| Southwest Airlines | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| IATA WN | ICAO SWA | Callsign SOUTHWEST |
| Founded | 1971 | |
| Focus cities |
| |
| Frequent flyer program | Rapid Rewards | |
| Fleet size | 533 | |
| Destinations | 64 | |
| Company slogan | A Symbol of Freedom / You Are Now Free to Move About The Country | |
| Headquarters | Dallas, Texas | |
| Key people | Gary C. Kelly (Chairman and CEO) Herb Kelleher (co-founder) Laura Wright (CFO) Colleen Barrett (President) | |
| Website: http://www.southwest.com | ||
Southwest Airlines Co. This is a list of Airline codes. The table lists the IATA airline designators the ICAO airline designators and the airline call signs (telephony designator This is a list of Airline codes. The table lists the IATA airline designators the ICAO airline designators and the airline call signs (telephony designator This is a list of Airline codes. The table lists the IATA airline designators the ICAO airline designators and the airline call signs (telephony designator In the Airline industry a focus city is a location that is not a hub, but from which the airline has non-stop flights to several destinations other than its hubs McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada. Chicago Midway International Airport, also known simply as Midway Airport or Midway, is an Airport in Chicago Illinois, United States Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a joint civil-military public Airport located three miles (5 km east of the Central business district of Phoenix Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport serves the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area ( U Oakland International Airport ( also known as Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, is a public Airport located ten miles (15 km) south of William P Hobby Airport is a public Airport located 8 miles (13 km) southeast of the Central business district of Houston, Texas Dallas Love Field is a city-owned public-use Airport located five Nautical miles (9 km) northwest of the Central business district of Los Angeles International Airport is the primary Airport serving Los Angeles, California, the second-most populated metropolitan area of San Diego International Airport, also known as Lindbergh Field, is a public Airport located three miles (five km) northwest of the Central business Nashville International Airport is an airport in southeastern Nashville Tennessee. Denver International Airport, often called DIA, is by land size at, the largest international Airport in the United States, and the second largest A frequent flyer program (FFP is a Loyalty program offered by many Airlines. Southwest Airlines Co ( is an American low-cost Airline based in Dallas Texas, with its largest focus city at Las Vegas ' McCarran Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Gary C Kelly is the Chief executive officer and Chairman of Southwest Airlines. A chief executive officer ( CEO) or chief executive is typically the highest-ranking corporate officer ( executive) or administrator Herbert D Kelleher (born March 12, 1931) is the co-founder and former Chairman and CEO of Southwest Airlines (based in the Colleen Barrett is the former President and Corporate Secretary of Southwest Airlines. President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. (NYSE: LUV) is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas, with its largest focus city at Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport. The New York Stock Exchange ( NYSE) is a Stock exchange based in New York City. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An airline provides air transport services for Passengers or Freight, generally with a recognized operating certificate or license Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada. It is the largest airline in the United States by number of passengers carried domestically per year and (as of December 31, 2007) also the largest airline in the world by number of passengers carried. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the There are several methods to measure the size of an airline so several different lists of the world's largest airlines are available [7] It is also the 6th largest U. S. airline by revenue. [8] It also maintains the fourth-largest fleet of aircraft among all of the world's commercial airlines. There are several methods to measure the size of an airline so several different lists of the world's largest airlines are available (Tied 4th place with Northwest Airlines)
Southwest Airlines has carried more customers than any other U. Northwest Airlines Inc (often abbreviated NWA) is the principal subsidiary S. airline since August 2006 for combined domestic and international passengers according to the U. S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics. [9] Southwest Airlines is one of the world's most profitable airlines and in January 2008, posted a profit for the 35th consecutive year. [10]
Contents |
History
Southwest Airlines was originally incorporated to serve three cities in Texas as Air Southwest on March 15, 1967, by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher. Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Herbert D Kelleher (born March 12, 1931) is the co-founder and former Chairman and CEO of Southwest Airlines (based in the According to frequently-cited story, King described the concept to Kelleher over dinner by drawing on a paper napkin a triangle symbolizing the routes. (Dallas, Houston, San Antonio)[11]
Some of the incumbent airlines of the time (Braniff, Trans-Texas, and Continental Airlines) initiated legal action, and thus began a three-year legal battle to keep Air Southwest on the ground. Braniff International Airways was an American Airline that existed from 1928 until 1982 Texas International Airlines was a United States Airline, known from 1944 until 1947 as Aviation Enterprises and until 1969 as Trans-Texas Airways Continental Airlines Inc ( is a United States certificated air carrier. Air Southwest eventually prevailed in the Texas Supreme Court, which ultimately upheld Air Southwest's right to fly in Texas. The Texas Supreme Court is the court of last resort for non-criminal matters (including Juvenile delinquency which the law considers to be a civil matter and not criminal Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. [12] The decision became final on December 7, 1970, when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case without comment. Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. [13] That date is considered by many to be the de facto beginning of deregulation in the airline industry. Deregulation, a term which gained widespread currency in the period 1970-2000 can be seen as a process by which governments remove reduce or simplify Restrictions on Business
The story of Southwest's legal fight was turned into a children's book, Gumwrappers and Goggles by Winifred Barnum in 1983. Winifred Barnum (also know as Winifred Barnum-Newman is a children's Author and Illustrator. In the story, TJ Love, a small jet, is taken to court by two larger jets to keep him from their hangar, and then to try and stop him from flying at all. Taken to court, TJ Love's right to fly is upheld after an impassioned plea from The Lawyer. While no company names are mentioned in the book, TJ Love's colors are those of Southwest Airlines, and the two other jets are colored in Braniff and Continental's colors. The Lawyer is designed to resemble Herb Kelleher. The book was adapted into a stage musical, Show your Spirit, sponsored by Southwest Airlines, and played only in towns serviced by the airline. [14]
Southwest Airlines founder Herb Kelleher studied California-based Pacific Southwest Airlines extensively and used many of the airline's ideas to form the corporate culture at Southwest, and even on early flights used the same "Long Legs And Short Nights" theme for stewardesses on board typical Southwest Airlines flights. Pacific Southwest Airlines was an Airline headquartered in San Diego California.
The airline adopted the first profit-sharing plan in the U. S. airline industry in 1973. Through this plan and others, employees own about 10 percent of the company stock. Software for Fixed assets management and Stock control developed in 2004.
The airline is about 87 percent unionized. The pilots are represented by the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association, a union separate from the much larger ALPA union.
First flights
In early 1971, Air Southwest changed its name to Southwest Airlines, and the first flight was on June 18, 1971. Events 618 - Coronation of the Chinese governor Li Yuan as Emperor Gaozu of Tang, the new Emperor of China, initiating three centuries Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Its first flights were from Love Field in Dallas to Houston and San Antonio,[15] short hops with no-frills service and a simple fare structure, features that became the basis for Southwest's popularity and rapid growth in the coming years. Dallas Love Field is a city-owned public-use Airport located five Nautical miles (9 km) northwest of the Central business district of
The start of service in June 1971 was accomplished with three 737-200 aircraft; a fourth was added in September of the same year. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
Over time, Southwest has added improved 737 variants but has stayed within the Boeing 737 family to hold down operating costs. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Because this technique simplified training, maintenance, and ground operations, it revolutionized the industry's approach to building aircraft fleets.
In January 2005, Southwest retired its last 737-200, the oldest type in its fleet. To celebrate "putting the -200s to bed", selected employees donned Southwest pajamas for an early morning flight to celebrate the final landing at Dallas Love.
Early losses and financial troubles
The rest of 1971 and 1972 saw operating losses. One of the four aircraft was sold to Frontier Airlines and the proceeds used to make payroll and cover other expenses. Frontier Airlines was formed by a merger of Arizona Airways, Challenger Airlines, and Monarch Airlines on June 1 1950, with headquarters Southwest continued to operate a schedule predicated on four aircraft but using only three, and in so doing the "ten minute turn" was born, and was the standard ground time for many years. [16]
Southwest turned its first annual profit in 1973, and has done so every year since — a record unmatched by any other commercial airline. [17] Southwest has used financial techniques such as fuel hedging to bolster its profitability and counteract many of the fiscal disadvantages of operating an airline. Fuel Hedging is a Contractual tool used by some Airlines to stabilize Jet fuel costs
By 1979 Southwest served all of the cities currently served in Texas, plus Beaumont and interstate service began to New Orleans (1979), and Albuquerque (1980) Oklahoma City (1980), and Tulsa (1980) were added shortly thereafter. In 1981 Southwest co-launched the 737-300 with USAir. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout US Airways Inc is the fifth largest Airline in the United States. In 1982 the first expansion beyond the Texas area took Southwest to the West Coast, adding Phoenix, Las Vegas and San Diego. In late 1984 the 737-300 was placed into service. Chicago Midway and St. Louis service began in March 1985, spreading low-fare service into Midwest markets.
