Southwest Airlines Community

Many times in my past posts I’ve referenced the term “avgeek.”  This is a term that describes us airline, airplane, aviation fans who love anything and everything to do with this fascinating industry.  The avgeek population is very diverse, but we all seem to have similar traits when it comes to aviation.  I’ve listed a few signs below that may indicate you are an avgeek.  I know there are many other signs I’m missing, so please share your thoughts in the comments section below! 5)  One of your favorite restaurants to grab a meal is the In-N-Out Burger located at the end of the runway at the Los Angeles International Airport. 4)  You compete with fellow avgeeks on how many flights you’ve flown, what unique routes you’ve traveled, and the type of aircraft you’ve flown on and track them all on websites like www.flightmemory.com  (Yes, this is my lifetime domestic map so far!) 3)  You have a minimum of five airplane window view pictures like this in your mobile device photo album. 2)  As a kid, receiving a pair of these was like getting candy. 1)  You have airplane models on your desk at work.   ... View more

Over the past few weeks, Southwest Airlines has made several announcements highlighting enhancements we’ve made to better our Customers’ experiences when traveling with us.  In case you missed it, I’ve provided a brief overview of each of these new enhancements.  Our Customers have been asking for these items for some time now, so we are excited that we have been able to deliver them in time for the busy holiday travel season. Redesigned Mobile Site and Apps for iPhone and Android We’ve redesigned our Southwest Airlines mobile web site and apps for iPhone and Android giving our Customers a better and more consistent experience throughout the site and apps.  Along with the redesign, we have launched a pilot program for mobile boarding passes which began with single Passenger itineraries for nonstop and direct flights originating from Austin, TX.  Stay tuned for additional cities to be added to the list as we expand the availability of mobile boarding passes.  More detailed information outlining the enhancements to our mobile site, apps, and mobile boarding passes can be found here. Gate-To-Gate WiFi and Portable Electronic Devices Our Customers were excited to learn that they can now use small portable electronic devices (PEDs) in “airplane mode” from gate to gate.  Even better, Southwest Airlines is the only airline that now offers a gate-to-gate connectivity on the majority of our fleet.  That means our Customers can connect to WiFi at the same low price of $8 per device, all day, including stops and connections.  Customers can also enjoy free live TV compliments of DISH®* and $5 movies throughout their flights with no interruptions on their personal devices.  More information on our gate to gate connectivity can be found here. TSA Pre-Check Southwest Airlines has now joined the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) expedited screening program known as TSA Pre✓™.  Select Rapid Reward Customers who were chosen through a process establish by the TSA were invited to opt in to the program.  TSA Pre✓™ allows Customers to leave on their shoes, light outerwear, and belts as well as keep laptops and 3-1-1 compliant liquids in their bags.  Customers who are already enrolled in other trusted traveler programs, such as Global Entry, will be able to use their Known Traveler Number (KTN) when booking flights on southwest.com.  Those selected for TSA Pre✓™, will see “TSA PRE” printed on their boarding passes.  This is the indication that they are eligible for TSA Pre✓™ expedited screening.  More information on Southwest Airlines participation in TSA Pre✓™ can be found here. The TSA is also making it easier to enjoy the benefits of TSA Pre✓™ through an application process and an $85 membership fee that’s good for five years. More information about the program can be found here. *Where available.  Does not include NFL RedZone. Limited time. ... View more

