Southwest Airlines Community

In celebration of the new attraction at Walt Disney World Resort, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Southwest Airlines flew 23 aspiring chefs from Louisiana to embark upon a culinary adventure of a lifetime in Orlando’s Walt Disney World. In partnership with New Orleans & Company, Visit Orlando, and Walt Disney World, we had the opportunity to whisk these young chefs away onboard a flight from New Orleans to Orlando and back after a few days of nonstop fun.     Disney’s new attraction was inspired by the movie, “The Princess and The Frog,” highlighting Tiana and her love for cooking. Tiana’s character was modeled after the late, great Leah Chase who was known as the Queen of Creole Cuisine and owner of the famed New Orleans restaurant Dooky Chase’s. One early summer Friday in New Orleans, the aspiring chefs were invited to the restaurant where they thought they were stopping by for “advice” and instead were surprised with a trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando!   Fast forward to mid-July, where we greeted them at the gate area of their flight to Orlando with a classic New Orleans party, thanks to the MSY Southwest Team and our partners. New Orleans & Company orchestrated a jazz band to parade around before departure and sure enough, the students, Southwest Employees, Customers, and bystanders were celebrating with a second line –just another Tuesday in the bayou state! Disney provided Mardi Gras-themed popcorn, coloring books, and Tiana trading pins while Visit Orlando shared bright orange sunglasses with all Customers as they boarded. We also surprised everyone inflight with Tiana’s cookbook full of creole recipes as a keepsake from the trip.    Both Stella Chase, Leah’s daughter and Zoe Chase, Leah’s great-granddaughter joined the trip, inspiring these young ladies with advice along their four-day journey, which included a group ride down the bayou of Tiana’s Great Adventure, along with a special meet and greet with Princess Tiana herself. While the ride was the main attraction, the chefs were dazzled by the magic of Walt Disney World with culinary experiences from Disney Catering Events, tours of famed restaurants, and advice from seasoned executive chefs at the Most Magical Place on Earth.   We loved cooking up a good time with everyone in the gate area and on their flights as we hosted this talented group who, like Princess Tiana, is ‘Almost There’ in reaching their dreams. A big shout out to the schools that have poured into these students as they embark upon their culinary dream - New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute, Warren Easton High School, New Orleans Career Center, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, and Café Reconcile. Lastly, we’re grateful for our longstanding relationship with Walt Disney World, Visit Orlando, and New Orleans & Company for allowing us to play a role in this trip of a lifetime!   ... View more

When Kevin reached out to share that he built a Southwest-themed flight simulator in his garage, we knew we had to see it!         Kevin fell in love with flying at the early age of eight after his first flight from Rochester, New York, to New York City. Despite his appreciation of aviation, Kevin could not become a Pilot due to his vision. Kevin didn’t let this setback deter him from his passion; instead, he adjusted his flight plan to fly from his home!   It all started 20 years ago with a joystick and a computer screen acting as a flight simulator, and from there, his setup expanded. Kevin soon had to move everything into his garage as his gadgets and displays grew. In his new space, Kevin began assembling his very own flight sim. In 2020, Kevin felt it was time to show his sim some LUV and headed down to the print shop to add the Southwest colors and logo to the exterior of his sim.   Back in December, Kevin invited the Southwest Team to his house to check out his simulator and tell us a bit about its history. After taking off in his simulator from Love Field, he showed us the routes he flies around the DFW metroplex, pointing out many Dallas landmarks. After wrapping up at Kevin’s home, the Southwest Team invited him to the state-of-the-art simulator bay at “our home.”     After meeting with the flight instructor, Kevin flew a route in and out of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. He then tried his hand around the Dallas area, a route he often flies in his simulator. Kevin completed the route with ease, a natural pro in the sim. Thank you for spending the day with the Southwest Team, Kevin. We loved seeing your sim, and we hope you enjoyed your time in ours!   Check out more of our adventures at community.southwest.com ... View more

As millions watched the total solar eclipse in awe from the ground earlier today, a lucky group of travelers got to experience the incredible phenomenon at 35,000 feet!      Southwest hosted a unique inflight “Solarbration” with Customers including festive eclipse-themed glasses, napkins, and cosmic cocktails (one per Customer; 21+).       Southwest Solarbration flights that were within the path of the eclipse included:  Southwest Flight #1252: departed Dallas (Love Field) for Pittsburgh    Southwest Flight #1721: departed Austin for Indianapolis    Southwest Flight #1910: departed St. Louis for Houston (Hobby)       Leading up to the eclipse in March, in partnership with Omni Hotels, Southwest Airlines hosted a Solarbration Sweepstakes, awarding two winners an out-of-this-world eclipse experience. The winners and their guests enjoyed a decked-out eclipse-themed Omni Hotel room in the departure cities of Austin and Dallas, then headed to the airport to begin their celestial adventure aboard a Southwest Airlines flight within the eclipse path. For these flights, the glasses, napkins and stir-sticks were provided by Omni and included a luggage tag with special offers.      The whole world was looking up today, and we were over the moon to leverage our place in the sky by extending an opportunity to observe this phenomenon close up on several Southwest flights in the path of totality.    ... View more