Southwest hired its first African-American pilot, Louis Freeman, in 1980. In 1992, he was named the first African-American chief pilot of any major U. The pilot in command (PIC of an Aircraft is the person aboard the aircraft who is ultimately responsible for its operation and safety during flight S. airline. [18]
Hedging fuel
Southwest has a longtime program to hedge fuel prices. Portland International Airport is the largest airport in the U In Finance, a hedge is an investment that is taken out specifically to reduce or cancel out the Risk in another investment Jet fuel is a type of Aviation fuel designed for use in Aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It has purchased fuel options years in advance to smooth out fluctuations in fuel costs. Options are financial instruments that convey the right but not the obligation to engage in a future transaction on some Underlying security, or in a Futures
In 2000, Southwest said it had "adjusted its hedging strategy" to "utilize financial derivative instruments. . . when it appears the Company can take advantage of market conditions. " Additionally, the company hoped to "take advantage of historically low jet fuel prices. " SEC statement Southwest's decision proved to be a prescient and, for a time, extremely profitable effort.
To lock in the low historical prices Southwest believed were occurring at that time, Southwest used a mixture of swaps and call options to secure fuel in future years while paying prices they believed were low. SWAP is the EUV imager onboard Proba-2. SWAP is an acronym for "Sun Watcher Using APS and image processing" Example of a call option on a stock Buy a call The buyer expects that the price may go up The company also stated that with this new strategy, it faced substantial risks if the oil prices continued to go down, but they did not. Previously, Southwest had been more interested in reducing volatility of oil prices. Now, they hoped to reap large gains from oil price appreciation.
In 2001, Southwest again substantially increased its hedging in response to projections of increased crude oil prices. The use of these hedges helped Southwest maintain its profitability during the oil shocks related to the Iraq War and later Hurricane Katrina. The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States
According to an annual report, here is the company's fuel hedge for forward years ("approximate" per barrel basis, as of mid-January): 2007 is 95% hedged at $50/barrel; 2008 is 65% hedged at $49/barrel; 2009 is over 50% hedged at $51/barrel; 2010 is over 25% hedged at $63/barrel; 2011 is over 15% hedged at $64/barrel; 2012 is 15% hedged at $63/barrel.
According to its 2006 Annual Report, Southwest paid low prices for fuel thanks to the benefit of fuel hedges:
- 2004 - 82. 8 cents/gallon
- 2005 - 103. 3 cents/gallon
- 2006 - 153. 0 cents/gallon
These are well below market rates, which Southwest factors into its low operating costs. operating cost are the recurring expenses which are related to the operation of a business or to the operation of a device component piece of equipment or facility However, this below-market oil cost will not continue forever; executives have said that Southwest faces increased exposure to the raw oil market every year. This is not a good sign for the airline, which is also facing tough competition from US legacy carriers that have lowered costs through bankruptcy. Southwest CEO Gary Kelly has decided to slow the airline's growth as a response to this cost.
Some analysts have argued against the style of profit-motivated energy trading Southwest did between 1999 and the early 2000s. They suggested that rather than hedging business risk, (such as a hedge on weather to a farmer), Southwest was simply speculating on energy prices, without a formal rationale for doing so. [19]
At present, Southwest has enjoyed much positive press (and a strong financial boost) from its energy trading skills. [20][21][22] However, while most analysts agree that volatility hedges can be beneficial,[23] speculative hedges are not widely supported as a continuing strategy for profits. [24]
Southwest. com
On March 16, 1995, Southwest became one of the first airlines to have a web site. Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Originally called the "Southwest Airlines Home Gate", customers could view schedules, a route map, and company information at http://www.iflyswa.com. [25] The company later obtained the rights to its current home on the web, southwest. com, from an unaffiliated business. Southwest consistently rejects syndicating its fares to fare search sites such as expedia.com or orbitz.com. Expedia is an Internet -based Travel agency and a part of Expedia Inc Orbitz Worldwide is an Internet travel company headquartered in Chicago Illinois. [26]
Southwest. com is the number one airline web site for online revenue, according to PhoCusWright. Nielsen/Netratings also reports that Southwest. Nielsen Ratings are audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research to determine the Audience size and composition of television com is the largest airline site in terms of unique visitors. [27] In 2006, 70 percent of flight bookings and 73 percent of revenue was generated from bookings on southwest. com. As of June 2007, 69 percent of Southwest passengers checked in for their flights online or at a kiosk. [27]
Violations of safety requirements
On March 6, 2008, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors submitted documents to the United States Congress, alleging that Southwest allowed 117 of its aircraft to fly carrying passengers despite the fact that the planes were "not airworthy" according to air safety investigators. The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation with authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses [28] In some cases the planes were allowed to fly for up to 30 months after the inspection deadlines had passed, rendering them unfit to fly. Records indicate that thousands of passengers were flown on aircraft deemed unsafe by federal standards. Southwest declined comment at the time, and US Representative James Oberstar advised a hearing would be held. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. James Louis "Jim" Oberstar (born September 10 1934) is a United States politician [29][30]
On March 12, 2008, Southwest Airlines voluntarily grounded 44 planes to check if they needed further inspection. Federal Aviation Administration claims that Southwest Airlines flew almost 60,000 flights without fuselage inspection. The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation with authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of Southwest Airlines could be facing a $10. 2 million fine if they violated FAA regulations. There have also been rumors that the FAA knew about Southwest Airlines violations but decided not to fine the airline because it would disrupt the service of Southwest. [31]
Leadership
Southwest Airlines is headed by Gary C. Kelly. Gary C Kelly is the Chief executive officer and Chairman of Southwest Airlines. Kelly has served as the airline's CEO since 1994, and was named chairman on May 21, 2008, replacing previous Southwest Airlines CEO and co-founder Herb Kelleher. A chief executive officer ( CEO) or chief executive is typically the highest-ranking corporate officer ( executive) or administrator Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Herbert D Kelleher (born March 12, 1931) is the co-founder and former Chairman and CEO of Southwest Airlines (based in the Kelly will also become president of Southwest Airlines later this year, replacing Colleen Barrett when her contract expires on July 15, 2008. President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. Colleen Barrett is the former President and Corporate Secretary of Southwest Airlines. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common [32]
The Wright Amendment
After the opening of Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Airport, which was the original name of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in 1974, Southwest was the only airline to remain at Love Field. The Wright Amendment of 1979 is a federal law governing traffic at Dallas's Love Field Airport. Dallas Love Field is a city-owned public-use Airport located five Nautical miles (9 km) northwest of the Central business district of California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean.
When airline deregulation came in 1978, Southwest began planning to offer interstate service from Love Field. Airline deregulation is the process of removing entry and price restrictions on airlines affecting in particular the carriers permitted to serve specific routes This caused a number of interest groups affiliated with Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport, including the city of Fort Worth, to push the Wright Amendment through Congress to restrict such flights. Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas and the seventeenth-largest city in the United States. The Wright Amendment of 1979 is a federal law governing traffic at Dallas's Love Field Airport. [33] Under the restrictions of the amendment, Southwest, and all other airlines, were barred from operating, or even ticketing passengers on flights from Love Field to destinations beyond the states immediately surrounding Texas. In effect, to travel through Love Field, a passenger and luggage would have to deplane and fly on a separate ticket, on a separate aircraft.
The Wright Amendment's restrictions didn't apply to aircraft configured with 56 or fewer seats. In 2000, Legend Airlines attempted to operate long distance business-class flights using older DC-9s with 56 seats, but did not have the resources to survive American's legal and marketing attacks, and quickly ceased operations. Legend Airlines was an Airline that flew primarily from Love Field, Dallas, Texas, USA for a matter of months during the year WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout American Airlines Inc (AA is a US -based airline and the world's Largest airline in total passenger miles transported and passenger fleet size Southwest has not used the 56 seat loophole, even with its market strength at Love Field and the availability of more modern regional jets such as the CRJ-700/900 and the Embraer ERJ 145 family. A regional airliner is a small Airliner designed to fly between 35 and 100 passengers from point to point on short-haul flights Bombardier Aerospace is a division of the Bombardier group It is the third largest aircraft company in the world in terms of yearly delivery of commercial airplanes (behind WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
Southwest's efforts to repeal or even alter the Wright Amendment had been met with opposition from American Airlines and Dallas Ft. The Wright Amendment of 1979 is a federal law governing traffic at Dallas's Love Field Airport. American Airlines Inc (AA is a US -based airline and the world's Largest airline in total passenger miles transported and passenger fleet size Worth International Airport. Both American Airlines and DFW contended that repeal of the Wright Amendment restrictions would cripple DFW,[34] while Southwest contended that repeal of the Wright Amendment would be beneficial to both Love Field and DFW. [17] Continental Airlines has a successful hub and spoke operation at Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport despite unrestricted competition from Southwest at Houston Hobby Airport. Continental Airlines Inc ( is a United States certificated air carrier. The hub-and-spoke distribution paradigm (or model or network) is a system of connections arranged like a chariot wheel in which all traffic moves along George Bush Intercontinental Airport is an International airport in the city of Houston, Texas, United States serving the Greater Houston William P Hobby Airport is a public Airport located 8 miles (13 km) southeast of the Central business district of Houston, Texas
In 1997, Southwest's effort began to pay off with the Shelby Amendment, which added the states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kansas to the list of permissible destination states. Richard Craig Shelby (born May 6 1934) sometimes known as Dick Shelby, is an American politician. Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. Mississippi ( is a state located in the Deep South of the United States Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " Southwest now offers service between Dallas Love Field and Jackson, MS, via a connection at Houston, which it couldn't do prior to the enactment of the Shelby Amendment.
