic environment. In the upcoming weeks, the IAM District 142 membership will be given the full details of the agreement and will have the opportunity to vote on ratification. IAM represents more than 5,300 Southwest Airlines Employees. Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV), the nation's largest carrier in terms of domestic passengers enplaned, currently serves 65 cities in 33 states. Based in Dallas , Southwest currently operates more than 3,300 flights a day and has more than 35,000 Employees systemwide. ... View more

Southwest Airlines Co. announced today that the Company flew 6.5 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) in April 2009, a 4.1 percent increase from the 6.3 billion RPMs flown in April 2008.  Available seat miles (ASMs) decreased 1.9 percent to 8.5 billion from the April 2008 level of 8.6 billion.  The load factor for the month was 77.0 percent, compared to 72.6 percent for the same period last year.   April 2009 passenger revenues per ASM are estimated to be in line with last year, as expected.  However, current revenue and booking trends continue to be adversely impacted by the weak economic environment and now also by concerns over the recent H1N1 Swine Flu outbreak.  Therefore, the Company currently expects the year-over-year decline in second quarter 2009 passenger revenues per ASM to exceed first quarter 2009’s decline of 2.8 percent.                 For the four months ended April 30, 2009, Southwest flew 23.4 billion RPMs, compared to the 23.9 billion RPMs recorded for the same period in 2008, a decrease of 1.9 percent.  Available seat miles decreased 3.5 percent to 32.6 billion from the 2008 level of 33.8 billion.  The year-to-date load factor was 71.7 percent, compared to 70.5 percent for the same period last year.              This release, as well as past news releases on Southwest, are available online at southwest.com. ... View more

Despite the financial dark cloud over Nevada, there are some bright spots: Thousands of Southwest Airlines employees in town Wednesday night were treated to a company-wide party. News 3's Tiffany DeLeon explains their success story despite this turbulent year. To read more, visit: http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=10320428 ... View more

Traveling with children? Got the baby blues? Let Southwest Airlines help you out with some excellent travel tips. In this video we highlight our changing tables in all forward lavatories, and how to use a Child-Restraint System. DING! You are now free to move about the country...with your peanut!  ... View more

