Blog Team

bowen
Author Since 2006

Bill Owen

So let’s cut right to the chase. I’m a fat, 54-year old white guy. I dance badly but cook wonderfully. I’m not losing my hair—it’s just moving slowly from my head down to my ears, shoulders and back. The bags under my eyes are almost too big to qualify as carryons. My spider veins look like a roadmap of Croatia. And I’m happier and more contented than I have ever been in my life. At work, I’m responsible for making sure that the Network Planning Department is prepared with tools, data, and processes to enable them to write and publish any kind of schedules that the Company, or the industry, dictate. And, of course, there's this gig, where I get to write about my Company and my life. Honestly, I get paid to do what I LUV to do! I know all the secrets of what’s coming in the future, and I know where all the “bodies are buried” from the past. How cool is that? At home, I’m the father of an amazing, 27-year-old policeman (you guys know him--I’ve often written about The Officer), who has a wonderful wife and now there is my granddaughter VIVIAN! I'm also the stepfather to two adorable stepdaughters who love to push buttons (most often, mine!), and the partner of a wonderful man whose long-term consumption of my cooking has recently led him to be placed on Lipitor. *sigh* I’m part of a wonderfully historic church, have a brother, one remaining 91-year-old precious aunt, dozens of wonderful cousins, and a gaggle of friends I’ve known for over 40 years. You may call it an extended, reality version of “Modern Family.” I call it "heaven." Either way, it’s my life….and I’m happy to give the blogosphere the inside view!

Fun Facts

Languages

English, Airline, Texan, Parent, and Food. I hope to eventually learn Grandparent.

Hobbies

Working, travel, cooking, writing, working, cleaning, parenting, living, and working.

Family

Son, The Officer, and his wife, the DIL, and the newest addition--MY GRANDBABY CRICKET!! Partner, Kent. Stepdaughters, the Princess of Darkness and the Space Cadet.

Pets

Two spoiled dogs, both rescue: Abby, a 7 year old 5-lb Chihuahua/Rat Terrier mix. Thinks she’s a T-Rex. And Marley, a 7-year-old 160-lb yellow lab. Thinks he’s a lap dog.

High School

Irving High School, Irving, Texas (Class of 1976)

College

Freshman/Sophomore years at Texas Tech. Graduated from University of Texas at Arlington.

Favorite Sports Teams

You’re kidding, right?

Favorite Travel Destinations

London, Paris, Hawaii (all islands), New Orleans, and Clearwater, Florida

Your Favorite Southwest Story

So many. Too many. Dozens of Ronald McDonald House dinners. Meeting amazing SWA Family members. But several stories really stand out, most shared here. One, the story of how my SWA Family just did what they do—but enabled an anonymous Customer to have a chance to say goodbye to her dying mother. See the story of Connection Lady here. And two, the absolute comment-flaming I got from the blogosphere about our “days-of-inventory” and mysterious schedule opening procedures, and how we changed corporate policy because of feedback received on “Nuts!” Read the evisceration here, and the results here. Of course—the opportunity to do my sweet Mother’s obit here on “Nuts.” And…the infamous squirrel story here.

Recent Activity:

Recent Activity Posts

JUMP INTO WINTER 2010...JANUARY/FEBRUARY SCHEDULES NOW AVAILABLE!

Aug 17 2010
Good HOT morning, everyone!  Today we're putting our January and February, 2011 schedules out for sale.  There are LOTS of changes but they're mostly subtle, soft and subdued....kind of like the sound of a snowfall.  So get your "zen" on and let's dive in! So what's *NOT* in these schedules?  New cities, for starters.  No, we're not announcing the introduction of our South Carolina... read more

NEW SERVICE IN NOVEMBER!

Aug 03 2010
Happy Tuesday, everyone!  Today we're announcing service effective November 7th in four markets--two brand newbies, one returning after a brief vacation, and one that we just can't bear to drop. First-time Southwest nonstops will take wing between Phoenix and Ft. Lauderdale with one daily roundtrip as well as double-daily roundtrips between Austin and San Jose, CA (yes--our very own "Nerd... read more

FALL 2010--AND THE HOLIDAYS--NOW FOR SALE!

Jun 15 2010
Today we opened for sale our November, December, and early January (2011) schedules for sale.  This includes Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.  Let the holiday booking frenzy begin! Oh no, ho-ho-ho, c'mon, kids, let's pack and go! We have numerous frequency changes in this schedule (many of which are seasonal).  They're reflective of the softened demand we experience in the Fall.  (See... read more

I HAD A BLAST AT THE BLAST-OFF!

May 18 2010
Two of our bloggers, Harrison Earl and Bill Owen, were invited (by different groups, no less) to the recent shuttle launch, and their stories are so good, we are excited to share them both with you.   Last week, I had the incredible good fortune to be in the observation stands on the banks of the Banana River to watch the lift-off of the Space Shuttle Atlantis on its final mission--STS-... read more

MY NAME IS BILL ... AND I'M A GLEEK!

May 04 2010
Okay.  Let's be honest here.  Who, besides me, is a complete and devoted fan of Fox TV's new musical mega-hit, "Glee!"?  C'mon, raise your hands.  Those of you that will admit to the addiction are called "Gleeks."  I mean, it's probably something you want to admit in neither the locker nor the board rooms--but oh, sweet ghosts of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, this is... read more

SCHEDULE NEWS--ADDED SERVICE COMING IN THE SECOND HALF OF 2010

Apr 27 2010
A quick schedule surprise--we're adding service beginning at summer's end!  One seasonal market that's being extended ... and two brand new routes that tie two of our newest markets to one of our oldest and most successful ones. When we announced the seasonal resumption of nonstop Baltimore/Washington(BWI)-Los Angeles(LAX) service starting on May 9, we planned to end it again on August 13. ... read more

EARTH DAY THE SOUTHWEST AIRLINES WAY!

Apr 22 2010
Here at Southwest Airline's Headquarters Campus in Dallas, my Department--Network Planning--is celebrating Earth Day 2010 in a new and exciting way.  You could say that something new is "coming up!" Like potatoes.  And onions.  And soon, tomatoes, peppers, and who knows what else.  Embracing the growing Urban Gardening movement, an ever-increasing number of SWA Employees have... read more

More Summer Service for San Antonio!

Mar 24 2010
Greetings, everyone!  Today we're putting a third roundtrip out for sale in both the San Antonio-Baltimore/Washington and San Antonio-Orlando markets for the peak summer travel season.  They'll be effective from June 1 through September 6, giving our Customers in--and visitors to--the Alamo City more options than ever! The third Baltimore/Washington-San Antonio flight will get Customers out... read more

New Schedules Available!

Mar 23 2010
Happy Tuesday, everyone!  Since everyone's "March Madness" brackets are in tatters by now, we thought we'd give you something schedule-related to chat about.  Today, we put our flight schedule out for sale from August 14th, 2010, all the way out through October 30th, boosting our days of available inventory up to 227.  Labor day?  Now available!  College football game weekend trips? ... read more

New Service between Beantown and the City of Brotherly Love

Feb 16 2010
Good morning folks!  When we first announced our new service to Boston (BOS) last year , one of the most frequently-asked-for markets was BOS-Philadelphia (PHL).  It wasn't in the initial plans---but starting June 27th, we're jumping in with five daily roundtrips!  Flights and fares are available now at southwest.com ! While we're at it, next time you're flying on Southwest through... read more