Flashback Fridays--Dallas Love Field Before Southwest Airlines

By: Brian Lusk - Manager of Communications

Southwest has been operating from Love Field since June 18, 1971, and in these weekly posts, we have looked at some of our early operations at our home airport.  I thought it might be fun to take a look back at Love before Southwest, by using some postcards in my collection.  So let’s start with the terminal that was located off of Lemmon Avenue during the 1940s and 1950s.  This terminal was badly overcrowded almost as soon as it opened, and until the present terminal was built, this building was expanded as far as could be done.

The photo above appears to date from the late 1940s before the extensions were added to each side of the building.  We have a Trans-Texas DC-3 and an American DC-6.  Once operations moved to the present building in 1958, this structure fell into disrepair.  On my first trip into Love in 1959, it was still standing but was riddled with broken windows.  Today, the only remnant of this terminal is the traffic circle with the facilities signature stylized wing made from sidewalks at the end of George Coker Circle.

Judging by the cars in the parking lot, this view (below) of the current terminal dates from the late 1950s probably not long after the building opened on January 20, 1958.  Although the terminal doesn’t yet feature a parking garage, it does have the current traffic flow, with an upper and lower level.

 

The main lobby hasn’t changed too much over the years.  In this view, all of the ticket counters were to the left of the lobby.  The airport coffee shop occupied the area where the Southwest Ticket Counter is now—off to the extreme right of the picture.  Several high-end retail shops occupied the area straight ahead in the photo, and the famous world map can be seen at the center right of the photo.  The stairs in the center of the post card have been removed, and the photographer is standing on the mezzanine, which is now enclosed for offices. 

The next two views were taken after August 18, 1965, when the upper deck parking structure was opened.  This was also the about the same time that Runway 13Right/31Left was opened to the left.   The parking lot is busier in the bottom postcard.

And finally, we see the terminal as it was not long before the other airlines moved to the Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Airport (Now DFW International) on January 13, 1974.  Those carriers used the terminal for 16 years almost to the day, while Southwest has been a part of this terminal for 39 years in June.  The postcard below shows the new Braniff ticketing and baggage claim to the right, and the original facade of the building is very evident.

With the construction under way to moderinize the terminal, the current configuration of the building will soon join these views as a piece of Dallas's and Southwest's history.

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Tags: Brian Lusk Dallas Love Field Flashback Fridays Southwest Airlines

Flashback Fridays--Dallas Love Field Before Southwest Airlines was written on Mar 19,2010 at 07:07am and posted in the categories Airports and Under the hood

Food, FUN, and Getting to Know Your Vice Presidents One on One

By: Luke Stone - People and Leadership Development Projects Specialist

At many companies, it can be hard for a new Employee to get involved and really feel a part of that company.  Luckily, Southwest is not like most other companies.  We do things a little differently here…like, hosting luncheons that are designed to help our new Employees feel engaged in our amazing Culture.  These luncheons, that we have appropriately named LUV at First Bite, are filled with food, games, prizes, and a unique surprise for a few of our new folks.  Click here for a fun video of one of our recent luncheons.

Now, I’ve been involved with these luncheons over the last four years, and I can honestly say that the energy at these events is almost impossible to beat.  The New Hires are so excited to get to meet and share stories with other New Hires and our Leaders.  At the same time, our Leaders are reminded of how excited they were when they first joined the Company and feel re-energized.  Although the entertainment and games are great, one of the more memorable parts to the luncheon is when the Leaders read the New Hire Spotlights.  I’m sure you know how it feels for someone to recognize you for doing something great … just imagine hearing it from one of your Company’s Senior Leaders!  The look on the Employee’s face when a story is read about them is priceless!  And, finally, what better way to end such a FUN event than to hear from one of our incredible Leaders such as Ginger Hardage – Senior Vice President Culture and Communications, Colleen Barrett – President Emeritus, or Gary Kelly – Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer.  Their stories and advice give our new Employees confidence and confirmation that they have joined the right Company!

All in all, the luncheons have been a huge success since their inception in 2006.  Our new Employees leave the luncheons feeling a part of something great and, hopefully, head back to their respective locations feeling energized and ready to provide that legendary Customer Service that Southwest offers to all our Customers.  And, I come back to Dallas knowing that our Company is in good hands with these outstanding new Employees working hard to ensure our Company’s success.