Are you an aviation geek?  This past weekend, aviation geeks (also known as "av geeks") from all across the country assembled in the Seattle area, home of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, to take part in Aviation Geek Fest 2012.  The event, held at the Future of Flight Museum in Everett, WA, was the third of its kind sponsored by our friends at Boeing, The Future of Flight Museum, and Airlinereporter.com.  Attendees had multiple opportunities to learn more about certain aspects of the aviation industry.  From a Boeing factory tour, to a tour of the Paine Field fire rescue team, the planners of this event lined up some awesome behind-the-scenes and very informative tours. I was lucky enough to score a tour of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner Gallery.  The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the newest aircraft being built by Boeing, with airline deliveries coming soon.  At the gallery, prospective airlines can view all the interior options available for the 787.  The first gallery we toured featured the different types of seating airlines can choose for their aircraft. The seats ranged from economy class seats, first and business, to those ever comfortable sleeper seats.  I was fascinated by all the options available and all the decisions that need to be made when designing the interior of an aircraft.  We also saw the many options airlines have when it comes to galleys, lavatories, and seat upholstery designs.  The final area we explored was the cockpit design of the 787, and I even got to see what it feels to be in the “right seat” by sitting in a mock up of the 787 cockpit.   The Aviation Geek Fest ended with a session hosted by the Boeing Moonshine team.  I know what you are thinking—but no—these folks aren’t in the beer making business!  They are a team of talented individuals who use the “moonshine” methodology to solve a problem and/or develop a solution utilizing rapid prototyping, spending little to no money, and using what materials are on hand. This team has developed many efficiencies for the aircraft manufacturing process.  The Aviation Geek Fest was a great event for the aviation community, and if your travels ever bring you to the Seattle area, be sure to visit the Future of Flight Museum.  For details on next year’s Aviation Geek Fest, stay tuned to airlinereporter.com for updates. ... View more

Recently, I had the chance to take part in what we call a “Hokey Day”.  The first time I heard about the Hokey, I immediately thought dancing or some form of weird body movement was involved.  Luckily for me that wasn’t the case, except for the part where my Coworkers were jumping with excitement over the fact that the “Hokey Team” was there to appreciate them. Let me back up a bit and explain what a Hokey Day is.  When you serve 90.8 million bags of peanuts, 9.8 million bags of pretzels and 32 million other snacks a year, there is a high chance that some of those snacks are not going to be consumed and will end up--you guessed it--on the floor of the airplane.  So, our amazing Flight Attendants use a small manual carpet sweeper called a “Hokey” to keep our aircraft tidy in between flights (our aircraft receive a thorough cleaning at the end of the day).  This is where the Hokey name came from.  The Hokey Team travels around the Southwest Airlines system giving our Flight Crews a chance to take a break between flights and let us take care of cleaning the aircraft and preparing it for the next flight.    This time the Hokey Team traveled to Las Vegas , and here’s how it worked:  We grabbed a snack bag for the Crew in one hand and a Hokey in the other.  We then waited in the jetway for the aircraft to pull up, and once the door opened we would yell, “We’re here to appreciate you!!  It’s Hokey Day”.  After the initial shock of having a group of people standing there yelling at you, the Crew was happy to turn over the reins and let us do the work.  As you can see from the pictures  there were lots of smiling faces!   From there we jumped into action by Hokeying (sweeping) the plane, picking up newspapers and straightening seatbelts.  I must send out a reminder to the travelers out there: remember to check those seatbacks for your items!  I was amazed by the amount stuff we found in those seatbacks, and I’m happy to report that we were able to reunite a Customer with his cell phone and another Customer with her books.  Score!    At the end of the day I can say this Hokey Day was a great success!  We started out with a goal to appreciate as many of our Coworkers as we could, but so much more was gained out of it.  We made new friends, ran into old friends, and had the opportunity to visit with our Customers all while spreading the Southwest Culture.  If you are interested in seeing a Hokey Team in action, check out Christi Day’s video blog from the Los Angeles Hokey Day she attended last year.  Also, I would LUV to hear some of the things you do in your workplace to appreciate your Coworkers.       ... View more