DO YOU AND YOUR “PEANUT” FLY SOUTHWEST AIRLINES? Southwest Introduces Mommy Blogger and Announces Contest DALLAS –May 8, 2009–In honor of Mother's Day, Southwest Airlines is introducing its mommy blogger, Jessica Turner, and launching a campaign called My Peanut and I Fly Southwest. To celebrate the launch, Southwest Airlines also is giving away one family four-pack of airline tickets to any destination the airline serves.  Southwest Airlines has created a variety of My Peanut and I Fly Southwest online buttons for moms and dads who fly with their kids. Parents who post the online button on their blog, Facebook profile, and/or other social media sites are eligible to win the prize pack. “At Southwest, we love families and blogging, so inviting Jessica to be our mommy blogger made perfect sense for our Company,” said Paula Berg, Manger of Emerging Media. “The My Peanut and I Fly Southwest button is a fun way for bloggers and social media participants to show their Southwest support – and maybe even win a great vacation package.” “I’ve always called my son, Elias, a little peanut, so I’m very excited about this campaign,” said Southwest Mommy blogger Jessica Turner.  “I am proud to represent parents across America who fly Southwest with their kids.  The online button is such an easy way for parents like me to show our love for travel and Southwest.” The My Peanut and I Fly Southwest buttons are available on the Nuts About Southwest blog.  For a chance to win a family four-pack of airline tickets, simply post a My Peanut and I Fly Southwest button somewhere online, then leave a comment on the May 8 Nuts About Southwest blog post about the buttons. Be sure to include a link to where you posted the button. If you post the button on multiple sites (ie: your blog and Facebook page), please leave one comment for each link. This contest ends May 31, 2009. To download the My Peanut and I Fly Southwest buttons, visit: http://www.blogsouthwest.com/content/download-mommy-patches To read a blog post from our new Mommy Blogger, visit: http://www.blogsouthwest.com/blog/my-peanut-and-i-fly-southwest-contest For more information on traveling with kids, visit: http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/taking_the_kids_index.html About Southwest Airlines Mommy Blogger Jessica Turner   [asset|aid=540|format=post_small_image|formatter=imagecache|title=Jessica Turner|width=150|height=100|align=none] Jessica Turner is Southwest Airlines’ new resident mommy blogger. Her guest blog posts and video blogs will focus on traveling with her baby, tips she discovers, and family-friendly activities to experience around the country. When she isn't traveling, she enjoys spending time with her family, working, blogging and scrapbooking. She and her husband, Matthew, live in Nashville, Tenn., with their ten-month-old peanut, Elias, who is currently into everything! Southwest Airlines After nearly 38 years of service, Southwest Airlines, the nation's leading low-fare carrier, continues to differentiate itself from other airlines -- offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest Airlines is the most productive airline in the sky and offers Customers a comfortable traveling experience. Southwest offers a very comfortable ride with all premium leather seats and plenty of legroom with a young all Boeing 737 fleet. Southwest recently updated its gate areas and improved its boarding procedure to make flying Southwest even more convenient and simple. Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV), the nation's largest carrier in terms of domestic passengers enplaned, currently serves 65 cities (will begin service to Boston Logan and New York LaGuardia later this year) in 33 states. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,300 flights a day and has more than 35,000 Employees systemwide. OFFICIAL RULES - Southwest Airlines Contest 1. To Enter: No purchase or obligation necessary. Contest runs May 8, 2009 at 8:00 am CST- to May 31, 2009 at 11:59 pm CST. To enter without purchase or obligation, you must download and post a My Peanut and I Fly Southwest button somewhere online, then leave a comment under the blog post with a link to where you posted the button.  2. Drawing: On or about June 1, 2009, a random drawing from all eligible entries received will be conducted by independent judges whose decisions are final. Entrants need not be present to win. All prizes are guaranteed to be awarded. Odds of winning will depend on the total number of eligible entries received. 3. Prize: One (1) Grand Prize to consist of 4 roundtrip tickets on Southwest $1600.  Value of Prize is approximately $1600 4. Eligibility: Contest open to all legal US residents, 18 years and older as of March 20, 2009. Employees of Southwest Airlines Co., its advertising and promotions agencies, and their immediate families (spouse and parents, children and siblings and their spouses) and individuals living in the same households of such employees are ineligible. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Contest subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. By participating, entrants agree to these official rules and accept decisions of the Sponsor as final. Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited by law. The promotion is offered in the United States only and shall only be construed and evaluated according to United States law. Do not proceed in this site if you are not located in the United States. 5. To Claim Prize: Winner only will be notified by Southwest Airlines via email, and will be required to complete and sign an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability Release and, where legal, a Publicity Release, which must be returned within seven (7) days after prize notification or prize will be forfeited and awarded to an alternate winner. If prize notification letter is returned undeliverable, the prize will be awarded to an alternate winner in a random drawing. Grand Prize winner’s guests, or if minor(s) their parent(s)/legal guardian(s), must execute Liability Releases, and where legal, Publicity Releases prior to the issuance of travel documents. Unclaimed or undeliverable prize will be forfeited and awarded to an alternate winner. Prize is not transferable or redeemable for cash. Prize is guaranteed to be awarded. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission (except where prohibited) to use winner’s name, hometown and likeness for purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity in any media without additional compensation. 6. Limitation of Liability: Sponsor is not responsible for printing or typographical errors in any related materials; stolen, fraudulent, entries or mail; or transactions that are processed or lost due to computer or electronic malfunction. Winner is solely responsible for payment of all federal, state, and local taxes on prize and for any travel or other expenses not specifically mentioned in prize description. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel or modify Contest if fraud or technical failures compromise the integrity of the Contest as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. This Contest offer is being made exclusively by Sponsor. Sponsor not responsible for technical, hardware, software or telephone failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections or fraud, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmission whether caused by Sponsor, user, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the promotion or by any technical or human error which may occur in the process of submissions which may limit a participant’s ability to participate in this promotion. 7. Winner’s List: To request a Winner’s Name List, send a self addressed stamped return envelope, after June 1, 2009, to Southwest Airlines Emerging Media. All requests must be received by June 20, 2009. Utah and Washington residents may omit return postage. Winner’s Name List will also be published on Southwest Airlines Web Site around June 1, 2009 after 12:00 pm CST. 8. Sponsor: Southwest Airlines Co., P.O. Box 36611, Dallas, TX. 75235-1611 www.southwest.com Media Please Contact:  Public Relations at 214/792-4847         ... View more

