DALLAS, Feb. 13,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines
Co. (NYSE: LUV) proudly celebrates its recognition on
Fortune World's Most Admired Companies™ 2024
list1. The carrier ranked No. 39 overall and has
been consistently featured on the World's Most Admired Companies™
list since 2009.
"From our very beginning in 1971, Southwest Airlines has been
celebrated for the way we care for our People, Customers, and
communities, and it's an honor to be among Fortune World's
Most Admired Companies™ again this year," Bob Jordan, Southwest Airlines President &
Chief Executive Officer said. "Our Employees are so deserving of
this recognition. Southwest is a unique Company that dared to
believe in thinking differently and hiring the best People—and
trusting that they, devoted to the cause, can do anything."
To create the list, Fortune collaborated with
partner Korn Ferry to survey 15,000
senior executives, outside directors, and industry analysts to
identify companies that enjoy the strongest reputations within
their industry and across industries. Korn
Ferry surveyed 1,500 companies this year in 660 industries
in 29 countries.
The Fortune World's Most Admired Companies™ receive
ratings in which corporate reputation and performance are measured
against nine attributes: innovation, people management, use of
corporate assets, social responsibility, quality of management,
financial soundness, long-term investment, quality of products and
services, and global competitiveness. Some key accomplishments
Southwest Airlines® experienced this past year
include:
- Continued to make progress on its two-billion-dollar plan to transform its Customer
and Employee Experience. Since then, the carrier has:
- Completed upgrades of WiFi2 equipment
fleetwide at the end of 2023 to offer an enhanced inflight internet
browsing experience with more bandwidth and faster data.
- Outfitted USB-A and USB-C power ports and larger overhead
bins on all new 737 MAX 8 aircraft delivered to Southwest.
- Added new onboard offerings to its food and beverage menu
and Inflight Entertainment Portal.
- Delivered a robust portfolio of digital enhancements for
Customers including Digital Bag Tracking and Online Baggage
Check-In, as well as new internal tools for Employees to better
enable them to serve Customers more efficiently.
- Removed expiration dates from flight credits—an industry
first3.
- Launched free same-day standby for all
Customers4.
- Announced enhancements to the Southwest Rapid Rewards™
program designed to make it easier for Customers to earn tier
status and added new premium drink benefits for A-List Preferred
Members5.
- Hired more than 8,000 Employees, net of attrition, in
2023.
- Updated its sustainability strategy, Nonstop to Net Zero,
and new environmental sustainability goals on the Company's path
toward net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
- Enabled eligible corporate Customers to support the purchase of
sustainable aviation fuel through Southwest Business Assist™.
- Published a Supplier Code of Conduct and began integrating
sustainability questions in the Company's request for proposal
process with its suppliers.
- Partnered with EcoVadis, a sustainability ratings platform
for global supply chains, to increase transparency and measure the
impact of the Company's supply chain.
- Awarded 17 scholarships to the 2023 Southwest Airlines
Scholarship Program recipients, for a total commitment of
$290,000 over four years.
- Welcomed Baylor University, Louisiana
Tech, Middle Tennessee State
University, and Oklahoma State
University as university partners and Clay Lacy and Thrive Aviation as program
partners in the airline's Pilot development and recruitment
program: Destination 225º.
Visit Southwest.com/citizenship for more details about
the Company's ongoing People, Performance, and Planet work.
1 From Fortune, ©2024 Fortune Media IP
Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license. Fortune is a
registered trademark and Fortune World's Most Admired Companies™ is
a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited and are used under license.
Fortune and Fortune Media IP Limited are not affiliated with, and
do not endorse the products or services of Southwest
Airlines.
2 Due to licensing restrictions, on
WiFi-enabled international flights, free live TV and iHeartRadio
may not be available for the full duration of the flight. Internet
access for $8 per device from takeoff
to landing. Price is subject to change. May not be available for
the full duration of the flight. In order to provide a top-notch
Internet experience, we prohibit access to certain high-bandwidth
applications and websites. We also prohibit access to certain
obscene or offensive content.
3 Flight credits will be issued as
long as the flight is canceled at least 10 minutes prior to the
scheduled departure. Flight credits don't expire and are
non-transferable. For travel booked with Rapid Rewards®
points: starting July 1, 2023
(12:00 a.m. CT), for Wanna Get
Away® or Wanna Get Away+® reward travel
reservations (booked with points): If a Customer doesn't cancel
their reservation at least 10 minutes before the flight's original
scheduled departure time, any points used for booking will be
forfeited, along with any taxes and fees associated with their
reward travel reservation.
4 Customers can list for same-day
standby on an earlier flight via a Southwest Customer Service Agent
at the airport or the Southwest app or mobile web. Customers will
receive a message based on the contact preference selected during
booking if they are cleared on the flight. Customers must change
their flight or request to be added to the same-day standby list at
least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled departure of their original
flight or the no-show policy will apply. If using the app or mobile
web for standby, Customers must list their name 30 minutes ahead of
scheduled departure. The Customer will be required to pay any
government taxes and fees associated with these itinerary changes
but refunds will be provided. The Customer's original boarding
position is not guaranteed. Southwest Business Customers booked
through travel agencies may need to see a Southwest agent at the
airport for both a same-day change or standby listing. See
southwest.com/standby for more details.
5 On flights traveling 176 miles or
more, A-List Preferred Members receive up to two complimentary
premium drinks per leg. Flights traveling 175 miles or less only
serve water. Drink coupons are subject to availability. Service may
also be limited at Southwest's discretion. This coupon has no cash
value. Drink coupon is void if altered, sold, purchased, brokered,
or bartered. Non-exchangeable for other goods or services.
Southwest Airlines reserves the right to discontinue its drink
coupon program at any time. The coupon is invalid after the
expiration date and will not be updated or replaced. Must be 21
years of age or older to consume alcoholic beverages. Alcohol
purchased with drink coupons must be consumed onboard the
aircraft.
ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
Southwest Airlines Co. operates one of the world's most
admired and awarded airlines, offering its one-of-a-kind value and
Hospitality at 121 airports across 11 countries. Southwest took
flight in 1971 to democratize the sky through friendly, reliable,
and low-cost air travel and now carries more air travelers flying
nonstop within the United States
than any other airline6. Based in Dallas and famous for an Employee-first
corporate Culture, Southwest maintains an unprecedented record of
no involuntary furloughs or layoffs in its history. By empowering
its nearly 75,0007 People to deliver unparalleled
Hospitality, the maverick airline cherishes a passionate loyalty
among more than 137 million Customers carried in 2023. That formula
for success brought industry-leading prosperity and 47 consecutive
years8 of profitability for Southwest
Shareholders (NYSE: LUV). Southwest leverages a unique legacy and
mission to serve communities around the world including harnessing
the power of its People and Purpose to put communities at the Heart
of its success. Learn more by visiting
Southwest.com/citizenship. As the airline with Heart,
Southwest has set a goal to work toward achieving net zero carbon
emissions by 2050. Southwest has also set near-term targets and a
three-pillar strategy to achieve its environmental goals. Learn
more by visiting Southwest.com/planet.
6 Based on U.S. Dept. of Transportation
quarterly Airline Origin & Destination Survey since Q1
2021
7 Fulltime-equivalent active
Employees
8 1973-2019 annual
profitability
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SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.