Southwest Airlines Community

“Every person has his or her own unique story, and I love that about travel.” —Roberto Treviño, President of Waste Operations, Southern Enterprises     Photo by Josh HuskinFor some, a Southwest Boeing 737 is the means to get to a destination. For A-Lister Roberto Treviño, the destination is the aircraft itself. There are few places he loves more than the sky, and decades ago, Roberto promised himself he’d fly to every operating Southwest city. Thirty years later, he fulfilled his dream. In six months, Roberto visited Southwest’s 100 destinations using Rapid Rewards points. In the air, he enjoyed getting to know Southwest Employees and fellow travelers. You can find Roberto’s story and photos on Southwest Community, and you might just see his friendly face onboard your next flight. Congratulations, Roberto!   —Claire Daniel, Marketing   A Lesson a Day “My passion is education. Every day, I want to be able to say I know something that I didn’t know the day before.”   Bon Appétit “Always research the city you’re visiting. Find out what food makes that city famous, and make sure to try it!”   Why Southwest “I love everything about Southwest and everything the Company stands for. Southwest hires People with honor, integrity, and a willingness to work together.” ... View more

The following story was written by Southwest Customer J Michael   In May 2005, I was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer called Mantle Cell lymphoma. I sought medical assistance on a local level in Columbus, OH, where I quickly learned that Mantle Cell's victims had a mortality rate of about three years. Because of this cancer's rarity, all local facilities seemed to lack the vision to help me survive. I sought another option. In September of that year, I booked my first flight to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. Admittedly, I was overwhelmed! A terminal diagnosis coupled with a 1,200-mile journey with hope of staying alive is challenging! The following month I began treatment at Anderson with continued treatment locally. I routinely flew to Texas for checkups, testing, and monitoring.   Throughout my frequent trips to and from Houston, I quickly adjusted to the air traveler’s learning curve, and wised up. I began arranging my own travel and decided to fly exclusively with Southwest Airlines. Since my first Southwest flight in 2007, I have racked up nearly 500,000 Rapid Rewards points and have made as many as five round trip flights to Houston within a month. Following my stem cell transplant over the summer of 2015, an around-the-clock caregiver was required. Again, Southwest rose to the occasion! The five individuals who took shifts as my caregivers flew in from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida. I arranged all flights into and out of Hobby, and everyone arrived and returned, with Southwest never missing a beat. I finally made my way home to Columbus in October, marking my 95th Southwest flight.   Cancer is a rough, rough road, and caregivers are met not only along that road, but even in the sky. Southwest Employees became a valuable part of my caregiving team. As a cancer patient, most things in my life were out of my control, including my travel schedule. Time and time again, Southwest showed me the compassion Customers of other airlines could only dream of. From pre-dawn flights for that mid-morning appointment to accommodating flight changes due to unforeseen circumstances, it’s always been reassuring that Southwest has my back. It’s been a 12-and-a-half-year journey, and I am happy to say I am in steady remission. I will need to return to Houston for regular checkups, and I’m to have an airline that is there for me when I do. Thanks for the LUV, Southwest! ... View more

Southwest’s Campus Reach program continuously goes above and beyond to ensure its Interns are accepted into Company Culture, have positive work-life balances, and are well-equipped moving forward after the internship. A perfect example of the program’s genuine care for its Interns is Career Day. This event is an all-day opportunity for Campus Reach Interns to learn how to prepare for a full-time career. Attending Career Day for the second time as a returning Intern, I can truly say that Campus Reach not only works diligently to provide Interns with relevant and valuable direction, but also makes an honest effort to adjust Career Day’s curriculum each semester based on the Interns’ unique needs and changing trends in the HR industry.   Career Day kicked off with an Interviewing 101 session. Full-time Employees from Southwest’s People Department led the session, offering tips gathered from their personal and professional experiences. One of the session’s major takeaways was the importance of finding a job that you enjoy. Aligning seamlessly with Southwest Culture, the Interns were encouraged to consider who they are and what they love before going into an interview. The speakers advised attendees to closely evaluate their likes, dislikes, successes, and even failures throughout their collegiate—and high school—careers.   The self-awareness theme and light-hearted authenticity carried on throughout Career Day. During the interactive portion of the session, Interns engaged with one another in a series of mock interviews. We practiced elaborating on our specific skills and experiences, with an emphasis on detailed support and forward thinking. This activity fostered encouragement, constructive criticism, and honest feedback from our peers and the Campus Reach Team.    My favorite part of Career Day was the career fair. Representatives from Departments throughout the Company attended to interact with the Interns, inform them about their respective Departments, and discuss opportunities to get firsthand experience within the Department. I conversed with some phenomenal Employees who were eager to help me better understand their field of work as well as offer professional direction. Later on, I sat in several round table discussions with Representatives from different Departments who expanded on what they enjoy most about their roles. These Employees answered questions and showed genuine interest in the Interns’ career goals. They also shared their enthusiasm about the Company and discussed why Southwest’s Culture is so special.   Career Day gave me a better glimpse into the Company I love and incited zeal for my future career. I have an exceedingly positive outlook moving forward after my internship, and I am so fortunate to have guidance from the Campus Reach Team and support from my fellow Interns. While I am immensely sad to leave behind my incredible internship experience and remarkable Team, I am excited to see where the future leads my well-equipped Cohearts and me.     ... View more