Southwest Airlines : The Nation 's Largest Carrier

Southwest Airlines has been making changes over the past few years that helped them become the largest low-cost carrier in the United States. Most other airlines have been struggling to make it through this economy, but Southwest has found a way to thrive. The airline has dropped their prices and eliminated fees for extras that have allowed them to fill up most flights. One cost they continue to struggle with is offsetting the increasing fuel prices. This has caused some airlines to merge or sell the company to competitors.

Southwest Airlines Co. is an airline company that offers air transportation services within the United States and in international markets. The company operates within the airline industry that is highly regulated, technology intensive, labor intensive, and highly competitive (Southwest Airlines, 2017). Southwest Airlines operates a service business whereby the company offers a point to point air transport service to its passengers. Other than passenger transport, the company offers transportation services for pets and unaccompanied minors. The flights offered include short haul and long haul between various destinations within the United States and internationally. In 2016, the company’s operating revenues from international operations amounted to $383 million. A unique feature of the Southwest Airlines is its cost structure whereby the company focuses on cost discipline and uses one aircraft type to minimize costs.

Southwest Airlines, the nation’s largest carrier, employs more than 53,000 people and service over 100 million customers a year (Southwest Airlines Honored, 2016). They differentiate themselves from other airlines with the level of customer service that they offer those who chose to do business with them. Southwest entices customers with its policy of not charging for the first two checked bags. They also do not charge change fees for flights that a customer may need to change, however, the fare may be a different price based on timing of the flight. The company has shown a profit every year since its inception (Ross, 2015). After 9/11, when no other carrier was profitable, Southwest was able to make a profit (Southwest Airlines Honored, 2016). According to their website, “the airline’s performance and productivity is directly affected by its triple bottom line approach and its focus on the people and communities they serve, as well as their overall commitment to efficiency and the planet” (American Airlines, n.d.).

Southwest Airlines is a major US airline established in 1967 that services a multitude of cities in all 50 states and beyond. The company is known for its outstanding quality in providing services and it 's cost effective ticket prices to its many passengers throughout the nation. This airline is based in the southwestern United States, in the city of Dallas Texas, and due to the tremendous number of airplanes that it has and the timely service that it provides to its passengers, this airline services more US passengers than any other airline. This airline also has the largest fleet of planes of any economical or low-cost airline service in the world and employees more than 45,000.

At Southwest Airlines, the company’s business strategy has a positive effect on the training they provide to their employees. Southwest Airlines is a Texas based airline that started up in 1971 (Corporate Fact Sheet). Over the years the airline has been recognized for its outstanding customer service and its low airfare fees. Due to their excellent customer service, the company has been ranked number one in customer satisfaction in 2013 by the U.S Department of Transportation. In. 2015, Southwest airlines was recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in the Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award. The reason that Southwest airlines is recognized for all these great things is because they obtain a good organizational control over the airline.

What began as a small Texas airline has grown to become one of the largest airlines in the United States. Today, Southwest Airlines flies over 70 million passengers per year to more than 62 cities. Southwest orchestrates over 3,000 flights per day. The Southwest fleet consists of over 436 jets which have an average age of nine years old. Included in

Southwest Airlines' successful and profitable business model has been driven by several strategies: high aircraft utilization; standard fleet; charismatic leadership; low fare carrier; excellent customer service practice; attractive frequent flier program; innovative and creative marketing program; performance focused organizational culture; strategic human resources management and a lean operations.

Southwest Airlines is currently the fourth largest airline in the United States. It flies over 64 million passengers a year, which makes 2,700 passengers a day, traveling to 58 cities. Southwest is the only major carrier to remain profitable in every quarter since 9/11, opposed to many other companies who have declared bankruptcy. It is an influential company that has greatly contributed to the development of the commercial airline industry.

Southwest Airlines possesses a very flexible and dynamic organizational structure that allows it to react rapidly, adapt swiftly and view environmental changes as opportunities rather than threats. After September 11, many companies went bankrupt due to this there was an unmet demand of flights. Southwest has taken the need of people to fly faster from one place to another and used it to their advantage by offering safest, fastest and cheapest way. The improved website can help attract more customers. As, it uses only one kind of aircraft its engineers can model an alternative fuel to lower fuel cost and conserve the environment. As proven

Southwest Airlines embodies the best that a large company can be. The structure is designed to allow quick action and support of its large body of employees rather than complete control and bureaucratic red tape. It is widely recognized as one of the most desirable places to work and is constantly emulated by its competitors, not to mention other business not in competition. It is an entity that holds its employees in the highest regard, even above its external customers. Its culture is unique and strong and based on love and respect. Even after its current leaders are gone, the

Southwest Airlines has been in business for more than thirty years. Presently, operating airplanes and flight services is very competitive, and in most cases, is not cost-effective industry; however, Southwest Airlines has been consistently profitable company, which is successfully designed with the intention of achieving high growth. According to an interview of Southwest Airlines former CEO, Herb Kelleher, when he visited Graduate School of Business at Stanford University, despite all airline industry challenges, the “low-fare airline has grown into the third largest in the world as measured by the number of passengers carried, and the largest with destinations exclusively in the United States” (2006). To the customers, Southwest

Southwest Airlines Co., established in 1971 by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher, began its operations with only three Boeing 737 aircrafts. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas(Hawkins, Misra, & Tang, 2012). Southwest is well known as one of the largest low-cost carriers. With this strategy, the company has dramatically grown up and deeply rooted in the US airline industry. Now, Southwest Airlines Co. operates 633 aircrafts to 93 domestic cities and the highest number of passengers used Southwest Airlines to fly around U.S in Jan 2014 (Hawkins, Misra, & Tang, 2012). To accomplish more than 40th consecutive years of both profitability and competitiveness, Southwest Airlines Company is constantly trying to find the routes to differentiate itself from other domestic carriers (Hawkins, Misra, & Tang, 2012).

Southwest Airlines began operations in 1971, and has remained profitable after 44 years. The company has experienced challenges such as high fuel prices, a recession, and even the tragedy of 9/11. Their strategy is unique and one-of-a-kind. They have innovated the airline industry by keeping costs low while not sacrificing quality or punctuality.

Southwest Airlines provides short haul, high frequency, point-to-point, low-fare services to and from 58 cities across the United States. The company is known for its low-cost fares and superior customer service in the airline industry. The company was started in 1971 with a motto still lived by today, "If you get your passengers to their destinations when they want to get there, on time, at the lowest possible fares, and make darn sure they have a good time doing it, people will fly your airline." This motto has been effective for the company because they recently reported their 58th straight quarterly profit.

Southwest Airlines Company (Southwest Airlines or ‘the Company’ SWA) is a passenger airline that provides scheduled passenger and freight transportation services. The Company primarily provides scheduled services throughout the US and near-international markets. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and employs 48,000 people and serves over one hundred million customers annually (“Southwest,” 2015). Southwest Airlines has accumulated over forty years of revenue and is one of the supremely flown airlines in the United States of America (Dess, et al, 2014, p. C137). Recognized for dominating the national or domestic airline market, Southwest Airlines’ diligence has built an