Southwest Airlines Community

It probably doesn’t keep you awake at night, but it is of comfort to me that I am not the only person my age who is a total aviation (and railroad) geek.  You might find several folks of either persuasion, but finding one with both qualities is exceedingly rare.  Fortunately, George Hamlin is such a person.  We are about the same age, and George’s father-n-law worked for an airline.  At a young age, we both had an innate sense to know when our surroundings were changing, and when familiar things would become historical rarities.  For example, the new Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) opened on January 13, 1974.  If memory serves me right, that was a Sunday.  On Friday evening January 11, I took my camera to Love Field’s wonderful observation deck to record the scene for posterity.  Unfortunately, I was shooting black and white film and had a camera without a telephoto lens.  Half the country away, George also knew that aviation in North Texas would be forever changed when DFW opened, and he nonreved down here in December 1973 to spend a day at Love Field to record Love’s last few days as the primary airport in the area.  George had a nice Nikon and a telephoto lens, and his color shots provide a nice Flashback Friday perspective.  George graciously has given us permission to use some of his photos for this post. Back in 1973, Boeing 707s were still common aircraft.  The view above features no less than four examples of the four-engine classic Boeing.  The 707 on the left is being pushed back from the West Concourse, which is our current concourse at Love.  Don’t worry, we will get back to that scene on the North Concourse later. Over on the East Concourse above, we see two Continental DC-9-15s at the airline’s gates.  In the background are some Texas International and Ozark aircraft.  My father was Continental’s Station Manager at this time. Texas International had built a single-story extension off the East Concourse to house their operation, which featured DC-9-30s and Convair 600 turboprops.  Even at this relatively late date, the Convair on the right wears an older livery. Braniff was the largest carrier at Love Field, and their 727-200 above is taxiing past their maintenance base.  (The building still stands.) Three airlines operated 747s into Love at this time, American, Delta, and Braniff.  Above, we see the Braniff pumpkin heading out for its nonstop trek to Honolulu.  Notice that the driver on the bag tug has stopped to watch the view.  About a year and a half before this photo, I had taken my first 747 flight in this aircraft. Prior to the introduction of the 747, the largest airliner was the “stretch eight.”  The airplane pushing back is a Delta DC-8-61, and if my memory serves me correctly, it held about 240 passengers.  This aircraft would later be re-engined with the same CFM engines that are on the 737-700. You wouldn't believe the amount of freight, mail, and bags that fit in those long, long cargo bins. And finally, I have saved the best for last.  Here is a rare color photo of N22SW, one of the three original Southwest aircraft parked at the far end of the North Concourse next to two American 707s.  It is parked at an out of service gate.  Note that the cargo bins are closed.  The air stairs are extended on the far side of the aircraft, and if you look closely, you can see a Maintenance step ladder next to the air stairs, along with a Company pickup truck.  It looks like this is where the fuel hydrant trucks were parked also. This is the same scene a few months ago as the North Concourse was razed for the terminal modernization, which is currently underway.  ... View more

I’ve devoted a lot of space in these Flashback Fridays postings to airplanes and airports.  That’s not surprising because I love both of those two subjects, and I think that many of you also share my fascination.  But, as John Cleese says on Monty Python:  “Now for something completely different.”  The inspiration for this week’s effort came to me while I was looking through a bunch of digital photos that I hadn’t seen before.  I found the photos below that look at the evolution of the way Southwest Airlines sells tickets over the years.  And the cool thing about the photos is that some of them are in airports—Love Field for most of them.   When Southwest started, our ticketing system was an incredibly simple idea that we had borrowed from PSA in California:  Ring up the sale on an old fashioned cash register and use the receipt as a ticket receipt and boarding pass.  To fit in with our early, and admittedly suggestive, “Love Theme,” we called the cash registers “Love Machines.”  The view below is from when the Love Field Ticket counter was located on the baggage claim wing from 1974 through the early 1980s.  You can’t see it because of size limitations, but the Customer Service Agent has just rung up a $25 ticket.  The credit card imprinter is to her right, and to her left is the tiny reservations computer.  (Just to put airline computer technology in the proper context, at the time this photo was taken, I was working for Delta in Oakland, and we were using IBM Selectric typewriters as our computer terminals.)     Not too long after this scene, the terminal building was being remodeled, and during construction, parking was very limited.  Back then, you either bought your ticket from a travel agent or you went to the airport to purchase your ticket at the airport ticket counter.  The large airlines did offer a third option in some of their bigger cities.  City ticket offices (CTOs) were located in downtown areas and in some major hotels.  Southwest didn’t have CTOs so the construction would make it doubly difficult for folks to buy tickets in advance.  The solution was to update the CTO idea, and during the construction, we opened a drive-thru ticket office at the corner of Mockingbird and Cedar Springs at the entrance of the airport—see below.  Customers could stay in their cars as they purchased their tickets.  (That’s Colleen Barrett at the far left of the photo.     Since many of our Customers are business travelers who are always pressed for time, we wanted a way to speed their travel through the airport.  I started at Southwest in 1995, and I have always known the machine below as a “Quicket,” but as you can see from the ad copy, it was introduced as the “Quickie” dispensing “Quickie Tickets.”  The ad is a late example of our suggestive advertising, but it makes the point that you could buy your ticket quickly.  All you had to do was 1) insert your charge card, 2) select your destination, 3) choose one-way or roundtrip, and 4) head to the gate.  The machines were limited to just fullfare tickets and were primarily for same-day purchase and travel.     Ticketless (and a lack of repair parts) pretty much made the Quicket obsolete, but today’s kiosks are a cousin of the old airport ticketing machines.  While they don’t issue tickets, they do things the Quicket never could do like issue boarding passes and bag tags.  Here is an early version of one of our kiosks.   And since we opened this with a “behind the counter” view of our early Love Field ticket counter, I thought I would close with a modern look at one of our counters.  Instead of a cash register (oops, sorry a Love Machine) receipt, the Customer Service Agent has a computerized boarding pass and bag tag in her hands.  Aside from the cool early photos, I hope this Flashback Friday edition shows that in spite, or maybe because of, new technology, the one constant is our People, whose goal is to get you through the airport as quickly as we can and with a smile on your face.     . ... View more

