The "Flying V" isn't a formation we routinely practice at Southwest, but there's a lot of quacking going on about some ducks that are circulating the system. Since joining Families with AirTran, we established the "WingMate Program." Through a sign-up process, the program pairs a Southwest Employee with an AirTran Employee, kind of like a pen-pal system. My WingMate's name is Reuben, a... read more
Member
Raphael Sheffield
Private pilot flying single engine piston (turbocharged, variable pitch, retractable undercarriage) aircraft, expert on navigation technologies. Background working for airlines, MRO's as well as various manufacturers.
Fun Facts
Favorite Southwest Moment
Being invited by a friend to attend the Smokin' Spirit party, and getting to see Herb and Colleen in person! A great show of SWA spirit :o)
Favorite Travel Destinations
South Pole
Places I wish southwest would fly
France!
- Been there
- Southwest Destinations
Recent Activity Luvs
Birds of a Feather Win Together
By: Brooks Thomas 
Oct 12 2011
The "Flying V" isn't a formation we routinely practice at Southwest, but there's a lot of quacking going on about some ducks that are circulating the system. Since joining Families with AirTran, we established the "WingMate Program." Through a sign-up process, the program pairs a Southwest Employee with an AirTran Employee, kind of like a pen-pal system. My WingMate's name is Reuben, a... read more
Flashback Fridays: Is That a Southwest Airlines Airplane?
By: Brian Lusk 
Oct 07 2011
A while back before "Flashback Fridays" began appearing on our SWALife Employee blog, I took a look at some Southwest
airplanes that wore Southwest titles but kept the basic livery of their
previous operator. Thanks to Phoenix Flight
Attendant Les Isaacowitz, I can both share some additional photos of one of those
aircraft for both audiences.
Keep in mind that, back in the early... read more
Passion Takes Flight at Southwest
Oct 10 2011
I almost
always fall asleep on planes (not fun for those who travel with me), and being
awakened by a singing pilot is a nice way to come back to consciousness. But
that’s not the only reason I looked forward to the Southwest flight I took to
Dallas a week ago.The company
I work for, Ragan Communications, held our ‘Communicating your Company Story’
conference—an event for communicators—at... read more
Southwest Airlines Creates the Perfect Blend
By: Michelle Agnew 
Oct 12 2011
Have you heard? Southwest Airlines is venturing into
the music, food, and wine business! Now, before you get too excited,
we’re not starting our own SWA band, or having chefs on our planes; we’ll stick
to what we know best. But we are the official airline sponsor of Live in
the Vineyard (LITV); a three-day event taking place twice a year in Napa
Valley. LITV consists of a... read more
Flashback Fridays: Our First Dispatch Office
By: Brian Lusk
Jul 22 2011
I’m excited because Flashback Friday
is on a roll of finding images hidden for decades. Last week, we found some photos of
Reservations Agents from 1974, and a short while back, we had Mechanics in our
original hangar. Well this week, we have
some amazing candid photos of our original Dispatch office. Like our CS&S (formerly Reservations)
folks, Dispatch isn’t seen by the... read more
Yahtzee – Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards-Style!
By: Simon Fletcher 
Jul 18 2011
As one of our Managers on the Marketing Brand Engagement Team, my job is to promote the Southwest brand and our products, as well as find unique and meaningful ways to interact with and engage our Customers. With the recent launch of our All-New Rapid Rewards program in March, my Team was tasked with finding a way to promote the new program in a way that would be fun and appealing to both... read more
From the Road: Conservation in Action
By: Tour 40 
Oct 10 2011
To celebrate our 40th Anniversary, we're teaming up with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) to take our commitment to volunteerism and the environment on the road, literally! The following is their constantly evolving story from the road. Mission: HoustonOur Houston service day was sunny and warm, a fitting end to
our cross-country tour. The team was both excited and sad as we... read more
Flashback Fridays: Thank You for Calling Southwest Airlines
By: Brian Lusk
Jul 15 2011
Customer Support & Services (CS&S) is our department formerly known as Reservations. These hard working folks with the pleasant
voices on the phone have been an essential part of our success since day one,
but because Customers interact over the phone with them, they never get to see them in
action like they do our Airport and Inflight folks. I am also sorry to say that there... read more
Taking The Kids: When Your Children Are Flying Solo
By: Eileen Ogintz 
Jul 14 2011
Of course you’re
a little nervous.It’s not easy to
put a child on a plane solo whether they’re five or 15, whether this is their
first flight or 50th. Thousands of kids
as young as five routinely fly on Southwest every year and especially in summer.
Parents pay $50 each way to make sure
they are taken care of and supervised. But on Southwest,
once kids are 12, they are no longer... read more
Showing LUV to Our Communities for 40 Years
By: Rachel Barry 
Jul 12 2011
In Southwest Airlines’ 40th year of service, it’s amazing to look back and see how much we have changed over the years. Since our humble beginnings, there are some things that we’ve held true—building meaningful relationships, showing our LUV and our commitment to our Customers, and making a positive difference in the communities we serve.
In honor of our 40th Anniversary, we want... read more
