Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines Co., or simply Southwest, is a major airline in the United States that formerly operated on a low-cost carrier model. It is headquartered in the Love Field neighborhood of Dallas, Texas. It is the fourth-largest airline in North America when measured by passengers carried, as of 2023. With its all-Boeing 737 fleet, Southwest serves over 100 destinations in 42 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and ten other countries near the southern United States in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea regions: Aruba, the Bahamas, Belize, the Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica, and Turks and Caicos.

The airline was established on March 9, 1967, by Herb Kelleher and Rollin King as Air Southwest Co. and adopted its current name, Southwest Airlines Co., in 1971, when it began operating as an intrastate airline wholly within the state of Texas, first flying between Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. It began regional interstate service in 1979, expanding nationwide in the following decades.

Network

Template:Main Southwest uses a point-to-point system combined with a rolling-hub model in its base cities, in contrast to the hub-and-spoke system of other major airlines. Template:As of, Southwest Airlines flies to over 100 destinations in 42 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This system means that the Airline has no real hubs, but rather some airports with more destinations than others.

Interline agreements

Southwest currently has a Interline agreement with Icelandair.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Passenger experience

Southwest Airlines solely offers economy class seating and does not have business class or first class cabins on its aircraft.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Southwest offers free snacks and non-alcoholic beverages inflight and offers alcoholic beverages for sale for $7–9 per beverage.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Free alcoholic drinks are offered to passengers on some holidays such as Valentine's Day and Halloween. Southwest has become known for colorful boarding announcements and crews who sometimes burst out in song.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:Southwest Boarding Process.jpg

Southwest's boarding process at an airport gate

Southwest currently has an open seating policy, scheduled to end in 2026,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and uses a unique boarding process. Passengers are given a group letter (A, B or C) and a number (1 through 60). Passengers lineup in numerical order within each letter group and choose any open seat on the aircraft.<ref name="abcnews">Template:Cite web</ref> A 2012 study on the television series MythBusters, found this to be the fastest method currently in use for passengers to board a plane; on average, it is 10 minutes faster than the standard method.<ref>Stromberg, Joseph. The way we board airplanes makes absolutely no sense Template:Webarchive. Vox, April 25, 2014.</ref>

Southwest has a "customer of size" policy in which the cost of a second seat is refunded for any plus-sized travelers who take up more room than one seat.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On May 1, 2025, Southwest introduced aircraft with new extra-legroom seating as part of a phased update to its cabin layout. These seats will be installed in the first five rows and near exit doors on retrofitted Boeing 737-800 and MAX 8 aircraft. During the initial rollout, the seats will be available at no additional cost. The airline plans to complete these upgrades by the end of 2025, when it will begin offering assigned seating and selling extra-legroom seats.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In-flight entertainment

As of December 2024, Southwest offers free Wi-Fi, which includes free streaming of live television, movies, music, in-app messaging (iMessage and WhatsApp), and real-time flight tracking.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Full Internet access is available for an $8 fee for most passengers but is free for Business Select and A-List Preferred passengers. As of March 9, 2023, Southwest began upgrading Wi-Fi hardware on its existing aircraft equipped with Anuvu Wi-Fi and began rolling out Viasat Wi-Fi on all new deliveries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Rapid Rewards

Southwest first began to offer a frequent-flyer program on June 18, 1987, calling it The Company Club. The program credited for trips flown regardless of distance.<ref name="company_club">Template:Cite web</ref> Southwest Airlines renamed its frequent-flyer program Rapid Rewards on April 25, 1996.<ref name="rr_name">Template:Cite web</ref>

The original Rapid Rewards program offered one credit per one-way flight from an origin to a destination, including any stops or connections on Southwest Airlines. When 16 credits were accumulated in a 24-month period, Southwest awarded one free round-trip ticket that was valid for 12 months.<ref name="rr_old_rules">Template:Cite web</ref>

On March 1, 2011, Rapid Rewards changed to a points system based on ticket cost. Members earn and redeem points based on a four-tier fare scale multiplier and the cost of the ticket. Changes also included no blackout dates, seat restrictions, or expiring credits. Since October 18, 2019, Rapid Rewards points do not expire as long as the member is alive.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It also adds more options to use points.<ref name="rr_pr">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="rr_new">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Corporate affairs

Business trends

The key trends for Southwest Airlines are (as of the end of the calendar year):<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

