3rd Quarter LUVLines 2023

Gearing Up for Winter Weather

With deicing one area of focus for winter operations, how do we plan to keep up?

Celebrating Our Cohearts

At Southwest, we love to celebrate! See how a few Cohearts celebrated family graduations this year.

Employee Relations Has Your Back

The Employee Relations Taskforce Team supports Employees through incidents when a traumatic event involving a Customer occurs.

Hospitality and the Foundational Five

Learn how to focus on our Company priorities while promoting the legendary Hospitality Southwest is known for!

The Good Old Days A Note from

One of the many unique things about Southwest Airlines compared to other companies is the number of long-tenured Employees we’re fortunate to have. Whether you’re among our long-tenured Employees or the thousands of New Hires we’ve welcomed over the past couple of years, you’ve experienced—or surely heard—the stories from “the good old days.”

Stories include our free drink offer in response to a competitive challenge. In 1973, now-defunct Braniff Airlines offered $13 one-way fares from Dallas to Houston, hoping to put our fledgling airline out of business. Our then-president and CEO Lamar Muse shot back with a headline, “Nobody’s going to shoot Southwest Airlines out of the sky for a lousy $13,” and offered Customers a fifth of premium liquor with any full-fare ($26) ticket. Southwest became the largest alcohol distributor in Texas in those two months!

Or, the legendary “Malice in Dallas,” a charity arm wrestling match between our founder, “Smokin’” Herb Kelleher, and Stevens Aviation’s “Kurtsey” or “Killer” (depending on where you were from) Kurt Herwald to settle a dispute over Southwest’s “Just Plane Smart” slogan. We held the match on March 20, 1992, at the now-demolished Dallas Sportatorium. The event benefitted the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Ronald McDonald House of Cleveland.

And while we regularly celebrate weddings on our planes, our wedding bells were in the air at our 1994 nuptials to Morris Air, complete with an Elvis impersonator performing the ceremony.

More recently, we banded together to “Set Love Free,” a 10-year fight to repeal the Wright Amendment, which we successfully did in 2014.

And, in the face of a global pandemic with no known end in sight, Southwest was the only airline to avoid layoffs, with then-CEO Gary Kelly promising Employees that would be the absolute last step we’d take— and he remained true to his word.

These stories are inspiring. They make you feel something—camaraderie and pride in our People and this place. As much as we love to tell and retell these stories from our past—all of which made us who we are today—the world, industry, and Southwest continue to evolve. We must continue being creative, having fun, and making new memories even as we carry our legacy forward.

One of Herb’s many famous quotes was, “If you don’t change, you die.” Just as we grow as human beings throughout our life—learning, adapting the way we do things, evolving … so, too, does our Company. Even as we’re working on the big things—our Foundational 5 Strategic Priorities, our five Focus Areas for the year, our winter operations preparedness, the day-to-day interactions matter as much as how you feel about your career at Southwest. I see this in my station visits and hear this from you.

We can’t go back to the “SWA of old.” The world isn’t the same today, and we aren’t the same Company we were in 1971. What we can do is carry forward the values we cherish from those early years and become a big Company that still holds on to that small Company feel. We’re a Company rooted in our history and that same pride we’ve carried for more than five decades.

I’ve been here for 35 years of “the good old days,” and I’m looking forward to many more good old days ahead.

Iconic moments in Southwest history.

“We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.”

—Dolly Parton, Musician

I’ve been thinking about my mom more than usual since August is her birth and death month. Growing up, one of our favorite things to do as a family was to load up the ’79 T-bird and head east on I-37 from San Antonio to the Texas Gulf Coast— Rockport, usually. As we drove along the waterfront, Mom was always fascinated by the windswept oaks that lined the bay’s edge. There were groves of trees twisted and bent as they leaned away from the water—growing at an angle because of the constant pressure of the wind sweeping off the water. She thought they were the most amazing things. And because I thought she was the most amazing thing, I became fascinated with them, too.

Forty years and a lot of life later, I still admire the trees, but for a slightly different reason. They’re physical proof of the power of adaptability and resilience. If those oaks hadn’t learned to lean into the circumstances surrounding them, they would’ve never survived. They adapted.

I think of this whenever I feel myself digging my heels in on something or holding on too tightly to whatever idea or situation I believe is best. During these times, I stop and remind myself to take a deep breath and move—physically and mentally. Instead of wasting energy trying to change the circumstances, I focus on changing from within. This shift in perspective can help me thrive instead of languishing.

Adaptability isn’t only important for individuals but also for businesses. A company should adjust and respond to changes in the marketplace and embrace new realities to be successful. We all play a part in Southwest’s adaptability, and we all play a part in our success. Leaning into the constantly changing aviation world is paramount to Southwest thriving.

