Showing posts with label Southwest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Southwest. Show all posts

14 March, 2024

Airlines try to leverage Boeing woes despite lack of alternatives

United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 10.
Airline executives are frustrated with Boeing as its safety crisis has upended their business plans. But in a tight market for large aircraft supplied by two companies, they have little choice but do business with the U.S. planemaker, reports Rajesh Kumar Singh from Reuters.

Despite some public displays of alarm - United Airlines  CEO Scott Kirby flew to France to talk with Airbus as Boeing's latest crisis erupted - carriers are still negotiating new plane orders, looking to leverage Boeing's delays to secure better terms.

Boeing's delivery schedule faces extended delays following a Jan. 5 mid-flight cabin blowout that exposed problems with safety and quality control in its manufacturing processes. But rival Airbus already has a backlog of orders that makes shifting over a non-starter.

Instead, airlines are adopting a variety of strategies to try to stay in the game with Boeing, using orders of one type of plane as a placeholder to possibly take deliveries of a different model. They also are negotiating harder, looking to use production delays to get discounts from the planemaker on new orders and compensation for financial losses.

"Boeing customers don't have much option but to stick with Boeing whether they like it or not," said Scott Hamilton, managing director at aviation consulting firm Leeham Company.
Kirby has been among the most vocal in expressing frustrations with Boeing. He met with Airbus after regulators grounded all of United's Boeing 737 MAX 9 fleet and put a big question mark over certification of the larger variant MAX 10, which was due for deliveries this year and was to be the cornerstone of United's fleet.

23 January, 2024

Southwest Airlines flight attendants approve strike action by 98%

Southwest Airlines flight attendants have endured more than five years without a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with Southwest Airlines, and they have had enough. Today, TWU Local 556, the union of Southwest Airlines flight attendants, announced results of members’ strike authorization vote. More than 98 percent of voting members authorized the TWU Local 556 Executive Board to call for a strike against Southwest Airlines.

This is the first time in the union’s history that flight attendants have taken a vote to authorize a strike against Southwest Airlines, and the results were resounding.

“Equity, equality and respect – those are the non-negotiables for our members,” Lyn Montgomery, president of TWU Local 556 and a career flight attendant, said. “Pay that sets a new industry standard is a necessity, absolutely, but so is our personhood being valued just as highly as that of management and other employees here at Southwest Airlines.”

Scheduling for on-call rotations, appropriate compensation for ground time, improved commuter policies, and the ability to have a safe place to sleep on overnights are among the contract improvements flight attendants need to see in their new contract, Montgomery explained.

Recent posts by flight attendants and TWU Local 556 contain the phrase: “Deceived. Devalued. Disrespected,” expressing the frustration that flight attendants have with members of management.

“When you are told at the negotiating table that certain work rule changes are off-limits and then you grant them to another workgroup, it’s clear that you do not value employees equally,” Montgomery said. “This is not just about job roles; at this point, our fight is about valuing our very personhood. Our employer has failed to implement even no-cost work rule changes that would improve our quality of life. While we battle for our earned value professionally, we find that we also fight to be valued as people. Even that seems up in the air with Southwest Airlines management today.”

Conducting a strike authorization vote is an important step toward striking, as outlined by Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act. If TWU Local 556 and Southwest Airlines cannot reach an agreement in federal mediation, the union could request to be released into a thirty-day cooling-off period, after which 21,000+ Southwest Airlines flight attendants would be free to strike the largest domestic carrier.

29 November, 2023

Southwest Airlines makes executive leadership changes


       Southwest Airlines Co.  has Executive Leadership changes and organizational alignment effective Friday, Dec. 1, to provide additional focus and clarity to support the Company's strategic priorities.

"We're closing out a year of purposeful investment in our capabilities and resiliency, having made enormous strides in a more seamless experience for our Customers," Bob Jordan, Southwest Airlines President & Chief Executive Officer said. "These changes solidify Southwest's Executive Leadership Team as we work to achieve our objectives for 2024 and beyond."

  • Justin Jones will elevate to Executive Vice President Operations, reporting to Chief Operating Officer Andrew Watterson. Jones will lead the Teams coordinating modernization and oversight of the daily operation of the airline.
  • Tony Roach will advance toa new role as Senior Vice President & Chief Customer Officer under Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer Ryan Green, who now will report to Watterson. Roach will oversee the end-to-end Customer Experience.

