Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines, founded in 1967 by Herb Kelleher and Rollin King and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is the world's largest low-cost carrier and the largest domestic airline in the United States by passengers carried. Southwest operates a point-to-point route network rather than the hub-and-spoke model used by legacy carriers, with major bases at Dallas Love Field, Baltimore/Washington International, Chicago Midway, Denver International, Las Vegas Harry Reid International, and Oakland International airports. The airline operates an all-Boeing 737 fleet of over 800 aircraft, a strategy that simplifies maintenance, training, and operations. Southwest is known for its distinctive policies including no baggage fees for two checked bags, no change fees, and open seating with boarding groups rather than assigned seats. The airline does not participate in any global alliance and has historically limited codeshare agreements. Southwest's Rapid Rewards frequent flyer program uses a revenue-based earning and redemption model with A-List and A-List Preferred elite tiers. The carrier's corporate culture, emphasizing employee satisfaction and humor-infused customer service, has been widely studied in business management literature. Southwest played a pivotal role in the deregulation era of US aviation, demonstrating that low fares could stimulate new travel demand, a phenomenon known as the Southwest Effect.