Like the windswept oaks, Southwest is a mighty tree with many different branches. Without adversity, branches grow in different directions, creating a beautiful wide canopy. However, when a strong wind blows, they embrace the gale and begin leaning in the same direction—moving in unison as the wind whips. Whichever limb of the Southwest Family tree you’re perched on, remember we must all lean together to keep our tree from breaking during stormy weather. After all, wind doesn’t break trees that bend.

LUVLines Managing Editor

Millie Tidwell

SVP CULTURE & COMMUNICATIONS

Whitney Eichinger

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Brandy King

MANAGING EDITOR

Millie Tidwell

CONTRIBUTORS

Maddie Adams

Holland Bradley

Morgan Contreras

Lori Crabtree

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Kristen Francis

Melanie Graham

Danecia Jones

Melanie Jones

Gabby Macias

Austin Molpus

Anabell Odisho

Emily Samuels

Ashley Warren Omondi

CREATIVE

Sonia Avila

Eric Daniels

Trent Duran

Rob Izumi

Brianna Juda

John Jones

Stephen Keller

Kristin Kelnhofer

Maria Nieto

Abbey Server

Schelly Stone

Grant Weaber

Dani Wilkerson

Also available on SWALife

-For LUVLines information and advertising inquiries, email luvlines@wnco.com

The Big Impact of Small Interactions

By Sr Hospitality Analyst Alison Bodeker

We’ve all been there, the dreaded call to change an appointment due to unforeseen events—waiting on the phone for 10 minutes and, when you finally get ahold of a representative, they pass you to another department. Well, for Allan, his perspective on Customer Service and Next Level Hospitality was about to change. On a beautiful sunny day in May, Allan picked up the phone and called Southwest Airlines to change a reservation. Seasoned CS&S Representative Barbara Slavick greeted him. The Customer stated, “I thought it would be a hassle to make the change, but Barbara handled all my considerations flawlessly. More importantly, she treated me like a first-class passenger on a trip with one of your larger competitors. I owned a small business for many years and had competitors selling similar products at similar prices. My customer service department created added value and differentiated my business from my competitors. Duplicating Barbara throughout your system differentiates you from your competitors. Price is only an issue in the absence of value.”

Barbara, who demonstrates our Company Values through and through, knows that the key to great Hospitality is actively listening to our Customers. She recognizes that when Customers call in, they can be in a state of panic. But making sure they feel comfortable and heard resonates through the phone. Barbara, who is part of the 100K and 200K Club (a CS&S program created in 2018 as an annual performance-based engagement program that provides non-monetary incentives for Customer Reps who reach set ancillary sales goals throughout the year) states, “Everything we do must come from the heart. I love my job and going above and beyond through all the avenues accessible to us to try and help our Customers by doing what’s right.”

Rediscover Your Total Rewards

By Sr Manager Total Rewards Planning & Ops David Pistorius

With more Employees than at any other time in our history, it’s a great time to introduce—or reintroduce—Total Rewards. When we talk “Total Rewards” at Southwest, we refer to a comprehensive combination of benefits and pay! Our Total Rewards package includes financial compensation; health and wellbeing benefits, including medical, dental, and vision; a host of other voluntary insurance benefits and health support services; Paid Time Off; robust retirement programs comprised of a 401(k) Plan with an incredible Company match and an annual ProfitSharing Plan contribution; travel privileges; and many other perks and discounts.

We strive to build our jobs on partnership—by giving this job

where you can find all your Total Rewards offerings? Look no further than our Total Rewards News!

Total Rewards News is an interactive e-newsletter that provides insights into your Total Rewards offerings, discounts, and special perks you have as a Southwest Employee. Each edition features content on some key Total Rewards offerings (and some lesserknown ones), resources to support your holistic wellbeing, and more.

Do you have a significant other or dependents at home interested in reading this? If so, share swa.is/TotalRewardsNews with them because the site is accessible from any device and requires no authentication.

My Heart on Paper

Gonzalez DEN Appearance Technician

This is me, Jasmine. I hand drew and painted this self-portrait using the software Procreate. I’m the first artist in my family. Perhaps there were others before me who would’ve enjoyed expressing themselves artistically, but they didn’t have the time or resources to do so as immigrants. I’ve drawn since I was three years old. I was lucky to have teachers and parents who recognized my creativity and encouraged me to pursue my passion. My art is an outlet for my emotions, leaning toward realism and semi-realism. If you’re ever around the DEN Hangar and see someone heads down in a sketchbook, it’s likely me since I’m constantly drawing. Stop by and say hi.

Jasmine

Last year, we introduced “The Scoop,” a digital publication available to Customers via the e-reader on the Inflight Entertainment Portal. Each quarter includes an Employee Spotlight that celebrates our Employees and their amazing work going above and beyond for our Customers. Here’s the spotlight for this quarter.

Employee Spotlight

Phoenix Flight Attendant John Phan

From a young age, Phoenix Flight Attendant John Phan dreamed about his career, initially wanting to become a doctor. As he got older, he realized he wanted something that allowed him to travel and see the world while feeling fulfilled. That’s when John found Southwest Airlines.