by Linda Loyd Philadelphia Inquirer Feisty and unconventional Southwest Airlines Co. will celebrate its fifth anniversary in Philadelphia on Saturday with balloons, free food, and a plane pull at Philadelphia International Airport to benefit the Ronald McDonald House charities. The nation's largest low-fare carrier, Southwest invigorated travel when it came here in 2004, reducing fares on routes where it competed, particularly with US Airways Group Inc., the region's dominant airline. Dallas-based Southwest expanded rapidly in its early years. Growth has slowed now because of the economy. John Minor has been Southwest's station manager in Philadelphia since the airline arrived. He reflects on Southwest's growth, rival US Airways, and $300 million in improvements to Terminals D and E, where Southwest has its gates. to read more, visit: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/business/homepage/20090504_Celebrating_the_fifth_year_and_flying_high_in_Philly.html?viewAll=y ... View more

Beginning today, Southwest Airlines will serve a new coffee onboard its aircraft called LIFT™. LIFT is a rich, dark-roasted, 100-percent Arabica blend of South and Central American coffees. In an effort to enhance its Customer Experience, the airline will serve the upgraded coffee blend in new, 8 oz. eco-friendly paper cups. The cups are made from 12 percent post-consumer recycled materials with built-in sleeves made of 99 percent post-consumer recycled material.  In addition to new coffee and cups, the airline will serve individual Coffee-Mate® liquid creamers instead of powdered creamer. The best part of all is that Southwest Customers are getting these upgrades for FREE!              Check out Southwest Airlines’ company blog, Nuts About Southwest, to view a video on the new coffee and the first blog post written by Herb Kelleher, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Southwest Airlines.             Southwest Airlines has the opportunity to extend its Servant’s Heart and participate in a worthy cause through the new coffee initiative. Southwest will donate money based on the amount of LIFT coffee Customers consume to a charity called the Guatemala Light Project. The Guatemala Light Project brings light to isolated villages in the coffee-growing regions of Guatemala . Many of these villages are in complete darkness when the sun goes down, yet light is an essential part of community and social development. Southwest’s donations will help support a self-sustaining co-operative that supplies homes with solar-powered LED light systems and trains villagers how to install them. So the more coffee that Customers drink, the more Southwest Airlines will donate! After almost 38 years of service, Southwest Airlines, the nation’s leading low-fare carrier, continues to differentiate itself from other airlines—offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service.  At Southwest Airlines, there are no hidden fees. Customers can check their first two bags for free (size and weight limits apply), there are no fees for a window or aisle seat, and, as always, snacks, sodas, smiles, and coffee are all complimentary! Southwest Airlines is the most productive airline in the sky and offers Customers a comfortable traveling experience.  Southwest offers all premium leather seats and plenty of legroom with a young all-Boeing 737 fleet. Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) currently serves 65 cities in 33 states. Based in Dallas , Southwest currently operates more than 3,300 flights a day and has more than 35,000 Employees systemwide. ... View more

