January 23, 1974

Southwest carries its one-millionth Customer.

May 03, 1977

Southwest flies its five millionth Customer—Bud Halbert.

November 10, 1978

Southwest boards and deplanes its millionth passenger in a calendar year at Dallas Love Field.

April 05, 1979

During the first quarter 1979, Southwest boarded 1,038,657 passengers, establishing a new quarterly boarding record of over one million passengers boarded during a single quarter.

May 25, 1979

Southwest records its largest single day in passenger boardings when it carries 17,928 passengers.

June 18, 1986

15th Anniversary. Southwest receives the Presidential Citation Award for Private Sector Initiatives in the White House Rose Garden for our "Home for the Holidays" program which began in 1979.

July 03, 1986

Ronnie Lopez, executive assistant to Arizona Governor Bruce Babbit, is presented Southwest's "Good Neighbor Award" at the 1986 annual awards banquet.

July 07, 1988

Southwest learns that we earned our first ever monthly Triple Crown for May 1988. This is the first time since the DOT started tracking airline performance for ontime performance, baggage handling, and Customer complaints that an airline rated first in all three categories.

November 08, 1989

For an unprecedented second time since the DOT began keeping records on the performance of the nation's largest carriers, Southwest captured the top rating in all three categories of the DOT operating statistics report.

December 01, 1989

Scores second monthly Triple Crown.

January 01, 1990

Scores third monthly Triple Crown.

October 01, 1991

Scores fourth monthly Triple Crown.

December 05, 1991

Becomes the nation's first and only airline to be rated number one in all three major performance categories by the DOT a record-setting fifth time--an achievement no other airline has reached once.

January 01, 1992

Scores fifth monthly Triple Crown.

March 01, 1992

Sixth monthly Triple Crown.

July 01, 1992

Seventh monthly Triple Crown.

August 01, 1992

Eighth monthly Triple Crown.

September 01, 1992

Ninth monthly Triple Crown.

October 01, 1992

Tenth monthly Triple Crown.

November 01, 1992

11th monthly Triple Crown.

December 01, 1992

Southwest is honored as one of the outstanding achievers in the air cargo industry with the "Quest for Quality" award from Distribution Magazine.

December 31, 1992

Southwest scores 1st annual Triple Crown. For the first time in the history of the DOT Air Travel Consumer Report, one carrier, Southwest, topped all three major performance categories for the year, capturing the industry's first annual "Triple Crown" for its 1992 performance.

February 04, 1993

Announces addition of 45 roundtrip flights, including new and increased service, to schedule this spring and summer. Claircom Communications and Southwest form a partnership as the first phone system is installed on our aircraft. Southwest Airlines wins first Triple Crown Award, based on Department of Transportation statistics for the year 1992. Southwest ranked first in fewest Customer complaints, best ontime performance, and best baggage handling.

April 01, 1993

12th monthly Triple Crown.

June 01, 1993

San Jose (SJC) service begins with 11 daily flights and celebrates our strong presence in California by inaugurating the use of a special brightly colored plastic boarding pass in the shape of California. A class from Randol Elementary School won the field trip of a lifetime as part of the inaugural ceremonies. Southwest Airlines receives the award Best Airline for Traveling Families from Austin Child Magazine.

June 22, 1993

SMF is named Provisioning Station of the Year.

July 03, 1993

13th monthly Triple Crown.

August 01, 1993

14th monthly Triple Crown.

August 04, 1993

Southwest, along with Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, honors 11 "High Flying Heroes" from each of the cities it serves in Texas. The heroes are as follows: Eveline Rivers (AMA), Willie Kocurek (AUS), Loyd Neal (CRP), Bob Booker (DAL), Rosa Guerrero (ELP), Harry Nigro (HRL), Thaddeus Lott, Sr. (HOU), Rose Mediano (LBB), John Younger (Midland), Charles Perry (Odessa), and Calvin Buchholtz (SAT). Southwest flew 1,559.8 million RPMs in July 1993, a 22.3% increase over the 1,275.2 million RPMs flown in July of last year. ASMs increased 12.7% to 2,148.7 million from the July 1992 level of 1,905.8 million. Load factor for the month was 72.6%, up 5.7 points from last year's load factor of 66.9%.