In 2015, John flew on Southwest from Chicago (Midway) to Phoenix and met a Flight Attendant who changed his life. He saw how much fun the Flight Attendants had, creating Snack Mix crowns for a newly-married couple and using their humor for the inflight announcements. It immediately drew John to the job, especially after speaking with one of the friendly, personable, and encouraging Flight Attendants. Soon after that trip, John applied, and he’s been a Southwest Flight Attendant since July 2018. John is still in contact with that Flight Attendant from 2015 and recently ran into him in Denver!

There’s one destination that John loves to work: Hawaii. His family is Vietnamese, and Hawaii’s culture reminds him of the Vietnamese culture and our Southwest Culture: fun, friendly, and unique. He describes the atmosphere on those flights as electric, with most Customers traveling for vacations, honeymoons, or celebrating special occasions. John loves starting and ending those trips on a high note and wants every Customer to experience a great flight showcasing Hawaiian culture. He always decorates the plane with signs that say “Aloha!” and “Paradise this way!” to bring even more excitement to these flights.

One particular trip to Hawaii stands out in John’s mind. In the summer of 2022, a couple boarded a Southwest flight to Honolulu (Oahu) wearing T-shirts that proudly stated, “Hawaii is Our 50th State: Mission Accomplished!” When John found out, he gave them a shout-out and a bottle of champagne. He presented them with lei and a Hawaii-themed goodie bag to mark their historic accomplishment.

After the flight, John introduced the couple to the Pilots and chatted about their trip. He enjoyed making their trip to Hawaii even more special. As a foodie, he shared his favorite restaurants in Honolulu with the couple. For John, being a Southwest Flight Attendant is all about these moments—connecting with people and creating memories to last a lifetime.

This sweet story is one of many examples of John’s dedication to our Company, Cohearts, and Customers. Just take a look at our social media, and you’ll find moments of John and other Cohearts brightening Customers’ days, from celebrating a newly-wedded couple with crowns, a toilet paper cake, and champagne, to rallying an entire plane of Customers writing notes of encouragement on napkins for new parents.

John, we’re beyond thankful to have a fantastic Employee like you who serves Customers passionately, promoting a positive experience for all. When asked about his love for Southwest, John said, “Everyone at Southwest is encouraged to be themselves! We’re not afraid to share our unique talents and have fun on the job, which empowers us to make each Customer’s experience meaningful.”

“The Scoop” - From Our Heart: Employee Spotlight

Cargo Revenue Management: Getting Ship Done

By Sr Marketing & Sales Support Specialist Austin Molpus

Celebrating 50 years of excellence in 2023, the Southwest Cargo Team provides a Relentlessly Reliable® shipping option to Customers across the country and beyond borders. Our Frontline Employees and Cohearts behind the scenes work tirelessly to produce a product that Southwest Airlines can be proud of. With the help of our Cargo Revenue Management (RM) Team, we can do just that from year to year. Formed in 2006, this small but mighty Team plays a significant role in helping Southwest Cargo maintain profitability. Using market performance, yield, and various promotions, the Cargo RM Team prices every piece of cargo shipped onboard our aircraft. Throughout the year, a Team of nine continuously monitors the market to determine whether we need to make adjustments, offer promotions for select commodities, or assist our Area Account Managers with pricing-related inquiries that may arise from Customers.

There are fundamental differences between Customer travel and cargo, which requires our Cargo RM Team to analyze several factors when determining shipping prices. Customer travel is a fixed capacity with a set number of seats onboard the aircraft, while cargo is a variable capacity determined by the number of Customers and bags onboard. Using historical data, our Analysts can determine how much capacity we can allow shipments to travel throughout our network without disrupting the Customer travel experience. With 154 million pounds of cargo shipped on Southwest Cargo in 2022 alone, our RM Team established itself as a vital part of the Company.

Meet the talented members of Southwest Cargo’s Revenue Management Team: Kiran Reddy, Eric Yu, Sarah Mason, and Mariam Allahrakha. Their exceptional skills and dedication play a crucial role in ensuring Southwest Cargo’s continued profitability.

So, how do they juggle so many different responsibilities?

It’s all about communication and their day-to-day systems for pricing, forecasting, and day-of-operation tasks. Cargo RM consistently communicates with our Cargo Customer Service Team (Ops) to consider factors on the frontline that may not appear in the data. The RM Team also operates an on-call schedule that provides 24-hour support to Cargo Ops and our Customer shipments.

Over the years, the Cargo RM Team isn’t short on accomplishments. Following the addition of our perishable product, Fresh Fast, and the launch of Cargo International service in 2019, the Team restarted shipping U.S. mail and implementing a new pricing system during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite an ever-changing work environment, the Team successfully launched the pricing system, which helped pave the way to maintaining (and increasing) profits when Customer travel was at an all-time low. With this success came additional opportunities for our business to grow through new facility openings and a new online booking platform, which the Cargo RM Team played an intricate role in delivering.