Since late 2004, Southwest has actively sought the full repeal of the Wright Amendment restrictions. In late 2005, Missouri was added to the list of permissible destination states via a transportation appropriations bill. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee New service from Love Field to St. Louis and Kansas City quickly started in December 2005.
At a June 15, 2006 joint press conference held by the City of Dallas, the City of Ft. Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Worth, Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport, American Airlines, and Southwest Airlines, the said parties announced a tentative agreement on how the Wright Amendment was to be phased out. Both the U. S. Senate and House of Representatives passed Wright-related legislation on September 29, 2006, and it was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 13, 2006. Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Events 54 - Nero ascends to the Roman throne 409 - Vandals and Alans crossed the Pyrenees Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The new law became effective on October 16, 2006, when the FAA Administrator notified Congress that any new aviation operations occurring as a result of the new law could be accommodated without adverse effect to the airspace. Events 456 - Magister militum Ricimer defeats the Emperor Avitus at Piacenza and becomes master of the western Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
Southwest started selling tickets under the new law on October 19, 2006. The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. Portland International Airport is the largest airport in the U Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Highlights of the agreement are the immediate elimination of through-ticketing prohibitions, and unrestricted flights to domestic destinations eight years after the legislation takes effect. This agreement was a resounding victory for Southwest Airlines because nationwide service became possible, and the law defined the maximum number of gates at Love Field. Southwest controls all of the Love Field gates except for the two each that American and Continental control. The future of the Legend Airlines terminal for use by commercial airlines is in doubt because of the limit on number of gates.
Southwest remains the dominant passenger airline at Love Field, maintains its headquarters, hangars, and flight simulators adjacent thereto, and reflects its ties to Love Field in its ticker symbol (LUV). A stock symbol or ticker symbol is a Mnemonic used to uniquely identify publicly-traded shares of a Corporation on a particular Stock market
Despite the restrictions on its home base, Southwest proceeded to build a successful business on an unusual model: flying multiple short, quick trips into the secondary (more efficient and less costly) airports of major cities, using primarily only one aircraft type, the Boeing 737. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
Destinations
Southwest Airlines currently flies to 64 destinations throughout the United States. This is a list of destinations that Southwest Airlines currently serves (as of September 2008) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The airline added its 64th destination on August 26, 2007 when it resumed service from San Francisco, California. Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean.
Current service
Southwest does not use the more traditional "hub and spoke" flight routing system of most other major airlines, preferring instead the "Point to Point" system. William P Hobby Airport is a public Airport located 8 miles (13 km) southeast of the Central business district of Houston, Texas WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The hub-and-spoke distribution paradigm (or model or network) is a system of connections arranged like a chariot wheel in which all traffic moves along Point-to-point transit refers to a transportation system where a plane bus or train travels directly to a destination rather than going through a central hub as opposed to the Currently, Southwest serves 64 cities in 32 states, with more than 3,300 flights a day. It has notably large operations in certain airports. Las Vegas's McCarran International Airport has non-stop service to all but ten of Southwest's locations. McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada. [35] Other airports with large Southwest operations include Chicago Midway International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Orlando International Airport, Tampa International Airport and Houston's William P. Hobby Airport, with all of these airports operating non-stop flights to more than half of the Southwest system. Chicago Midway International Airport, also known simply as Midway Airport or Midway, is an Airport in Chicago Illinois, United States Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a joint civil-military public Airport located three miles (5 km east of the Central business district of Phoenix Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport serves the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area ( U Tampa International Airport is a public Airport located six miles (10 km) west of the Central business district of Tampa, in Hillsborough William P Hobby Airport is a public Airport located 8 miles (13 km) southeast of the Central business district of Houston, Texas An average of 80 percent of Southwest passengers are local passengers, meaning only 20 percent of all passengers are connecting passengers. This is significantly higher than most airlines, where passengers often connect in hub cities. [36]
As part of its effort to control costs, Southwest tries to use secondary airports which generally have lower costs and may, or may not be, more convenient to travelers than the major airports to the same destinations. For example, Southwest flies to Midway Airport in Chicago, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and West Palm Beach in South Florida, Love Field in Dallas, Hobby Airport in Houston, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in Manchester, New Hampshire, and T. F. Green Airport in Providence, Rhode Island, instead of O'Hare International Airport, Miami International Airport, DFW International, IAH Intercontinental in Houston, and Logan International Airport in Boston, respectively. Chicago Midway International Airport, also known simply as Midway Airport or Midway, is an Airport in Chicago Illinois, United States Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is an international commercial Airport located in Dania Beach, three miles (5 km) southwest of the Dallas Love Field is a city-owned public-use Airport located five Nautical miles (9 km) northwest of the Central business district of William P Hobby Airport is a public Airport located 8 miles (13 km) southeast of the Central business district of Houston, Texas Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, commonly referred to simply as " Manchester Airport," is a public Airport located three miles (5 km south of the Manchester is the largest city in the US state of New Hampshire and the largest city of northern New England, an area composed of Vermont, T F Green International Airport, also known as Theodore Francis Green State Airport, is a public Airport located in Warwick, six miles (10 Miami International Airport is a public Airport located eight miles (13 km) northwest of the Central business district of Miami, in unincorporated George Bush Intercontinental Airport is an International airport in the city of Houston, Texas, United States serving the Greater Houston Southwest also serves the New York Metropolitan area at Long Island MacArthur Airport. See also Transportation in New York City Long Island MacArthur Airport is a public Airport located on Long Island, in Ronkonkoma
Southwest makes exceptions to the philosophy of serving secondary airports by flying into some larger airports in major cities, such as Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Lambert St. Louis International Airport, Orlando International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Philadelphia International, Denver International Airport, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International and Pittsburgh International. Bob Hope Airport ( is a public Airport located three miles (5 km) northwest of the Central business district of Burbank, a city in Los Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County California, United States. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a joint civil-military public Airport located three miles (5 km east of the Central business district of Phoenix Lambert-St Louis International Airport is the primary airport for St Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, sometimes called Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Detroit Metro Wayne Airport, Metro Airport, or simply Denver International Airport, often called DIA, is by land size at, the largest international Airport in the United States, and the second largest Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is a public Airport located nine miles (14 km) southwest of the Central business district of Cleveland Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also known as Sea-Tac Airport, is located in SeaTac, Washington, United States at the intersections Pittsburgh International Airport, formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as PIT is an international Airport In the Baltimore-Washington market, Southwest has limited flights into one major airport (Washington Dulles International Airport) while maintaining their east-coast focus city at the region's other major airport, Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Washington Dulles International Airport is a public Airport located 25 miles (40 km) west of the Central business district of Washington D Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport serves the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area ( U In the Los Angeles market Southwest flies to both the major city airport, Los Angeles International (LAX), and to three of the four secondary airports, Burbank-Bob Hope Airport, John Wayne Airport, and LA/Ontario International Airport (it does not serve Long Beach Airport). Los Angeles International Airport is the primary Airport serving Los Angeles, California, the second-most populated metropolitan area of Bob Hope Airport ( is a public Airport located three miles (5 km) northwest of the Central business district of Burbank, a city in Los John Wayne Airport is an Airport in an unincorporated area in Orange County California, with its mailing address in Santa Ana, hence the IATA code LA/Ontario International Airport, (formerly Ontario International Airport is a public Airport located two miles (3 km east of the Central business district Long Beach Airport, also known as Daugherty Field, is located in Long Beach California, and serves Los Angeles and Orange Counties With the restoration of service out of San Francisco International Airport on August 26, 2007, Southwest now serves all three airports in the San Francisco Bay Area; the other two being Oakland International Airport and San Jose International Airport. San Francisco International Airport is a major international Airport located south of downtown San Francisco, California, United States adjacent to the Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Bay, is a geographically and ethnically diverse metropolitan region that surrounds the Oakland International Airport ( also known as Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, is a public Airport located ten miles (15 km) south of Norman Y Mineta San José International Airport in Santa Clara County, California, United States.
Southwest withdrew from Houston Intercontinental in favor of using smaller airports with fewer operations nearby. George Bush Intercontinental Airport is an International airport in the city of Houston, Texas, United States serving the Greater Houston Besides Houston (Intercontinental) and Denver (Stapleton International), the airline has withdrawn completely from airports in Beaumont, Texas and Detroit, Michigan (Detroit City Airport). Beaumont is a city in and the County seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont&ndash Port Arthur Metropolitan Coleman A Young International Airport, formerly known as Detroit City Airport, is a municipal Airport in Detroit Michigan.