	Net income (in million US$)	Employees (FTE)	Passengers (in millions)	Load factor (%)	Avg. fare (US$)	AircraftTemplate:Efn	Template:Abbr
2015	2,181	49,583	118	83.6	154	704	<ref name="AR2018">Template:Cite web</ref>
2016	2,183	53,536	124	84.0	152	723	<ref name="AR2018" />
2017	3,357	56,110	130	83.9	151	706	<ref name="AR2018" />
2018	2,465	58,803	134	83.4	151	750	<ref name="AR2018" />
2019	2,700	60,767	134	83.5	154	890	<ref name="AR2022">Template:Cite web</ref>
2020	Template:ColorTemplate:0	56,537	Template:054	52.4	141	718	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2021	Template:0977	55,093	Template:099	78.5	141	728	<ref name="AR2022" />
2022	Template:0539	66,656	126	83.4	169	770	<ref name="AR2022" />
2023	Template:0465	74,806	137	80.0	172	817	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2024	Template:0465	72,450	140	80.4	178	832	<ref name="financial_results">Template:Cite web</ref>

Headquarters

File:Southwest airlines hq from east 2009-06-22.jpg

Southwest Airlines' headquarters at Dallas Love Field in Dallas

The Southwest Airlines headquarters are located on the grounds of Dallas Love Field in Dallas.<ref name="factsheet">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>"Southwest Airlines Corporate Headquarters, Love Field, Dallas Template:Webarchive." Southwest Airlines. Retrieved on February 18, 2010.</ref> Chris Sloan of Airways magazine stated they are "as much a living, breathing museum and showcase for the 'culture that LUV built' as they are corporate offices."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On September 17, 2012, Southwest broke ground on a new Training and Operational Support building,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> across the street from its current headquarters building. The property includes a two-story, 100,000-square-foot Network Operations Control building that can withstand an EF3 tornado. It also includes a four-story, 392,000-square-foot office, and training facility with two levels devoted to each function. The new facilities house 24-hour coordination and maintenance operations, customer support and services, and training. The project was completed in late 2013, with occupancy beginning in 2014.

On June 2, 2016, Southwest broke ground on its new office and training facility known as Wings. The newest addition to the corporate campus is composed of a 420,000-square-foot, six-story office building, and a 380,000-square-foot adjoining structure called the Leadership Education and Aircrew Development (LEAD) Center that serves as the new pilot training facility. The LEAD Center has the capacity to house and support 18 flight simulators. It is designed to be expanded to accommodate up to 26 simulator bays. The building opened on April 3, 2018.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On August 16, 2019, Southwest announced an expansion of the LEAD Center to accommodate eight additional simulators for future operational and training demands.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On January 2, 2020, it was announced that Southwest would be purchasing an additional Template:Convert of land adjacent to its Wings and LEAD facilities.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> No additional details were disclosed.

Employment

Template:As of, Southwest Airlines had 72,450 active full-time equivalent employees.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to The Washington Post, it uses the hiring motto of seeking people that have a "Servant's Heart, Warrior Spirit, Fun-LUVing Attitude".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It also uses the internal practice of ranking "employees first, customers second".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Collective bargaining Southwest Airlines employees is represented by the Southwest Airlines Pilot Association union.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Bob Jordan, formerly executive vice president of corporate services, became Southwest's sixth CEO on February 1, 2022, replacing Gary C. Kelly. Kelly continues as chairman of Southwest Airlines. Kelly replaced former CEO Jim Parker on July 15, 2004, and assumed the title of president on July 15, 2008, replacing former president Colleen Barrett. In July 2008, Herb Kelleher resigned from his position as chairman. Barrett left her post on the board of directors and as a corporate secretary in May 2008 and as president in July 2008. Kelleher was president and CEO of Southwest from September 1981 to June 2001.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On June 23, 2021, Southwest announced that chairman and CEO Gary Kelly would transition roles in early 2022, becoming the carrier's executive chairman with the desire to serve in that role through at least 2026 at the discretion of the board of directors. Jordan also joined the board then.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On January 10, 2017, Southwest announced changes to the company's executive leadership ranks, with Thomas M. Nealon named as president and Michael G. Van de Ven as the airline's chief operating officer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On September 14, 2021, Southwest announced Nealon had decided to retire from his duties as president effective immediately, but would continue to serve the company as a strategic advisor. Chief Operating Officer Mike Van de Ven was named as the company's president the same day, and remains COO.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In September 2024, in response to pressure from Elliott Investment Management, Kelly announced that he would not seek reelection as executive chairman in 2025. Jordan is expected to remain as CEO.<ref name="nyt-ouster">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="shakeup">Template:Cite news</ref>

About 83% of Southwest employees are members of a union.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Southwest Airline Pilots' Association, a union not affiliated with the Air Line Pilots Association, represents the airline's pilots.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The aircraft maintenance technicians are represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Customer service agents and reservation agents are represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union. Flight dispatchers, flight attendants, ramp agents, and operations agents are represented by the Transport Workers Union.