27 October, 2023

Southwest Airlines orders 108 additional Boeing 737 MAX jets


Boeing and Southwest Airlines announced today that the budget airline is increasing its commitment to the fuel-efficient 737 MAX family with an order for 108 737-MAX 7s. The new deal supports Southwest's modernization strategy and provides flexibility to expand its fleet.

"We have a long history with Boeing, dating back more than 50 years to the day we commenced service with three Boeing 737 aircraft serving three cities," said Bob Jordan, president & Chief Executive Officer of Southwest Airlines. "They're part of our history and part of our future as we continue to recognize the many efficiencies and cost savings of a single fleet."

The 737 family has long served Southwest by helping fuel the airline's continued growth. Southwest has placed over 300 orders for the 737- MAX 7, growing its orderbook to more than 500 737 MAX jets. Once certified, the 737- MAX 7 will join the carrier's all-Boeing 737 fleet.

"With the world's largest all-Boeing, all-737 fleet, Southwest is counting on the exceptional efficiency and reliability of the 737 MAX family," said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The 737-MAX 7 is pivotal to Southwest's long-term fleet modernization strategy, and we are honoured to have the airline's continued trust in us to deliver its future fleet."

The 737- MAX 7 has the longest range in its class, capable of flying up to 3,800 nautical miles and carrying up to 172 passengers. The enhanced environmental performance of the 737 MAX allows carriers to reduce fuel use compared to the previous generation of aeroplanes. The 737 MAX is also quieter, creating a smaller noise footprint than the older 737 jets it replaces. 

09 October, 2023

Southwest Airlines shows off another themed aircraft.... The Trolls Band Together



Southwest Airlines in partnership with DreamWorks Animation's "Trolls Band Together," a new film that embarks on a heartfelt journey to reunite characters Poppy and Branch with long-lost family members as they travel to new lands and create lasting friendships along the way. To celebrate the partnership Southwest today unveiled a Boeing 737-700 aircraft emblazoned with some of the film's beloved Trolls characters on the outside of the aircraft. The design continues onboard the aircraft with Trolls-themed images on a selection of cabin window shades.


"Southwest celebrates travel and meaningful connections made along the way, which is at the centre of the 'Trolls Band Together' partnership and a core storyline of the film," said Brandy King, Managing Director of Communications at Southwest Airlines. "As the airline with Heart, we're inspired by the uplifting mantra of the film and value the opportunity to take our Customers to their version of a 'better place,' whether that's home to see family or setting out on their own new adventure."


08 August, 2023

Southwest Showcases 25 Years of Adopt-A-Pilot with Display at Dallas (Love Field)

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Adopt-A-Pilot®
, a signature Southwest Airlines® program that has inspired more than half a million fifth graders through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-centered activities, connecting Southwest® Pilots with classrooms to engage students in aviation-related lessons.

August is Aviation Month, and we're continuing the anniversary celebration by showcasing Adopt-A-Pilot items from over the years in a special display case at Dallas (Love Field). The exhibit, located just outside Baggage Claim at the airport, will be available through August 31, and includes some of our favorite ties—including the 25th anniversary commemorative tie—worn by Pilots who participate in the program, a model aircraft featuring the nose decal and fuselage artwork, and photos from the past 25 years.

The display also highlights the impact of the program:

13,985 Pilots have participated in Adopt-A-Pilot
566,207 students have been impacted and mentored by our Pilots through this program
14,279 schools have been included
Earlier this year, we celebrated the milestone anniversary with an aircraft that featured a nose decal and fuselage artwork themed to Adopt-A-Pilot, and we made a donation to a participating elementary school to purchase supplies and equipment to further STEM education.

We encourage our Customers with plans to travel through Dallas (Love Field) this month to check out the Adopt-A-Pilot display near the Baggage Claim to see archival material from the program and some of our favorite ties worn by Pilots over the past 25 years.

To learn more about Adopt-A-Pilot and how to get involved, please visit Southwest.com/AdoptAPilot.



12 July, 2023

MOST selected for inflight retail revamp at Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines has selected MOST, a leading provider of intuitive and customized retail and payment solutions, to power its inflight retail experience, launching a new era of flexibility for onboard sales. 









Fleet-wide deployment of hardware and software solutions delivers improved passenger experience and data analytics for on-board sales.



The solution brings together onboard product management, bespoke payment hardware, and efficient payment processing, all customized for the airline, to improve the passenger experience.