Southwest Airlines Is Selected by Hispanic Business Magazine as One of the 2010 Diversity Elite 60 Southwest is included in the directory of the best companies for Hispanics Hispanic Business Magazine just announced that Southwest Airlines has been selected as one of the 2010 Diversity Elite companies in the United States. The list will be featured in the September issue of Hispanic Business Magazine. Southwest Airlines exemplified the inclusion of diversity measures in the workplace by meeting more than 32 variables that measure a company’s commitment to Hispanic hiring, promotion, marketing, philanthropy and supplier diversity. Top companies on this year’s list went well beyond workforce diversity initiatives and implemented strategies to reach more Hispanic consumers and increase their businesses with minority- and Hispanic-owned suppliers. For a more in-depth, comprehensive listing of the companies, visit www.hispanicbusiness.com during the month of September to receive a categorical breakdown of the Diversity Elite 60. “We are proud to be selected by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the top Diversity Elite 60 companies,” said Jeff Lamb, Senior Vice President of Administration and Chief People Officer at Southwest. “At Southwest Airlines, Diversity and Inclusion means having a modern and multi-faceted work force as a key competitive advantage in the national marketplace.” ABOUT HISPANIC BUSINESS MEDIA Now celebrating 30 years as an award-winning publishing and information services company, Hispanic Business Media is the nation’s leading source of information for and about Hispanic professionals and entrepreneurs. Hispanic Business Magazine is the company’s flagship publication. Other entities include www.HispanicBusiness.com, www.HireDiversity.com, HispanTelligence®, and Hispanic Business Events including the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Gala (EOY) and the Woman of the Year Awards Gala (WOY). ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES After nearly 40 years of service, Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other low fare carriers—offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest Airlines is the nation’s largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded, now serving 69 cities in 35 states. Southwest also is one of the most honored airlines in the world known for its commitment to the triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet. To read more about how Southwest is doing its part to be a good citizen, visit southwest.com/cares to read the One Report. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,200 flights a day and has nearly 35,000 Employees systemwide. www.southwest.com SOURCE Southwest Airlines ... View more

Southwest Airlines Statement Regarding the TWU 556 Executive Board Vote on the Boeing 737-800 DALLAS, Sept 15, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The decision to bring the Boeing 737-800 into the Southwest Airlines fleet moved one step closer today as the Executive Board of the Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 556, representing more than 9,700 Southwest Flight Attendants unanimously approved a tentative agreement reached with the Company. The tentative agreement will now be presented to members of TWU Local 556 for a ratification vote.   "Southwest has been evaluating the opportunity to introduce the Boeing 737-800 into our fleet as part of our domestic network, and an important step in our due diligence was to discuss contract reopener provisions for a new aircraft with our Flight Attendant and Pilot unions," said Mike Van de Ven, Southwest Airlines Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "The TWU negotiating committee quickly grasped the potential benefits along with the added operational complexities associated with adding the -800 to our fleet. The fact that we can have these discussions over the course of a couple of meetings and quickly find a common ground that is a win for our Company and our Flight Attendants is a testament to the collaboration and longterm vision of the Flight Attendants' Union Leadership." If the Company pursues the -800, a joint committee would meet to work on the logistical details related to scheduling and bidding procedures that adding a fourth Flight Attendant will require. If approved by a majority vote of the Flight Attendants, their current contract also will be extended by one year, becoming amendable May 31, 2013, and also include the potential for wage rate increases based on the Company's financial performance. The decision to add the -800 still isn't final; we are still in discussion with our Pilots Union, SWAPA, and are continuing to evaluate network and configuration options. As such, any details regarding firm orders with Boeing, timing, and quantity of deliveries are still to be determined. http://www.southwest.com/?src=PREMNAS737800STMT100915 SOURCE Southwest Airlines ... View more

Check out the link above about the razing of Boeing's Plant 2, which is next to Boeing Field.  Mark in our Dispatch Department shared this with me and he tells me that the first 277 Boeing 737s (-100s and -200s) were constructed there. ... View more

