Southwest Airlines Headquarters: Dallas, TX Mailing Address: PO Box 36611, 2702 Love Field Dr., Dallas, TX 75235 History: Launched 36 years ago by born rebels and entrepreneurs Rollin King and Herb Kelleher, Southwest Airlines is the original low cost airline and one of the biggest success stories in commercial aviation history. But Southwest nearly never got off the ground, blocked by lengthy legal battles from incumbent Dallas carriers who challenged their right to use the cities old Love Field rather than the new DFW Airport. The compromise known as the Wright Amendment finally allowed the fledgling start-up to fly and the airline industry has never been the same. Leveraging a low cost structure that rewards employee productivity, quick aircraft turns that improve aircraft productivity and a cult like corporate culture that promotes fun, hard work and service excellence, Southwest grew their point-to-point route structure gradually over time. Today the carrier is one of the largest carriers in the world as measured by passengers carried. Their network stretches to 62 cities in 32 states in every region of the US, often focusing on secondary airport locations which are less congested and costly operationally. Southwest has the largest market capitalization of any airline in the world and just completed an unbelievable 34th consecutive year of profitability. The carrier has not veered from its core business model over the years and continues to grow moderately and bring the “Southwest Effect” of low fares and stimulation of air travel demand to more US cities every year. Major Hubs: None. Point-to-Point Carrier International Network Strengths: No international service. Domestic Network Strengths: Extensive service from New York (JFK) and Boston to major cities throughout the US. Trans-continental service to/from numerous West Coast cities. Significant service to/from Florida. Plane Types: Boeing 737 Club/Lounge: None Web site: southwest.com Useful phone numbers: For reservations, Rapid Rewards account information or general questions, call 800-435-9792 Frequent Flyer Program: Rapid Rewards Earning Currency: Credits. Earn 1 credit per one-way flown. Also earn credits with numerous Rapid Rewards partners. Popular Redemption Award Levels: 16 credits triggers automatic redemption of 1 Award good for one free round-trip ticket to any Southwest or ATA mainland destination. 2 Awards are good for round-trip travel on ATA to Hawaii. Elite levels: None Mileage Expiration Policy: Rapid Rewards credits expire 2 years from date earned. Flight awards expire 1 year from date issued. Co-Branded Credit Card: Southwest Rapid Rewards Visa from Chase for consumers and small business customers What’s new? Carrier’s aircraft livery is new. Gone are the brown earth tones from years past and the planes are now bright blue and orange While passengers no longer get a big plastic card with a number on it when they check-in at the airport to determine boarding order, Southwest remains the rare carrier with an open, no pre-assigned seats policy. Today, passengers are grouped into A, B and C for boarding priority based on when they checked-in for the flight. Who Knew? While Rapid Rewards program has no elite levels, members who fly 50 round-trips (or earn 100 credits) in a 12 month period receive a “Companion Pass” that allows one person to fly free when traveling with you for an entire year. Business plan for Southwest was started on a bar napkin drawn on which was a triangle with points labeling original cities served of Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. Today that original napkin is framed and hanging on the wall at the airline's headquarters in Dallas, TX. 2,266 Southwest employees have spouses who also work for the airline. LUV indeed! The shortest daily Southwest flight is between Ft. Meyers, FL and Orlando, FL (133 miles). The longest daily Southwest flight is between Philadelphia, PA and Oakland, CA (2,510 miles).