The company has appeared on various "best places to work" list, with its employee culture mentioned by Travel and Leisure, CNBC, and Forbes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> The company has also been named to Fortune magazine's "Most Admired Companies" list, reaching number 14 in 2021.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Southwest has never furloughed an employee.<ref name=warn2020>Template:Cite news</ref> As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company launched voluntary separation and extended time-off programs in 2020, and around 16,900 employees volunteered to take an early retirement or long-term leave.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roughly 24% were pilots and 33% were flight attendants.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In late 2020, the airline issued some WARN Act notices and announced incipient pay cuts for many employees in response to pandemic impacts, but these measures were rescinded after the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 was enacted on December 27, 2020, providing additional financial aid to US airlines.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The latest five year labor contract for Southwest Airlines pilots was approved in January 2024.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Following a board takeover in February 2025 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Southwest laid off 1750 of its non-contract staff, approximately 15% of its corporate workforce.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Impact on carriers

Southwest and its business model have had an influence on other low-cost carriers (LCC's). The competitive strategy combines a high level of employee and aircraft productivity with low unit costs by reducing aircraft turnaround time, particularly at the gate.<ref name="upinair">Template:Cite web</ref> Europe's EasyJet and Ryanair are two of the best-known airlines to follow Southwest's business strategy in that continent. Other airlines with a business model based on Southwest's system include Canada's WestJet, Malaysia's AirAsia (the first and biggest LCC in Asia), India's IndiGo, Australia's Jetstar, a subsidiary of Qantas (although Jetstar now operates three aircraft types), Philippines' Cebu Pacific, Thailand's Nok Air, Mexico's Volaris, Indonesia's Lion Air and Turkey's Pegasus Airlines.<ref name="upinair" />

Lobbying against high-speed rail

In the early 1990s, Southwest Airlines actively opposed proposals to develop high-speed rail in Texas, viewing the project as a competitor to its short-haul flights. The proposed rail system would have connected Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston. Southwest lobbied both the United States Congress and the Texas Legislature, and filed multiple lawsuits aimed at halting the initiative.<ref name="Batheja 2014">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Perl 1997">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Powell 1995">Template:Cite journal</ref> In a 1991 statement to Texas officials, the airline argued that high-speed rail would only be feasible if it displaced existing airline services and received substantial public subsidies.<ref name="Batheja 2014" /> The project was cancelled in 1994<ref name="Perl 1997" /> with many observers citing Southwest’s lobbying efforts as a significant factor in its failure.<ref name="Powell 1995" />

Advertising

The company has always employed humor in its advertising. Former slogans include "Love Is Still Our Field", "Just Plane Smart", "The Somebody Else Up There Who Loves You", "You're Now Free to Move About the Country", "THE Low Fare Airline", "Grab your bag, It's On!", and "Welcome Aboard". The airline's slogan (as of 2022) is "Low fares. Nothing to hide. That's TransFarency!"<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In March 1992, shortly after Southwest started using the "Just Plane Smart" motto, Stevens Aviation, which had been using "Plane Smart" for its motto, advised Southwest that it was infringing on its trademark.<ref>"Malice in Dallas part 1 Template:Webarchive" "YouTube" Retrieved on October 8, 2009</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Instead of a lawsuit, the CEOs for both companies staged an arm-wrestling match. Held at the now-demolished Dallas Sportatorium and set for two out of three rounds, the loser of each round was to pay $5,000 to the charity of his choice, with the winner gaining the use of the trademarked phrase. A promotional video was created showing the CEOs "training" for the bout (with CEO Herb Kelleher being helped up during a sit-up where a cigarette and glass of Wild Turkey 101 whiskey was waiting) and distributed among the employees and also as a video press release along with the video of the match itself. Herb Kelleher lost the match for Southwest, with Stevens Aviation winning the rights to the phrase. Kurt Herwald, CEO of Stevens Aviation, immediately granted the use of "Just Plane Smart" to Southwest Airlines. The net result was both companies having use of the trademark.<ref>"Malice in Dallas (Round 3 and results) Template:Webarchive" "YouTube" Retrieved on October 8, 2009</ref>