I just looked at the calendar and realized that tomorrow is September 11.  Nine years ago, that would have only meant that I was seven days closer to my birthday.  All of that changed on a beautiful late summer morning, and now, I dread looking at the September calendar.  I keep wanting September 11 to be just another day, but it is too soon for that. However, over the last nine years, we have learned that life does go on.  Some days dawn as brilliantly beautiful as that September morning in 2001, and some days are gray all day.  One of the benefits of being an old fogey who has unfortunately lived through his share of traumatic days is the knowledge that life will go on.  After John Kennedy’s assassination, the eruption of Mt. St. Helens, and the Challenger explosion, life went on.  We move ahead.  We smile again.  We laugh again.  And yes, we even cry again. But, we don't forget. We can never forget, as much as we would want.  And the most fleeting stimulus will take us back to one of those days.  Seeing footage of President Kennedy waving from his limousine moments before we lost our innocence or hearing a recording of those words, “Challenger, you are clear for throttle up” is all it takes to bring a tear to my eye.  It’s been harder to avoid those stimuli with the aftermath of 9/11, especially for those of us in the industry because not only are there emotional issues, 9/11 changed the way we do our jobs.  On our Employee blog today, we have a post from one of our Flight Attendants, who at the time worked for one of the airlines who lost an airplane on 9/11.  She had been scheduled to take one of those flights, but was switched to another at the last moment. Her account took me back to the uncertainty and horror of that beautiful summer morning.  One of the Employees who commented on the post also worked for her airline, and he had two friends that were cleared on the flight as standbys at the last minute. Like the Kennedy assassination which stole the innocence of a society that knew it could accomplish great things, 9/11 destroyed the innocence of the way that air travel unites people across space and cultures.  While the innocence has been destroyed, the ability to unite time, distance, and especially cultures is more important than ever.  We were able to move ahead, smile and laugh again thanks to those of you who stepped back on an airplane on September 14 and the millions and millions of air travelers over the nine years since who have demonstrated their resolve to overcome not only time and distance, but the closed minds of a handful of individuals for whom tolerance and understanding are meaningless. Next year will be the tenth anniversary of 9/11, and it will be a big event.  But we don’t need to wait a year to remember those folks who were just going about their daily activities whether it was going to their office or catching/working a flight to the coast.   We honor the many, many heroes who gave their all so that others would see other September 11ths.   And, we contemplate our own mortality and the fickleness of fate that might move one of us from danger while moving others into harm's way.  Remember the day. ... View more

I am one of those people who wish that the Baltimore Airport  had kept its BAL airport code and the original name, Friendship Airport.  That way, Southwest could serve both Love and Friendship, but I understand the airport’s wish to be associated with Washington D.C.  through the Baltimore/Washington International Airport title and BWI airport code.  Still, it is a nice thought.  Don’t worry, I hope to explore the Friendship days at BWI in a later Flashback Fridays post, but this week, I wanted to look at Southwest Airlines early history at BWI, which was significant for our Company. On September 15, 1993, Southwest finally became a transcontinental carrier when we began service to BWI.  Although we didn’t have transcon nonstops at the time, the addition of BWI now allowed our route map to extend from San Francisco Bay on the Pacific to Chesapeake Bay on the Atlantic.  Given the airport’s importance to Southwest today, it’s hard to imagine that we began our BWI service with just eight daily flights, all to either Cleveland or Chicago Midway.  In the photo above, we see a large portion of the station’s entire “fleet” of ramp vehicles.  The Delta 757 across the ramp gives an idea of the competition we faced going into BWI. Speaking of competition, we weren’t the only carrier beginning BWI service in the fall of 1993.  A few weeks later, Continental “Lite” would begin service using their  “peanut fare” monicker, and they had their posters on display in the terminal. Folks passing through the airport already had this “coming soon” poster that the airport authority used to explain the remodeling. As the birthplace of Babe Ruth, is it any wonder Baltimore is such a great baseball town?  America’s favorite pastime played a large role in our opening ceremonies.  In the photo above, we see former Orioles great Boog Powell with the Oriole mascot and BWI Station Leader Pat Edwards and his wife, Bethany.  Baseball ruled BWI Opening Day, and it looks like there was some kind of contest bases on hitting a ball off of a tee (hopefully, a whiffle ball and not a real baseball!).  Looks like the woman above could have used some coaching from Boog on her t-ball stance. School children wearing Southwest baseball caps were also a part of the opening ceremonies.  Our gate podiums with their dark finish looked like they belonged in a five-star restaurant as a reception station (above). And here is the waiting area at Gate C-8.  It’s hard to imagine any BWI gate area this empty today. Finally, you know I had to have more airplane photos.  Here’s a couple of shots of Shamu (N334SW) taxing into the gate on what I assume is the first arrival.  Dean Cooney is the Ramp Agent. Even back then, it appears we knew BWI was headed for great things.  The October/November 1993 issue of our Employee magazine, LUVLines was already calling our BWI Station, “the Beast of the East,” and it continues to anchor our East Coast operations. ... View more

Southwest Airlines Reports August Traffic DALLAS, Sept 08, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) announced today that the Company flew 7.1 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) in August 2010, a 6.4 percent increase from the RPMs flown in August 2009. Available seat miles (ASMs) increased 3.7 percent to 8.7 billion from the August 2009 level of 8.3 billion. The load factor for the month was 82.3 percent, compared to 80.2 percent for the same period last year. For August 2010, passenger revenue per ASM is estimated to have increased in the 15 to 16 percent range as compared to August 2009. For the eight months ended August 31, 2010, Southwest flew 52.0 billion RPMs, compared to 50.5 billion RPMs flown for the same period in 2009, an increase of 2.9 percent. Available seat miles decreased 1.8 percent to 65.6 billion from the 2009 level of 66.8 billion. The year-to-date load factor was 79.3 percent, compared to 75.6 percent for the same period last year. This release, as well as past news releases on Southwest, are available online at southwest.com.                                 SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.                       PRELIMINARY COMPARATIVE TRAFFIC STATISTICS                                                 AUGUST                                               ------                                   2010                   2009  CHANGE                                   ----                   ----  ------     Revenue passengers      carried                 7,775,342              7,519,413     3.4 %     Enplaned passengers      9,504,071              8,890,924     6.9 %     Revenue passenger miles      (000)                   7,121,411              6,693,859     6.4 %     Available seat miles      (000)                   8,650,648              8,343,899     3.7 %     Load factor                   82.3%                  80.2%  2.1pts     Average length of haul         916                    890     2.9 %     Trips flown                 97,392                 95,405     2.1 %                                           YEAR-TO-DATE                                         ------------                                   2010                   2009  CHANGE                                   ----                   ----  ------     Revenue passengers      carried                58,802,307             58,032,738     1.3 %     Enplaned passengers     70,753,740             68,001,351     4.0 %     Revenue passenger miles      (000)                  51,976,714             50,509,694     2.9 %     Available seat miles      (000)                  65,565,442             66,772,132    (1.8)%     Load factor                   79.3%                  75.6%  3.7pts     Average length of haul         884                    870     1.6 %     Trips flown                745,171                762,874    (2.3)%                                    ***   SOURCE Southwest Airlines ... View more