Even with all the challenges thrown at them daily, the Cargo RM Team create a supportive and high-energy atmosphere. We can all appreciate the hard work they provide in getting Ship Done!

Celebrating Our Cohearts

By Coheart Care Program Manager Krissy Sarine Van Brunt

At Southwest, we love to celebrate—and recognizing the successes and accomplishments of our Cohearts is no exception! Many of our Cohearts celebrated family graduations this year, including Employees and children of Employees. The Coheart Care Team received over 500 celebratory submissions for 2023 graduates, and we’re so proud!

Congrats, BWI Flight Attendant Chandler Holland! She graduated from George Mason with her Bachelor of Science degree and shared, “One husband and two kids later, I finished my degree, and now I’m beginning graduate school.”

Hailee Banks graduated high school, and she’s headed to Clark University this fall to study psychology. Proud dad, LGB Ramp Agent EJ Banks, is thrilled for his daughter who was born shortly after he started his career at Southwest.

CS&S Customer Representative Lacy Pryor isn’t only celebrating her 25th anniversary with Southwest, but her daughter, Mya, graduated high school and is interested in becoming a flight attendant.

HRL Duty Sup Monica Dyer’s daughter, Kennedy started her Southwest journey at age two. She’s since parked her tug to pursue nursing at Texas A&M Corpus Christi this fall.

Congrats, Desi West, for his recent college graduation from University of Texas. He received a dual degree, with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, and a Bachelor of Arts in Government with a Minor in Business. His mom, DAL Flight Attendant Julie West, worked her first trip after maternity leave when 9/11 occurred, while his dad, Managing Director Network Operations Control Steve West, was a brand-new Chief of Dispatch.

Proud mom, OKC CSA

Curl doubled the celebrations with siblings Olivia and Sam Curl achieving milestones together. Her daughter Olivia graduated college, and she’s pursuing acting at The Second City in Chicago. Son Sam graduated high school, and he’s deciding between joining the Air Force or becoming an EMT.

Sarra

Hats off to Regulatory Affairs Investigator Rachel Burton’s daughter, Leah, for graduating from an accelerated program and completing her senior coursework in one month! She begins her studies in graphic design at Tarrant County College this fall.

2023 Class of

It’s not often you experience back-to-back milestones in one year, but Cargo & Charters Manager Knowledge & Content Pete Freymuth and his son, Kendric, did. Pete celebrated his 30th year with Southwest in January, and Kendric graduated high school in May. Kendric is headed to Texas A&M at Galveston to study marine biology this fall.

At her graduation, Keilani, daughter of Sr Manager Ground Operations Standards Tami Korenek, received lei and a haku lei from her family to honor her Asian Pacific Islander culture. She’ll attend Texas State this fall to study interior design.

The aviation branch doesn’t fall far from the tree. OFFCP/AAP Manager Kathy Hathaway’s daughter, Victoria, is headed to Purdue to become a pilot.

is pursuing a photography career.

Coheart Care supports Employees experiencing impactful life moments. Whether you’re expanding your family, celebrating a child graduating from high school or college, preparing for surgery, navigating grief after a loss, or any other circumstance significant to you, we want to fly alongside you.

To share your impactful life moment, visit SWALife >Life & Career >Employee Giving & Support >Coheart Care. You can also share on behalf of a Coheart with their permission. We maintain our Culture of caring by continuing our commitment to each other.

CONGRATULATIONS!

PHX CS&S Supervisor Laralynn Stevens’ son, Grady, was born while she was an Admin Coordinator at our IND Station. He’s since graduated from Wickenburg High School and

Streamlining Our Safety and Security Reporting

By Sr Safety Promotions Specialist Sarah Hicks

The Safety and Security of our Customers and Employees remains our number one priority. Our Safety Management System (SMS) empowers you to easily submit Safety and Security concerns, questions, or suggestions, which allow us to identify and remediate hazards and strengthen our Safety Culture.

With that in mind, we introduced a new platform to enhance our Safety and Security reporting capabilities. This new platform centralizes the Safety/Security Reporting System (SRS), Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) Discrepancies, and Fatigue reporting, and we plan to integrate Irregularity Reporting (IR) next. This centralized reporting platform streamlines the collection and analysis of data to support our SMS. The platform also incorporates feedback from Frontline Employees, including easier reporting, enhanced capabilities, and improved mobility access.