The airline also once served Stapleton International Airport in Denver but withdrew in 1986 because of excessive ATC delays during poor weather exacerbated by minimal separation between the runways. Stapleton International Airport was Denver, Colorado 's primary Airport from 1929 to 1995 The City and County of Denver (pronounced /ˈdɛnvɚ/ is the Capital and the most populous city of Colorado, in the United States Southwest returned to Denver in 2006 with service to the new Denver International Airport. Denver International Airport, often called DIA, is by land size at, the largest international Airport in the United States, and the second largest Southwest is expanding its Denver service faster than it has at any previous Southwest city[37] at the cost of service to Orlando, Kansas City and Baltimore. [38]
On October 5, 2006, Southwest Airlines started operations at Washington-Dulles Airport (IAD) with 12 daily flights from two gates in Concourse B. Events 869 - The Fourth Council of Constantinople is convened to decide about what to do about Patriarch Photius of Constantinople Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Washington Dulles International Airport is a public Airport located 25 miles (40 km) west of the Central business district of Washington D
Southwest is the largest intrastate airline in California, with 694 flights total in the state, 370 of which are intra-California.
Markets lacking Southwest service
Due to intense competition from airlines such as Delta, Northwest, Continental and others, some markets are not cost-effective for Southwest. Delta Air Lines Inc ( is a United States Airline based and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Northwest Airlines Inc (often abbreviated NWA) is the principal subsidiary Continental Airlines Inc ( is a United States certificated air carrier. New York City-area flights are serviced from Long Island MacArthur Airport instead of directly through the three main New York-area airports (LaGuardia Airport, Kennedy (JFK) International, or Newark Liberty International). See also Transportation in New York City Long Island MacArthur Airport is a public Airport located on Long Island, in Ronkonkoma LaGuardia Airport (ləˈɡwɑɹdiə is an airport located in Queens County on Long Island in the The City of New York. John F Kennedy International Airport is an International airport located in Queens County on Long Island in southeastern New York City about 12 miles (19 Newark Liberty International Airport, first named Newark Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international Airport within the Other large cities without Southwest service include Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Memphis, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis/St. Paul. Charlotte Douglas International Airport is a public International airport located in Charlotte North Carolina. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is located in Hebron, unincorporated Boone County, Kentucky, United States and serves the Memphis International Airport is a public Airport located three miles (5 km) south of the Central business district of Memphis, a city General Mitchell International Airport is a county-owned public Airport located five miles (8 km) south of the Central business district of Milwaukee Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in the five-state Upper Midwestern region of Minnesota, Iowa, Southwest lost codeshare service to Washington-Reagan on November 28, 2007 and also New York-LaGuardia on January 7, 2008, as ATA Airlines discontinued service to those cites. For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common
With the exception of Florida, the southeastern part of the U. S. route map geographically has a large string of voids. There are only five cities served by Southwest in the whole region - Birmingham, Nashville, Raleigh/Durham, Louisville and Jackson. Birmingham (ˈbɝmɪŋhæm is the largest City in the US state of Alabama and is the County seat of Jefferson County. Raleigh (pronounced rah-lee) is the Capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA Another void also persists in the mid northern part of the US stretching from Wisconsin to Montana/Wyoming and also Alaska. According to the airline's route map, 16 states are without Southwest service in their cities. [39]
For Seattle in 2005, Southwest proposed service to Boeing Field, which is a smaller airport closer to downtown than Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Boeing Field, officially King County International Airport is a two- Runway Airport owned and run by King County Washington, USA Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also known as Sea-Tac Airport, is located in SeaTac, Washington, United States at the intersections However, King County leaders refused to allow a terminal to be built or service to begin. [40]
At this time, Southwest does not serve any destinations outside the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the While other low cost carriers such as AirTran, Frontier, and JetBlue have started to fly to international destinations, Southwest Airlines has not ruled out the possibility of an international market in the future, as they are well within range of Mexico, Central America, Canada, and the Caribbean with their 737-700 aircraft. AirTran Airways is a low-cost Airline that is a Delaware corporation with headquarters in Orlando, Florida, USA and Frontier Airlines Inc is a low-cost Airline based at Denver International Airport in Denver Colorado, USA. CEO Gary Kelly stated in June of 2007 that because of shrinking profits, the airline will likely slow its rate of expansion. [41]
Top ten airports
The following airports, as of May 16, 2008, are the top ten most served by Southwest Airlines:[27]
| City | Daily departures | Number of gates | Nonstop cities served | Service established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas | 240 | 21 | 55 | 1982 |
| Chicago-Midway | 225 | 29 | 47 | 1985 |
| Phoenix | 198 | 24 | 43 | 1982 |
| Baltimore/Washington | 166 | 26 | 38 | 1993 |
| Houston-Hobby | 145 | 17 | 29 | 1971 |
| Oakland | 134 | 13 | 21 | 1989 |
| Dallas-Love Field | 140 | 14 | 16 | 1971 |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | 127 | 11 | 19 | 1982 |
| Orlando | 112 | 14 | 37 | 1996 |
| San Diego | 108 | 10 | 19 | 1982 |
New service
Southwest announced that they will be participating in Disney's Magical Express program in Orlando, FL. McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada. Chicago Midway International Airport, also known simply as Midway Airport or Midway, is an Airport in Chicago Illinois, United States Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a joint civil-military public Airport located three miles (5 km east of the Central business district of Phoenix Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport serves the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area ( U William P Hobby Airport is a public Airport located 8 miles (13 km) southeast of the Central business district of Houston, Texas Oakland International Airport ( also known as Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, is a public Airport located ten miles (15 km) south of Dallas Love Field is a city-owned public-use Airport located five Nautical miles (9 km) northwest of the Central business district of Los Angeles International Airport is the primary Airport serving Los Angeles, California, the second-most populated metropolitan area of San Diego International Airport, also known as Lindbergh Field, is a public Airport located three miles (five km) northwest of the Central business The program allows passengers to check their bags through from their home airport through to their rooms at a Walt Disney World resort. Walt Disney World Resort is the most visited and largest recreational resort in the world containing four Theme parks two Water parks twenty-three themed hotels [42]
Effective August 4, 2008
- Daily nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL) and Denver, CO (DEN)[43]
- Daily nonstop service between New Orleans, LA (MSY) and Denver, CO (DEN)[43]
- Daily nonstop service between Sacramento, CA (SMF) and Denver, CO (DEN)[43]
Effective September 2, 2008
- Daily nonstop service between Omaha, NE (OMA) and Denver, CO (DEN) [44]
- Daily nonstop service between San Francisco, CA (SFO) and Denver, CO (DEN)[44]
International service
Prior to ATA's shutdown, Southwest Airlines had set a goal to codeshare with ATA and begin international codeshare services or ticket for international flights in 2009. Destinations served by ATA could have included Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Europe. In 2010, Southwest plans to partner with other carriers for transatlantic and transpacific flights. [45][46]
The Southwest Effect
The success and profitability of Southwest's business model led to a common trend being named after the company, the Southwest Effect. US Airways Inc is the fifth largest Airline in the United States. McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada. Since Southwest's original mission in Texas was to make it less expensive than driving between two points (in the early 1970s, during the first major energy cost crisis in the U. S. ), it developed a template for entering markets at rates that allowed the airline to be profitable, yet only on the basis of lean operations and high aircraft use. The key concept to the Southwest Effect is that when a low-fare carrier (or any aggressive and innovative company) enters a market, the market itself changes, and usually grows dramatically. For example, when fares drop by 50% from their historical averages, the number of new customers in that market may not just double, but actually quadruple, or more.
Southwest has been a major inspiration to other low-cost airlines, and its business model has been repeated many times around the world. Europe's easyJet and Ryanair as well as Canada's WestJet, are some of the best known airlines to follow Southwest's business strategy in that continent (though easyJet operates two different aircraft models today). EasyJet Airline Company Limited, styled as easyJet, is a low cost airline based at London Luton Airport. Ryanair (,) is an Irish Airline with headquarters in Dublin and its biggest operational base at London Stansted Airport in the UK Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page WestJet Airlines Ltd ( is a Canadian Low-cost carrier based in Calgary Alberta, that flies to most major cities in Canada and serves destinations Other airlines with a business model based on Southwest's system include Malaysia's AirAsia (the first and biggest LCC in Asia), Qantas's Jetstar (although Jetstar now operates two aircraft types) and Thailand's Nok Air. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and AirAsia Berhad ( is a low-cost airline based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Qantas Airways Limited (ˈkwɔntəs ( is the National airline of Australia. Jetstar Airways is a low-cost airline based in Melbourne, Australia. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Nok Air (นกแอร์ is a low-cost airline based in Bangkok, Thailand.