Our current poll, just below this posting on the home page of Nuts About Southwest asks for your input about content of which you would like to see more.  We hope you will respond, and if you would like to leave a comment about the poll, please do so in this post. ... View more

So far in these weekly series looking back at Southwest Airline’s history, we have devoted a lot of space to Dallas Love Field.  That’s understandable because our Headquarters is here and this was our original Crew and Maintenance base.  Most of the photos were taken here because of that.  However, we have two other cities—Houston and San Antonio—that complete the “Texas Triangle” of original cities.  I’ve found almost zero early photos of our first Houston operation at Intercontinental, but this week, I’d thought we would look at a few I found from San Antonio.   If Dallas has always been our operational home, San Antonio is the place Southwest was born.  Our two Founders, Herb Kelleher and Rollin King, lived there and met there.  Herb was a San Antonio lawyer who helped Rollin liquidate his small airline that was serving the Rio Grande Valley from San Antonio.  Herb’s legal secretary in San Antonio was our President Emeritus Colleen Barrett.  Along the way, and most of it in the bar at the St. Anthony Hotel, the idea for Southwest was born.  If that weren’t enough by itself, San Antonio has produced a large share of our Leadership from Herb and Colleen to our current Chairman, President, and CEO, Gary Kelly.  Ron Ricks, our Executive Vice President Corporate Services and former CEO, Jim Parker all have San Antonio ties.  That’s the tip of the San Antonio “iceberg” at Southwest. So what did the San Antonio facility look like shortly after Herb and Rollin’s baby took to the sky?  In our archives, I found three very early photos of the airport’s interior.  The first one above illustrates how folks traveled in the early 70s.  Note the Customer with the hat, and look at all the women carrying makeup cases.  It appears there is a businesswoman with her briefcase in the center of the photo, so things were changing.  If you look closely you can see one of the cash register that dispensed tickets.   The ticket counter was located in the original terminal (which is now called Terminal Two), and this side view of our counter shows just how small it really was.  Look carefully because there is no ticket counter to the side of ours.  Am I right in remembering that it was located away from those belonging to the other airlines?  It’s kind of hard to read, given the size limitations we have for photos here, but the signs behind the counter are advertising a fare sale to Dallas. The gate area above was rather Spartan, and again, if I remember correctly, it had no windows.  You walked through a door in the wall to enter the jetbridge.  The lady standing by herself is giving a suspicious look to the photographer.  San Antonio has a rich history of individuality and independence.  After all, it is the site of the Alamo where Texans rebelled against the established order.  It really isn’t surprising that an airline founded and led by San Antonians would be unique and rebellious. ... View more

Southwest Airlines Increases Number of Hospitals Nationwide in its 2011 Medical Transportation Grant Program   DALLAS, Sept 01, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Southwest Airlines announced today plans to increase the number of hospitals and medical transportation organizations that will receive grants in the airline’s 2011 Medical Transportation Grant Program. Southwest has nearly doubled the grant program’s 2011 budget with hopes of assisting more than 5,500 patients and family members with their medical related travel needs. Southwest Airlines understands that many patients with chronic or terminal illnesses have to travel for their appointments or treatments. In hope of easing some of this burden, Southwest Airlines created a formal program to assist patients during this difficult time. Through the Southwest Airlines Medical Transportation Grant Program (MTGP), the airline provides complimentary, roundtrip tickets to hospitals and medical transportation nonprofit organizations. The tickets are distributed by the organizations to deserving patients and their caregivers who must travel for medical care. Only 501©3 qualified hospitals and organizations are eligible to apply for the program. The 2011 application is now available online and is due by Oct. 25, 2010. Apply today by visiting: http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/share_the_spirit/medical_transportation.html?src=PREMMEDICGRANT100901 “The number of applicants to the program has grown exponentially since its inception three years ago,” said Linda Rutherford, Southwest Airlines Vice President of Communication and Strategic Outreach. “Southwest’s program is unique, and we want to provide help to more families in need through our 2011 grant program.” In 2010, Southwest increased its ticket allocation to medical organizations by 23 percent to donate $1.2 million in transportation to 29 institutions that then provided tickets to patients and family members in need. To see a full list of 2010 participating hospitals and medical organizations, please visit: http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/share_the_spirit/medical_transportation.html?src=PREMMEDICGRANT100901. To read an excerpt from a few of the families who received free transportation through a grant in 2009, visit Southwest Airlines Nuts About Southwest blog: www.blogsouthwest.com. To learn qualifications for travel assistance through the designated organizations, please contact the Social Work, Travel/Concierge Service, or Patient Assistance Department directly at each location, which each have unique guidelines for administration of tickets. About Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines’ “Share the Spirit” program embodies the Culture of positive impact in the communities it serves, demonstrated through Southwest’s charitable giving, Employee volunteerism, and community relations programs. Southwest Airlines is one of the most honored airlines in the world, consistently appearing on FORTUNE Magazine’s “Most Admired Companies” list. After 39 years of service, Southwest Airlines, the nation’s leading low-fare carrier, continues to stand above other airlines – offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) now serves 69 cities in 35 states. Southwest also is one of the most honored airlines in the world known for its commitment to the triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet. To read more about how Southwest is doing its part to be a good citizen, visit southwest.com/cares to read the One Report. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,200 flights a day and has nearly 35,000 Employees systemwide who work hard each and every day to provide excellent Customer Service and make a difference in the community. To learn more about Southwest’s community involvement, visit www.southwest.com/cares. SOURCE Southwest Airlines ... View more