It’s not every day you see green beans roll off an assembly line…coffee green beans, that is. The Southwest Airlines Emerging Media Team (plus an Employee Communications stowaway) had the once-in-a-lifetime chance to tour the Mother Parkers Tea and Coffee plant out in  Fort Worth, TX .  Mother Parkers has a rich and full-bodied history (pun intended), just like Southwest. They were established in 1912, and are one of the largest private label coffee and tea manufacturers in North America. They've also been Southwest's coffee provider for many years.       What was the occasion for such a visit? Well, if you haven’t yet heard through the online “buzz,” Southwest is unveiling a new coffee experience onboard…two years in the making! LIFT (the "brand name" of the coffee) is a 100 percent Arabica blend of South and Central American coffees—with a richer, dark-roasted taste. Southwest is also transitioning to Coffee-Mate’s individual liquid creamers—so say goodbye to powdered creamer! And say hello to our Insulair, eco-friendly, eight-ounce paper cup—part of Southwest’s Company-wide initiative to “go green” and help the environment.       Adam Willis, Manager of Trade Marketing for Mother Parkers, led us on a wonderful tour of the plant—complete with an outfit of hair nets, goggles, and ear plugs. We began with a demonstration in the cupping lab, where a lab technician carefully scrutinized, smelled, and tasted the different blends of coffee. (She let us give it a go, too. You could definitely tell a difference between the Arabica and Robusta beans.) Many beans (before and after roasting) were also on display to show the wide range of quality available throughout the world.   Next up was the factory, where we watched millions of green beans being sucked up into a huge tube, heading off to be roasted and packaged. Finally, we ended on the assembly line, where silver LIFT bags were nitrogen- flushed, sealed, and boxed up to go ride our 737s high in the sky.   So the next time you order a complimentary cup of LIFT, think about its journey to get to you, and the journey you’re about to embark on!             To learn more about Mother Parkers, visit their web site http://www.mother-parkers.com/       To watch an informative and (we think) entertaining video on LIFT, click here. ... View more

Airline luggage has been making headlines recently, whether it’s US Airways’ controversial decision to add a $5 convenience fee to some checked bags or Alaska Air’s luggage fee/guarantee. But which airline has the most customer-friendly policy when it comes to checked luggage? If you said “Southwest Airlines,” you’re right. to read more, visit: http://www.elliott.org/blog/best-checked-luggage-policy-hands-down-its-southwest-airlines/ ... View more

by Pingdom Last week we published a report about website uptime for airlines. We had monitored the uptime of 42 international airline websites during a period of four months. The results were quite surprising so we figured we would share some of our findings here as well. The full report is available as a free PDF, but below is a brief summary of the main points. to read more, visit: http://royal.pingdom.com/2009/04/27/62-percent-of-airline-websites-not-as-reliable-as-they-should-be/ ... View more

By Matt Phillips Southwest Airlines flight attendant David Holmes continues to enjoy his newfound fame, thanks to his hip-hop inspired takes on standard cabin announcements. Last night he appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Click here to read the Terminal’s hard-hitting interview with Holmes. to watch the video, visit: http://blogs.wsj.com/middleseat/2009/04/29/southwest-airlines-rapping-flight-attendant-does-leno-show/ ... View more

 Travel Blog  •  Rob Verger There’s plenty of bad news out there about the airline industry these days, and things like swine flu, or the very dumb decision to buzz Lower Manhattan in a presidential 747 aren’t making people any happier. So, I decided to focus on something a little more lighthearted here: an airline Guitar Hero showdown. I follow several airlines on Twitter, and usually the info they broadcast has to do with a fare sale or some kind of promotion. Thus, I was surprised when, on April 20th, I saw this item from Southwest: SouthwestAir Listening to “Smoke on the Water” and wondering if @jetblue is still up for a Guitar Hero challenge in May… To read more, visit: http://www.worldhum.com/travel-blog/item/southwest-and-jetblue-to-face-off-in-guitar-hero-challenge-20090428/ ... View more