To access the new platform, Employees should:

• Visit the Safety & Security SWALife page

• Click on the Safety/Security Reporting System (SRS), Irregularity Reporting, and Safety & Security Promotions tile

• Select the blue “Safety and Security Report Portal” button (pictured to the right), which takes you to a landing page to create a new report

Don’t forget to report

Employees across our operational workgroups are responsible for Safety, Security, regulatory, and operational reporting, such as:

• Procedural irregularities

• An incident or something that could lead to a procedural irregularity

• Fatigue events

• A hazard

Reporting tools are vital components of an effective SMS. The operating manuals of our operational departments and the Safety Management Manual (SMM) explain the policies and procedures for submitting reports. It’s the responsibility of every Employee and Contractor to always identify and report hazards in the workplace.

Help us help you

The new centralized platform makes Safety and Security reporting easier! You can report hazards to a Leader or use available reporting tools. Reports submitted through the SRS are confidential, and there’s also an option to submit anonymous reports. If you have any questions, please email Safety.Feedback@wnco.com.

We’ve Got Your Back: Taskforce Team for Employee/Customer Incidents

By The Employee Relations Team

At Southwest, we’re firmly committed to caring for every Employee. We developed a streamlined process last year led by our Employee Relations Team to support Employees through incidents when a traumatic event involving a Customer occurs. This centralized Taskforce Team supports Employees dealing with these issues and includes representatives from People, Legal, Safety & Security, and Communications.

Working with the affected Employee’s Department Leaders, the Taskforce Team aims to meet the physical, mental, emotional, and Security needs of our Cohearts after a traumatic Customer event. Following an incident that involves a physical altercation, the Team cooperates with and assists authorities in criminal prosecution and other legal options to hold the offender accountable to the fullest extent under the law, as this behavior is unacceptable in any circumstance.

Our Taskforce Team is here for you, no matter what. If an incident occurs, a representative from the Employee Relations Team contacts the impacted Employee(s) and provides support, serving as the main point of contact for Employees and Leaders. The representative coordinates with other involved Teams and shares a resource guide of all services, support Teams, and contact information available to Employees.

Gearing Up for Winter Weather in Ground Ops

By Vice President Ground Operations Chris Johnson

Following last winter’s operational disruption, we’ve made great progress strengthening our winter operations program and adding resiliency to our systems in Ground Operations. We’ve shown we can quickly recover from disruptions thanks to Cohearts working together to serve our Customers and each other. Our Southwest Airlines Operational Philosophy is that we always put Safety first, and moving forward, we’ll continue to do that as we execute our Ops Disruption Action Plan and do our part to keep winning our Customers’ trust.

The Ground Ops Leadership Team identified several priorities to ensure we’re ready to deliver a reliable operation this winter season for our Employees and for our Customers. While we can’t control the weather, we can go into major weather events with confidence in our plan, and that’s what we’re preparing to do for the 2023-2024 winter operations season.

With deicing as an area of focus for winter operations, we’re investing in more deicing trucks, additional staffing and training, and additional deice pads across the network. Check out the updates on the following page for more information on how we’ll keep up with deicing activities this winter.

Deicing Trucks

This year, we plan to receive new deicing trucks to support the operation, with more coming in 2024 to total 360+ total trucks in the fleet. We have a comprehensive plan to deliver new trucks to locations where they’re needed most and reallocate some of our current deicing trucks across the system. A Team of experts worked with Station Leaders to decide where to utilize trucks to best support the operation. Below are the new deicing trucks we’re adding this year.

• Vestergaard Elephant BETA (NEW): You’ve heard us talk about evaluating the opportunity to invest in enclosed cab deicing trucks—some with forced air capability— to use in locations with extreme weather. I’m happy to report we’ve ordered enclosed cab deicing trucks for our BNA, DEN, and MDW Stations, and we’re delivering 15 of these new trucks to those stations before the winter season.

• Vestergaard Elephant MY Lite (NEW): While there’s a benefit to having some enclosed cab deicing trucks in our fleet, we’ll still invest in open-bucket trucks that serve our operation well and allow our Employees maximum visibility when working to deice our aircraft. We’ve selected new open-bucket trucks for several stations to receive and supplement our current fleet.

Deicing Pads

In addition to adding more deicing trucks, we’re continuing to secure more deice pads in certain locations. When all carriers are deicing, areas quickly become congested, so we’re working to get enough space for Southwest to keep the operation running in cold conditions and increase our deicing throughput (the number of airplanes deiced simultaneously).

We’re growing our deice pads at DEN from 6 to 10, and our Airport Affairs Department continues to partner with airport leaders to identify additional space as needed. Our Vestergaard Elephant BETA trucks have an extended boom for more flexibility to clear snow off the aircraft wing while at the gate, even from behind the wing.

Winter Ops Summit

At the end of August, we resumed our Winter Ops Summit event for Ground Ops Winter Operations Leaders to come together in Dallas. We hosted this event regularly before the pandemic, and we’re glad to bring Station Leaders back together to share their best practices, learn more about our investments for this winter, and prepare to use lessons learned in future planning.

Leaders can take the tools and resources they received back to stations to share with their Teams, especially our Agents qualified to deice aircraft.