If you are of college age, you probably are getting ready to head back to school.  Or maybe you are a parent getting your kids ready for another school year.  This time of year, Southwest Airlines acts like a big blue and red school bus taking college students back to their campuses.  You are also creating memories that will be important to you when you are an old codger like me. Isn’t it funny how little things can transport you back to an earlier time?  This weekend I was listening to XM Sirrus’s 70s channel, and they were replaying Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 show from the last week of August, 1971.  The songs were the anthems of my youth, and I got to thinking about where I was when this show was airing live. I was in Dallas, and a few weeks after the original show ran, I would begin my sophomore year at Southern Methodist University.  Little did I know that the year would be one of my two best school years ever.  The first was sixth grade in Room 2 at Center Street Elementary in El Segundo, California—next to Los Angeles International.  My family had moved there the previous year, and in fifth grade I was pretty much an outsider from Texas.  By my sixth grade year, I was an accepted part of the class.  (I even found other aviation geeks)  It was a tumultuous, fast-paced, emotional, and wonderful year.  Probably the high point of the year was a week away at Outdoor School in the mountains east of Los Angeles.  I still remember the night hike when the full moon lit the landscape like a street lamp.  During the day, our guides took us to see the San Andreas Fault, and they showed us a big crack in the land.  That year, our class even marched en masse to the principal to complain about a substitute teacher.  The Dodgers won the World Series in October, John Kennedy died in November, one of my classmate’s father was a Green Beret in a far off land in Southeast Asia, Vietnam, and The Beatles made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Whenever I hear one of their early songs like “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” in my mind I am sitting with my classmates David, Ivy, and Martin in our group of four desks there in Room 2. My sophomore year in college was a blur of self-awareness, and like sixth grade, bonding.  Because I was late to apply for housing on campus, I was assigned to the small former football dorm, Letterman Hall.  Besides holding no more than 100 students, if that many, it was SMU’s first coed dormitory.  This was my first time living away from home, and with the exception of a few short periods, I never returned to the “nest.”  The dorm became a tight-knit community, and in spite of 100 or so single early “twenty somethings” confined to a small area, relationships remained platonic.  It seemed like I was doing something every waking moment (well, except for studying—it wasn’t my best academic year, I’m afraid).  A large chunk of my time was spent as News Director of the campus radio station, KSMU, which used carrier wires to transmit to the dorms.  Like the Deltas from Animal House, we took road trips to Texas Tech and Baylor.  James Taylor, Carole King, Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” are the immediate music memories of the year, but I also learned all the lyrics to Don McLean’s megahit “American Pie” under unusual conditions.  But, that’s a whole ‘nother story. So, those are my two best school years ever.  Both years involved personal growth, bonding, and music.  I can hear a song from the early 70s and tell you what I was doing the first time I heard it.  What was your best school year, and what was the soundtrack of that year? ... View more

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES AND CONTINENTAL AIRLINES ENTER INTO SLOT LEASE AT NEWARK LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (EWR)   DALLAS—Aug. 27, 2010—Southwest Airlines and Continental Airlines confirmed today that they entered into a lease providing Southwest Airlines access to 36 Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) slots which are currently held by Continental.  The lease deal, contingent upon the closing of the Continental and United airlines’ merger by Nov. 30, 2010, and certain governmental approvals, would give Southwest Airlines the right to operate up to 18 daily roundtrip flights at Newark, New Jersey, with some flights beginning in March 2011 and a full schedule in place by June 2011. The slots are spread throughout the day and would allow Southwest the ability to integrate Newark service conveniently into its extensive national route network.  “We are excited by the opportunity to initiate service from Newark, New Jersey, and we plan to enable that service starting next March through continued flight schedule optimization using our existing fleet,” said Bob Jordan, Southwest Airlines Executive Vice President of Strategy and Planning. “We’ve seen tremendous demand for Southwest Airlines in the New York City/Newark area in the past year.  Customers are clamoring for our unique brand of hospitality, great value, low fares, extensive flight network, and our terrific Employees who deliver outstanding Customer Service. Adding Newark provides an excellent complement to our LaGuardia and Long Island service, giving Customers one more option for travel to and from the greater New York City/New Jersey area. This service also will provide a needed injection of low fares and competition into the New York/Newark market.”  Southwest is working with the Federal Aviation Administration, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Continental and United Airlines to finalize arrangements for commencing its Newark service in March 2011, including the approval of the acquisition of the necessary airport gates and facilities.  Details on what cities Southwest will serve from Newark and on what dates that service will begin have not yet been determined.  “The divestiture of slots at Newark by the combined Continental/United will ensure competition is enhanced, and we appreciate the Department of Justice’s role in finding a fair solution,” Jordan said.  After 39 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 nation's largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded and currently serves 69 cities in 35 states. Southwest also is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for its commitment to the triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet. To read more about how Southwest is doing its part to be a good citizen, visit southwest.com/cares to read the Southwest Airlines One Report™.  Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,200 flights a day and has nearly 35,000 Employees systemwide.  When shopping for Southwest online, it's important to know that Southwest Airlines’ low fares are only available at http://www.southwest.com/?src=PREMNASEWRANNOUNC100827. This news release contains forward-looking statements related to Southwest’s lease of slots at Newark Liberty International Airport and its related plans and expectations. These statements are based on Southwest’s current intent, beliefs, and expectations and are not guarantees of future results. These statements also involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by them. Factors include, among others, (i) the timely closing of the Continental and United airlines’ merger, (ii) receipt of necessary governmental approvals and the timing thereof, (iii) approval of the acquisition of the necessary airport gates and facilities and the timing thereof, and (iv) changes in consumer demand and preferences related to the Company’s service and changes in the Company’s overall business plan and strategies. ### ... View more