September 01, 1993

15th monthly Triple Crown.

October 01, 1993

16th monthly Triple Crown.

December 01, 1993

17th monthly Triple Crown.

December 21, 1993

Southwest Airlines receives a Certificate of Appreciation from the College and Graduate School of Business at the University of Texas in Austin.

January 01, 1994

18th monthly Triple Crown.

February 01, 1994

19th monthly Triple Crown.

February 07, 1994

Southwest officially wins the industry's Triple Crown for 1993 statistics. This is the second consecutive year Southwest has won the Award.

February 14, 1994

This year's "Heroes of the Heart" are Technical Services Department Employees.

March 01, 1994

20th monthly Triple Crown.

April 12, 1994

Southwest Airlines ranks first in the 1993 Airline Quality Rating (AQR) study.

April 25, 1994

STL is named 1993 Station of the Year recognizing its 196 STL Employees as the number one Employee team of the 39 airports Southwest served in 1993.

May 01, 1994

21st monthly Triple Crown.

June 01, 1994

22nd monthly Triple Crown.

July 01, 1994

23rd monthly Triple Crown.

September 01, 1994

24th monthly Triple Crown.

October 01, 1994

Oakland Inflight Base opens as our fifth home for our Flight Attendants. Southwest Airlines receives the award for Best Airline in SR Texas.

December 31, 1994

Southwest Airlines ranks 18th in D-FW Top 100 list according to the Dallas Morning News.

February 01, 1995

Southwest captures the industry's Triple Crown Award for its 1994 performance for the third straight year

February 14, 1995

Flight Ops and Inflight Planning, Scheduling, and Payroll Employees are named our 1995 "Heroes of the Heart."

June 01, 1995

25th monthly Triple Crown.

July 01, 1995

26th monthly Triple Crown.

December 31, 1995

Southwest Airlines ranks 434th in the Fortune 500 in Fortune Magazine.

February 01, 1996

27th monthly Triple Crown.

February 05, 1996

Southwest wins the Triple Crown for the fourth consecutive year.

February 16, 1996

Customer Service Coordinators and Flight Information Agents are named 1996's "Heroes of the Heart."

March 01, 1996

Southwest and Alamo Rent A Car join together to offer a $19 one-way fare between MCO-FLL and TPA-FLL and a rental car for $19 a day. Southwest Airlines ranks first in Fortune's Corporate Reputation Survey by Fortune Magazine.

April 15, 1996

Southwest Airlines ranks first in the 1995 Airline Quality Rating (AQR) study.

June 01, 1996

29th monthly Triple Crown.

July 01, 1996

30th monthly Triple Crown.

July 29, 1996

Southwest, which began serving Florida on January 22, 1996, has made a drastic impact on the number of people traveling out of TPA and the fares they paid during the first quarter of 1996, according to Department of Transportation figures just released. Colleen Barrett receives an award for "100 Most Powerful Women in Travel" from Travel Agent magazine.

August 01, 1996

31st monthly Triple Crown.

January 24, 1997

Investor Relations receives the Award for Excellence in Corporate Reporting from the Association for Investment Management and Research (AIMR).

February 03, 1997

Southwest Airlines tops the American Consumer Satisfaction Index list in the scheduled Airline category.

February 14, 1997

Our Reservations Administrative Coordinators are named 1997's "Heroes of the Heart." For the first time, Southwest Airlines offers double flight credits to Rapid Rewards members booking and purchasing travel through the web site. To earn a free ticket through Rapid Rewards, Southwest's frequent flyer program, normally Members need only accumulate a total of 16 flight credits (or eight roundtrips) to earn a free ticket through the frequent flyer program.

