I LUV Southwest. I fly Southwest whenever I am able because (after flying the competitors) you can see the commitment of every Southwest employee to the stated goals of the organization. The triple bottom line report is fantastic, and I applaud the idea that a sustainable company, that has happy and valued employees, and takes their footprint on the planet we all share seriously will make the customer happy as a result.
The problem is, in one area of Southwest's strategy, I am supremely disappointed. I have been getting a couple of Southwest Visa card applications a month in the mail. I love the benefits, fly Southwest all the time, would love to get the frequent flyer benefits, and am pleased with the terms of the card. I would have long ago signed up, if it were not for the affiliation with Chase.
It seems a betrayal of Southwest's corporate culture and commitment to environmentally sustainable operations to offer a card through the financier of mountaintop removal coal mining in West VA. I am an active volunteer in my area's mountain trail association in Missouri. To see what coal mining companies are doing to the Appalachian mountains breaks my heart. I can not abide my card fees and interest being poured into such a short-sighted and environmentally destructive practice as mountaintop removal mining. I find it hard to reconcile that Southwest flies planes over the flattened and denuded areas where this mining occurs, but still partners with the company that makes it possible.
So, today, I am looking at my Chase/Southwest card application fall into my recycling bin, again.
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