By CHRISTINE NEGRONI Published: April 29, 2009 FOR the aviation industry, its fate inextricably linked to the price of oil, fuel conservation is more than environmentally sound — it’s a matter of survival. That is why, in research labs and in airline conference rooms, any measure is open for discussion if it reduces the use of fuel. to read more, visit: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/30/business/energy-environment/30aviation.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail0=y ... View more

Southwest Airlines launched a new advertising campaign today announcing the airline is putting its already low fares on sale! In an effort to get Customers off their couches and on summer vacation, the airline is offering airfares starting as low as $49 one-way on southwest.com. Check out one of the new commercials here. These fares are available through 11:59 pm PDT May 14, 2009, and require 14-day advance purchase for travel Tuesdays and Wednesdays by October 28, 2009. To get these special fares, click here. Examples of these low fares include (see Fare Rules below) $49 one-way between Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood and Orlando ·         $69 one-way between Columbus and St. Louis ·         $89 one-way between Las Vegas and Seattle/Tacoma $99 one-way between Nashville and Detroit   After almost 38 years of service, Southwest Airlines, the nation’s leading low-fare carrier, continues to differentiate itself from other airlines—offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service.  At Southwest Airlines, there are no hidden fees. Customers can check their first two bags for free (size and weight limits apply), there are no fees for a window or aisle seat, and, as always, snacks, sodas, and smiles are all complimentary!   Southwest Airlines is the most productive airline in the sky and offers Customers a comfortable traveling experience.  Southwest offers all premium leather seats and plenty of legroom with a young all-Boeing 737 fleet. Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) currently serves 65 cities in 33 states. Based in Dallas , Southwest currently operates more than 3,300 flights a day and has more than 35,000 Employees systemwide.     FARE RULES Fares are available on www.southwest.com. Southwest Airlines sale fares are available with a 14-day advance purchase beginning April 28, 2009, and travel must take place between May 12, 2009, and Oct. 28, 2009.  Travel valid only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Sale fares slightly higher on other days of the week. Fares do not include a federal segment tax of $3.60 per takeoff and landing.  Fares do not include airport-assessed passenger facility charges (PFC) of up to $9.00 and U.S. government-imposed September 11th Security Fee of up to $5.00 one-way. Travel to/from Ft. Myers, FL or Washington D.C. (Dulles) not included in the sale.  Seats are limited. Fares may vary by destination, flight, and day of travel and will not be available on some flights that operate during very busy travel times and holiday periods. Fares are available for one-way travel. Fares may be combined with other combinable fares.  When combining fares, all rules and restrictions apply. Fares are nonrefundable but may be applied toward the purchase of future travel on Southwest Airlines.  Fares are not available through the Group Desk.  Any change in the itinerary may result in an increase in fare. Standby travel requires an upgrade to the Anytime Fare. Fares are subject to change until ticketed. Fares are valid on published, scheduled service only.   ... View more

You’ve seen him on YouTube, you’ve twittered about him all month, you’ve shared his video with all your friends—heck, even Oprah talked about him on her “Live Friday” show last week!     Now’s your chance to catch David Holmes, Southwest’s own “Rapping Flight Attendant”, perform on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on April 28 th at 10:35 CST.     Our own Christi Day will be tweeting live from the performance, so be sure to follow @SouthwestAir throughout the day for constant updates. David, we wish you the best of luck, and lots of LUV! ... View more

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand welcomed the announcement from Southwest Airlines today that the carrier will expand service to and from New York LaGuardia Airport.  Senator Gillibrand released the following statement praising the news: "This is great news for New York City.  Southwest Airlines is making a smart investment.  I am hopeful that other carriers will follow their lead." To read more, visit: http://gillibrand.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=4ddbea89-77dd-49a8-8a5e-476362491035 ... View more

