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Live at 35: Onboard the Inaugural Southwest Airlines Flight from Oakland to Maui with Lily Meola

tgriffith
Employee
Employee

This past Sunday, we began our service from Oakland to Kahului, Maui, and our inaugural flight was nothing short of special. Through our Employees who are from Hawaii and our Partners, we have learned so much about the beautiful culture of the Islands and we have enjoyed celebrating their rich history. As we began our first flights, we wanted to celebrate the rich music community that is on Maui.  We invited Lily Meola, an artist born and raised in Maui, to perform Live at 35 (a live performance at 35,000 feet) to be among the first to welcome our Customers to her hometown.

 

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At Southwest Airlines, our Purpose is to connect People to what’s important in their lives. We know our Customers and Employees are passionate about music, and we love to support up-and-coming musicians throughout their journeys. We combine these passions through Live at 35, our inflight concert series that brings artists onboard to perform live.

 

Lily 1.jpegLily is a local favorite in Maui and often plays shows at Charley’s Bar in Paia to serenade the crowd with her powerful vocals. She has been performing since the age of 11 and had steady gigs by the age of 16. Lily has even performed at the Luck Reunion, which Southwest is the presenting sponsor, and she’s considered part of the Luck Reunion family. Her music is inspired by stories of the people around her and stories from her life. She will even release her debut album on Interscope Records later this year.

 

The inaugural OAK-OGG flight was filled with excited Customers ready to begin their trip to Maui. Shortly into the flight, Lily and her band performed “Daydream” and “Give Me That” at the front of the aircraft. Our Customers onboard enjoyed the surprise performance, clapped along, and recorded the moment to show off to friends to share their special flight experience.

 

We also hosted a Community Appreciation event at Charley’s Bar in Paia, Lily’s neighborhood, to celebrate and connect with our Customers and the community. There were giveaways and drink specials, and Lily performed in front of a packed house. The night was full of music and laughter, and we were honored to be welcomed by this amazing community.  

 

You can visit Southwest.fm to view additional photos and videos from Lily Meola’s performance, as well as past Live at 35 performances.

 

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