DALLAS, June 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest
Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) this week celebrates the
50th Anniversary of the carrier's first commercial
flights, which took place on June 18,
1971. To offer Customers and Employees a unique perspective
on stories from the airline's colorful history,
Southwest®, L.A. Times Studios, and At Will Media
partnered to create the airline's first public-facing episodic
podcast series, called "Is This Seat Open?" which includes 20
episodes.
"As we look back on 50 years of Southwest Airlines, our world
and our industry have changed significantly, but what has remained
constant is the Heart demonstrated by the People of Southwest,"
said Linda Rutherford, Senior
Vice President and Chief Communication Officer. "We're a Company
full of remarkable stories, thanks to the diverse group of
Employees and Customers who define Southwest, so what better way to
celebrate our milestone 50th Anniversary than to share
some of this rich history. These one-of-a-kind stories set
Southwest apart, show the Heart and Hospitality of our Employees,
and will serve as the foundation for the next 50 years and
beyond."
The podcast title, "Is This Seat Open?" draws upon Southwest's
open-seating policy, which is one of the ways the Company uniquely
stands out in the industry and has been in place since the
airline's founding in 1971. "Is This Seat Open?" is available on
all podcast platforms, including iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Apple
Podcasts, Spotify, and more. There are currently 10 episodes
available, with additional episodes launching on June 15 and June 22
for a total of 20 episodes in the series.
Stories are best told by the people who experienced them
firsthand, so the narratives in this podcast are vibrantly depicted
by some of the People who were a part of Southwest's iconic moments
through the carrier's 50-year history. Southwest Employees Quinnie
Jenkins, a Manager in Community Outreach, and Lucas Hershberger, an Inflight Supervisor, host
the podcast.
The podcast project includes a companion website,
latimes.com/isthisseatopen, which features photos,
archival content, videos, news clips, and write-ups for further
context and information about each story.
"This podcast is about Southwest Airlines, but it's really for
anyone who flies or loves the backstory on a business succeeding
against the odds," said Allie
Prater, Director of Branded Content, L.A. Times Studios. "We
were honored to work with Southwest and At Will to bring forward
some of the many true stories that make this airline so unique, and
so beloved by its Customers."
The podcast episodes feature moments throughout Southwest's
history, beginning with stories from the early years of the airline
up to present-day, including:
- Who Was Herb? Hear about Southwest Founder,
Herb Kelleher, from the perspective
of his daughter, Ruth.
- Fare Play & Bottle of Booze: Southwest's Senior
Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Ryan Green shares how a 1973 marketing
masterstroke saved the fledgling airline and helped it turn its
first annual profit.
- Bringing Dad Home: Now retired Southwest Pilot
Bryan Knight reveals how Southwest helped him honorably lay to rest
his late father, a Vietnam veteran
who had been missing for 52 years.
- Go-Go Boots, Khakis, &
Jams: Southwest Employee uniforms have been iconic throughout
the carrier's 50 years of flying. Kelli
Bartlett, a Flight Attendant who has been with Southwest for
more than four decades, recalls each unique uniform throughout the
years and describes the current 75 bold, striking, and
casual-yet-professional pieces worn today.
Anyone can tune in to the podcast on the ground, and Southwest
Customers can listen to "Is This Seat Open?" via iHeartRadio free
of charge through the Inflight Entertainment Portal on their
personal devices. Customers who already have the iHeartRadio app
installed on their devices can play the podcast directly from the
app while onboard Southwest flights.
To learn more about Southwest's 50th Anniversary
and the five-decade-long history of friendly, reliable, and
low-cost air travel, visit Southwest50.com.
Due to licensing restrictions, iHeartRadio may not be available
onboard WiFi-enabled international flights. The iHeartRadio product
is available only on WiFi-enabled aircraft. "Is This Seat Open?" is
funded by Southwest Airlines and produced by L.A. Times Studios and
At Will Media. The Los Angeles Times
newsroom was not involved in the production of this podcast.
ABOUT L.A. TIMES STUDIOS
L.A. Times Studios, a
division of California Times, produces
a variety of critically-acclaimed audio, video and live event
projects. We develop projects that are grounded in editorial
integrity and driven by the power of storytelling. We collaborate
with a variety of partners internally and externally on both
original productions and branded entertainment. The Studios group
is platform-agnostic and pursues compelling narratives and
conversations across a variety of media.
ABOUT AT WILL MEDIA
One of the fastest growing
independently-owned podcast studios in the U.S., AT WILL MEDIA is
an award-winning, full-service production company with offices in
Manhattan and Los Angeles, founded in 2016 by CEO
Will Malnati. With decades of
combined experience in storytelling and sound design, they set the
pace for the podcast industry as a go-to partner for podcast
production services and hub for successful and critically acclaimed
fiction and non-fiction originals.
ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
In its 50th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines
Co. continues to differentiate itself from other air
carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than
56,000 Employees to a Customer base that topped 130 million
Passengers in 2019. Southwest has a robust network of
point-to-point service with a strong presence across top leisure
and business markets. In peak travel seasons during 2019, Southwest
operated more than 4,000 weekday departures among a network of 101
destinations in the United States
and 10 additional countries. In 2020, the carrier added service to
Hilo, Hawaii; Cozumel, Mexico; Miami; Palm Springs,
Calif.; Steamboat Springs; and Montrose (Telluride), Colo. Thus far in 2021,
Southwest has initiated service to Chicago (O'Hare) and Sarasota/Bradenton both on Feb.
14; Savannah/Hilton Head and
Colorado Springs both on March 11;
Houston (Bush) and Santa Barbara, Calif. both on April 12; Fresno,
Calif. on April
25; Destin/Fort Walton Beach on May 6; Myrtle Beach
S.C. on May 23; Bozeman, Mont. on May
27; and Jackson, Miss. on June 6; and will begin
service to Eugene, Ore. on
Aug. 29; Bellingham, Wash. on Nov. 7; and Syracuse on Nov.
14.
The carrier issued its Southwest® Promise in May 2020 to highlight new and round-the-clock
efforts to support its Customers and Employees well-being and
comfort. Among the changes are enhanced cleaning efforts at
airports and onboard aircraft, along with a federal mandate
requiring every person to wear a mask at all times throughout each
flight. Additional details about the Southwest Promise are
available at Southwest.com/Promise.
Southwest coined Transfarency® to describe its purposed
philosophy of treating Customers honestly and fairly, and low fares
actually staying low. Southwest is the only major U.S. airline to
offer bags fly free to everyone (first and second checked pieces of
luggage, size and weight limits apply, some carriers offer free
checked bags on select routes or in qualified circumstances).
Southwest does not charge change fees, though fare differences
might apply.
Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world,
known for a triple bottom line approach that contributes to the
carrier's performance and productivity, the importance of
its People and the communities they serve, and an overall
commitment to efficiency and the planet. Learn more about how the
carrier gives back to communities across the world by
visiting Southwest.com/citizenship.
Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online
at Southwest.com or by phone at
800-I-FLY-SWA®.
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SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.