There’s a smell of something new in the air at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport .  What is it?  It’s the smell of the brand new $431 million North Terminal, which is Southwest Airlines' new home (beginning today) in Detroit .  The North Terminal will replace the Smith Terminal, which was built back in 1957. I recently attended an open house for the new terminal, in advance of today's opening.  From the moment you enter the North Terminal, you know you are no longer in the 1950’s era Smith Terminal.  The spacious lobby houses all of the airline ticket counters and kiosks, along with two security checkpoint areas located on each end of the lobby. Once you pass through security, you really start to see the many amenities offered at this new terminal.  The concourse is bright and airy, and has a very modern feel to it.  There are so many restaurants and cafes to choose from such as TGI Fridays, Ruby Tuesday, Villa Pizza, Hockey Town Café, Coffee Beanery Cafe, Pasta Bravo, one of my favorites National Coney Island and several others.  For those of you who need a little pampering before your trip, there is also an XpresSpa.  If you need to pick up any last-minute items for your trip, you can swing by the Borders Bookstore, Brookstone, or the USA Today Travel Zone stores.  If you are picking someone up at the airport, you don't have to circle the airport or stare at the travelers coming down the escalator while waiting for your friends or family.  Instead, you can hang out in the Legend’s Bar located in the baggage claim.  Now you don’t have to dread the airport pickup anymore!         Southwest Airlines occupies gates 20, 21, and 23.  There you will find plenty of seating, including our new plush leather chairs.  Also, you may charge your computer, or other electronic devices, at one of our power stations while surfing the internet via the airport's wireless internet.       Next time you travel to or from Detroit (on Southwest Airlines of course!)  I hope you enjoy your experience at the new North Terminal. ... View more

Recently, several Southwest Airlines Employees from all across the Southwest Airlines system packed their bags, boarded a red-bellied LUV jet and headed to Oklahoma City (OKC). The purpose of this visit was to do what we here at Southwest Airlines LUV to do--appreciate our Customers. To give you a little background, the Corporate Culture Committee is made up of over 100 Employees who volunteer their time to spread and help maintain the amazing Culture we have here at Southwest Airlines. There are Teams within the Culture Committee that visit the airports we serve, our Reservations Centers, Maintenance Bases, Provisioning Bases and Flight Crew Bases to show their LUV and appreciation to the Employees at those locations. Along with showing our LUV to our fellow Employees, we also want to take time to show our LUV to our valued Customers, and that's the purpose of the Customer Support and Appreciation Team. OKC was our first Customer Appreciation visit for the year. We made sure we were at the airport first thing in the morning, so we could reach as many Customers as possible. We set up tables filled with cookies, snacks, and Southwest Airlines goodies. One of our Customers' favorite things is the laminated baggage tags we make from a business card, or for those wanting to be creative, they can design their own. It was really neat to see the kid's (and even some of the adult's) faces light up when they saw all the stickers we had for them to personalize their baggage tag. Some folks even tried to pay us, thinking that we were selling the treats and baggage tags. One thing for sure, the Southwest Airlines Culture is not for sale. It's a gift from the 34,000+ Employees who work at Southwest Airlines. So, next time you are traveling, keep an eye out for our Team, as we would LUV to visit with you and make you a baggage tag! I've included a few photos from the event and many thanks go out to our video blogger, Bob Hurst, who created the great video.   ... View more

We have a new test underway, all in the name of improving the Customer experience.  If you've traveled through the Oakland International Airport recently, you may have noticed a new feature available to help expedite the baggage checkin process.  This new feature is called the Express Bag Drop, and here's how it works.  You first need to checkin and obtain a boarding pass, which is easy to do online at southwest.com.  Once you arrive at the airport, you will find an Express Bag Drop kiosk located inside the terminal.  The kiosk contains a barcode scanner, which allows you to scan the barcode located on your printed boarding pass.  From there, the kiosk will retrieve your reservation, and you will be prompted to verify the number of bags you plan to check.  Once this step is completed, one of our Customer Service Agents will verify your identification and attach your baggage tag(s) to your bag(s).  That's it!  You're done!  Pretty simple! At Southwest Airlines, we're always looking for ways to improve your travel experience.  That's why we're evaluating this new feature, and if it proves successful, we plan to roll it out to other airports in the Southwest Airlines system.  So think of it this way--DING! You are now free to check your baggage faster and move about the country! ... View more