MOST’s modular application architecture allows partners to develop a new retail experience with minimal effort. Integration of a digital shopping cart, payment processing, and onboard product management is easily managed through the MOST ecosystem.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards


“Deploying a solution at the scale of Southwest Airlines and at a rapid pace was a huge accomplishment for our team,” said MOST CEO Jan Blanchard. “Adopting the MOST solution makes for smoother exchanges between the airline's Flight Attendants and Customers.”

“As we reimagine our inflight retail process, we needed a solution that eased workloads and improved our data collection, while reducing the time to handle each passenger transaction,” said Ron Freer, Senior Manager of Inflight Mobility at Southwest Airlines. “MOST’s agile development process and rapid iterations allowed us to continuously revise the application, ensuring a successful deployment on a very aggressive timeline.”

On the hardware front, the most.Onthego solution combines an iPad Mini 6 with a dedicated payment device in an ergonomic package with a single point of charge. Credit or debit card payments can be processed via NFC/Contactless tap (including Apple and Google Pay), Smart Chip, or swipe. The most.Pay payment gateway handles the transactions during flight and enables an innovative and frequent transmission of offline payments for processing. Data analytics, including product management, can also be relayed in near real-time to back-office systems, thanks to the most.Retail connected management architecture.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards

21 May, 2023

New flights from Reagan National Airport, Washington for Southwest.

U.S. budget airline Southwest Airlines is expanding its route network with two additional nonstop routes to Reagan National Airport (DCA).  From 11th July to 4th September, the carrier will fly from Memphis and Albany daily to Washington, D.C. From Reagan National, Southwest currently offers up to 45 departures a day to 17 cities across the United States. 

"The additional slots that became available for this upcoming summer will allow Southwest to bring the benefits of competition, convenience, and our best-in-class service by linking more cities nonstop with Washington, D.C.," said Andrew Watterson, Chief Operating Officer at Southwest Airlines. "With our all-Boeing 737 fleet, Customers enjoy large-jet service on every flight, whether they're travelling from Washington, D.C., to Albany and Memphis or throughout our expansive network of more than 120 destinations."

Southwest also continues leading the industry with its pro-consumer policies. The airline allows every Customer the ability to check up to two bags for free1, refuses to charge change and cancellation fees2 offers flight credits that never expire, and provides the legendary Southwest Hospitality that travellers have come to know and love for nearly 52 years.

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Located in Washington's fashionable West End and adjacent to historic Georgetown, Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown, hotel welcomes guests in capital style. A sunlit urban oasis that soothes the spirit, the Fairmont, perfect for business or leisure travel, celebrates many local Washington traditions. Known for its engaging service and stylish surroundings, this wonderful hotel offers 413 spacious guest rooms and suites that provide guests with a welcome retreat.

With its location close to three major airports, two metro stops and quick access to the city centre this hotel is ideal to explore the Nation's Capital and all it has to offer. Whether you are there to shake up The Hill and host a meeting or visit every last Smithsonian museum with the family, you can tackle it all with the Fairmont as your base. 

The hotel is located near embassies, universities, hospitals and museums. With two metro stations close by, the White House, Convention Center and other attractions are just a few stops away and a short walk takes you to JFK Center and the Potomac River.



Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square


French luxury and local cuisine in one of the world's most exciting cities. The Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square is a historical hotel that features elegance and sophistication with a taste of France in the heart of Washington DC. Conveniently located steps away from the White House, next to the monuments, Smithsonian Museums and unbeatable restaurants. Following a busy day of travel adventures, unwind in one of the luxurious rooms featuring French-inspired décor and enjoy a meal in the Opaline Bar and Brasserie.












11 May, 2023

Honey County performed ‘Got It From My Mama’ for Southwest Airlines live at 35 inflight concert series

Southwest Airlines hosted Honey County's Dani Rose on a flight from Nashville to LaGuardia Airport in New York, where she serenaded Customers with Honey County's viral hit "Got It From My Mama," leading into Mother's Day weekend.

Rose first connected with Southwest after the airline posted a TikTok sharing Captain Holly Petitt and First Officer Keely Petitt's story to the tune of "Got It From My Mama." 
For a full circle moment and to further honor mothers and mother figures, Southwest's first-ever mother/daughter Pilot duo, Captain Holly Petitt and First Officer Keely Petitt, piloted the flight for Honey County's Live at 35 performance.