Summer Deicing School

Even though it’s still warm and seems like winter is far away, Employees at our winter operations stations began preparing during the summer for frost and cold temperatures. Each year, we qualify new Agents to perform deicing, and a lot goes into the training required to have our full Team up to speed each year. We have station-specific goals for qualifying a set percentage of Ramp Agents for deicing, so we’re partnering with Leaders to ensure we have enough People to support deicing needs all winter. For stations with the new enclosed cab trucks, Agents use simulators to learn the functionality of the trucks so they’re prepared to operate them safely and efficiently when a storm comes. Rather than manual controls over the deicing sprayer, joysticks control the sprayers.

Our investments in deicing equipment and training are just one component of how we’re gearing up for this winter season. From enhancing ground equipment and technology infrastructure to adjusting staffing for complexity and growth and improving how our Teams work together, we’re taking a holistic approach and safely executing our Ops Disruption Action Plan to prepare for the 2023-2024 winter season. And we couldn’t do any of this without all our Employees and Leaders working together now to prepare, especially our dedicated Team of Ramp Agents.

Thank you to everyone for continuing to focus on Safety and delivering for our Customers daily.

New Vestergaard Elephant MY Lite deicing trucks.

Embedding Hospitality Within Our Company Priorities

By Sr Hospitality Specialist Alex Salvatici

Hospitality is at the core of everything we do at Southwest Airlines. It’s one of the things that sets us apart from the competition, and it’s how we ensure that our Cohearts and Customers feel welcomed, cared for, and appreciated. The opportunities to provide Hospitality are endless, and we have an incredible chance to leave a positive impact.

As we continue into the second half of 2023, we must all do our part to keep Hospitality in mind. You’ll notice that each strategic priority in Bob’s Foundational Five embeds Hospitality. Take a look and see how you can focus on our Company priorities while promoting the legendary Hospitality Southwest is known for.

Connect with a Coheart!

Our Cohearts are our biggest advocates, and it’s important to make them feel welcomed, cared for, and appreciated.

• Find something personal to make a connection with a Coheart.

• Welcome each Coheart at the start of every day or shift.

• Thank one Coheart each day for making a difference at Southwest.

Wow a Customer!

We wouldn’t be where we are today without our Customers. Many times the biggest moments for them stem from the littlest actions from us.

• Welcome Customers as they board the plane—first impressions matter.

• Use Customers’ names to say thank you when serving them in the airport.

• Thank Customers as they deplane with your words and presence.

Hospitality at your fingertips!

Use your resources to create special moments for Customers while serving them in the operation.

• Turn an unfortunate situation into a happy memory with the Heart Cart.

• Play games, trivia, or sing songs from the Games from the Heart book.

• Celebrate Customers with surprise and delight moments.

Hospitality is FREE!

Build a better tomorrow!

Hospitality is powerful and it starts with you.

• Come to work each day with a Hospitality mindset.

• Make your Cohearts and Customers feel welcomed, cared for, and appreciated.

• Help drive Southwest’s success by making it a better Company each day.

Going above and beyond to deliver Hospitality doesn’t cost a thing. Not providing Hospitality could cost us future Customers. Here are some ideas that cost nothing:

• A warm smile

• A welcoming greeting

• A genuine thank you

• Friendly eye contact

• Using someone’s name

Combine Next Level Hospitality and Our Values To Go Above and Beyond

Going above and beyond is the next step in our success at Southwest. Our Next Level Hospitality tool is a great framework when considering how best to serve others.

• Captivate your Cohearts and Customers by creating happy memories. Celebrate milestones like an Employee’s SWAnniversary or a Customer’s first time flying with us!

• Exceed expectations by going the extra mile to help a Customer in need. Show them you genuinely care!

• Build connections with new Cohearts by introducing yourself and learning more about them.

We can foster a welcoming, caring, and appreciative environment when combining Next Level Hospitality with our Company Values. How you show up and treat others is vital to operating with Excellence.

Challenge yourself and your Cohearts to make a positive impact by using these nine questions at the intersections of Next Level Hospitality and our Values.

How I show up

How can you make a lasting memory for a Customer?

How we treat each other

How can you make a lasting memory for a Coheart?

How Southwest succeeds

How can you can make a memory that creates passionate Cohearts and Customers?

How can you exceed a Customer’s expectations?

How can you can exceed a Coheart’s expectations?

How can you make Southwest better today than it was yesterday?

How can you personalize the interaction and connect with a Customer?

How can you personalize the interaction and connect with a Coheart?

How can you make a welcoming, caring, and appreciative environment for all?

Personal Perspectives

By Sr Corporate Citizenship Coordinator Ashley Warren Omondi

Personal perspectives make each of us unique, and we’re lucky to have more than 60,000 Employees and theirs at Southwest. This quarter, I’m sharing my perspective on growing up abroad and immersion in many cultures. Let’s continue to learn from each other and lean on our personal perspectives regarding respect, family, and our Company Values.

