San Jose Sharks Team Up with Southwest Airlines All-Star Employees

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Southwest Airlines is thrilled to be The Official Airline of the San Jose Sharks, connecting Customers in the San Jose community to what’s important in their lives. Southwest is proudly the largest carrier at San José Mineta International Airport (SJC), offering up to 97 departures a day to 27 cities, with several daily flights to California, Hawaii, and Nevada.

Sharks hockey players, William Eklund, Nico Sturm, and Mackenzie Blackwood try their hand at running airline operation; photo courtesy of San Jose Sharks

Aloha Days

In celebration of this partnership, Southwest and the San Jose Sharks teamed up to Surprise & Delight Customers and Sharks fans with Aloha Shirts leading up to Southwest’s “Summer in January” themed night at the Sharks game held on Jan. 20. Lucky Southwest Customers were given Aloha Shirts as they boarded a flight headed from SJC to Honolulu (HNL), as a way to celebrate our nonstop service from SJC to HNL and get Customers excited for the upcoming Sharks game. Additionally, Sharks fans at the Jan. 20 game were also Surprised & Delighted with the same Aloha Shirts to wear at the game and show off their Sharks and Southwest spirit!

Trading Places

Last week, the two teams came back together for a fin-tastic event! Sharks players Nico Sturm, William Eklund, Mackenzie Blackwood, and beloved mascot S.J. Sharkie, traded the ice rink for the ramp as they tried their hand at learning what it takes to run the airline operation at SJC.

S.J. Sharkie marshalling aircraft; photo courtesy of SJC Ramp Supervisor, Mike P.

Sharks players and S.J. Sharkie “traded places with our Southwest SJC Pros” and started their shift on the tarmac with our Ramp Agents, learning the ropes on how to marshal in an aircraft as well as how to handle and sort bags. They then worked their way up to the aircraft, learning from our Pilots and Flight Attendants. When it came time to board, the team Surprised & Delighted Southwest’s Employees and Customers in the gate area taking photos, making gate announcements, and helping Customers board the aircraft by scanning boarding passes.

Sharks hockey player, William Eklund, and S.J. Sharkie loading baggage; photo courtesy of San Jose Sharks

Southwest Captain Curtis H. and Sharks hockey player, Nico Sturm, in flight deck

Sharks hockey players, William Eklund and Mackenzie Blackwood making gate announcements; photo courtesy of San Jose Sharks

A special thanks to all our San Jose Employees and Flight Crew as well as our airport partners at SJC for making this nothing short of an All-Star Performance! While Sturm, Eklund, Blackwood, and S.J. Sharkie are returning to the ice rink, they will always be welcomed back anytime as honorary Southwest Employees.

Southwest’s San Jose All-Star Ground Ops Employees and Sharks hockey players, William Eklund, Nico Sturm, and Mackenzie Blackwood on the ramp; photo courtesy of San Jose Sharks