On our internal video newscast this week, we are highlighting our Branded Entertainment program where Southwest features prominently in a television series or in a movie.  Thanks to our Branded Entertainment Team, Southwest is featured prominently in the new movie Going the Distance which opens on September 3.  One of our most successful Branded Entertainment relationships was the A&E Network show, Airline from a few years ago.  Each week cameras would follow our Employees as they did their daily jobs, and the show lives forever on the cable channels. However, Flashback Fridays isn’t about current and trendy, it’s about retro and the past, the obscure and/or forgotten.  Following up to last week’s post about celebrities flying Southwest in our early days, I have found what is probably our first instance of Branded Entertainment—and it was a biggie. Anyone who lived through the 1960s and 1970s will instantly recognize Jim Lange and the set of The Dating Game.  (More about the women by his side in a minute.)  Each episode featured a trio of “eligible” bachelors or bachelorettes who were kept hidden from an equally eligible single individual.  Sometimes a single man chose from three women, and at others, a woman would chose from three men.  I guess it was revolutionary to have women “asking” for dates—but cultural significance was never the highlight of The Dating Game.  The featured “dater” was given a few minutes to quiz the trio of “datees” by using humorous (at least that was the intent) questions filled with double meanings.  At the end of the quizzing, a datee was chosen to go on a date (chaperoned, of course) with the dater.  This process was repeated in the second half of the 30-minute episode with four new people.  Some of the soon to be famous and already famous people to appear on the show included:  Farah Fawcett, Steve Martin, Burt Reynolds, Phil Hartman, Michael Jackson, Sally Field, Ron Howard, and yes, Paul Lynde.  In addition to these luminaries, two of our Flight Attendants, Deborah Franklin (to the left of Jim) and CJ Bostic appeared on the show in 1973. The date on the negatives is January 24, 1973, and this would be our first formal instance of Branded Entertainment.  For a little airline operating between three cities in Texas, this was a big pop culture event (although we didn’t call it pop culture back then).  A photographer recorded the big day; however, I understand that ABC only kept a small amount of the video tapes from this timeperiod.  The photo above shows CJ and Deborah with the production staff. CJ looks on while Deborah is made up. One of these lucky guys will be Deborah’s date.  Deborah is on the other side of the wall asking questions, and they won’t be able to see each other until she selects her date. At the end of the show, the two couples join Jim onstage, and here he is shaking hands with CJ and her date. And then the photo above shows the big finale when Jim sends the couples off on their dates.  The show always closed with everyone throwing a kiss to the audience.  Jim and Deborah must have finished before the rest and she looks bemused or a bit embarrassed.  It would be another seven years before Southwest flew to California, but already our fame had spread nationwide thanks to our Employees and this early version of Branded Entertainment. ... View more

I thought I would “mine” the back issues of Southwest Airlines Magazine one more time because as I was researching last week’s post, I kept running across photos of “unusual people” who were flying our first flights.  I mean unusual in the best possible sense as referring to those folks who are either famous or wearing costumes of some sort.  As you can see from the photos below, my findings run the gamut from one of the biggest Hollywood stars ever to clowns and apes. At least according to the magazine’s pages it took a few years after our June 1971 inaugural for the weird and famous to start showing up on our aircraft.  In particular 1974 was a banner year.  In the August 1974 issue, we have Ronald McDonald (above) on one of our flights.  This was actually the year the first Ronald McDonald House opened in Philadelphia, and although it predates our association with the charity, it shows our roots go back a long way. As seen in the photo above from the next month’s edition, not all clowns are as docile as Ronald.  Here we see “the world’s tallest clown” next to one of our aircraft.  The caption states that he conducted onboard “balloon clinics” and handed out circus tickets. One of the most recognizable men from the early days of broadcasting, Art Linkletter, had flown with us earlier that year, and in the picture above from the January 1974 issue, he is speaking with two of our original Pilots. There’s no really good way to transition to the photo above from the December issue.  A San Antonio magician and makeup artist who worked on the Planet of the Apes meets one of our Flight Attendants. Not all of the characters who preferred to travel in costume had as much national recognition as the ape.  Above we see the “Old Prospector” from Dallas’s National Bank of Commerce surrounded by our Flight Attendants in this photo from the April 1975 issue. If you are talking about star power, Kirk Douglas defines that term.  From Spartacus to Lust for Life, his roles transcended the big screen.  And the accomplished actor didn’t need a costume to fly Southwest. The photo above shows Mr. Douglas with Lamar and Dallas Mayor Pro Tem George Allen at Love Field in the July 1975 photo.   That same month, a bear and his friends had to commute to the house at Pooh Corner, and they flew Southwest Airlines to Dallas.  Remember, this was the 1970s so don’t judge the eyes of Pooh’s friends too harshly. All kidding aside, I think these photos show that Southwest was starting to appeal to travelers (and bears!) from all kinds of backgrounds.  Even today, you could be seated next to the biggest pop culture icon, a former president, or the neighbor next door. ... View more

