Is Southwest Airlines ready for summer travel? Let’s ask the CEO Yall-itics: May 7th, 2023

Before you book your summer vacation, you’ll want to hear this episode. What is going on at Southwest Airlines – a carrier known for efficiency and customer loyalty? The Dallas-based airline has had a rough go of it the last six months. The December meltdown cancelled more than 16,000 flights, impacting more than two-million passengers. Then in April, the failure of a computer firewall delayed 1,700 flights on a random Tuesday. Jason Whitely grabbed a seat next to CEO Bob Jordan on a recent flight to Hawaii as the airline marked four years of flights to the islands with a 737 sporting a newly painted Hawaiian-themed livery. Mr. Jordan took Jason’s questions on all the recent problems, the fixes in place before next winter, getting phone calls from the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, a new contract for pilots and what he has learned in his first 14 months as the top executive at the airline. But if talking to the CEO isn’t rare enough, Southwest also made the Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Watterson, available to Whitely. What destinations are Southwest considering next? Will you be able to get from A to B? This is the episode to download before you pack your bags for your summer vacation.

 

GUESTS:

Bob Jordan, CEO, Southwest Airlines

Andrew Watterson, COO, Southwest Airlines