Morris Air
One airline influenced by Southwest was Morris Air, founded by June Morris and David Neeleman, based in Utah and operating in the northwestern U. Morris Air was a low-fare Airline based in Salt Lake City, Utah USA. David G Neeleman (born October 16, 1959) is the founder and former CEO of JetBlue Airways. S. Southwest Airlines purchased Morris Air and absorbed the capital and routes into its inventory and service. David Neeleman worked with Southwest for a short period. When his non-compete agreement expired, Neeleman founded JetBlue Airways, a competing airline that also incorporates many principles and practices pioneered by Southwest, including building a positive, warm employee culture and operating a simple fleet. [47]
TranStar Airlines
Southwest Airlines has mostly pursued a strategy of internal growth, rather than by acquisition of other airlines as commonly occurs. However, in addition to acquisition of Morris Air Transport (see above), Southwest did acquire competitor Muse Air in 1985, which operated McDonnell Douglas MD-80s. TranStar Airlines was a domestic US carrier based in Houston Texas from 1981 to 1987 Muse Air was renamed TranStar Airlines.
Icelandair
In 1997, Southwest and Icelandair entered into interline and marketing agreements allowing for joint fares, coordinated schedules, and transfer of passenger luggage between the two airlines at Baltimore. Icelandair is the Flag carrier Airline of Iceland, based in Reykjavík. Icelandair operated flights between Baltimore and Keflavik Airport in Iceland. Connecting service between several U. S. cities and several European cities appeared in the Southwest timetable[48] The frequent flyer programs were not included in the agreement. This arrangement lasted for several years but is no longer in existence.
ATA Airlines
ATA Airlines, one of Southwest Airlines' main competitors in the Chicago market, historically operated out of Midway Airport alongside Southwest. ATA Airlines Inc, formerly known as American Trans Air, was an American low-cost scheduled service and Charter airline based in Indianapolis Chicago Midway International Airport, also known simply as Midway Airport or Midway, is an Airport in Chicago Illinois, United States ATA declared bankruptcy, and in 2004, Southwest injected capital into ATA that (among other things) would have resulted in Southwest's 27. 5% ownership stake in ATA upon their exit from Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Chapter 11 is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the Bankruptcy laws of the United States
In a departure from its traditional "go it alone" strategy, Southwest entered into its first domestic codesharing arrangement with ATA, which enabled Southwest Airlines to serve ATA markets in Hawaii, Washington D.C., and New York City. Code sharing is a business term which was first originated in the airline industry in 1990 when the Australian airline Qantas Airways and the U The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public Airport located three miles (5 km) south of the Central business district of Washington LaGuardia Airport (ləˈɡwɑɹdiə is an airport located in Queens County on Long Island in the The City of New York.
In late 2005, ATA secured $100 million in additional financing from the firm of Matlin Patterson, and Southwest's original deal with ATA was modified such that Southwest no longer retained the 27. 5% stake (or any other financial interest) in ATA. The codeshare arrangement expanded to include all of ATA's 17 destinations and all of Southwest's 63 destinations. In 2006, Southwest's pilot union approved a codeshare sideletter to their contract with limitations on the growth of this and other codeshare agreements. While these restrictions today are minor, outsourcing remains a growing concern in the unions current contract negotiations.
During 2006, Southwest Airlines began marketing ATA only flights. ATA's dependence on the Southwest network continued to grow in 2006, and at the time of ATA's demise in April 2008, the airline offered over 70 flights a week to Hawaii from Southwest's hubs in PHX, LAS, LAX, and OAK. Additional connecting service was available to many other cities across the United States. Plans had been announced for ATA to offer exclusive international service for Southwest by 2010, but were scratched when ATA abruptly ended operations on April 3, 2008. Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common There was no plan to open the ATA/Southwest codeshare to ATA's sister carriers; North American Airlines or World Airways, even though they are co-owned by the same corporate entity created from ATA Holdings. North American Airlines Inc is an American Airline based in New York City, USA. World Airways Inc is an American non-scheduled Airline currently headquartered in Peachtree City Georgia.
The ATA/Southwest codeshare was terminated when ATA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 3, 2008. Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common As of 4:00 A. M. EDT on April 3, ATA discontinued all operations. [49]
Corporate culture
Southwest experience
Tickets cannot be purchased through common online venues like Orbitz or Travelocity; a minority are booked through travel agents. Orbitz Worldwide is an Internet travel company headquartered in Chicago Illinois. Travelocity is an online Travel agency operated by Travelocity Most of Southwest's tickets are issued directly by the airline over the phone or online at the company's website which features Web-only fare discounts.
Unlike other major airlines, Southwest allows passengers to change reservations without additional cost. While this provides flexibility to customers, Southwest does not allow same-day standby travel on a different flight (usually a free service at other airlines) without upgrading to maximum fare.
Customers are not assigned seats; rather, they are assigned to one of three "boarding groups" depending on their check-in time (earlier check-ins get to board earlier), and are left to choose their own seats on the plane, which helps the airline to board passengers faster. At the May 2006 shareholders meeting, Southwest management announced a study of potentially adopting an assigned-seating system in 2008, as part of a reservations-technology overhaul now under way. As of November 8, 2007 Southwest has implemented an update to their Boarding Procedure in which passengers are now assigned their Boarding letter (A, B or C) along with a number which provides them a specific place in line (Example: A32). Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The idea behind this is to allow customers to not have to wait in line and spend their time relaxing or catching up on work. They have also introduced Business Select fares, which adds a guaranteed "A" group boarding pass, extra Rapid Rewards credit, and a drink. As a result of the boarding policy, several independent companies offered automatic check-in services for Southwest. These companies took customers' orders for check-in ahead of the 24 hour mark (when the airline makes a flight available for online check-in) and transmitted the necessary data for check-in to Southwest as soon as the airline opens up online check-in for a particular flight. The result of this service was that people using it generally get the first boarding group (known as the "A" boarding group). Southwest has not embraced this practice and in fact sued one company (boardfirst. com) in federal district court in Dallas for impermissible commercial use of its website and succeeded in getting the company shut down in October 2007. As a result of the litigation none of the paid early check-in services are currently operating, however one free service still remains: Seat-Sniper.com.
Southwest historically allowed three pieces of luggage to be checked in free as opposed to the limit of two on the domestic flights of some other U. S. airlines. Starting January 29, 2008, passengers will be able to check up to two bags for free. A third bag will be accepted for a $25 charge.
Prior to the 2000s, Southwest served smaller meals than the meals served by full service airlines, with shorter flights receiving single small snacks and soft drinks, and longer flights (with a duration of about 3 hours or more) meriting "Snack Pack"s of prepackaged goods. In the 2000s these meals in a bag typically exceed the food served on full-service airlines like United Airlines or American Airlines. United Air Lines Inc, trading as United Airlines ( is a major airline of the United States. American Airlines Inc (AA is a US -based airline and the world's Largest airline in total passenger miles transported and passenger fleet size Southwest also offers free in-flight beverages (excluding alcohol). There is no video entertainment. Southwest is known for colorful boarding announcements and crews that burst out in song. The singing is unusual, and is quite popular among customers, but has been noted by some travel critics as being offensive and intrusive. [50]
Southwest maintained excellent customer satisfaction ratings; in 2006, according to the Department of Transportation December year end operating statistics, Southwest ranked number one (lowest number of complaints) of all U. The United States Department of Transportation ( DOT) is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with Transportation S. airlines for customer complaints, with 0. 18 per 100,000 customers enplaned. Southwest Airlines has consistently received the fewest ratio of complaints per passengers boarded of all major U. S. carriers that have been reporting statistics to the Department of Transportation (DOT) since September 1987, which is when the DOT began tracking Customer Satisfaction statistics and publishing its Air Travel Consumer Report.
Rapid Rewards
Southwest's frequent flier program is called Rapid Rewards. A frequent flyer program (FFP is a Loyalty program offered by many Airlines. Customers receive one credit for each one-way trip (even though the flight may have stopovers). A free ticket, expiring after 11 months, is automatically issued when a member accumulates 16 credits in a 24-month period. Double Rapid Rewards credits used to be awarded for online booking, but this policy was modified at the end of 2003. At that time the bonus was reduced to . 5 credit for each segment booked online, (i. e. , each round-trip ticket booked online received a total of 3 Rapid Rewards credits). This was discontinued in April 2005. In addition, one-half credit is also earned for using a Southwest partner to book any car rental and/or hotel stay, regardless of whether a Southwest flight is involved. This arrangement has won numerous Freddie Awards over the years.
In February 2006, Southwest instituted capacity controls to redeeming its free tickets. This means that the airline limits the seats offered to frequent travelers using free certificates on each flight, whereas previously if there was a seat available, one could use the award, provided the passenger was not flying on one of the five blackout dates.
In early 2006, Southwest expanded its codeshare agreement with ATA Airlines and allowed redemption of award tickets on Hawaii flights at the rate of two awards per round trip flight. ATA Airlines Inc, formerly known as American Trans Air, was an American low-cost scheduled service and Charter airline based in Indianapolis On April 3, 2008, ATA airlines ceased all flights due to bankruptcy, including the codeshare service to Hawaii.
Advertisements
The company has employed humor in its advertising. Slogans include "Just Plane Smart," "The Somebody Else Up There Who Loves You" and "THE Low Fare Airline". The airline's current slogan is "A Symbol of Freedom". A select history of print and video ads are available on the company website. [51]
Since the 1990s, Southwest has been running a television ad campaign based on the phrase "Wanna get away?" The commercials present comical, embarrassing situations in which people find themselves wanting to "get away". Most ads are accompanied by the sound clip "[ding] You are now free to move about the country"; self-parody of the in-flight announcement that "you are now free to move about the cabin".
