13
Posts
Loves Given
2437
Loves Received
0
Solutions
03-07-2012
02:37 PM
277 Loves
You know, I am not familiar with that situation and I can't speak for what the flight attendant thought. But I can say that there is always more to a story like that than gets reported, so rushing to judgement seems unwise.
What I am confident about is that every day, our flight attendants make our band one of the most recognized and respected Customer Service organizations in the world. I like to think that no matter what happened in that specific situation, our People are doing the right thing again and again in ways that might not always be reported but that will be remembered.
... View more
02-01-2012
03:08 PM
13 Loves
Makes sense, if the plane is clean it allows the pilot to easily spot leaks.
... View more
In Dallas' NorthPark Center, a village has appeared. Quirky houses, clearly made for small folks and decorated to beat the band, turn up each year to draw smiles and looks of wonder. The playhouses on display for CASA’s fundraiser offer plenty of “ooh” and “aww” moments... but please don’t hold it against me if I insist that the playhouse SWA Mechanics built is the coolest one.
It’s a killer whale – what’s cooler than that? My Coworkers’ playhouse is based on Southwest’s first specialty aircraft, Shamu One. The playhouse has a nose that extends onto landing gear, sheet metal painted like the killer whale, and realistic-looking avionics with plenty of buttons and switches for little hands.
The other thing I love about the playhouse is the way it shows off the classic SWA Mechanic personality. In my mind, at least, they’re a very detail-oriented, very soft-hearted group, and they LUV to win. It didn’t surprise me to hear Dallas Mechanic Dale Dixon say of the volunteers, “Kids were a big trigger for everybody. We’re not touchy-feely, mechanics, we’re not speaking about it, but all you have to say is ‘kids’ and we’re in.”
When our Mechanics heard about the event that raises money for CASA, they were immediately interested. CASA’s volunteers are appointed by judges to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in protective care, and the playhouses are raffled off to raise money for their efforts.
Now for the competitive part: David Mount in Southwest Communications says, “Last year’s house was great, and everyone liked it a lot. I knew once the guys saw all the creativity that had gone into the other entries, though, that they’d come back with something over the top this year, given how competitive they are.”
Over the top it is. Last year’s structure was less complex. This year, the volunteers were recruited out of Maintenance’s “special teams” like Sheet Metal Shops (for the roof) and Appearance (for the interior details like carpet, seats, and glow-in-the-dark strips). Dale says the whole hangar got excited, “People kept coming by while we were working and recommending ‘You should do this!’ We got great suggestions from a lot of people, a lot of collective support.”
Kids and grown-ups alike appreciate the details. NorthPark chose to put the house in one of the most coveted spots in the show, and CASA Executive Director Beverly Levy says that when she overhears visitors talking, “It’s ‘Shamu!’ ‘Shamu!’ everywhere I go!”
Last year, the playhouses raised over $120,000 and lots of awareness for CASA, and we in Maintenance are proud to support that effort. Be sure to get out there and see the Mechanics’ handiwork (and bid!), and click here to learn about CASA’s unique and valuable mission.
... View more
A big congratulations to Don! Thank you for keeping Southwest's fleet flying safely in the sky!!!! And a big congratulations to Southwest for having such great employees. You guys are the embodiement of Southwest Airlines!
... View more
