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

The Rest Of The Story

Aug 07 2009
On my worst days, I remain grateful to work for Southwest Airlines.  But there are other times that just make me feel I'm simply unworthy to be the lowliest member of a Family of 35,000+ Superstars.  One of those moments happened recently, and I just thought I'd share it.   I was headed back to Dallas from a West Coast business trip, was booked on a late-afternoon connection, and... read more

Summer Travel Is Here. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE????

Jun 25 2009
At the risk of sounding like the AARP-membership-eligible male that I am....time is just going by faster and faster. It's already the fourth week of June.  How on earth is that possible???  Wasn't Easter just recently?  Wasn't Christmas a month or so ago?  I guess I need to make my plans for Memorial Day.....OH WAIT....that was a month ago! My Mom (still miss her!) always told me that as you... read more

HO HO HO, WHO WOULDN'T GO.....MILWAUKEE SERVICE AND HOLIDAY TRAVEL IS NOW OPEN FOR SALE!

Jun 22 2009
There's now more LUV for sale!  This morning we extended our booking window out to January 8, 2010, which (of course!) includes the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's holidays.  As with any new schedule opening, there are lots of little surprises in this one!   First and foremost--effective November 1, Southwest Airlines introduces our new Milwaukee service with nonstop service in... read more

SAME TIME, NEXT YEAR

May 30 2006
I love family reunions. We've had them on my mom's side of my family for almost 70 years now–annual weekend pilgrimages to the home of the Nichols clan, the lovely (if hot) little Texas town of Glen Rose (population: 2,308). I feel incredibly lucky that I know the names and faces of third, fourth, even fifth cousins--and consider them friends, even though for the most part we see each other but... read more

2009 NEW CITY Number Four--MILWAUKEE HERE WE COME!

May 20 2009
Today, Southwest gave the residents of Wisconsin something to talk about around the bubbler.  We’re adding Milwaukee and General Mitchell International Airport to our network!!!  Starting late this year, the home of the Cunninghams, the Fonz, Laverne and Shirley, the Bucks, the Brewers, and the Packers will become the 68th airport on the Southwest Airlines route map.  (Yeah, I realize the... read more

Peace Officers Memorial Day

May 14 2009
Tomorrow, May 15, is National Peace Officers Memorial Day, a day dedicated to remembering the more than 18,600 law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty in the United States (133 killed in 2008 alone)--and to showing our appreciation to the hundreds of thousands of law enforcement professionals whose job it is to protect Americans from crime, harm, and yes, from ourselves. ... read more

Dental Comeuppance

May 11 2009
Okay.  I've shared a LOT with you guys.  But here's a new guilty secret revealed (and not a good one)--I have really, really bad teeth, through neglect....and because of fear.   Now at the risk of not “holding myself accountable” for the issue, I had an incredibly abusive dentist as a child.  Seriously.  Psychotically abusive.  He used to slap my brother and me if we’d whimper in fear or pain... read more

WHAT AN INSPIRATION--THANK YOU, SUSAN BOYLE!

Apr 24 2009
For the very few people on this planet that haven't seen or heard of Susan Boyle by now, she’s the 47-year-old, single, frumpy, unemployed, "never-been-kissed" Scot that blew the socks off an entire theatre full of Glaswegians (not to mention three cranky English judges) on "Britain's Got Talent" recently.....and now millions and millions people have watched the YouTube vid... read more

BOSTON--AND THE FALL--NOW FOR SALE!

Apr 14 2009
Hello, Beantown!  Our new service to Boston’s Logan Airport is now available for sale! Five weekday nonstops each day between Boston/Logan and both Chicago/Midway and Baltimore/Washington will start on August 16, 2009—with connecting and direct service to 48 other Southwest destinations (I’ll get back to you later for specific terminal and gate information for Logan).  In fact, our entire... read more

SOUTHWEST'S NOW IN A NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

Apr 07 2009
Wow.....it's happened!  Southwest Airlines service to and from New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is now for sale.  Service starts June 28, and we'll offer five daily flights between LaGuardia and Chicago/Midway and three flights between LaGuardia and Baltimore/Washington. In New York, we will be operating from the Central Terminal, Concourse B.  In addition to the two nonstop destinations from... read more