Rose met The Petitts outside of the gate area before they boarded this flight and then she stopped at the gate to teach Customers and Southwest Airlines Employees the TikTok dance to "Got It From My Mama." 

"When I saw that Southwest used 'Got It From My Mama' to celebrate their first-ever mother/daughter Pilot duo, I immediately got teary-eyed," Rose shares. "I love the way Southwest celebrates, and it was an amazing moment.






05 May, 2023

Southwest issues diversity, equality and inclusion report


Southwest Airlines Co. has released two new reports over the last few days:  

The comprehensive reports highlight Southwest's strategic priority to be a good citizen through a focus on People, Performance, and Planet, providing a snapshot of the carrier's key DEI and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) efforts from 2022.

New this year, the 2022 One Report includes information informed by the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework, elevating Southwest's reporting on climate-related topics for its Stakeholders. The 2022 One Report also highlights the carrier's refreshed climate strategy that includes goals to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and reduce its carbon emissions intensity by 25 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2035.1

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Report

22 March, 2023

Southwest Airlines brings Prism to corporate travel managers and travel management companies

Carrier continues streamlining business travel program contracts with industry-standard data solutions.



Southwest Airlines has announced an expanded partnership with Sabre Corporation to begin utilizing PRISM, an industry-standard data solution designed to streamline the sales process with corporate travel managers and travel management companies. Sabre's PRISM brings decision science to the Southwest® Business Sales Team, allowing the ability to develop a more customized travel solution for business Customers through automated, real-time data insights and trends.

"With PRISM, we can now simplify the contracting process as we continue on our journey to remove friction while bringing more savings, simplicity, and total value when doing business with Southwest Business," said Dave Harvey, Vice President and Chief Sales Officer at Southwest Airlines. "We're thrilled to expand on our decades-long partnership with Sabre and bring its technology solutions to our Customers as we work together to improve the business travel journey."

17 March, 2023

Southwest Airlines named in Forbes' Best Employers in America

Southwest Airlines is celebrating earning a spot on Forbes' 2023 America's Best Employers list. This year marks the eighth time that Southwest® received this recognition.

"We've recruited, hired, and trained more Employees over the last year than ever in our history, and we're dedicated to maintaining our People-first Culture as we continue to welcome new Cohearts to the Company," said Lindsey Lang, Vice President People at Southwest Airlines. "It's only possible because of the Employees who serve our Customers—and one another—with Southwest Heart and Hospitality."

Forbes partnered with Statista to select 2023 America's Best Employers through an independent survey from a sample of more than 45,000 American employees working for large or midsize companies. Survey participants were asked to anonymously rate their willingness to recommend their employers to friends and family. Employee evaluations also included other employers in their respective industries that stood out positively or negatively. The survey has been conducted on companies across 25 industry sectors employing more than 1,000 employees in the United States.

Southwest is committed to fostering a welcoming, supportive workplace where every Employee feels equipped to succeed. Join our Talent Community to stay up to date on current job opportunities from the LUV airline.





15 March, 2023

Southwest Airlines plans to boost operational resiliency to enhance support for employees and customers

The U.S. budget carrier, Southwest Airlines has advised that will share an overview of the prioritized actions being implemented to strengthen the airline's operational resiliency. The actions will be previewed by Bob Jordan, Southwest's President and Chief Executive Officer, at the J.P. Morgan Industrials Conference in New York and are designed for Customers and Employees to continue benefiting from the airline's 52-year history of providing Safe, reliable, and Customer-friendly Southwest Hospitality.

As a result of the initial assessments conducted by Southwest, and the globally-recognized aviation consultancy Oliver Wyman, the airline has developed a three-part Tactical Action Plan to boost operational resiliency in key areas across the Company. The airline's existing five-year Operational Modernization Plan, which began in 2022, is also underway and focuses on operational investments and organizational alignment to support Customers and Employees.

"We understand the root causes that led to the holiday disruption, and we're validating our internal review with the third-party assessment. Now, we expect to mitigate the risk of an event of this magnitude ever happening again," said Bob Jordan, Southwest's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Work is well underway implementing action items to prepare for next winter—with some items already completed. I want to thank our Employees and Customers for their patience and grace, and we're resolved to emerge an even stronger airline."

In addition to Winter Storm Elliot, which was more severe than expected, a driver of the disruption was determined to be the volume of cascading and close-in flight cancelations during the storm which overwhelmed Station operations and the airline's Crew Network and hindered established processes and internal tools. While the airline had existing technology and staffing in place to handle many types of irregular operations, the pace and breadth of disruptions during this extreme event strained the ability to create timely operational solutions. The airline will provide additional communication in the coming weeks, including a microsite summarizing key findings and mitigation actions.

