What is Southwest Airlines?
Southwest Airlines (LUV) is a leading US domestic carrier based in Dallas, Texas. The company differentiates itself from other airlines by its superb customer service, delivered by a team of over 57,000 specialists. Southwest Airlines was recognised as the largest US air carrier in 2003 and has been successfully maintaining this ranking ever since. The company is well-known for its Transfarency® policy that describes Southwest’s philosophy to treat its customers fairly and honestly, keeping low fares actually low.
What does the company do?
The largest low-cost carrier in North America, the Southwest Airlines operates over 4,000 daily flights during peak travel seasons. It has the largest Boeing aircraft in the world and carries over 120 million passengers annually. All its planes are equipped with satellite-based Wi-Fi that allows passengers to use their personal mobile devices to watch videos and TV shows online. Southwest Airlines offers its services across 100 destinations within the USA and another 10 countries worldwide.
A bit of Southwest Airlines’ history
Incorporated in Texas on June 18, 1971, the Southwest Airlines started its journey with three Boeing 737 aircrafts, serving three American cities: Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.
By 1989 the company achieved the status of major US airline and exceeded the billion-dollar revenue mark. In 1994, the Southwest became the first airline that offered ticketless travel.
In 2014, the Southwest Airlines expanded its status of the US domestic carrier to the international airline by launching flights to Montego Bay (Jamaica), Nassau (Bahamas), and Aruba (Dutch island off the coast of Venezuela).
Who founded Southwest Airlines?
The company was founded by Herbert David “Herb” Kelleher. Born in Camden, New Jersey, in 1931, Herb Kelleher moved to Texas with the intension to start a law firm or a business. Together with his law client, Rollin King, Kelleher came up with the concept for a new company – Southwest Airlines. Herb Kelleher had an outstanding personality and during his work as the CEO of Southwest Airlines’ he developed a unique corporate culture that allowed his employees to take themselves lightly (for example, singing the in-flight announcements to the tune of popular songs), but their work seriously.
Current size, team and locations
Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Southwest Airlines operates more than 4,000 weekday flights to the network of over 100 destinations across the United States and 10 countries worldwide. The company’s team consists of over 57,000 people, serving more than 120 million passengers annually.
Quick facts about Southwest Airlines
- As of March 2018, the company operated 717 Boeing 737 aircraft.
- On average, Southwest Airlines has 69,380 reservations daily, 487,000 reservations weekly, 2.1 million reservations monthly. During the last 12 months the company has registered 25.3 million reservations.
- In 2017 the company enplaned 158 million customers and transported over 166 million pounds of cargo.
- Southwest was the first airline that launched an internet homepage. The company’s “Low Fare Calendar” was the first online instrument that allows to find the lowest flight fares.
- For 23 years in a row FORTUNE Magazine has included Southwest to the list of the Most Admired Companies.
- Southwest Airlines launched the era of unprecedented affordability in air flights, which is called “The Southwest Effect”.
How to learn the Southwest Airlines share price?
Southwest Airlines is listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol LUV. It is a constituent of the DJTA and the S&P 500 indices. Join Capital.com to trade CFDs on the Southwest Airlines share price fluctuations and follow the LUV chart in real-time.