Blog Team
Brooks Thomas
Call me the new guy. Or don’t. Born under a favorable sign (Gemini) in the northern suburbs of Chicago, I transplanted to Dallas for college and decided I was okay with the decision, so I stayed. Like the Blog Boy himself, Brian Lusk, I attended Southern Methodist University for journalism. I also worked for the radio station there. Unlike Mr. Lusk, I graduated in 2006, about 40 years after he did. In my former life, I was an aspiring news producer. Complete newscasts watched since I left: 2.
Fun Facts
Languages
English, and my Coworker Olga is teaching me Spanish.. mas o menos
Hobbies
Travel, music, not falling off my bike
Family
I’m a loner, Dottie, a rebel – Peewee Herman
Pets
Ernie the Golden Retriever (R.I.P.), Gilmore the Yellow Lab (R.I.P.), Vern the cat (R.I.P.), Elmo the Box Turtle (R.I.P.) All died of natural causes.
High School
Lake Forest High School – Home of the Scouts
College
Southern Methodist University
Favorite Sports Teams
Chicago Bears, Blackhawks, Cubs, SMU Mustangs, Texas Rangers
Favorite Travel Destinations
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Your Favorite Southwest Story
Gotta pick two. I know that’s probably not allowed. LUV Classic 2010 and Haunted Headquarters 2010. The former is a golf tournament and the latter our huge Halloween party. In both cases, we selected winners through a picture contest on Twitter and I got to host them at each event. Very cool to bring guests into your own home and have them meet the family (Southwest family, of course). Since these are all people who are especially internet savvy, I imagine at some point they’ll come across this message.
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Recent Activity:
Recent Activity Posts
To All Our Moms!
By: Brooks Thomas 
May 13 2012
We wanted to give the opportunity for a few Nuts About Southwest Blog Team Mother's Day shout-outs. Don't forget to wish Mum a Happy Mother's Day! I'll kick things off! Every year on the Friday afternoon before Mother's Day, my Mom knows there will be flowers. My Mother works at the middle school that I attended in my hometown of Lake Bluff, Illinois. Growing up with your... read more
SWA Stew: Episode 47
By: Brooks Thomas
May 12 2012
One of Those Days
By: Brooks Thomas
May 10 2012
We all have our days. If you tried to buy tickets, or check in for a Southwest flight today, you likely encountered slow service and some frustration. Throughout the day, we experienced technical hurdles involving a variety of systems, including southwest.com and our in-airport check-in. Our Teams have been fully aware of the situation and worked diligently to fix any... read more
SWA Stew: Episode 46
By: Brooks Thomas
May 04 2012
Loyalty Day? Let's Make it a Loyalty Month!
By: Brooks Thomas
May 01 2012
SWA Stew: Episode 45
By: Brooks Thomas
Apr 20 2012
SWA Stew: Episode 44
By: Brooks Thomas
Apr 14 2012
Southwest Brand Ranks at the Top Again!
By: Brooks Thomas
Apr 12 2012
Look, we like braggin' about the brass, okay? And Southwest Airlines, Kayak, Royal Caribbean, and Enterprise continue to rule the travel industry as Brands of the Year according to the 23rd Annual Harris Poll EquiTrend® Study. Americans give highest accolades for Companies who "connect" with Customers and "over-deliver" in their respective categories. In the category of "... read more
The Great Foodspotting Street Fest Challenge feat. Kobayashi
By: Brooks Thomas
Apr 05 2012
SWA Stew: Episode 42
By: Brooks Thomas
Mar 23 2012
Recent Activity Luvs
Happy Jack: A Day in the Life of one of Southwest's Biggest Fans
By: Erika Feresten, Guest Blogger 
Feb 23 2012
Jack Henry has been ‘geek
chic’ for Southwest Airlines since his first SWA flight 2 1/2 years
ago. Like most little boys, we considered his penchant for planes to be fairly
typical, but Jack’s love of planes was specific to SWA. He talked so much about Southwest that the
following year, when we made our summer vacation plans, we specifically decided
to fly Southwest as we knew it would... read more
Study: Southwest is America's Most Desired Brand!
By: Brooks Thomas
Feb 17 2012
I was pleased to discover yesterday that Southwest
Airlines has taken top honors as "most desired brand" in a recent
study, published today in Forbes Magazine.The study, put out by a neuromarketing firm named
"Buyology," is rather unique, in that it uses a technique called
"latency response" to garner results.
The method, in essence, makes the subject choose quickly before
conscious thought... read more
36 Hours By Heart
By: Alan Bamberg 
Jan 30 2012
I watched a woman sitting in seat “1D” diligently
crocheting. It’s not as if I hadn’t seen
this scene before. Honestly I’ve probably seen the same scene a hundred times
on my flights… maybe even the same woman.
I was sitting on the forward jumpseat while I waited to reach a workable
altitude, and I watched the woman across from me crocheting a vibrant red,
white and blue blanket.... read more
The Day I Became a Grandma
By: Patti Skirving, Guest Blogger 
Dec 30 2011
I am not a frequent flier on Southwest. My husband and I live north of Chicago and Southwest flies out of Midway Airport, which is located south of Chicago and much farther than O'Hare Airport. But, we will be flying Southwest from now on.I had the most amazing experience with Southwest Airlines, and I will forever be appreciative of the incredible service they provided.On November 28th, my... read more
Five Days of Suspended Reality: Part 3
By: Kathleen Herman 
Dec 22 2011
Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, it did.
Saturday was a “free day.” No group events were scheduled.
We slept in, but only a little because we wanted as much park time as possible!
Ray went down for our morning check-in with the staff before
we left for breakfast. When he came back, he was carrying another, now
familiar, black gift bag bearing the Kidd’s Kids logo.... read more
Five Days of Suspended Reality: Part 2
By: Kathleen Herman
Dec 15 2011
Our alarms went off at the same time they do at home, but
apparently Disney World is a better motivator than work or school to get up and
go. We couldn't wait to start our day!
First on the itinerary was a group breakfast event back at
the Atlantic Dance Hall. As we checked in with the staff in the lobby,
we knew we would receive the day's schedule, our meal cards (they provided all
meals... read more
"I Just Wanted to Thank You" - A Note From My Flight Attendant
By: Wayne Elsey, Guest Blogger 
Dec 12 2011
Sometimes being the CEO of an organization is inspiring and rewarding, but sometimes you find yourself in the wrong headspace and it quickly becomes stressful and overwhelming. Today started off as one of those days for me. After getting word late last week that a very close friend of mine had been unexpectedly hospitalized, I immediately canceled all of my weekend appointments and... read more
Soldiers in the Sky
By: Elise May 
Nov 23 2011
I love flying around the system and seeing the respect our
Employees and Customers give our servicemen and women. Though certainly not a
requirement, most of our Crews make an announcement asking folks to allow
military personnel to deplane first. Some will even explain that these special
folks are only home for a short time, and this is a way to give them a few
extra moments with their loved... read more
Navajo Code Talkers
By: Patty Kryscha 
Nov 16 2011
It’s not often that
one gets to meet a true American hero, let alone four of them! Just before
Veterans Day, I had the privilege of meeting four Navajo Code Talkers at an
event in New York City honoring them for their amazing work during World War
II.
The Navajo Code
Talkers were an elite group of Marine communicators. They were founded in 1942,
following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in... read more
California Dreamin' With Green River Ordinance
By: Derek Hubbard 
Nov 09 2011