March 01, 1997

Southwest Airlines ranks first on Fortune's Corporate Reputation Survey by Fortune Magazine.

April 16, 1997

Ontario is named "Station of the Year" for 1996.

April 21, 1997

Southwest Airlines ranks first in the 1996 Airline Quality Rating (AQR) study.

June 09, 1997

The Company flew 2,378.3 million RPMs in May 1997, a 4.5% increase over the 2,276.6 million RPMs flown in May 1996. ASMs increased 7.3% to 3,700.6 million. Triple Crown One, a flying tribute to the Employees of Southwest Airlines, arrives at Dallas Love Field in honor of the 24,000+ workers of the airline who helped achieve five consecutive annual Triple Crowns. Herb retires the Triple Crown. He asks Employees to "Gimme 60 million" annual Customers boarded by the Company in 2001.

July 01, 1997

Southwest Airlines is awarded Favorite Airline in Nevada Senior World.

July 31, 1997

Colleen Barrett receives an award for "200 Most Powerful Women" from Travel Agent Magazine.

August 29, 1997

Southwest Airlines receives the award for Best Airline in The San Diego Union-Tribune.

December 01, 1997

Southwest Airlines is awarded Best of Indiana naming them the number one airline by Indiana Business Magazine.

December 20, 1997

Southwest Airlines ranks first on Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For in America" list.

April 20, 1998

Southwest retains top spot in the national Airline Quality Rating for the third consecutive year as conducted annually by the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University and the University of Nebraska at Omaha Aviation Institute.

December 21, 1998

Southwest Airlines ranks fourth on Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For in America" list. Fortune also named SWA the most admired airline in the US for the third year in a row and the seventh most admired corporation for 1998.

August 25, 1999

The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) recently awarded Southwest Airlines CEO Herbert D. Kelleher an honorary lifetime membership into the Society. Kelleher was given this award in recognition of Southwest's commitment to protecting the health and wellbeing of its passengers and employees. Designed to recognize those that have contributed substantially to the advancement of safety, this prestigious award has been given only seven other times in ASSE's 89-year history.

December 01, 1999

Herb Kelleher receives CEO of the Century award from Texas Monthly.

December 02, 1999

Herb Kelleher receives an award for "1999 Spirit of Generations Award" from the Senior Citizens of Greater Dallas

December 20, 1999

Southwest Airlines ranks second on Fortune Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For in America" list.

April 10, 2000

Southwest Airlines tops the Airline Quality Rating. This is the fourth time Southwest has topped the study and the fifth time to be included in the top five.

April 27, 2000

The Wall Street Journal reports the Southwest Airlines topped the list with the best reputation among the ten major U.S. airlines, according to a study by Harris Interactive Inc. and the Reputation Institute, a New York Research Group. The survey was taken March 3 through March 10. The study was made available exclusively to The Wall Street Journal. Southwest Airlines ranks first in the 2001 Airline Reputation Quotient (RQ) Study.

August 17, 2000

Southwest Airlines earns the 2000 Quest for Quality Readers' Choice Award for outstanding Cargo performance sponsored by Logistics Management & Distribution Report. Southwest Airlines is selected as one of the top 100 companies that exemplify the "best of the best in operational and strategic excellence around the world" by CIO magazine.

August 18, 2000

Southwest Airlines Customer Service is honored on the Web Smart 50 by BusinessWeek Online.

December 18, 2000

Southwest Airlines ranks fourth on Fortune magazine's list of "100 Best Companies to Work for in America." Southwest Airlines is listed as one of the biggest gainers on The Fortune e-50.

December 31, 2000

Corporate Communications receives the award Best Corporate Public Relations Team of the Year from PR Week. Herb Kelleher is honored by the University of Missouri-Kansas City with Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

January 03, 2001

Herb Kelleher is honored on The Top 25 Managers of the Year for innovation, financial performance, and individual leadership capabilities.

