Is This Seat Open?

Episode 20: Flying Through A Pandemic

Passengers stopped flying. Cleaning protocols needed to be overhauled. Keeping an airline running through a global pandemic is no easy task, but Southwest Airlines pulled

Episode 19: Yes, This Seat Is Open

Window, aisle, or middle? Since Southwest Airlines first took to the skies, seating has been customer's choice. The reasons behind the open seating have as much to do wit

Episode 18: The Last Flight Of Rosa Parks

Lou Freeman can lay claim to a lot of firsts. He was in the first group of students to integrate his high school in Dallas. He was the first African American undergraduat

Episode 17: Hedging Against Jet Fuel

One day, Gary Kelly and his team had a billion-dollar idea. Literally. In the 90s, Gary implemented a cost-saving measure to protect against fluctuations in jet fuel pric

Episode 16: Donating Time, Talent & Tickets

Bill Baracani didn’t grow up with much, but he never had to worry if there would be food on the table. Through his volunteer work, Southwest Airlines Ramp Agent Bill disc

Episode 15: A Flight For Her Life

The news was hard to hear. Nicole Parris’ infant daughter had survived a high-risk double lung transplant, but she would need to return to a hospital in St. Louis every 6

Episode 14: The Darkest Hour

Alan Hugley was at work the morning of 9/11. He’s a Flight Dispatcher for Southwest Airlines, and while the country was grappling with the events of that day, The Federal

Episode 13: Used Doesn’t Mean Useless

Pop quiz: what do you do with a pile of discarded seat leather that could stretch 43 acres? Throw it in a landfill? Not if you’re Southwest. In this episode, Laura Nieto,

Episode 12: Love Is In The Air

Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the inflight marriage of two customers. For Southwest Airlines, being “The Love Airline” is more than a nickna

Episode 11: Paying It Forward

It’s not every day that a flight attendant can make more money by retiring, but such is the life of some of Southwest Airlines’ early employees thanks to the company’s Pr

Episode 10: The 10-Minute Turn

Most airlines took an hour or more to “turn” their planes, meaning to get them ready to fly again after landing. Southwest Airlines did it in just 10 minutes. The year wa

Episode 9: Bringing Dad Home

Colonel Roy A. Knight Jr. disappeared over Laos during the Vietnam War. His son grew up without knowing what happened to his father until he received a phone call in 2019

Episode 8: To The Rescue: Pets on Planes

This might sound crazy, or like a pet lover’s dream, but how would you like to fly next to 70 cats and dogs? In 2018, Southwest Airlines sent a plane of supplies to Puert

Episode 7: Southwest Spirit & A Fun Surprise

The often imitated, never duplicated culture of Southwest Airlines has inspired 50 years of loyalty from employees and customers alike, but what exactly is it? Don’t worr

Episode 6: Go-Go Boots, Khakis & Jams

Southwest Airlines’ uniforms have always been a cut above. From the early days of hot pants and white lace-up boots in the 70’s to the khaki wave of the 90’s and beyond,

Episode 5: Gregg The Guy At The Gate

Let’s get this Boeing going! Southwest Airlines is known to add some levity to the air travel experience through fun announcements, gate games, and playful personalities

Episode 4: Legal Eagles: Fighting For The Right To Fly

For most of Southwest Airlines’ history, the company was limited in where it could fly and faced a number of uphill legal and regulatory battles. In this episode, Ron Ric

Episode 3: Fare Play & A Bottle of Booze

When a price war with a competitor caused big trouble for Southwest Airlines, the company made a marketing gamble that would determine the future of the airline. In this

Episode 2: Who Was Herb?

Herb Kelleher was known for many things: his larger than life personality, infectious laugh, dressing up in costume, and growing Southwest Airlines from a three plane ups

Episode 1: Malice In Dallas

Two CEOs step into a wrestling ring to arm wrestle. No this isn’t a joke, it’s a 1992 matchup to determine the rightful owner of a multi-million dollar marketing slogan.