Southwest Airlines Celebrates 15 Years of LUV Across the Northwest
DALLAS, June 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- It's been 15 years since the first Southwest Airlines Boeing 737s came home to the Great Northwest to fly eager Customers out of Seattle-Tacoma (SEA), Portland (PDX), and Spokane (GEG). This weekend, 317 Southwest Airlines Employees who serve its Customers in those three airports join its exclusive partner the Boeing Company in celebrating the anniversary milestone in true Southwest style.
"All of our LUV jets were born here in the Puget Sound area and we bring them in and out of these three vibrant airports 96 times a day," said Southwest Airlines' Station Director Frank Guistiani. This morning Southwest also accepted delivery of its newest Next Generation 737-700 aircraft outside the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field.
"We are not only proud to build the planes that makes up Southwest's fleet, we here in the Pacific Northwest have the added benefit of frequently flying as passengers on those same airplanes," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes Vice President of Sales - North America Kevin Schemm. At the ceremony hosted by Boeing and featuring the new airplane, Southwest's 335th 737-700, Schemm pointed out that Southwest has built its success on the 737 family, the most popular, most reliable, and most economic jetliners in the world."
"We don't just serve your communities, we're a part of them and we want to give back," said Guistiani of Employees' regional efforts to collect food and other items for local food banks in commemoration of the carrier's 15th anniversary. Linnea Sallberg, Southwest's Marketing Manager for the Northwest added, "We have something special for our Customers planning summer travel today, too," as she announced special, discounted DING! fares from all three cities via the DING! fare alert application available at southwest.com.
On Saturday, Southwest Airlines Employees will celebrate simultaneously at all three airports with "gate games" where Employees will ask history/trivia questions and Customers will have the chance to win some prizes, including free tickets! Follow @SouthwestAir on Twitter to find out about the exciting events going on throughout the day.
After nearly 38 years of service, Southwest Airlines, the nation's leading low-fare carrier, is the most productive airline in the sky and offers Customers a comfortable traveling experience. Southwest offers all premium leather seats and plenty of legroom with a young all-Boeing 737 fleet. Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) currently serves 65 cities in 33 states, with service beginning to New York LaGuardia, Boston Logan, and Milwaukee later this year. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,300 flights a day and has more than 35,000 Employees systemwide.
Seattle-Tacoma (SEA) | Portland (PDX) | Spokane (GEG) statistics:
-- Southwest simultaneously began service in SEA/PDX/GEG on June 6, 1999
-- From Seattle-Tacoma, Southwest currently offers 42 daily nonstop
departures to 12 cities: Albuquerque, Boise, Denver, Kansas City, Las
Vegas, Oakland, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Sacramento, San Jose, Salt Lake
City, and Spokane
-- SEA-based Employees: 150
-- From Portland, Southwest currently offers 40 daily nonstop departures to
12 cities: Albuquerque, Boise, Denver, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Oakland,
Phoenix, Reno/Tahoe, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Jose, and Spokane.
-- PDX-based Employees: 115
-- From Spokane, Southwest currently offers 13 daily nonstop flights to six
cities: Boise, Las Vegas, Oakland, Portland, Salt Lake City, and
Seattle/Tacoma.
-- GEG-based Employees: 41
SOURCE Southwest Airlines
Released June 5, 2009