The Southwest Airlines television commercial, “Flight Attendant,” was named in Adweek’s ‘Best Spots’ in August 2006.
"Just Plane Smart"
Shortly after Southwest started using the "Just Plane Smart" motto, Stevens Aviation, who had been using "Plane Smart" for their motto, threatened a trademark lawsuit. Chicago Midway International Airport, also known simply as Midway Airport or Midway, is an Airport in Chicago Illinois, United States
Instead of a lawsuit, the CEOs for both companies staged an arm wrestling match. Held at the now demolished Dallas Sportatorium (the famed wrestling facility) and set for two out of three rounds, the loser of each round was to pay $5,000 to the charity of their choice, with the winner gaining the use of the trademarked phrase. The Sportatorium, located in downtown Dallas Texas (not to be confused with the Hollywood Sportatorium in Hollywood Florida or the Tampa Sportatorium A promotional video was created showing the CEOs "training" for the bout (with CEO Herb Kelleher being helped up during a sit up where a cigarette and glass of whiskey (Wild Turkey 101) was waiting) and distributed among the employees and as a video press release along with the video of the match itself. Herb Kelleher lost the match for Southwest, with Stevens Aviation winning the rights to the phrase. Kurt Herwald, CEO of Stevens Aviation, immediately granted the use of "Just Plane Smart" to Southwest Airlines. The net result was both companies having use of the trademark, $15,000 going to charity and a healthy dose of goodwill publicity for both companies. Publicity is the deliberate attempt to manage the public's perception of a subject
Employment
The President of Southwest is Colleen Barrett, who has been with the company since day one. Colleen Barrett is the former President and Corporate Secretary of Southwest Airlines. Southwest's CFO is Laura Wright. In July 2007, it was announced that Herb Kelleher will resign his position as Chairman effective May 2008. Herbert D Kelleher (born March 12, 1931) is the co-founder and former Chairman and CEO of Southwest Airlines (based in the Colleen Barrett will leave her post on the Board of Directors and Corporate Secretary in May 2008 and President in July 2008. Colleen Barrett is the former President and Corporate Secretary of Southwest Airlines. Both will remain active employees of Southwest Airlines.
Concerns attributed to labor unrest and complaints by the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) representing Southwest flight attendants were reportedly a factor in the recent resignation of Kelleher's hand-picked replacement as CEO. Labor unrest is a term used by Employers or those generally in the business community and sometimes in a community writ large and of law enforcement personnel to describe Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> Transport Workers Union of America (TWU is a United States Jim Parker resigned in July 2004 and was replaced by Chief Financial Officer Gary Kelly. [52]
Organized labor
Although Southwest is considered a "low fare" airline, it is heavily unionized when compared to other airlines. [53] The Southwest Airline Pilots' Association, a union not affiliated with the Air Line Pilots Association, International, represents the airline's pilots. [54] The Aircraft Maintenance Technicians' are represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA). The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association ( AMFA) is a small independent union representing aircraft maintenance employees of commercial airlines in the United [55] Customer Service Agents and Reservation Agents are represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union (IAM). Flight Attendants, Ramp agents and Operations agents are represented by the Transport Workers Union (TWU). Flight Dispatchers are represented by the Southwest Airlines Employee Association (SAEA).
Airline
The American version of the reality show Airline showcased Southwest Airlines passengers and employees in daily mishaps and life at some of Southwest's major airports (BWI, MDW, LAX, & HOU). Reality television is a genre of Television programming which presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations documents actual events and usually features ordinary Airline is an American Television Reality show that showcases the daily happenings of passengers ground workers and on-board staff members of The show premiered January 5, 2004 on the A&E Network, but was canceled after 70 episodes on December 15, 2005. Events 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " A&E is a cable and Satellite television network with headquarters in Manhattan and offices in Stamford, Atlanta, Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Fleet
Current fleet
The Southwest Airlines fleet consists of the following 533 aircraft as of June 2, 2008:
| Aircraft | Total | Passengers (Economy) | Routes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-300 | 188 | 137 | Short-medium haul | Launch customer 90 will be fitted with blended winglets |
| Boeing 737-500 | 25 | 122 | Short haul | Launch customer |
| Boeing 737-700 | 320 (121 orders 2008-2015 [56]) | 137 | All routes | Launch customer All are fitted with blended winglets |
The airline operates more Boeing 737s in its fleet than any other airline in the world; Southwest is often cited as an example of an airline streamlining operations by having only one type of aircraft. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Wingtip devices are usually intended to improve the efficiency of Fixed-wing aircraft. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Wingtip devices are usually intended to improve the efficiency of Fixed-wing aircraft. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout However, Southwest operated leased 727-200 aircraft during the late-1970s and again in the mid-1980s and subsidiary TranStar Airlines operated DC-9s and MD-80s during the mid-1980s. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout TranStar Airlines was a domestic US carrier based in Houston Texas from 1981 to 1987 WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Southwest has been a launch customer for all three of the Boeing 737 variants it currently operates, and was the first airline to put both the Model 500 and next-generation Model 700 into service. Southwest has a mix of old and new aircraft with both its "classic" and "next generation" 737 aircraft. [57]
As of June 2008, Southwest has an average fleet age of 13. 6 years,[58] and fly an average of about 7 flights per day. The average aircraft trip length is 633 miles (1,019 km) with an average duration of one hour and 48 minutes. This means the daily utilization of each plane is, on average, 12 hours and 36 minutes. [27]
Southwest's seats are the same width as any other operator of 737s in the United States. However seats are approximately one inch narrower than Airbus A320 series operated by low cost carriers such as Frontier Airlines, JetBlue, Virgin America, US Airways, and several other competitors. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Frontier Airlines Inc is a low-cost Airline based at Denver International Airport in Denver Colorado, USA. Virgin America is a US based Low-cost airline that began service on August 8, 2007. US Airways Inc is the fifth largest Airline in the United States. Southwest's seat pitch averages between 32 and 33 inches (840 mm), which compares to average of 31 to 32 inches (810 mm) for U. S. domestic airlines. However, low-fare carrier JetBlue Airways offers from 32 inches (810 mm) to 36 inches. [59]
Southwest's 737-300 and 737-500 aircraft are not equipped with glass cockpit technology, as the 737-300s, 737-400s, and 737-500s of some other airlines are. A glass cockpit is an Aircraft cockpit that features electronic instrument displays. Instead, the flight decks are fitted with analog gauges, more similar to those of the earlier 737-100 and 737-200 variants. Note the analog attitude deviation indicator (ADI) and horizontal situation indicator (HSI) (the blue-colored instrument and one below it) in this Southwest 737-3H4 and note the electronic versions of the same instruments (EADI and EHSI) in this United Airlines 737-322. There are electronic displays throughout the cockpit of the 737-700 and other "Next Generation" 737 variants, and Southwest has programmed their 737-7H4 models to emulate the appearance of the 737-300 and 737-500 for standardization purposes. All three versions of the Boeing 737 that Southwest operates use (HUD) Heads Up Display in the flight deck. This technology consists of a glass panel which folds down on the Captain's side, and displays primary flight information as a hologram.
Since production of the 737-300 and 737-500 has ended, recent Southwest orders have been exclusively for the 737-700 model. Retirements of some older 737-300 models commenced in December of 2007 from its original count of 194.
Southwest is the world's largest operator of the 737. Their current active fleet is over 500 aircraft. In terms of total 737 production (all models in history), deliveries of new aircraft from Boeing to Southwest accounts for approximately 9% of total production. Southwest has one of the largest fleets in North America.
Retired fleet
| Aircraft | Year Retired | Replacement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-200 | 2005 | Boeing 737-700 | Southwest's first aircraft type |
Livery
Southwest's original primary livery was beige and red, with orange on the tail end, and pinstripes of white separating each section of color. A livery is a Uniform or other sign worn in a non-military context on a person or object (such as an airplane or Vehicle) to denote a relationship Beige is a pale Yellowish Brown Color. The term originates from beige cloth, a woolen fabric left in its natural color Red is any of a number of similar Colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of Light discernible by the human eye in the wavelength The colour orange occurs White is a Color, the perception which is evoked by Light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive Cone cells in the Human eye The word Southwest appeared in white on the beige portion of the tail. (Although, on the original three 737-200s, from June of 1971, on the left side of the plane, the word Southwest was placed along the upper rear portion of the fuselage, with the word Airlines painted on the tail where Southwest is today N21SW. On the right side, the word Southwest was in the same place as today, but also had the word Airlines painted on the upper rear portion of the fuselage. N20SW.