Are you ready for the biggest celestial event of the year? On April 8, 2024, the United States will experience a total solar eclipse for the last time until 2044.      In partnership with Omni Hotels & Resorts, Southwest Airlines ® is hosting a Solarbration sweepstakes with the chance for two lucky winners and their guest to receive a total eclipse experience*. Winners will enjoy a prize package that includes air travel on a flight that Southwest Network and Schedule Planners predict will be in the direct path of the eclipse and a stay in an eclipse-themed hotel room. Beginning today through March 11, 2024, consumers can visit www.eclipsesweepstakes.com to enter for a chance to secure their seat for an out-of-this-world experience.     And what’s a Solarbration without some fun-LUVing décor? The winners will stay in an Omni hotel room inspired by the biggest celestial event of the year before and after their flight.     The following flights have been identified as having the greatest likelihood of offering Customers onboard the best view** of the eclipse and are included as sweepstakes prize options:     Southwest Flight #1252: departs Dallas (Love Field) at 12:40 p.m. CDT for Pittsburgh     Southwest Flight #1721: departs Austin at 12:50 p.m. CDT for Indianapolis        * NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.  A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.  Open to legal residents of 50 United States and the District of Columbia (excluding Alaska and Rhode Island) age 21 or older at the time of entry. Void where prohibited. Limit one entry per person. All fields must be completed. Approximate retail value of prize: $2,200. For complete details and Official Rules, visit www.eclipsesweepstakes.com. By submitting this entry, you agree to the Official Rules. By entering, information collected will be used in accordance with Sponsor's Privacy Policy at Southwest.com/privacy. Sponsor: Southwest Airlines Co., 2702 Love Field Drive, Dallas, TX 75235. Enter by March 11, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. CT.     **Looking directly at the sun is never recommended, but one can safely observe an eclipse with specialty-rated solar filters provided inflight.     ... View more

Southwest Airlines is planning for a record number of holiday travelers this year and as we look to extend our world class Hospitality, we’ve developed helpful tips for Customers as they begin prepping for their holiday travels.    We look forward to serving our Customers this holiday season and hope these holiday tips help ease the travel experience:   Set a check-in reminder and use the app: Be sure to check in 24 hours in advance to get the best possible boarding position. And if you download the Southwest App, you can check in for your flight while you’re on the go.   Airport arrival: Give yourself enough time at the airport. Arrive at least two hours prior to your flight to allow time to check your bags, receive your boarding passes, go through security, and grab some snacks before your flight departs. Flights typically begin boarding 30 minutes prior to their scheduled departure time. Learn more at Southwest.com.   Family boarding: Traveling with kids ages six and younger? You can take part in Family Boarding, which is right after the “A” group boards and just before the “B” group begins boarding.   Bags fly free: Bags fly free* on Southwest Airlines. Customers can check up to two bags for free, so don’t worry about what you’ll do with those holiday presents you need to take home. (Each checked bag can weigh 50 pounds or less and be 62 inches in size). Additionally, Southwest Airlines has recently implemented digital bag tracking for Customers, which means Customers can check their bags via Southwest.com, the Southwest app, or mobile web during the online check-in process and print baggage tags at the airport. Learn more at Southwest.com.   Gifts: Wait before you wrap! TSA may want to check the packages that you are taking through security, so make sure you wait until you arrive at your destination before wrapping your gifts. Can’t wait? You can check them. On Southwest, bags fly free*, so go ahead and wrap your gifts and check them for your trip home for the holidays. (Each checked bag can weigh 50 pounds or less and be 62 inches in size). A Southwest Gift Card also makes a great gift and is easy to pack.   Carry-on: Carry-on items are limited to one bag plus one smaller, personal-type item. Southwest Airlines limits carry-on bag dimensions to 10x16x24 inches.   Must haves: Be sure to bring your own personal device and charge it prior to departure so you can enjoy the Southwest Entertainment Portal.   Entertainment: Southwest Airlines offers free inflight entertainment, including movies, live TV, and On Demand TV series. The selection of family-friendly movies includes favorites like Despicable Me, Madagascar, Shrek, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and more. The Southwest Inflight Entertainment Portal also features On Demand TV series like Blippi Learns, Go Buster, Little Baby Bum, and My Magic Pet Morphle to offer fun for the whole family. Southwest offers $8 Internet (free for our A-List Preferred Members and Business Select Customers) per device from takeoff to landing.   Snacks: Be sure you pack plenty of snacks for the kids. Southwest serves Remy’s Grahams during morning flights and snack mix on all flights but sometimes you need a little more to keep the kids busy.   Paws: Your furry friend can fly home with you for the holidays, too. Small cats and dogs are allowed on Southwest Airlines; their carrier takes the place of your carry-on. For more information on the policy, please visit Southwest.com/pets.   Southwest wishes you a happy holiday season wherever your travels take you!   ... View more

Today is Mardi Gras, and as a Company that employs nearly 200 Employees in New Orleans and with Louisiana fans across our Network, we decided to party with Customers on a flight route from Dallas Love Field to New Orleans before they hit the parade route!   Dallas Celebration We had some fun before boarding the flight with Mardi Gras Bingo in the gate area, where the winner was surprised with a year’s worth of Community Coffee, the beloved coffee brand of Louisiana, and our inflight coffee partner. Customers danced their way down a decorated jet bridge to Mardi Gras music and received beads and masks before boarding the flight. A Southwest Pilot even donned a mask for a quick photo before takeoff. Once at altitude, we offered a free drink for all Customers to kick off the weekend.   New Orleans Celebration   The real excitement came when Customers began to deplane and were greeted with a second line, brass band, and Community Coffee gift bags featuring Mardi Gras King Cake specialty coffee, welcoming them to New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras!   As the airline with Heart, we always strive to give our Passengers a little lagniappe or “something extra” when they fly with us.  ... View more