09 March, 2023

AWS selected by Southwest Airlines as preferred cloud provider


Amazon Web Services, has announced that Southwest Airlines has selected AWS as its preferred cloud provider as the airline advances its digital transformation initiative. This large-scale modernization with AWS is part of the airline’s long-term plan to enhance the passenger journey, optimize operations, and efficiently invest in information technology (IT) infrastructure.



“As our preferred cloud provider, AWS will offer solutions that are critical in our drive to modernize our operation, equip our employees with the tools they need to serve our customers, and improve our reliability,” said Lauren Woods, senior vice president and chief information officer of Southwest Airlines Co. “With the help of AWS’s leading cloud technology and expertise, we will launch improved digital solutions, responsive customer support, and streamlined operations as we deliver on our digital transformation initiatives.”

Deepening Value for Customers


Southwest uses their website and app to directly reach passengers, resulting in more than 83% of revenue coming from these channels. Using AWS, the airline will harness the automatic scaling capabilities of cloud technology to more efficiently process real-time fare searches on its website and mobile app. This helps customers easily and securely find and book fares quickly, even during periods of peak traffic.

The airline aims to provide next-generation customer service and employee tools in a test-and-learn capacity through their Innovation Lab powered by AWS. Southwest recently built a secure system that gathers and stores pricing and flight shopping data using AWS Lambda, a serverless compute service, and Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), which offers cost-effective storage classes. Utilizing AWS’s leading availability and reliability, the new system was able to handle the scale and processing needed to offer competitive fare recommendations to customers across partner and Southwest digital properties.

In the future, Southwest also plans to leverage AWS technologies, such as analytics and machine learning, to improve the speed to market of new digital innovations to best support customers from shopping for fares to arrival at their destination.

Optimizing Flight Operations

12 February, 2023

Southwest Airlines hosts pup rally at Denver International Airport

Southwest Airlines teamed up with Animal Planet to celebrate the Big Game—Puppy Bowl, that is—at Denver International Airport. Southwest hosted a Surprise & Delight Pup Rally with Employees and Customers on Flight #1075 which departed from Denver International Airport (DEN) and landed at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). Customers enjoyed Puppy Bowl trivia in the gate area, as well as a special visit by puppies from Lifeline Puppy Rescue, prior to Customers boarding an aircraft through a Puppy Bowl-themed jet bridge. Customers and Employees were given Puppy Bowl beanies as a memento of the PAWsome flight.


Customers can tune in to a dog-gone good time with the Puppy Bowl On Demand TV Channel, which features past Puppy Bowl favourites including last year's game "Puppy Bowl XVIII," "Puppy Bowl XVIII: Where Are They Now," and "Journey to Puppy Bowl," which follows three puppies from Lifeline Puppy Rescue from outside of Denver as they travel to compete in the Puppy Bowl. 







30 January, 2023

More flights from Southwest for football fans..

The U.S. budget airline Southwest is adding more flights and more ways for football fans to cheer on their favourite team in Phoenix during the big game next month.

On Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, Southwest will offer the following service:

  • From Philadelphia to Phoenix: 2 nonstop flights and 10 different itineraries.
  • From Kansas City to Phoenix: 2 additional nonstop flights, for a total of up to 6 nonstop options.

On Friday, Feb. 10, 2023, Southwest will offer the following service:

  • From Philadelphia to Phoenix: 2 nonstop flights and 10 different itineraries.
  • From Kansas City to Phoenix: 3 additional nonstop flights, for a total of up to 7 nonstop options.

On Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023, Southwest will offer the following nonstop service:

  • From Philadelphia to Phoenix: 1 nonstop flights and 10 different itineraries.

Southwest also published additional flights to help fans travel back home after the championship trophy is awarded.

On Monday, Feb. 13, 2023, Southwest will offer the following service:

  • From Phoenix to Philadelphia: 2 nonstop flights and 10 different itineraries.
  • From Phoenixto Kansas City: 2 additional nonstop flights, for a total of up to 6 nonstop options.

On Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023, Southwest will offer the following service:

  • FromPhoenixtoKansas City: 2 additional nonstop flights, for a total of up to 6 nonstop options.
  • FromPhoenixtoPhiladelphia: 1 nonstop flight and 10 different itineraries.