Accidents and incidents

Southwest has had 11 accidents, including three aircraft hull losses and four deaths: one accidental passenger death in flight, two non-passenger deaths on the ground, and one passenger death from injuries he sustained when subdued by other passengers while attempting to break into the cockpit of an aircraft. The airline is considered among the safest in the world. No passenger has died as a result of a crash.<ref name="In depth: World">Template:Cite web</ref>

Southwest Airlines incidents and accidents, by date

Flight	Date	Aircraft	Location	Description	Casualties
1455	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap N668SW	Template:Nowrap	The aircraft overran the runway upon landing at Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport, injuring 44. The accident resulted in the dismissal of the captain. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.	Two serious injuries, forty-two minor injuries
1763	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap N798SW	In flight	The aircraft was flying from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Salt Lake City, Utah when 19-year-old Jonathan Burton attempted to storm the cockpit in an apparent case of air rage. He was restrained by six to eight other passengers. In the scuffle, Burton died of asphyxiation.	One death, one minor injury
1248	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap N471WN	Chicago, Illinois	The aircraft overran the runway during landing at Chicago Midway International Airport in heavy snow and slid into a nearby street, striking several cars and killing a six-year-old boy inside one of them. Injuries to several passengers and other people on the ground.	One death, nine seriously injured (on ground); three minor injuries (on board)
2294	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap N387SW	In flight	The flight from Nashville International Airport to Baltimore-Washington International Airport was forced to divert to Yeager Airport in Charleston, West Virginia after a hole formed on the top of the aircraft's fuselage near the tail, resulting in depressurization of the cabin and deployment of the oxygen masks. The aircraft landed safely and was repaired.	None
812	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap N632SW	In flight	The crew of the flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to Sacramento International Airport diverted to Yuma International Airport after a hole appeared in the top of the aircraft fuselage. The aircraft landed safely.	Two minor injuries
345	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap N753SW	Template:Nowrap	The flight from Nashville International Airport was severely damaged in a hard landing at New York's LaGuardia Airport. The nose landing gear collapsed with sufficient force to penetrate a nearby electronics bay; the aircraft then slid off the runway. The captain was fired and the aircraft was ultimately scrapped.	Ten minor injuries
149	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap N368SW<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Nowrap	During pushback at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, the aircraft suffered a failure of the nose landing gear because of the tug operators speed during pushback. The nose landing gear collapsed in a forward direction, causing severe damage to the gear structure, nose gear wheel and crushing the forward bulkhead. The plane was substantially damaged and written off.	None
3472	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap N766SW	In flight	The flight from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport to Orlando International Airport suffered an uncontained engine failure, damaging the engine nacelle and causing a gash in the fuselage. The aircraft diverted and landed without further incident at Pensacola International Airport.	None
1380	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap N772SW	In flight	The flight from New York-LaGuardia to Dallas made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport after debris from an uncontained engine failure smashed a passenger window. The resulting depressurization pushed a passenger partially out a window, causing critical injuries that led to her death. The pilot's efforts to land the crippled aircraft were rewarded with numerous awards and accolades.	One death, eight minor injuries
728	December 6, 2018	Template:Nowrap N752SW	Template:Nowrap	The flight from Oakland International Airport overran the runway upon landing at Burbank, but the aircraft was stopped by an engineered materials arrestor system (EMAS) that had been implemented as a result of the Flight 1455 accident.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	None<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1392	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap N401WN<ref name="wn1392">Template:Cite web</ref>	Austin, Texas	Shortly after landing at Austin–Bergstrom International Airport, a pilot reported having seen someone on Runway 17R; subsequent investigation by airport operations found the body of a man on the runway, having seemingly been struck by the aircraft during or shortly after it touched down.Template:Citation needed	One death (on ground)
307	August 13, 2023	Boeing 737-700 N7737E	Houston, Texas	Shortly after takeoff at William P. Hobby Airport, reports say that the 737-700's right engine was found engulfed in flames because of a mechanical issue. The plane landed back at the airport. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	None
2494	November 15, 2024	Template:NowrapN8744B<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Nowrap	Struck near the cockpit by a bullet while preparing to take off from Love Field. No injuries were reported, the aircraft safely returned to the gate, and the passengers transferred to another aircraft. The incident aircraft was taken out of service. Dallas police, Dallas Fire-Rescue, and the FAA initiated investigations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	None

Controversies and passenger incidents

On June 22, 2011, a March 25 recording was released to the press of an apparently inadvertent in-flight radio transmission of Southwest captain James Taylor conversing with his first officer. The conversation was peppered with obscenities directed at gay, overweight, and older flight attendants. According to Southwest, the pilot was reprimanded and temporarily suspended without pay and received diversity education before being reinstated.<ref>Template:Cite news CNN Travel – Retrieved June 22, 2011</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news Aviation News Today – Retrieved June 22, 2011</ref>

