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Share the Spirit “ A Symbol of Freedom ”
Rollin King
Herb Kelleher
“Herb, let’s start an airline”
“Rollin, you’re crazy. Let’s do it!”
The Napkin Concept
The Mission Statement of Southwest Airlines
Dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service
delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness,
individual pride, and Company Spirit.
Vision Statement of Southwest Airlines
At Southwest, we strive to be the new generation of
flight transportation while providing luxury at a price
anyone can afford.
•Just say when
campaign
•Expands service to
California, begins at
Chicago’s Midway
Airport.
• Acquires a
competitor, Muse Air
1971 1972 1973 1972 -19791967 1982-1985
Southwest Airlines is
formed
Southwest was forced
to sell one of its four
planes to meet payroll.
Employees made up for
the lost jet by turning
planes around and
starting the next flight
in 10 minutes.
Southwest begins
service in New Orleans.
Until Congress
deregulated the airline
industry (in 1978),
Southwest couldn't fly
beyond Texas
Southwest begins flying
between Dallas,
Houston, and San
Antonio.
Southwest makes
money, starting a string
of 36 straight profitable
years.
1996 2000 2001 20021987 2003
Frequent flier program
and Increased number
of Flights.
In 2000,SW placed
biggest aircraft order
ever, delivery of 94
Boeing737.
the worst year ever for
the airlines industry ,SW
posted its 30th
consecutive profit
SW started selling
through Website
www.southwest.com
September terrorist
attacks : SW managed
to post a profit
SW Airlines was the 4th
largest US airlines in
terms of domestic
customers carried
2006 20082002
Begins phasing out
plastic reusable
boarding passes. New
rules after the 2001
terror attacks required
boarding passes with
passenger's name.
The Federal Aviation
Administration
proposes a $10.2 million
civil penalty against
Southwest for using
planes that hadn't been
inspected for fuselage
cracks.
Congress votes to
repeal a law in 2014
that prevents
Southwest from
operating long flights
from its home base at
Dallas Love Field.
Several planes were later
found to have cracks.
Revenue reduced.
Kelleher steps down as
chairman.
Southwest launches service in
Minneapolis and announces plans to
expand to New York's LaGuardia Airport,
Boston's Logan Airport, and Milwaukee.
2009
SWA Divided the US passenger Airline Market into 3
categories:
1) Major Carrier
• annual revenue 1billion; 95% domestic passengers carried
• 80% all major carrier domestic
2) National Carrier
• annual revenue 100million-1billion
3) Regional and Commuter Carrier
• annual revenue less than 100million
• In 1978, the United States had 36 domestic carriers
• The major carriers adopted the hub-and-spoke route system,
SWA adopted point-to-point route system.
•
Bold & Creative Advertisements
This is how
SW Airlines replies to
their Competitors
Inverted Pyramid Approach
‘Keep it Simple’ Business Model
They are known for
Sparse customer amenities
No seating class distinctions
Fewest customer options
No choices on type of aircraft
Simplest pricing structure
no meals
But, they are very well known for
Providing safe, Reliable, Short duration air service
Lowest possible fare
Good schedules for destinations served
Fewest cancellations
Best on-time performance
Safest airline worldwide
Fastest gate turnaround
Simplest customer-interface
Highest customer ratings
Most consistently profitable
“ The Fantastic Fifteen ”
SW:Anatomy of a 15-minute Turnaround
7:55 Ground crew
chat around gate
position
8:08 Boarding call
,baggage loading,
refueling
complete
8:03:30 Ground
crew move to
their vehicles
8:07
Passenger off
plane
8:04 crew moves
towards gate
8:06:30 Baggage
unloaded,
refueling
8:15 Jet way
retracts
8:10 Boarding
complete. ground
crew leaves
8:15:30
Pushback
from backs
8:18 Pushback
disengages plane
leaves for runway
How SW strategy is Implemented
Passenger
related
departure
Very
low
ticket
prices
No site
assignments
No
baggage
transfer
No
connection
with other
airlines
No
meals
Short haul,
point to
point travel
Limited
Passenger
service
High
aircraft
utilization
What Makes Southwest Unique?
 Southwest Airlines has become a legendary example of the
power of servant leadership principles.
 Its achievements are impressive considering the
competitive, cut-throat airline industry in which it thrives.
 Southwest Airlines has been named "one of the "Top Five
Best Companies to Work for in America" by Fortune
Magazine
 It has had the fewest customer complaints 18 years in a
row as reported by the DOT Air Travel Consumer Report
 The Southwest Airlines has been profitable for 31
consecutive years, named the "2nd Most Admired Company
in America by Fortune Magazine, and has an average
employee turnover rate of less than 10%
 If you made a $10,000 investment in Southwest Airlines in
1972, it would be worth more than $10 million today.