February 05, 2001

Southwest Airlines is named America's most admired airline in FORTUNE's industry-specific listing of "Most Admired Companies," and finished fourth place overall.

February 06, 2001

Southwest Airlines receives the Airline of the Year award from Official Airline Guide.

February 12, 2001

Southwest Airlines website ranks sixth on PowerRankings by Forrester Research.

February 14, 2001

Pass Bureau Department is named 2001 "Heroes of the Heart." Southwest Airlines announces plans to establish its seventh crew base in Orlando by July 1, 2001. When MCO is fully staffed, it will employ 750 pilots and 900 flight attendants. Southwest Airlines' Adopt-A-Pilot Program takes flight with over 7,500 fifth-grade students. As participants, these fifth-grade students will adopt more than 200 pilot as classroom mentors in more than 70 cities.

February 27, 2001

Southwest Airlines ranks second on the Top Ten Bonuses of 2000 by InsideFlyer Magazine.

February 28, 2001

Southwest Airlines is awarded on U.S. Airlines for Customer Service by Zagat Survey, LLC.

March 01, 2001

Southwest Airlines ranks 14th on Business Ethics magazine's "100 Best Corporate Citizens" for 1999. Southwest Airlines receives an award for 2001 Hispanic Corporate 100 from Hispanic Magazine.

March 07, 2001

Chicago Midway's new terminal is unveiled, including: passenger drop-off, ticketing, passenger pick-up, expanded baggage claim areas, and a connected parking garage. Restaurants and retail areas will open in late Spring and the next phase of construction will include Southwest's new gate areas. Southwest Airlines ranks 26th in the Best Corporate Reputations in America by The Wall Street Journal.

March 21, 2001

Southwest Airlines ranks 28th on "100 Best Corporate Citizens" list, by Business Ethics magazine Southwest Airlines ranks first in American Customer Service Index (ACSI).

April 01, 2001

Southwest Airlines is honored on The BusinessWeek Fifty by Business Week Magazine.

April 02, 2001

Southwest Airlines ranks third in the Airline Quality Rating (AQR) study. Southwest Airlines ranks 41st on the Where do MBA's Want to Work study by Fortune Magazine.

April 16, 2001

Southwest Airlines ranks 316th in the Fortune 500 in Fortune Magazine.

April 18, 2001

Phoenix Reservations Center is named "Reservations Center of the Year" for 2000.

April 24, 2001

Southwest Airlines' web site is named the top ranking web site for customer satisfaction among major travel sites according to research conducted by Nielson/NetRatings and Harris Interactive.

April 25, 2001

Southwest Airlines ranks first in American Customer Service Index (ACSI) in the Wall Street Journal.

April 26, 2001

Southwest Airlines is honored in the Freddie Awards by Inside Flyer Magazine.

April 27, 2001

Rapid Rewards wins first place Freddie Awards for both Best Promotion and Best Award Redemption, and placed second for Best Customer Service, Best Web Site, and Program of the Year.

May 21, 2001

Southwest Airlines ranks first among airlines (with a score of 70 out of 100) for the highest customer satisfaction according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index survey. Our score is unchanged from the 2000 index. Southwest Airlines gives Customers the Freedom of Choice with additional rental car reservation options on southwest.com. The rental car companies offered include Advantage, Thrifty, National, Sears, Able, Discount Car and Truck, and Red and Blue Auto. These companies are in addition to our direct connection with Rapid Reward Preferred Partners – Alamo, Budget, Hertz, and Dollar.

June 01, 2001

Southwest Airlines is named one of The Best Companies in the World by Focus Money and Hornblower Fischer.