Southwest introduced the Canyon Blue Fleet in 2001, its first primary livery change in its 30-year history. Spirit One was the first plane painted in the color scheme. The new livery replaces the primary beige color with canyon blue and changes the Southwest text and pinstripes to gold. The pinstripe along the plane is drawn in a more curved pattern instead of the straight horizontal line separating the colors in the original. The original livery is gradually being phased out, but three aircraft will remain in the original livery to commemorate Southwest's original three cities. As of November 16, 2007, Southwest had nearly completed updating the fleet. Events 534 - A second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. [27]
Almost all of Southwest's 737-700s have blended winglets, with a few exceptions, such as aircraft purchased from other carriers or corporations. Wingtip devices are usually intended to improve the efficiency of Fixed-wing aircraft. The first planes to be fitted with the winglets remain in the plain colored winglet (matching the stripes on the fuselage), but later aircraft to be fitted have winglets with "SOUTHWEST. COM" written on them. All aircraft will eventually be repainted to the ". com" winglets. Special livery aircraft with winglets, such as Shamu, have plain white winglets. [27]
Additionally, Southwest will install blended winglets on up to 90 of its 737-300 aircraft beginning in mid-January 2007, with AAR of Indianapolis, Indiana, accomplishing the work. The first modified aircraft, N368SW, resumed service on February 22, 2007.
Some Southwest planes feature special themes, rather than the normal livery. These theme planes have been given special names, usually ending in "One". Some of the most well-known examples are:
- Shamu: The three aircraft are painted to look like an Orca, with advertisements for SeaWorld. -- 72200118193 ( talk) 0032 12 October 2008 (UTC---- Bold text [Link title]== [[ImageHeadline text]][[MediaExample The Orca or Killer Whale ( Orcinus orca) less commonly Blackfish or Seawolf, is the largest species of the Oceanic dolphin family History Milton C Shedd, Ken Norris, David Demott, and George Millay brought SeaWorld to life yet that was not the initial idea (N334SW), (N713SW), (N715SW)
- The first aircraft to be painted in the "Shamu" scheme was N334SW (1988), a 737-300, and it was later followed by N507SW (Shamu II) and N501SW (Shamu III), both 737-500s. Subsequent to the retirement of Southwest's 737-200s, the 737-500s began to stay within a smaller geographic area formerly operated by the 737-200s, and as such, Sea World was no longer getting the optimal national exposure from these two aircraft. Two 737-700 aircraft, N713SW and N715SW, were repainted as the new Shamu aircraft, and both N501SW and N507SW were eventually repainted in Canyon Blue colors. All three current Shamu aircraft are no longer referred to as Shamu I, II, or III. The artwork on the nose of each aircraft simply states "Shamu". The overhead bins of these aircraft display ads for Sea World, except towards the front and back of the airplane, where the bins get smaller and are no longer uniform.
- The Spirit of Kitty Hawk: (1984) Livery and title introduced the Boeing 737-300 aircraft to the Southwest Airlines fleet. This plane is the oldest in Southwest's fleet. (N300SW)
- Lone Star One: (1990) The flag of the state of Texas applied across the aircraft. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. (N352SW)
- Arizona One: (1994) The flag of the state of Arizona applied across the aircraft. The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. (N383SW)
- The June M. Morris: (1994) In honor of June Morris, Signature and Morris Air logo on the nose. Logo removed for Canyon Blue repaint. (N607SW, Original, Canyon Blue)
- California One: (1995) The flag of the state of California applied across the aircraft. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. (N609SW)
- Silver One: (1996) 25th Anniversary aircraft. Originally polished bare metal, it was later painted silver for easier maintenance. It was then re-painted with a silver metallic paint. This aircraft also featured silver seats, which were replaced to conform with the rest of the fleet for simplicity. Silver One also featured silver heart shaped drink stirrers. (N629SW, Original, Silver Paint, Canyon Blue)
- Triple Crown One: (1997) Livery dedicated to the employees of Southwest, in recognition of Southwest receiving five Triple Crown airline industry awards (best on-time record, best baggage handling, and fewest customer complaints). The overhead bins in Triple Crown One one are inscribed with the names of all employees that worked for Southwest at the time, in honor of their part in winning the award. (N647SW)
- Nolan Ryan Express: (1998) Commemorative sticker dedicated to famous Texas pitcher Nolan Ryan who is MLB's all-time strikeout leader with 5,714 strikeouts. Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr (born January 31, 1947 in Refugio, Texas) is a retired American Right-handed Pitcher in (N742SW)
- Nevada One: (1999) The flag of the state of Nevada applied across the aircraft. Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. (N727SW)
- New Mexico One: (2000) The flag of the state of New Mexico applied across the aircraft. New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. (N781WN)
- Spirit One: (2001) 30th Anniversary aircraft. (First Aircraft in New Canyon Blue paint scheme) (N793SA)
- The Spirit of Hope: (2004) Dedicated to the Ronald McDonald House. Overhead bins are covered in artwork from kids at a Ronald McDonald House in Washington State. (N443WN), (The overhead bins)
- Maryland One: (2005) The flag of the state of Maryland applied across the aircraft. (N214WN)
- Slam Dunk One: (2005) Basketball superimposed on side of aircraft and a different NBA team logo on each overhead bin in the cabin, recognizing Southwest's partnership with the National Basketball Association. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m (N224WN)
- Illinois One: (2008) The flag of the state of Illinois applied across the aircraft. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. (N918WN)
- Southwest received both the 5,000th 737 produced (February 13, 2006) (N230WN) and the 2,000th "Next Generation" 737 produced (July 27, 2006) (N248WN). The 2,000th "Next Generation" 737 is marked as such in its livery, though the 5,000th 737 is not similarly marked on the outside. It does have a placard stating that it is the 5000th 737 on the upper part of the inside entry door frame.
- Southwest received their 500th 737 on June 28, 2007. This aircraft is marked to honor this milestone. (N281WN)
All special planes prior to Spirit One originally wore the standard beige, red and orange livery colors on the vertical stabilizer and rudder. Subsequent special editions—Maryland One and Slam Dunk One, so far—feature tails with the canyon blue color scheme, and all earlier specials, with the exception of Triple Crown One have been repainted to match.
Environmental record
In April 2007, The Port of Portland presented Southwest Airlines with the Environmental Excellence Award in recognition of an exemplary effort in the category of Environmental Innovation. [60]
Incidents and accidents
Southwest has had three major incidents of note and has never had a passenger fatality due to an accident. Southwest Airlines Flight 1248 (WN1248 SWA1248 was a scheduled passenger flight from Baltimore-Washington International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport
- On March 5, 2000, Southwest Airlines Flight 1455 overran the runway upon landing at Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport, now called Bob Hope Airport, Burbank, California, injuring 43. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Southwest Airlines Flight 1455 (N668SW was a scheduled passenger flight from McCarran International Airport (KLAS Las Vegas, Nevada to Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Bob Hope Airport ( is a public Airport located three miles (5 km) northwest of the Central business district of Burbank, a city in Los Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County California, United States. The incident resulted in the dismissal of the pilots, and the plane written off.
- On August 11, 2000, passenger Jonathan Burton broke through the cockpit door aboard Southwest Airlines Flight 1763 while en route from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City. Events 2492 BC - Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The Las Vegas metropolitan area includes the Las Vegas Valley a 600-square-mile (1600 km² basin and surrounding areas that is part of Clark County in southern Salt Lake City is the Capital and the most populous city of the U In their own defense, the other passengers restrained Burton who later died of the resulting injuries. [61][62] "Unfriendly Skies", a CSI episode reflecting similar plot elements, aired on December 8, 2000. Unfriendly Skies is the ninth episode of the American Crime drama which is set in Las Vegas, Nevada. CSI Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama Television series that trails the investigations of a team of Las Vegas
- On December 8, 2005, Southwest Airlines Flight 1248 skidded off a runway upon landing at Chicago Midway International Airport in heavy snow conditions. Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Southwest Airlines Flight 1248 (WN1248 SWA1248 was a scheduled passenger flight from Baltimore-Washington International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport Chicago Midway International Airport, also known simply as Midway Airport or Midway, is an Airport in Chicago Illinois, United States A six-year old boy died in a car struck by the plane after the plane skidded into a street. Passengers on board the aircraft and on the ground reported several minor injuries. The aircraft involved, N471WN, became N286WN after repairs.
Awards and recognitions
- The American Brand Excellence Awards recognize leading national brands that best serve the needs of small- and medium-sized businesses. For 2007, Southwest Airlines came out tops in the Travel segment, based on a City Business Journals Network nationwide survey of 1,000 business decision-makers who evaluated 251 brands.
- Southwest Airlines’ Rapid Rewards program was honored in InsideFlyer magazine’s 2006 annual Freddie Awards for Best Program of the Year, Best Award Redemption, Best Award, Best Web Site, and Best Bonus Promotion Honors.
- For 2007, the eighth year in a row, Business Ethics magazine lists Southwest Airlines in its “100 Best Corporate Citizens,” a list that ranks public companies based on their corporate service to various stakeholder groups. Southwest is one of only 11 repeat winners that have made the list all eight years
- In 2005 and again in 2008 The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) recognized Southwest Airlines as leading the industry in customer satisfaction. The American Customer Satisfaction Index ( ACSI) is an economic indicator that measures the satisfaction of consumers across the U The ACSI, conducted by the University of Michigan, independently tracks customer satisfaction levels by measuring the household consumption experience. [63]
- Since 2000, HISPANIC magazine has listed Southwest Airlines as Corporate 100 for leadership in providing opportunities for Hispanics and for supporting recruitment, scholarships, and minority vendor programs.