 It has developed strong employee and customer loyalty - a
feeling of devotion, duty and attachment to Southwest
(West, 2005)
Southwest’s 10 Practices for Building High
Performance Relationships
SUCCESS IS HOW HIGH YOU BOUNCE WHEN YOU HIT
BOTTOM
WHY IT IS SUCCESSFUL ?
Competitive advantage
Internal customers
Management style
Leadership
Work-culture
Family spirit
Trust
Training
Collective bargaining
Creative spirit
Discounted stock purchase
Flexibility
Open sharing of information
SWOT
•low-fare, high frequency airline
committed to exceptional customer
service.
• great climate and culture for
employees, “We hire Attitudes.”
•Excellent service in the areas of
on-time performance, baggage
handling, and overall customer
satisfaction.
•SW has 481 Boeing 737 jets.
•No hub-and-spoke system
(although considered by many
to be a positive)
•No first class seating
•Fly only in USA , 63 cities and
32 states.
•Uses only one type of planes.
•Lack of unity in decision
making ability.
•Hire more part time workers
•Provide higher quality and luxuries
for customers willing to pay extra
•With airline companies selling
planes SW can purchase models
similar to the 737
•Add new cities not flown to by
Southwest such as Atlanta,
Charlotte, Chicago, and New York
• Mergers and takeovers of other
airlines could produce low-cost
challenges to Southwest by those
competitors
•Government regulations and
restrictions, Fluctuation in gas and oil
prices
• New entrants into the airline
industry is an extremely low risk, due
to the costs but it still prevails.
STRENGTHSOPPORTUNITIES
WEAKNESSESTHREATS
1) For the 12th year in a row, FORTUNE magazine recognized Southwest
Airlines in its annual survey of corporate reputations in 2008.
2) 2003 Selected as “AIRLINE FOR THE YEAR”
3) 2007 included in top 100 most innovative technology organization
4) First airline to establish a home page on internet
5) Ranked number one in customer service
6) 36 consecutive year of profitability
ACHIEVEMENTS
7. ONE OF THE TOP 50 BEST PLACE TO WORK-AT 12TH PLACE.
8. GRASSROOTS INNOVATION AWARD -2013.
9. AIRLINES RATING IN LOW COST-AT 2ND PLACE.
10. IN WORLS MOST ADMIRED COMPANIES AT 7TH PLACE IN 2013.
11. TOP 25 Brands of 2013, AT 1ST
12. AT 1ST PLACE IN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION-2013.
13. U.S TOP 100 GLOBAL REPUTATION PULSE-AT 46 PLACE.
ALASKA AMERICAN WEST SOUTHWEST US AIRWAYS DELTA UNITED AMERICAN
OPERATING INCOME (in $Mn) 11 -56 291 20 -114 -469 -760
-1000
-800
-600
-400
-200
0
200
400
OPERATING INCOME (in $Mn) in 2001
OPERATING INCOME (in $Mn)
O
p
e
r
a
t
i
n
g
i
n
c
o
m
e
ALASKA AMERICAN WEST SOUTHWEST US AIRWAYS DELTA UNITED AMERICAN
NET INCOME (in $Mn) 5 -43 176 -24 -90 -365 -507
-600
-500
-400
-300
-200
-100
0
100
200
300
NET INCOME (in $Mn) in 2001
NET INCOME (in $Mn)
N
e
t
i
n
c
o
m
e
CURRENT STATISTICS OF SOUTHWEST AIRLINES
Cities
Daily
Nonstop Cities
Served
Year
Departures Established
WN FL
Chicago
(Midway)
233 64 1985 1994
Las Vegas 210 54 1982 2003
Baltimore 206 57 1993 2001
Denver 167 56 2006 2003
Houston
(Hobby)
161 45 1971 1997
Phoenix 162 46 1982 2007
Atlanta 165 44 2012 1993
Dallas (Love
Field)
124 18 1971 -
Orlando 120 43 1996 1998
Los Angeles 109 23 1982 2003
Type Number
BOEING 737-300 122
BOEING 737-500 15
BOEING 737-700 425
BOEING 737-800 52
Credits:
KASHYAP SHAH
VINITA GOSWAMI
VRINDA JAIN
ANUBHUTI GUPTA
MANISHA NANDAL
MANTHAN JANI
SRIRAM KRISHNAMURTHY
Thank You !
-Have a safe journey…