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Tags: New Hire Southwest Airlines

Food, FUN, and Getting to Know Your Vice Presidents One on One was written on Mar 18,2010 at 08:30am and posted in the categories Southwest Culture and Working at Southwest

A Trio of Leprechauns

By: Jason Penland - Communications Specialist Inflight Services

Hello, I’m LC, the Low Cost LepreChaun.  With the census coming up, I could technically be classified as an Irish-American, but I prefer Irish-Southwestican, for obvious reasons.  I really LUV our Customers, so I will be flying to Southwest cities spreading St. Patty’s Day cheer, helping travelers save up their own pot o’ gold and giving away some fabulous prizes. 

You could say we’re going green at Southwest, but then again it’s always about saving you green and having fun around here. 

May the luck of the Irish,
and the LUV of Southwest,
ever surround you,
and take you to your destination
with plenty of gold to spare!

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Tags: Leprechauns Southwest Airlines St. Patrick's Day

A Trio of Leprechauns was written on Mar 17,2010 at 01:37pm and posted in the categories Flying and Nutty stuff and Working at Southwest

Another Message from a Leprechaun

By: Vanessa Valentine Nixon - Customer Support and Services Documentation Specialist

Aye,now we hear from the second of our trio of Leprechauns out flyin' over their rainbows with the pots o' gold.

When you grow up in Chicago, St. Patrick’s Day has to be one of your favorite holidays. What’s not to like?  A green river, a parade, good food, green beer, and pubs filled with people that are thrilled at the thought of spring finally in the air. Of course, for me, with a last name of “Valentine” I am a little partial to Valentine’s Day, but with a bunch of friends with family names of Murphy, Coleman, or Short you can’t help but be a wee bit Irish for the day.  So when asked to be a “Southwest Leprechaun” for the day, needless to say I was thrilled. The first thing I did was contact my very Irish friend Kevin to find out what Leprechaun’s are all about. Without hesitation, he advised me to watch a Disney movie called, Darby O ‘Gill and the Little People.   He added, “You will learn all you need to know from that movie.”  He was right!  So if you see me and my sidekick Cindy, on a Southwest flight, be sure to say hello.  We will be flying over rainbows, while playing tricks and searching for the Pot of Gold!  

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Tags: Leprechauns Southwest Airlines St. Patrick's Day

Another Message from a Leprechaun was written on Mar 17,2010 at 11:14am and posted in the categories Customers and Flying and Nutty stuff and Southwest Culture and Under the hood

Message from a Leprechaun

By: Clint Walker - Fuel Inventory Auditor II

To celebrate St. Patrick's Day, three Leprechauns are roaming the Southwest system.  Here is a message from one of them:

Happy St Patrick ’s Day. Today I am traveling on Southwest Airlines to visit my mother. My father was a Leprechaun, like me, but my mother was in the WNBA. My mother is 7 feet tall and my father measures 2 feet, which leaves me almost in the middle at 5’10.  My parents met when my mother was in Ireland playing a basketball tournament and her shoes were lost with the rest of her luggage…she wasn’t flying Southwest obviously. She was sad, and started crying on an old hollowed out tree stump. Little did she know, that was my father’s home. He quickly popped out, measured her feet, and made her the finest basketball shoes ever made. Michael Jordan pleaded with my father to make him a pair, but he said she was the only one he wanted to cobble for, for the rest of his life; or at least the rest of hers, since the average lifespan of a Leprechaun is 200 years. As for me, I am just ready to be home, which is oddly enough not in Ireland anymore. My parents moved here to follow my mother’s career. So if you see me traveling today it could be worth your while. Until then, Sláinte!!

Clint (R) and fellow Leprechaun Jason Penland (L) below:

 

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Tags: Leprechauns Southwest Airlines St. Patrick's Day

Message from a Leprechaun was written on Mar 17,2010 at 07:37am and posted in the categories Airports and Customers and Flying and Nutty stuff

What's the vector, Victor? The Passing of Peter Graves

By: Brian Lusk - Manager of Communications

I was saddened to learn of the passing of Peter Graves this weekend.  I first noticed his career when he played the father on Fury, and then in Mission Impossible as Jim Phelps.  But, when I first saw Airplane at the Fox Theater in Portland, Oregon during the summer of 1980, I knew I was watching a classic American movie.  I would wager that at least three out of every four airline employees could quote a line of Airplane dialogue off the top of their heads.  While he didn’t have the largest role in Airplane and was being dragged down the aisle of the airplane half-way through the film, Peter Graves makes this movie a masterpiece with his role as Captain Oveur.  From his first scene where he tells the operator to “give me a Hamm on five, and hold the Mayo” to handing his credit card to the attendant outside the airplane window, to his question “What’s the vector, Victor,” it is nonstop comedy delight.  And that doesn’t even include Joey’s visit to the cockpit.

