| Southwest is the darling of the industry. For us | | | | if you like. It's called Nuts about Southwest, and |
| early-adopters, it answered many needs that were | | | | there you can share their taglines - the warrior spirit, |
| not being met by other airlines from cheap fares, to | | | | the servant's heart, and FUN-LUVing attitude. |
| its own version of refundable airfare, to, for heaven's | | | | How fun loving? I got to test it just the other day, |
| sake, a sense of humor on the front lines, to the firs | | | | flying out of Love Field in Dallas. Dallas, which may |
| casual wear for attendants, which gave us all | | | | rank no. one in weather-hassle for flights, for all I |
| permission to "get comfy" on those airplane flights. | | | | know. Don't quote me. Anyway, middle of a summer |
| My gosh. They even freed us from that awful | | | | plagued by rainstorms, as you've seen on the news |
| airplane food! | | | | (so rare for Texas), I was lucky to make it to the |
| According to their Internet financial report, 2006 | | | | airport because of the traffic accidents, and then |
| marked Southwest's 34th consecutive year of | | | | discovered all the delays. The agents - letting us |
| profitability. They became a "major" airline in 1989, | | | | know it had been "a week of this" for them - |
| the year they exceeded the billion-dollar revenue | | | | approached it with humor and also let us know what |
| mark, and it remains the nation's most successful | | | | it had been like for them. What else can you do? |
| low-fare, high frequency, point-to-point carrier. | | | | That's authentic. It was exasperating for all of us |
| And how they do keep up with what we like! To | | | | involved with snarled flights, people cutting in line, |
| quote their site, they have now boldly gone where | | | | screaming children, and so forth. |
| no other airline and few Fortune 500 companies have | | | | And here's more of Southwest. If you were an early |
| gone before - into the blogosphere. Yes, they have a | | | | adopter like me, with ties in Texas, you know all |
| blog, and you can visit it here: . | | | | about the "Set LUV free" campaign, battling that |
| "Blogging works for us because, as a Company, we | | | | peculiar Wright Amendment. Southwest set up a |
| know we have nothing to hide," said Southwest's | | | | website where you could make your wishes known |
| President Colleen Barrett. "Our Employees absolutely | | | | to Congress, . Finally Love Field was set free, and |
| ooze authenticity, and our bloggers have been able | | | | they've kept the site up, with a link on there where |
| to bring that same SPIRIT to the blog." | | | | you can THANK Congress for the Wright |
| AUTHENTICITY is one of the emotional intelligence | | | | Amendment Reform Act. |
| (EQ) competencies. It works for individuals, it works | | | | You would think that would be commonplace, |
| for civic groups, it works for leaders, and it works | | | | wouldn't you, to thank someone who gives you what |
| for corporations. | | | | you've been asking for. But of course it's not. |
| On the blog you can take a peek inside the culture | | | | Others might have an attitude of entitlement. |
| and operations of your favorite airline. About 30 | | | | Emotional intelligence works, from the ground up, and |
| employee bloggers (both frontline and behind the | | | | let's just say it begins at home, with the individual. |
| scenes), and 'customers' participate, and you can too, | | | | |