For the 11th consecutive year, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards took top honors and was awarded first place in Best Award Redemption category at the 21st Annual Freddie Awards.  The Best Award Redemption category was introduced in 1998 and no other frequent flyer program has won before.  In addition, Rapid Rewards placed in the top five in five other categories, including: Program of the Year; Best Website for southwest.com; Best Member Communications; Best Bonus Promotion; and Best Customer Service.  For more information on the Freddies and to see pictures from the event, visit: http://www.freddieawards.com/events/index.php?event_key=15. ... View more

Southwest Airlines today will offer Customers the ability to book flights to Mexico on Volaris via a convenient online link to Volaris’ booking portal on www.southwest.com.  The two airlines previously announced their plans to eventually enter a codeshare agreement that will allow the carriers to offer Customers a seamless travel experience to a wide array of destinations.  While the airlines plan to announce codeshare flight schedules by early 2010, the availability of Volaris flights via the link on southwest.com is an important first step forward in the relationship.  Southwest Airlines does not offer service to Mexico .  To view a blog post, visit: http://www.blogsouthwest.com/blog/qa-volaris.     Southwest Customers can book travel and learn more about Volaris’ service, policies, procedures, as well as frequently asked questions, at http://www.southwest.com/cgi-bin/mexicoTab.     “This is an important first step to move our codeshare agreement forward.  The ability to offer Customers the option to book Volaris flights on www.southwest.com will introduce Volaris’ brand and breadth of service to the millions of visitors to our web site,” said Southwest’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Revenue Management Dave Ridley.  “Volaris has an impeccable reputation for being a highly efficient airline, focused on customer service and therefore, an ideal option for Southwest Airlines.”             “Our international expansion will take place alongside one of the best carriers in this segment, Southwest Airlines. We are certain this alliance will lead us to growth in terms of passenger traffic, those traveling for business, pleasure or visiting family on both sides of the border,” said Enrique Beltranena, Volaris CEO. “We are very proud to communicate that our first two destinations in the United States will be Los Angeles and Oakland . By 2013, we plan to reach some 12 different U.S. destinations.”       About Southwest Airlines  After nearly 38 years of service, Southwest Airlines continues to differentiate itself from other low fare carriers—offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service.  Southwest Airlines is the most productive airline in the sky and offers Customers a comfortable traveling experience.  Southwest recently updated its gate areas and improved its boarding procedure to make flying Southwest convenient and simple.  And, best of all, Southwest Airlines is famous for No Hidden Fees!  Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) currently serves 65 cities in 33 states.  Based in Dallas , Southwest operates more than 3,200 flights a day and has more than 35,000 Employees systemwide.       About Volaris Volaris is a Mexican high-efficiency airline aimed at offering customers a unique travel experience – starting with the easy ticket purchasing process right through the On-Time Guarantee on all flights. With 21 Airbus A320 family aircraft, Volaris has the youngest and most modern fleet in Mexico reaching 21 airports and 35 routes across the country. From the start of operations in March 2006, the airline guarantees travelers comfort and reliability delivered by more than 1,500 employees making up the Volaris family and dedicated to strengthening the airline’s commitment to excellent service and single-class treatment in a human way.   ... View more