While Peter Graves has left us, Captain Oveur will be searching for the perfect vector for many years to come.

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Tags: Brian Lusk Southwest Airlines

What's the vector, Victor? The Passing of Peter Graves was written on Mar 16,2010 at 11:55am and posted in the categories Nutty stuff

Who Says College Kids Have all the Fun?

By: Eileen Ogintz

Eileen Ogintz is considered a leading national travel expert and syndicated columnist of the weekly column "Taking the Kids." Her work is also featured on southwest.com, and for the first time,  we are featuring her Spring Break tips with our fellow Nuts readers!

I've spent Spring Breaks hunting for the "perfect" sand dollar on a Sanibel Island beach, watching major leaguers at Spring Training games, along with my little leaguers, and exploring the Grand Canyon with a couple of young hikers who were thrilled to become Junior Rangers.

So, if you think Spring Break is only for college kids, think again. While more college students opt to do volunteer work on their breaks (and you can certainly find a family volunteer project, too) families have discovered that it is easier -- and often cheaper -- to get away in the spring than in the summer when camps and summer jobs -- not to mention work schedules and peak travel season perils -- wreak havoc with family vacation planning.

That's why despite the recession you can expect to see parents and kids racing down ski slopes all around the country (www.ski.com ). In Vermont, try a smaller, less expensive area like Bolton Valley (www.boltonvalley.com ). California's Northstar-at-Tahoe (http://www.northstarattahoe.com ) offers deep family discounts. Kids can ski two days here for $30 and you get half-off a second kids' ski lessons.

Or choose instead to cheer on your favorite teams at Spring Training games in Florida (www.floridagrapefruitleague.com ) and Arizona (www.cactusleague.com ). Look for deals like at the InterContinental Tampa (www.intercontampa.com ), which is close to George Steinbrenner's Legends Field. Here you'll save 25 percent on the best rate and get a "Fan Tool Kit," which includes a baseball for signing, a box of Cracker Jack and a lot more. (The kids will love this!) In Arizona, the historic Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa (http://www.wigwamresort.com/ ) offers an overnight Spring Training escape package starting at just $219, plus resort credits, while the W Scottsdale Hotel & Residences (www.starwoodhotels.com/ ), a hip downtown property, promises the chance to mingle with the players at practice, suite accommodations, signed baseball gear and buy-one-get-one tickets -- as long as you can afford $1,000 per night.

Throughout March and April, look for deals in Hawaii like those at Maui's Honua Kai Resort & Spa (www.honuakaimaui.com ). Honua offers up to 35 percent off the room rate, which starts at just $260/night for a one-bedroom suite. Or try the Caribbean (look for kids up to 15 free deals available now at Club Med, www.clubmed.com , as long as you book by March 1.) If sailing is more your style, share dinner with grandparents on mega cruise ships (www.cruisemates.com ) while happily comparing notes at what a great deal you scored.

"In past years, many of these ships and categories would be sold out by now," according to Heidi Allison-Shane from Cruise Compete.com (http://www.cruisecompete.com/specials/holiday/spring_break_cruises/2 ). She notes that while prices are up from last year, they still remain 10 percent lower than 2008 with especially good deals on the ultra deluxe liners. "There is great availability right now as consumers are waiting until the last minute to book," she adds.

You certainly don't have to bust the budget either. Take a short cruise, for example, from a port near your home (Norwegian Cruise Line (www.ncl.com ) is launching Nickelodeon-themed cruises from New York City in late April) or head to a ski resort touting free nights and lift tickets (The Canyons (www.thecanyons.com ), for example, in Utah gives two lift tickets for every room booked). Take the train (kids travel at a deep discount on Amtrak, www.amtrak.com ) and explore a nearby city. (Look for the latest family hotel deals on city tourism Websites like www.bostonusa.com , www.nycgo.com  or www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com ).

Go with one child if the others have to stay home. Go solo if your significant other can't get away. Use the opportunity to try something new. Learn to scuba dive or snowboard, explore a museum devoted to sport like the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., (www.hoophall.com ) where basketball was first invented, or music (the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, www.rockhall.com  or spies (the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., www.spymuseum.org ).