On September 26, 2017, a woman was removed from a Southwest flight after claiming to have a life-threatening allergy to dogs, two of which were present on the aircraft, including a service animal. Southwest employees requested that she provide documentation of her condition and staff asked her to exit the aircraft multiple times. Police ultimately had to escort her away.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On December 29, 2017, a family was removed from a flight from Chicago Midway Airport because of an unconfirmed head lice accusation. The family did not have lice and was re-accommodated on a flight two days later.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In October 2019, a Southwest flight attendant filed a lawsuit against the airline, claiming that two pilots had livestreamed footage from a camera hidden in the plane's toilet to an iPad, and that one of the pilots said that such cameras were a "top-secret security measure" installed in all of the airline's 737-800 aircraft.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Southwest and the pilot union stated that the film was a hoax and a "poor attempt at humor" by one of the pilots, who had previously recorded himself on a different aircraft, fully clothed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In February 2020, a report conducted by the DOT inspector general found that Southwest was flying airplanes with safety concerns and that the Federal Aviation Administration was failing to properly oversee the airline.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2020, a captain of a Southwest flight watched pornography on a laptop computer with his clothes removed while his female first officer continued her duties. The captain retired before the incident was reported, but he was subsequently prosecuted for intentionally committing a lewd, indecent or obscene act in a public place, and the airline terminated his retirement benefits.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On May 23, 2021, a female passenger aboard a Southwest flight repeatedly punched a female flight attendant in the face after landing at San Diego International Airport, causing the attendant to lose two teeth. The passenger was subsequently charged with causing serious bodily injury.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Citing four whistleblowers, federal investigators with the US Office of Special Counsel released a report on July 27, 2022, that follows up on the 2020 DOT inspector general's report. The 2022 report claims that Southwest stonewalled Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigations into maintenance and piloting safety lapses, and criticized the FAA for failing to adequately oversee the airline, stating that senior FAA staff "mismanaged and interfered" with investigations "in the face of SWA's intimidation tactics". The report accuses Southwest of misusing the FAA's Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) to hide pilot errors, while accusing the FAA of failing to adequately oversee Southwest's mechanics, and of failing to adequately vet maintenance records provided by the airline for forty-nine 737 aircraft purchased from foreign carriers whose documentation practices did not meet FAA standards.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

December 2022 holiday meltdown

The airline experienced severe delays and thousands of flight cancellations starting on December 21, 2022, and continuing through the Christmas holiday.<ref name=Reuters-fine>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=NYT-fine>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=BBC-fine>Template:Cite news</ref> While many cancellations were due to bad weather from the severe late December winter storm across much of the United States, industry experts and SWAPA also blamed inadequate staffing and the airline's "outdated" employee scheduling system, citing reports of pilots waiting on hold on the telephone for up to eight hours awaiting work assignments.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=reset/> On December 26, the airline initiated a massive system "reset", preemptively canceling thousands of flights and halting ticket sales over concerns that travelers might buy tickets for flights that were subsequently canceled.<ref name=reset>Template:Cite news</ref> Federal officials criticized the airline and US Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced a formal investigation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Some experts attributed the crisis to the lack of scheduling flexibility inherent in the airline's point-to-point operations model.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Paul Krugman in The New York Times suggested the turmoil was not as much about corporate greed as some might expect and noted that despite an increasingly digitalized world, "there's a lot of physical action, and real-world labor, going on behind the scenes."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Another writer on the paper's opinion pages, Elizabeth Spiers, said this was an example of the airlines knowing they are offering passengers a poor deal but that many people have little choice given the alternatives.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In December 2023, the airline reached a settlement and received a record-setting $140 million fine from the USDOT, the largest fine ever imposed by the agency by a factor of roughly 30, and has reported losses exceeding $1.1 billion stemming from the crisis.<ref name=Reuters-fine/><ref name=NYT-fine/><ref name=BBC-fine/><ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• Air transportation in the United States
• State Fair Classic, which Southwest Airlines formerly sponsored
• Effect of low-cost airlines on communities
• Transportation in the United States
• Nuts!

External links

• Template:Official website
  • Template:Webarchive
• Template:Official website
• Southwest Airline Pilots' Association
• Southwest Airlines Seating Charts on SeatGuru.com

• Southwest Airlines' Yahoo! Finance profile