Today August 19 is the 139th anniversary of  Orville Wright's birthday.  Celebrating the birthday of the first man to pilot a powered airplane would be reason enough to recognize the day, but wait there’s more.  Today is also National Aviation Day.  Lest you think this is some kind of modern day manufactured marketing holiday, it isn’t.  It was established in 1939 by President Franklin Roosevelt to promote interest in aviation and to celebrate the world's first Pilot. Stop for a moment and consider the state of aviation in August of 1939.  A few days after the first National Aviation Day, Hitler would invade Poland on September 1 throwing Europe into World War II.  A year later in August 1940, the Nazis ruled mainland Europe, and the United Kingdom was all alone.  Seventy years ago, a handful of courageous  airmen of the Royal Air Force in their Hurricanes and Spitfires were holding on by a thread against the previously unstoppable German Luftwaffe.  The tide would turn in September when the RAF gained the upper hand in the skies over England, and German invasion plans were thwarted.  British Prime Minister Churchill wrote:  “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”  Stateside in 1939, the Douglas DC-3 was the workhorse of the airline industry.  Airlines could finally make more carrying passengers than they could the mail.  A transcontinental flight took 18 hours or so with multiple en route stops.  Pan Am’s Clippers were flying between the World’s Fair on Treasure Island in San Francisco to Honolulu, Midway, Wake, Guam, and Manila.  On the world’s longest overwater flight leg between California and Hawaii, more often than not the Clippers would reach their midway point without enough fuel to make Honolulu due to headwinds and would have to return to San Francisco to refuel and try again. Aviation fueled the imagination back then, probably because anyone who flew onboard an airplane was considered somewhat of a risk taker or daredevil.  Thankfully, aviation today is thousands of times safer than the inaugural year of National Aviation Day.  But has the fascination with aviation died?  After having attended Air Venture 2010 at Oshkosh this year, I think aviation, even commercial aviation, still holds our wonder and amazement.  We had several thousand folks tour our aircraft on display.  And after 56 years of my first flight in, what else, a DC-3, I still love to fly and watch aircraft.  To me there is nothing better than a window seat on a clear day.  On my way to Oshkosh, I sat in a row with a father and his daughter.  From what I could tell, neither had flown much.  In fact, it may have been their first flight.  I originally had the window seat, but I could see their fascination with watching the ground below, so once the seat belt light went off, we changed seats.  It was a perfect day for flying, and feeling their excitement as they picked out towns as we flew over Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin was contagious.  Our approach into Milwaukee took us out over Lake Michigan, and it was the perfect end for their first flight.  So take a moment today on National Aviation Day and have an aviation conversation with someone.  If you know a young person who has an interest in airplanes, take time to talk to them.  On your next flight, stop and look around at the wonder of modern aviation and think of Orville Wright strapped on a flimsy cloth-covered airplane.    ... View more

Frances, one of our Flight Attendants, sent us this link from her hometown paper, the Austin American-Statesman.  The photo makes our airplane look like part of the presidentail fleet ... View more