So many families come to Orlando for Spring Break -- 2.6 million visitors in March and April -- that you'll see more kids here than at any other time of year, except summer. And it won't be nearly as hot. (Check out the new Super Deal program and new Magicard offers on everything from Disney World attractions to accommodations and restaurants, www.visitorlando.com/deals ). Buy three nights and get two more free, including a week's unlimited admission to Universal Studios' two parks where the much anticipated "Wizarding World of Harry Potter" will open later this spring -- less than $800 for two adults and two parents (www.universalorlando.com ).

You may even score free admission to see The Mouse himself at Walt Disney World, if your family spends a day volunteering. (Visit www.disneyparks.com  for details and other deals). Look for hotel packages in Orlando and elsewhere, especially for families. In honor of Holiday Inn Club Vacations in Orlando, Fla.'s first anniversary (www.hiclubvacations.com/anniversary ), for example, guests can score an upgrade to a two-bedroom villa, a $250 resort credit, lazy river tubes, mini golf and more.

Or you can avoid hotels entirely. One friend checks www.craigslist.com  for apartment rentals in cities where she wants to visit and proposes what she'd like to pay, typically scoring a deal -- at half the going rate, she boasted. Also try sites like www.vrbo.com  and www.homeaway.com  where you can also negotiate directly with a homeowner or check out www.perfectfamilyvacation.com  for good deals on digs in resort locales with multi-bedrooms. Travelocity  has more than 100 hotels for under $100 per night. Hotels are where the values are this spring with rates down 10 percent or more in destinations like Orlando, Cancun, Honolulu, South Florida and Tampa/St. Petersburg, reports Travelocity's Genevieve Brown.

Last Spring Break -- my daughter Mel's last before she went away to college -- I let her lead the way straight to Austria's Oetztal Valley, about an hour from Innsbruck. We holed up in the Hotel Regina (www.hotel-regina.com ), a small, quaint hotel, and skied every day, traversing glaciers, viewing the Alps and stopping at traditional wooden huts for hearty lunches of homemade sausage and apple strudel.

Mel, an avid skier, was thrilled by the mountains and by the fact that she could drink legally. I was thrilled to have her all to myself for a few days.

"Good bonding time," she told me.

Exactly what a Spring Break should be -- wherever you go.

To read more of Eileen's tips, check out http://www.takingthekids.com/

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Tags: Eileen Ogintz spring break

Who Says College Kids Have all the Fun? was written on Mar 16,2010 at 07:49am and posted in the categories Customers and Flying

Let the Games Begin

By: Michelle Miller - Assistant Manager Sports Marketing and Promotions

Just as I finish mourning the end of football season, March rolls in and my blood starts pumping again.  Yep, it is that wonderful time of year with the college basketball championship, and I love everything about it!  I usually treat the first Thursday and Friday of the tournament as a personal holiday, taking off work to watch the first round all day at a local watering hole with my friends.  There’s something about watching these potential Cinderella teams fight for the big upset in the first round.  Sure, a #16 seed has never beaten a #1 seed, but a handful of #15 seeds have beaten #2 seeds!  But at least one #12 seed beats a #5 seed.  It’s crazy, I tell ya!

A few years ago I headed to Vegas to watch the games at a sports book.  If you've never been, I highly recommend it!  Back in 2003, I headed down to New Orleans for the finals.  I saw my beloved Texas Longhorns loose to Syracuse Orangemen.  Carmelo Anthony could not miss a shot and we lost 84 to 95.  Though we lost, it was a blast and an experience I will never forget.

Typically, I play around three brackets and my picks are personal.  I tend to pick teams that I like regardless of the seed.  First and foremost, I always pick the Horns because of my alumni allegiance.  Now the not so obvious picks.  For example, a few of my cousins are KU alums, so the Jayhawks usually make it to my Elite Eight.  My roommate from college did her residency at Duke, and so they usually make the cut.  Both KU and Duke play great ball, so it’s pretty easy to justify my “personal” predictions.  I also like the Gonzaga Bulldogs.  Their program has come a long way in the last decade, now being included amongst the country’s elite programs.  Moreover, I did some work in Spokane and could not get over how nice everyone is in that town.  Other teams are hit and miss.  If LSU makes it to the tournament I cheer for them because my husband went there.  Better luck next year Tigers.  Not even a NIT bid?