To bring these stories to life, we ask volunteers to share more about their lives, their journey with Southwest Airlines, and what it’s like to be them. And this quarter, I’m sharing mine! I hope it’s a reminder of how important it is to love and support one another and continue to live by The Golden Rule. If you’re interested in sharing your story, email LUVLines@wnco.com

Hi there! I’m Ashley Warren Omondi, and I’ve had the privilege and honor of sharing many different voices, stories, and perspectives from our Employees over the past couple of years. These stories provide insight into the diversity of our workforce and how embracing, celebrating, and learning from each other brings better understanding. From Manjit Jhutty sharing about his family immigrating from India to Cheryl Wolf sharing her fascination with tracking animals in our latest issue of LUVLines, we comprise an authentic workforce, and I’ve learned so much from each Employee.

It felt fitting to introduce myself and share my perspective. I was born in Odessa, Texas, but grew up abroad as a military child. As many may know, that entails moving every two to three years. With that movement comes a need to adapt to many countries, schools, and cultures, which gave me a worldview of everything. Over 13 years, I attended 12 schools and lived on three continents (North America, Europe, and Asia). Ultimately, I ended up in Texas and received my Bachelor’s and Master’s of Public Administration from The University of Texas at Arlington, my last and final school. So, when asked where I’m from, I often pause and

The Omondi Family at the Khao Yai National Park Prachinburi, Thailand

The Omondi Family at Maya Beach Phi Phi Island, Thailand

say I was born and raised abroad but call Texas and Seattle home.

The good news is that constantly adapting to change influenced me to embrace my peer’s values, beliefs, and experiences. I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone and become self-reliant and resourceful with an expanded worldview and open mind to different cultures. Moving and changing your environment isn’t easy; however, I’m grateful I gained the necessary knowledge and compassion. I’m proud of who I am today—culturally aware and collaborative in my personal and work life.

My work career started in higher education as an admission counselor for graduate students and a special events coordinator for 10 years. I joined the Southwest Family a little over seven years ago. My journey began in Customer Relations, an eye-opening experience where I gained immense knowledge about our operation. I’m now on the Corporate Citizenship Team, where we focus on helping Southwest maintain its status as a good global citizen by aligning our efforts with our Heart for People, respect for the Planet, and dedication to exceptional Performance.

When I’m not traveling the world, trying new restaurants, and enjoying adventures with my husband, Ishmael, and son, Micah, I’m a wedding planner and supporter of Big Dream Vision, a nonprofit that focuses on conducting missions to Kenya and helping students from abroad secure scholarships to universities around the country. Ishmael founded Big Dream Vision to teach students the necessary tools for their families and communities to stimulate local economies through innovation. My favorite part is mentoring and hosting everyone for holidays and school breaks! I spend time helping them adjust to the American culture by sharing my experiences of adapting and embracing change. I share with them that change is good—it often leads to growth. We also host annual sports camps in Kenya and organize activities for hundreds of children.

Throughout my life, I’ve met so many different people who’ve shaped me as a person. From enjoying brats in Wiesbaden, Germany, as a preteen to navigating the busy South Korean streets as a high school senior in Seoul, all my experiences impacted me and my life. So much so that I love cooking food from different cultures daily, meeting new people, and advocating for inclusion. I’m passionate about making everyone feel included, which reflects my personal life.

Overall, I encourage you to make meaningful connections with your Cohearts, keep The Golden Rule in mind, and find ways to learn and try new things. My door is always open. If you see me, please stop me and chat. I’d love to share more stories with you all!

Ishmael and Ashley celebrating Micah’s 2nd birthday

Ashley decorating for a wedding in Florida

Students at our 2023 Big Dream Vision Camp Ishmael speaking with students at a Big Dream Vision Camp

Cyber Bytes: Helpful Cybersecurity Information and Tips

By Sr Technology Consultant Sarah Turpin

As many of us lead busy, on-the-go lifestyles, the Cybersecurity Team has helpful information and tips to share on topics relevant to every Employee at Southwest Airlines: QR codes, juice jacking, and password hygiene.

QR Codes: Stop Before You Scan

After experiencing a re-emergence during the pandemic, QR codes have become a mainstay in our lives. A QR code is that square barcode-esque image on posters, websites, and more. We can quickly scan them for restaurant menus, access to informational forms, and other purposes. However, because of their renewed widespread use, QR codes have become popular vectors for cyber threat actors. Keep yourself, your devices, and your information safe by stopping before you scan.

Here are some tips for staying cyber-safe when you encounter QR codes on the go:

• Approach them with the same apprehension as email links since they could lead to fraudulent websites asking for financial or personal information or malware crafted for mobile devices.

• Only scan QR codes from trusted sources—if you receive an email asking you to scan a QR code, consider carefully the sender and whether it makes sense for them to use one.