21 December, 2022

Southwest Airlines new five year contract approved by customer service employees

Southwest Airlines new five-year contract approved by customer service employees

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), representing the more than 8,000 Customer Service Employees at Southwest Airlines Co. announced that their members voted in favour of a new, five-year contract.

"Our Employees work hard to take care of our Customers every day, and that's even more evident during this busy holiday travel season," said Adam Carlisle, Vice President Labor Relations at Southwest Airlines®. "I'm extremely pleased we can reward them with this new contract, which demonstrates the value they bring to Southwest and is designed to give us additional efficiencies to operate our airline."

This contract covers Southwest's Customer Service Agents, Customer Representatives, and Source of Support Representatives, who are keenly focused on delivering world-class Hospitality and Customer Service. These valued Employees support Customers during their Southwest journey, whether that's taking a phone call to change a Customer's travel plans or assisting a Customer or Fellow Employee on the ground at one of the airports Southwest® serves. The new contract becomes amendable on Dec. 15, 2027.







13 December, 2022

Southwest Airlines Announces Leadership Promotions

Southwest Airlines has announced two Leadership promotions within its Internal Audit and Legal Departments, both effective immediately.


Internal Audit

Ted Gordon was promoted to Vice President Internal Audit where he will be responsible for leading Internal Audit functions. Gordon will provide strategic and tactical leadership of audit plan development; delivering assurance on the design and operating effectiveness of the Company's governance, accounting, financial, operational, and IT controls. Gordon was most recently a Director within the airline's Network Planning Team and has held leadership positions within the Finance and Internal Audit departments.

Gordon joined Southwest Airlines® in 2005. He is a Certified Public Accountant and holds bachelor's and master's degrees in accounting from the University of Missouri.

"Throughout his career, Ted has displayed a knack for streamlining processes, finding efficiencies, and developing practical solutions to support Southwest's continued growth," said Linda Rutherford, Southwest Airlines' Chief Administration and Communications Officer. "We are immensely proud of Ted's accomplishments and are thrilled to promote him into his new role."

Gordon moves into the position held previously by Colleen Russell who stepped down from her office role this month. She will continue to serve the Company as an Executive Advisor until June 30, 2023.

21 November, 2022

Southwest Airlines celebrates mile high heart with special concert

Southwest Airlines has been spreading its love across Colorado by thanking its Customers and three local organizations focused on making the state a great place to live, work, and play. During the past two weeks, Southwest® awarded 15 million Rapid Rewards® bonus points as part of its Mile High Heart Beats sweepstakes. Grand prize winners and their guests received an invitation to a special concert featuring The Reminders and Quinn XCII at Summit in Downtown Denver.

The carrier also made a surprise announcement to support Make-A-Wish® Foundation of Colorado, Junior Achievement Rocky Mountain, and Special Olympics Colorado. Each organization will receive a $20,000 donation to continue focusing on making Colorado a great place to call home.

"A lot has changed in the last few years, but one thing that hasn't is Southwest's commitment to our Customers and the communities we serve," said Bill Tierney, Southwest Airlines Vice President of Marketing & Digital Experience. "Our People go above and beyond to show their Mile High Heart and connect our Customers to things important in their lives."







26 October, 2022

Southwest Airlines named as official airline of Paul Quinn College

Through this partnership with the Dallas-based Historically Black College and University, the carrier continues to champion educational attainment for all


Photo Southwest
Southwest Airlines announces a partnership with Paul Quinn College to become the College's official airline and a member of the school's celebrated Urban Work College Program. 

Southwest Airlines has long believed educated communities are empowered communities, and continues to invest in workforce development programs that introduce students to the diverse set of career opportunities in the aviation industry.

Paul Quinn is the first Urban Work College and the only minority-serving, federally-recognized work college in America. The program, which started in 2015, provides students with the opportunity to gain real-world work experience while limiting their reliance on student loans.

"This is a wonderful moment in the history of the Quinnite Nation," said Dr Michael J. Sorrell, President of Paul Quinn College. "We are excited for our partnership with Southwest Airlines that goes far beyond discounted tickets and feel-good moments. It is substantive and focused. In addition to supporting the travel needs of our students and staff, our relationship will result in employment opportunities for our students, learning opportunities for the two secondary schools on our campus, and the potential for a very unique academic program. The Southwest Airlines/Paul Quinn alliance will be special."

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