At Southwest, a Small Loss is a Big Win

Speaking of Southwest Airlines …The Love Field-based carrier reported this morning a $16-million third-quarter loss, which, given the current state of the aviation industry, Southwest is treating like a big victory. Hence, CEO and president Gary Kelly sunny(ish) disposition on Fox Business this morning. And a Friend of Unfair Park…

From Love Field, an Unhappy Father’s Day

‘Round 3 yesterday, one of my oldest friends called from Dallas Love Field with the breaking news: The airport was shut down, no one allowed in our out — including my friend, who’d put his son on a Southwest flight bound for Corpus Christi mere moments before Dallas police descended…

Flying High With Southwest

Back in March, CNN and The Wall Street Journal profiled David Holmes, at right, otherwise known as the rapping Southwest Airlines flight attendant — and one of the stars of Saturday night’s SWA employee banquet at the downtown Sheraton, where, from all appearances, the airline spent far more than peanuts…

Southwest Airlines, a Symbol of Freedom

Southwest Airlines announced this morning that it’s living up to that old motto, offering nearly every single employee what CEO Gary Kelly calls an “early out” in the wake of a first-quarter net loss, the Dallas-based carrier’s third straight decline. Southwest today announced a first-quarter ’09 net loss of $91…

No Love Field Lost at Briefing Today

If you want to drive yourself insane, dial up the Dallas City Council’s Transportation and Environment Committee meeting, where, at this very moment, the committee is discussing the Love Field concessions expansion. Because, in case you weren’t aware, Love Field’s getting a makeover, part of which will including adding more…

Would You Like Aisle or Breast?

A good Friend of Unfair Park who receives Southwest Airlines’s tweets forwards this just-Twitter’d photo announcing the Dallas-based carrier’s relationship with Sports Illustrated. Having such a hard time writing a caption for this … But you know who’s probably not amused? Kyla Ebbert…

Are You Too a “Bewildered and Angry Flier”?

The Wall Street Journal this morning examines airlines’ inconsistently, almost arbitrarily enforced rules and regulations — you know, the kind that result in “bewildered and angry fliers.” As a prime example, the paper checks in with a frequent flier who found himself subject to the whims of an American Airlines…

Nuts, Southwest

Southwest Airlines’s stock is taking a beating today — down $1.90 at last check, to $7.91, following an analyst’s decision to downgrade the stock to “sell” from “underperform.” That follows yesterday’s announcement that, for the second quarter in a row, the Dallas-based carrier posted a loss — even though it…

Southwest Hearts New York

A Friend of Unfair Park is rather unhappy with Dallas-based Southwest Airlines over the news today that the carrier’s spending a mere $7.5 million to assume ATA Airlines’ rights to operate at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The deal’s still a long ways off: “Details on the commencement of service or…