Southwest Airlines Celebrates One Year at Boston Logan Carrier Marks Year of Phenomenal Growth at Logan with Daylong Celebration at its Gates in Terminal E On August 16, 2009, Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) started its Boston Logan (BOS) service with ten daily nonstop flights to two destinations, Chicago Midway and Baltimore/Washington International. Today, the carrier celebrates its first successful year at BOS—a year marked by growth in service, growth in the number of Southwest Employees, and facility growth with the addition of a third gate at its location in Terminal E. The airline now offers 25 daily nonstops to five cities (Chicago Midway, Baltimore/Washington International, Denver, St. Louis, and Philadelphia). And, in early Sept. Southwest adds one additional nonstop between BOS and Phoenix. Not bad for the first year! “Our first year in Boston has exceeded expectations on many levels,” said Southwest Airlines Station Leader Brian Kunkel. “The growth we have experienced here at Logan is truly a testament to our hardworking Employees and their dedication to our Customers to provide that legendary Customer Service our Company is known for.” “Boston Logan congratulates Southwest Airlines on their first year anniversary,” said Massport’s Director of Aviation Edward C. Freni. “Their growth in one year has been impressive and working with the airline we have made considerable investments to renovate and expand their gate areas to accommodate future growth.” Southwest Airlines marks its first year at Boston Logan with a day-long celebration at its gates at Terminal E. Gates will be decorated with balloons and other decorations and Employees will be playing “gate games” with Customers—prizes include the chance to win roundtrip tickets anywhere Southwest flies! And, a live band will be playing at the carrier’s new spacious facility addition between gates E1B and E1C. This celebration is a way for the carrier to show its appreciation to its Employees and Customers who made the first year so successful. Southwest Employees also Shared the Spirit for their first anniversary by volunteering at the Curtis Guild School in East Boston. Last year, more than two dozen Southwest Employees participated in such projects as planting flowers and bushes, cleaning and organizing classrooms and painting an enormous 12′×80′ mural located along the school’s playground. On Monday, Employees returned to the school to help prepare classrooms for the new school year, as well as touch up the mural. The Airline’s Employees proudly Share the Spirit through volunteering in the communities where they work and live. When shopping for Southwest online, it’s important to know that Southwest Airlines’ low fares are only available online at http://www.southwest.com/?src=PREMNASBOSP000000100917. Not only will Customers find Southwest’s great rates online, but the site also hosts Southwest’s Travel Guide where Customers can check out Boston travel tips posted by travelers who frequent Beantown. To also commemorate this milestone, the carrier has introduced a double credit Rapid Rewards frequent flyer promotion when Members travel to/from all three Boston Area Airports (Boston Logan, Manchester, NH, or Providence, RI), from August 12 through October 31. Rapid Rewards Members can earn two credits for every one-way flight (four credits when traveling roundtrip), and at that rate, Members can earn a free* flight after just four roundtrip flights. To qualify, Rapid Rewards Members must register or join prior to travel by visiting:www.southwest.com/bostondoublecredit. Members must register and book their flights between August 12, 2010, and September 15, 2010, for travel August 12, 2010 through October 31, 2010. After 39 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 nation’s largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded and now serves 69 cities in 35 states. Southwest also is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for its commitment to the triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet. To read more about how Southwest is doing its part to be a good citizen, visit southwest.com/cares to read the One Report. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,200 flights a day and has nearly 35,000 Employees systemwide Terms & Conditions * The Rapid Rewards Award is free, but travel is subject to the government-imposed September 11 Security Fee of up to $10 per roundtrip. Travel good on Southwest Airlines published, scheduled service. One additional credit per one-way will be issued regardless of fare purchased. Business Select Customers will receive 2.25 for flights less than 750 miles and 3.0 for flights 750 or longer. Member must register for this promotion between August 12, 2010, and September 15, 2010, and registration must be completed prior to commencement of travel. Reservation must be booked between August 12, 2010, and September 15, 2010 for travel into or out of Boston Logan, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in Manchester, NH, or T.F. Green Airport in Providence, RI. Qualifying travel must be flown August 12, 2010 through October 31, 2010. Rapid Rewards account number must be entered at time of booking. Travel on Award or Companion Pass does not qualify for promotion. Bonus credits do not count toward A-List qualification. Rapid Rewards credit will post to your account within four days of completing travel. Changes made to the itinerary after purchase may eliminate qualification for this promotion. All Rapid Rewards rules and regulations apply. www.southwest.com SOURCE Southwest Airlines ... View more

I love looking at old magazines.  One of my prized possessions is a complete set of Trains magazine dating back to the first issue in November 1940.  My Coworkers think my obsessions are a bit odd, especially when I made a special request of my Fellow Teammembers who were with me in advance of AirVenture 2010 in Wisconsin.  I asked them to take me to 1027 North Seventh Street in Milwaukee.  For years, this was the home of Kalmbach Publishing, the publishers of Trains.  Why would I know that address?  Because the magazine made a huge deal out of their address with “1027” as part of the title for several regular features and readers would send in photos of rail equipment with that number.  One of my favorite things to do is look through the back issues here in the office of our first inflight magazine, Southwest Airlines Magazine.  Today, our magazine, Spirit, is one of the best, and we feature a monthly preview here at Nuts About Southwest.  However, during the 1970s Southwest Airlines Magazine was put together with the help of the Bloom Agency who used to do our advertising and PR.  The old magazines have ads for long-lost Dallas hot spots like The Royal Coach Inn and European Crossroads.  Each issue also had a news section guaranteed to have photos of our Flight Attendants (their title back then was Hostess) in their hot pants.  It looks like the staff would scour the Dallas area (and later the state) to find ways to show off our Employees.   The photo above from the October 1972 issue ties in my love of planes and trains (and okay, pretty women in hot pants.)  At the time the photo was taken, Dallas was the largest city in the nation without passenger train service, and Union Station was deserted, except for the freight trains passing by on the outer tracks.  However, as a nerd with a double degree (aviation geek and ferroequinologist), I have to confess that Sally is committing a cardinal sin in the photo by walking where she shouldn’t.  Walking on top of rails is extremely dangerous, so don’t try this at home, even if you are wearing boots and hot pants. In the picture above from the June 1972 issue, Southwest Magazine chronicles one of the strangest events, at least to me, in Southwest’s early history.  Southwest purchased a fleet of American Motors Gremlins, painted them up in our original livery, and gave them to our sales staff to call on Customers.  At least they didn’t choose a Pinto or a Vega, but you have to wonder if valet parking attendants tried to hide these at the back of the parking lot. And just about the time that the resale value of all those Gremlins had plunged to nothing, the February 1975 issue has a photo of a drivable, scale model Gremlin being given to our President Lamar Muse from the well-known (at the time) San Antonio auto dealer, Al Komray. And drive it did.  One of our San Antonio Ramp Agents, Larry Dzieranowski, utilized the miniature's three-horsepower engine to drive it in the 1975 San Antonio St. Patrick's Day Parade.  Incidentally, Larry is still an active Employee.   ... View more