April 24, 2009—For each of the next four days, Southwest Airlines will reveal a special offer for one of our 65 destinations. But it’s not just another fare sale. Customers will receive 50 percent off Southwest Airlines’ already low “Wanna Get Away” fares for roundtrip travel to and from that day’s featured city.              Today’s destination is Philadelphia ! Click here and enter promotion code “LUVPHL” to book your travel to and from Philly. These super low fares for Philadelphia are available only on southwest.com through 11:59 pm PDT on April 24, 2009, for travel May 1, 2009, through June 10, 2009.              Customers can return to our home page at southwest.com anytime during the promotion or follow @SouthwestAir on Twitter to find out which destination is next! After almost 38 years of service, Southwest Airlines, the nation’s leading low-fare carrier, continues to differentiate itself from other airlines—offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service.  At Southwest Airlines, there are no hidden fees. Customers can check their first two bags for free (size and weight limits apply), there are no fees for a window or aisle seat, and, as always, snacks, sodas, and smiles are all complimentary! Southwest Airlines is the most productive airline in the sky and offers Customers a comfortable traveling experience.  Southwest offers all premium leather seats and plenty of legroom with a young all-Boeing 737 fleet. Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) currently serves 65 cities in 33 states. Southwest Airlines will begin service to New York ’s LaGuardia Airport on June 28, 2009, and Boston ’s Logan International Airport on August 16, 2009. Based in Dallas , Southwest currently operates more than 3,300 flights a day and has more than 35,000 Employees systemwide.     FARE RULES Fares are only available on www.southwest.com. Southwest Airlines sale fares are available for purchase by 11:59 pm PDT on April 24, 2009, for travel May 1, 2009, through June 10, 2009.   Blackout dates apply from May 21, 2009, through May 25, 2009. Travel valid all days of the week. Roundtrip travel is required. Discount available only on southwest.com for 50 percent off the total amount of any roundtrip Wanna Get Away purchase before taxes and fees.  Seats are limited. Fares may vary by flight and day of travel and will not be available on some flights that operate during very busy travel times and holiday periods. The discount is only valid with the provided Promotion Code and is not combinable with other Promotion Codes or fares available exclusively through the web tool DING! If combining with other fares, the most restrictive fare's rules apply. Fares are nonrefundable (except for tickets purchased through our Group Tickets program) but may be applied toward the purchase of future travel on Southwest Airlines. Fares are subject to change until ticketed. Any change in itinerary may result in an increase in fare. Changes made to the itinerary after purchase may eliminate qualifications for this promotion. Standby travel requires an upgrade to the full unrestricted fare. Fares are valid on published, scheduled service only.   ... View more

by Martin Moylan, Minnesota Public Radio St. Paul, Minn. — Southwest Airlines is proving pretty popular with Minnesota travelers. Early last month, Southwest started offering roundtrip flights between the Twin Cities and Chicago's Midway airport. to read more, visit: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/04/23/southwest_msp/ ... View more

Compared with February of last year, U.S. airlines have eliminated 27,500 jobs from the industry — a drop of 6.6 percent. In February 2009, the passenger carriers had 391,700 employees working in the U.S., down from 419,200 for February 2008, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Transportation. To read more, visit: http://dallas.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2009/04/20/daily30.html?surround=lfn ... View more

by Ben Mutzabaugh Don't look for new checked bag fees on Southwest, even as Delta today became the latest airline to add a new fee on checked luggage (see below). Air Transport World (ATW) writes that Southwest CEO Gary Kelly "last week strongly rejected Wall Street advice that the (low-cost carrier) begin charging for checked baggage to generate more revenue. During a conference call to discuss SWA's third consecutive quarterly loss, multiple analysts pushed Kelly to follow other US carriers and implement baggage fees. But he insisted the move would drive away customers." to read more, visit: http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/2009/04/southwest-rejects-call-for-checkedbag-fees.html ... View more

True or False: What a company stands for — such as its mission and purpose, corporate values, treatment of employees, community involvement, sustainability practices, etc. — is as important as what it sells. As part of our research at The Purpose Institute (which is part of the advertising firm GSD&M Idea City) we asked a representative sample of 1,000 Americans that question last November.  What percentage do you think responded in the affirmative?  The answer gives a good indication of just how valid the basic assertion is that “how we do what we do is more important now than ever.” We had hoped that the number of people that found this statement “true” would be high, but we were surprised to discover that 88 percent of the respondents agreed that it was true — and this was consistent across varying levels of household income, education levels and ethnicities. To read more, visit: http://www.howsmatter.com/stand-for-something/ ... View more