- The Express Delivery & Logistics Association honored Southwest Airlines as the “2006 Airline of the Year. ”
- In 2005, American Small Business Travelers Alliance ranked Southwest Airlines as the "Best Airline Among Small Business Travelers. "
- Southwest president Colleen Barrett was chosen as 2007's Tony Jannus Award winner, becoming the first woman to be honored in the 44-year history of the respected aviation award.
- Professional Women's magazine included Southwest Airlines in their 2006 ranking of the "Most Admired Companies Among Women. "
- According to Institutional Investor magazine, Southwest Airlines ranked number one in the Consumer category among all airlines as the “Most Shareholder Friendly Company” based on the effectiveness of Southwest’s governance and investor relations as part of their overall efforts to maximize share holder value.
- Southwest Airlines took top honors in the ninth Business Travel News Annual Airlines Survey.
- In 2006, Southwest ranked in GIjobs. nets list of 50 military friendly employers. At number 37, Southwest was the only major commercial airline to make the list.
- In its January 2006 issue, Institutional Investor ranked Southwest CEO Gary Kelly as one of America's top CEO's. He was ranked best CEO in the airline sector.
References
- ^ Norfolk Airport News retrieved 5/1/2008
- ^ Connections on the Southwest Network retrived from erau. edu 5/1/2008
- ^ About MNAA/Nashville International Airport official site retrieved 5/1/2008
- ^ Local Flavors Land at Nashville International retrieved 5/1/2008
- ^ Southwest '03 Annual Report Top Ten ListOther references are presently dated/See them first
- ^ San Antonio Business Journal aritcle on Southwest and Denverretrived May 2008
- ^ International Air Transport Association. Scheduled Passengers Carried. Retrieved on 2007-06-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem
- ^ FOXNews.com - Southwest Tweaks 'Cattle Call' Boarding Process - Business And Money | Business News | Financial News
- ^ Southwest has maintained this rating every month that statistics have been released. . Southwest Airlines Industry Standings
- ^ Southwest Airlines Reports Fourth Quarter Earnings and 35th Consecutive Year of Profitability. CNN.com (2008-01-23). Cable News Network, usually referred to by its Initialism CNN, is a major English language Television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Retrieved on 2008-01-28. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1077 - Walk to Canossa: The Excommunication of Henry IV Holy Roman Emperor is lifted
- ^ Gayle Sato Stodder. "Making people count: Southwest Airlines - Company Profile", 1997. Retrieved on 2007-06-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem
- ^ Reversed and injunction denied, Texas Aeronautical Commission et al. v. Braniff Airways et al. , 454 S. W. 2d 199 (Supreme Court of Texas, May 13, 1970)
- ^ Certiorari denied, 400 U. Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. S. 943 (1970)
- ^ Winifred Barnum. Retrieved on 2007-06-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits
- ^ We Weren't Just Airborne Yesterday. Southwest Airlines (2007-05-02). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Retrieved on 2007-06-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits
- ^ Libby Sartain (1998). Why and how Southwest Airlines uses consultants. Journal of Management Consulting. Retrieved on 2007-06-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits
- ^ a b Southwest Airlines. The Case for Repeal. Retrieved on 2007-06-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits
- ^ "BWI Airport and Southwest Airlines Salute African American Aviation Pioneers - 1st African American Chief Pilot, 1st African American President of female flying organization highlight Feb. 24 program", Baltimore/Washington International Airport, 2005-02-05. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1576 - Henry of Navarre converts to Roman Catholicism in order to ensure his right to the throne of France. Retrieved on 2006-06-09. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits
- ^ Carlos Blanco; J. Lehman and N. Shimoda. "Airlines Hedging Strategies: The Shareholder Value Perspective", 2005. Retrieved on 2007-06-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem
- ^ Southwest Airlines' fuel hedging pushes profits - USATODAY.com
- ^ Airlines That Hedged Against Fuel Costs Reap Benefits
- ^ Southwest Airlines gains advantage by hedging on long-term oil contracts - International Herald Tribune
- ^ Carlos Blanco; J. Lehman and N. Shimoda. "Airlines Hedging Strategies: The Shareholder Value Perspective", 2005. Retrieved on 2007-06-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem
- ^ 24/7 Wall St.: Southwest Airlines: Losing Its Fuel Hedge Competitive Advantages
- ^ Brian Lusk. LUV and the Blogosphere. Retrieved on 2007-06-24. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 972 - Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces takes place
- ^ Susan Breslow Sardone. Southwest Airlines - Fly Smart on Southwest - Air Southwest. Retrieved on 2007-06-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem
- ^ a b c d e f Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines Fact Sheet. Retrieved on 2007-12-30. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St
- ^ Drew Griffin and Scott Bronstein. "Records: Southwest Airlines flew 'unsafe' planes", 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-06. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of
- ^ Drew Griffin and Scott Bronstein. "Records: Southwest Airlines flew 'unsafe' planes", 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-06. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of
- ^ Ivanovich, David. Inspector: Southwest's FAA ties let planes fly with cracks. chron. com. Retrieved on 2008-04-03. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England.
- ^ CNN. Cable News Network, usually referred to by its Initialism CNN, is a major English language Television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner Southwest grounds planes, places three on leave. Retrieved on 2008-03-12. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving
- ^ Southwest Airlines Names New Chairman of the Board
- ^ Southwest Airlines. History of the Wright Amendment. Retrieved on 2007-06-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem
- ^ American Airlines. New Comprehensive Study Shows Opening Dallas Love Field To Long-Haul Flying Would Have Serious Consequences. Retrieved on 2007-06-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem
- ^ Where We Fly.
- ^ Jeremy Sickler. Chapter 7: Flight Arrival Flow: Southwest vs. Legacy Carriers. Retrieved on 2007-06-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem
- ^ Southwest Airlines growing rapidly in Denver | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Business News
- ^ Southwest Airlines cutting Orlando flights - Orlando Business Journal:
- ^ Southwest Airlines Cities
- ^ Airline Industry Information. "Southwest Airlines addresses rejected offer at Boeing Field in King County", 2005-10-12. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Retrieved on 2007-06-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem
- ^ "Southwest Airlines Mulls Slowing Expansion", 2007-06-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem Retrieved on 2007-06-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem
- ^ Garcia, Jason. "Disney prepares to ramp up its popular airport-shuttle service", 2007-09-01. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Retrieved on 2007-09-01. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle.
- ^ a b c Southwest Airlines boosts Denver service | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Business News
- ^ a b Southwest Airlines Announces More New Service in Denver: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance
- ^ "Southwest Airlines working toward international flights via ATA" International Herald Tribune Article accessed November 12, 2007
- ^ Evolution at Southwest, Aviation Week and Space Technology, September 3, 2007, p. The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international Newspaper Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. 46 (interview with Bob Jordan, Executive Vice President Strategy Procurement and Technology)
- ^ Peterson, Barbara (2004). Blue Streak: Inside jetBlue, the Upstart that Rocked an Industry. Portfolio Hardcover. ISBN 1-59184-058-9.
- ^ . Rob Kaiser. "Southwest may add cities to Iceland deal", Baltimore Business Journal, 1997-02-21. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Events 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria. 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland Retrieved on 2007-06-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem
- ^ ATA Airlines Files for Chapter 11 and Discontinues Operations Following Cancellation of Key Military Charter Agreement: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance
- ^ David Grossman. "I don't hate Southwest anymore", USA Today, 2005-10-17. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Retrieved on 2007-06-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem
- ^ "Southwest Airlines Historical Advertising Gallery," Southwest Airlines
- ^ Trebor Banstetter. "Southwest Airlines CEO quits", Knight Ridder Newspapers, 2004-07-16. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and Retrieved on 2007-06-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem
- ^ Southwest gets new CEO | Deseret News (Salt Lake City) | Find Articles at BNET.com
- ^ SWAPA
- ^ AMFA Home
- ^ Southwest Airlines Reports First Quarter Earnings: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance
- ^ Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Boeing Commercial Airplanes is a unit of The Boeing Company, based in Renton, Washington consisting of the Seattle -based former Boeing "The Boeing Next-Generation 737 Family". Retrieved on 2006-06-10. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem
- ^ Fleet Age of Southwest Airlines. Retrieved on 2007-06-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem
- ^ General Information for JetBlue
- ^ southwest fact sheet. Southwest Airlines' Recognitions [1]
- ^ Salt Lake City police. Salt Lake City is the Capital and the most populous city of the U Police report. Retrieved on 2007-06-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom.
- ^ Elliott Hester. Airlines must fortify the cockpit. Retrieved on 2007-06-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem
- ^ "Airline Industry Scores", American Customer Satisfaction Index. Retrieved on 2008-05-15. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the
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