A couple of years ago I actually placed in a bracket!  Pretty cool when it finally happens, right?  Most years, I’m not so lucky, but I still make my predictions every year.  One year, I got creative and thought I would draw names out of a hat--almost literally.  It was actually a cup, and I was on a Southwest flight.  I tore up napkins and wrote the names of all 64 teams in the big dance, and  picked 32.  My first round winners.  The rest of the teams were out, and so I continued to dwindle it down from there.  Because you never know what will happen, I thought I might actually have a chance.  Well, my bracket was an utter disaster, and I finished in last place out of hundreds of entrants.   The upside is that I did win my entry fee back, so the only thing I really lost was my dignity.

Well today(the day after “Selection Sunday”), it is that time to sit down, do some research and get my brackets ready. Some of you may spend countless hours doing your research to help you with your bracket.  You may close your eyes and pick each team.  Or you may even try the “mascot vs. mascot in reality” method.  Either way, I can’t wait for Thursday and maybe this will be my year to win at least one of the brackets.  As long as I don’t try the “hat trick” again…

Check out Southwest Airlines Bracket Challenge here.  It is free and you have nothing to lose, just a chance to win great prizes.  Enjoy!

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Tags: basketball Southwest Airlines

Let the Games Begin was written on Mar 15,2010 at 02:29pm and posted in the categories Customers and Nutty stuff

New Television Ads with our Employees Debut

By: Ashley Rogers - Public Relations Coordinator

Southwest debuted a new set of FUN Employee-focused ads today. The new ads are an extension of the popular “Grab Your Bag: It’s On!” spots, but now feature a new set of Employees with some new messages. Wherever I go, people are always talking to me about our  “Grab Your Bag: It’s On!” campaign which launched last summer and continued into the fall with a heavy presence during football season.

The new ads are a refresh of that campaign. The ads aim to highlight that Southwest is an airline that consistently provides a positive experience that keeps Customers coming back. One spot, entitled “Battle Cry,” features ten Ramp Agents “revealing” Southwest’s Bags Fly Free policy. See the FUN here.

We’ll roll out seven new spots over the next few days. The ads will run during broadcasts of the college basketball championship games. One of the ads specifically focuses on the fact that Customers can only purchase Southwest Airlines fares and flights on southwest.com. One of the “stars” of the southwest.com commercial, HDQ Employee Micah Hankammer, told me about her experience on the set of the commercial shoot. Here’s what she had to say: “It was so fun to get to see and be part of what goes on behind the scenes at a commercial shoot--I felt like a movie star getting my hair and makeup done every day!  Meeting so many fun Employees from all areas of the Company was a blast and made me realize even more how lucky and proud I am to work here!”

To view the new spots and behind-the-scenes video, please the video section of the blog or become a fan on Southwest’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/southwest.

We are also featuring Employees in innovative jetbridge, print, and digital advertising. So be on the look for Southwest Employees in banner ads online and in the airport.

Let us know what you think of the new spots! Enjoy!

 

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Tags: advertisements advertising Ashley Rogers Commercial Southwest Airlines

New Television Ads with our Employees Debut was written on Mar 15,2010 at 09:02am and posted in the categories Southwest Culture and Working at Southwest

Happy Happy Birthday Birthday

By: Mallory Messina - Culture Activities Representative

You are not seeing double in the title.  March 12, 2010 is an important day at Southwest Airlines. No, we’re not starting service to a new city today, and we’re not launching a new product; it’s a way bigger deal than any of that.  March 12 is the shared birthday of two of the most important men in Southwest Airlines history: Gary Kelly and Herb Kelleher! 

These guys have a lot in common: they’re both really tall, they’ve both held the titles of President, CEO, and Chairman of our Company; and, of course, they share this special day.  They also have something else in common: their love of animals.  So when deciding what to get two guys who have done so much for all of us and the community, the Executive Office, Pass Bureau,  Culture, and Communications Employees decided to show them our LUV by holding a collection drive for a nearby pet shelter, Dog & Kitty City.  The shelter’s web site has a long list of needs and we did our best to collect items that will help them out, all in Gary’s and Herb’s names.

Happy Birthday, Gary & Herb, we hope you enjoy this gift from our hearts!  To see a special birthday video for Gary, click here.

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Tags: Gary Kelly Herb Kelleher Mallory Messina Southwest Airlines

Happy Happy Birthday Birthday was written on Mar 12,2010 at 10:22am and posted in the categories Working at Southwest