• Don’t scan a QR code to pay someone you don’t know personally or scan QR codes randomly placed without a clear purpose.

We love using QR codes at Southwest. They’re efficient and easy to use—QR stands for “quick response”! Note that QR codes on our Company channels are safe and secure. Outside of work, whether you’re reading your email or pulling up that latte menu at your favorite coffee shop, think before you scan.

Security On the Go: Public Charging Stations and “Juice Jacking”

Nowadays, few things are more stress-inducing than seeing a “low battery” message on your device while out and about. Whether at the airport or mall, you may find a free charging station in the distance beckoning you to plug in and power up. However, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and FBI recently warned against using these stations to avoid “juice jacking,” where threat actors leverage these stations, ports, and even cables to load malware or maliciously access electronic devices while being charged.

There aren’t any confirmed cases of “juice jacking,” but you should always follow best practices when using electronic devices in public spaces. Luckily, there are plenty of safe options when that pesky battery icon turns red. The FCC recommends:

• Avoiding using public USB charging stations, and instead, use an AC power outlet.

• Bringing your AC, car charger, and USB cable with you when traveling.

• Carrying a portable charger or external battery with you

• Utilizing a charging-only cable, which prevents data from sending or receiving while charging.

• Selecting “charge only” if given the option to “share data” or “charge only” when plugging into a publicly accessible USB port.

As Southwest Employees, we spend a lot of time in airports. If you’re a frequent traveler, whether for work or pleasure, don’t forget to add a portable charger and a few extra cables to your packing list. You never know when you may need them!

Keep it Clean:

Password Hygiene Tips for Work and Home

Did you know passwords are like toothbrushes? You should change them often and never share them with others! The Cybersecurity Team wants you to evaluate your password hygiene with a few of our favorite tips:

• Longer is stronger. The longer a password is, the harder it is for a threat actor to decipher. At Southwest, regular user account passwords must include at least 8 characters but no more than 25.

• Variety is the spice of life! Never use one password across multiple accounts. The best practice is to use a unique password for each online account you have so that if someone gains unauthorized access to one, they can’t automatically get into all of them.

• Make things complicated. Passwords aren’t something to keep simple. Use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters such as & or $. Like with length, the more complex your password, the more difficult it is to crack. For information about secure and appropriate Southwest passwords, review the Southwest Airlines Password Requirements Standard

“The

Last year, we introduced “The Scoop,” a digital publication available to Customers via the e-reader on the Inflight Entertainment Portal. Each quarter includes a Customer Spotlight that featuring a Southwest Customer and underscores the Values, Heart, and Hospitality we extend to our Customers. Here’s the spotlight for this quarter.

From Southwest Superfans to Family

Read our Customer Kate’s Southwest story, which she shared on social media.

A big part of my life is flying with Southwest Airlines. After I moved to Arizona for college, I met my husband, Mitchell. While I love Arizona, Southwest keeps me connected to family in New York. I knew about Mitchell’s love for Southwest before getting married; however, I didn’t realize the extent until after saying, “I do.” He immediately created a Rapid Rewards account for me and our newlywed adventures. I didn’t know then just how much Southwest would continue to play a role in our lives.

Fast forward to welcoming our baby boy, Walker, to the world. Southwest now makes it easy for my parents to visit their grandson. When not traveling to see them, we’re flying for work. During Walker’s first year, he traveled more than 10,000 miles with us! Inspiration for his first birthday came to me while we were on a flight. What better way to celebrate his first trip around the sun than with a Southwest-themed party?

While preparing for his birthday, I flew another flight where I connected with a kind Flight Attendant. I’ll never forget our heartfelt conversation about the formula shortage happening at the time. She told me about its impact on her niece, and I offered her some extra formula that day in hopes it’d help her family. At the end of the flight, she gifted us some fun goodies as a thank-you gesture that were perfect for Walker’s party. We’ll never forget how we spent his first birthday celebrating and reminiscing on fun times during that first year.

Southwest eventually noticed our love for the Company and coordinated something special for our family—a tour of their Corporate Campus in Dallas, Texas! Mitchell and I knew we couldn’t pass up the perfect opportunity to celebrate yet another milestone with them. Baby number two is on the way, and we asked for their help with a fun gender reveal. Southwest went all out by bringing us to their state-of-the-art Pilot training facility to flicker the lights between pink and blue until they eventually landed on pink! We’re thrilled for Walker to have a sister.

While we plan to slow down a little until our baby girl arrives, we can’t wait for her first flight. We’re grateful to Southwest—they’re a constant in our lives during many seasons of change. We can rely on them to get us to our next destination safely and cheer us on like family every step of the way. Thank you, Southwest, for helping us make so many special memories!

Scoop” - From Your Heart: Customer Spotlight

Kate Hanson Arizona, U.S.

We can rely on Southwest to get us to our next destination safely and cheer us on like family every step of the way.

-Kate Hanson