June 30, 2001

Annual Awards Banquet

July 18, 2001

Southwest Airlines is honored on the Web Business 50 Awards in CIO Magazine. Southwest Airlines' net income for second quarter 2001 was $175.6 million, compared to second quarter 2000 net income of $190.6 million, a decrease of 7.9 percent. Total operating revenues increased 6.4 percent to $1.55 billion, compared to $1.46 billion for second quarter 2000. Revenue passenger miles increased 7.6 percent, compared to an 11.5 percent increase in available seat miles, resulting in a load factor of 71.7 percent versus the second quarter 2000 load factor of 74.3 percent.

July 24, 2001

Planet Feedback, the nation's leading online consumer feedback service, selects Southwest as one of our "A-Rated Companies" for 2001. Southwest announces flight schedules and destinations for ORF, which will open on October 7. Seven flights a day will serve BWI, to between JAX, one to LAS, and two to MCO.

August 16, 2001

Southwest Interactive Marketing is listed on The 20 Most Popular Airlines by The Lycos 50 Daily Report.

August 20, 2001

The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserver (ESGR) selects Southwest as one of five winners for its Employer Support Freedom Award.

September 01, 2001

Southwest Interactive Marketing is chosen by Smart Business Magazine as one of the top 50 U.S. companies that have harnessed the power and convenience of the Internet to expand and enhance their business. The ranking was compiled from research on leading U.S. companies across every industry, as well as nonprofit organizations and government agencies.

October 31, 2001

Southwest Airlines ranks 18th on the World's Most Respected Companies by Financial Times. Out of deference to the losses the nation and the other airlines suffered in the 9/11 attacks, Southwest cancels its annual Halloween celebration. Employees are urged to wear red, white, and blue.

November 01, 2001

MSY Provisioning becomes the 20th Provisioning Base today. Southwest equips aircraft with flexible wrist restraint devices as items of aircraft emergency equipment. Colleen Barrett ranks 20th in America's Most Powerful Businesswomen by Fortune Magazine.

November 12, 2001

Southwest Airlines wins the Satmetrix Systems Best Customer Satisfaction Award for the Transportation Industry as a result of an opt-in survey of more than 13,000 business & consumer respondents who rated 200 global companies for their customer commitment.

December 10, 2001

Southwest Airlines is recognized in Women Mean Business for its dedication to Employees and its support of work-life balance policies. The award was given by Business and Professional Women/USA.

December 11, 2001

Southwest Airlines receives the Carl Lightcap Senior Services Volunteer Award.

December 13, 2001

Herb Kelleher is honored in Travel Agent's 2001 Airlines Winner's Circle by Travel Agent Magazine

December 14, 2001

Indianapolis International Airport receives the "Airport Safety Excellence Award" for 2001 from the Great Lakes Airports Division of the Federal Aviation Administration.

December 15, 2001

Southwest Airlines is honored with the International Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus' Spirit of Hospitality Award.

December 27, 2001

Jim Parker makes the listing of Aviation Daily's "Top 20 Most Influential People in Aviation 2001" for showing that the Southwest tradition of caring for its Employees has never been stronger when he chose not to lay off a single Employee after September 11 and vowed to weather the downturn with its cash reserves and work ingenuity.

December 31, 2001

Jose Luis Sanchez receives an award for 2001 Hispanic Corporate Elite from Hispanic Magazine.

January 01, 2002

General Counsel is awarded the Employer of Choice Award by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA).

January 04, 2002

Jim Parker and Herb Kelleher were named joint winners of the Morningstar CEO of the Year Award for 2001.

February 07, 2002

Southwest Airlines is presented with the New Mexico Tourism Ambassador Award.

February 14, 2002

Finance Payroll Department is named Southwest's 2002 Heroes of the Heart.

February 15, 2002

Southwest Airlines ranks second in America's Most Admired Companies and the #1 Airline for 2001, according to Fortune Magazine.

February 18, 2002

Southwest Airlines is awarded for 2002 Hispanic Corporate 100 by Hispanic Magazine.

February 22, 2002

Colleen Barrett is nominated to serve a one year term on the Board of Directors of the Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Dallas, Inc. Colleen Barrett is named Texas Business Woman of the Year for 2001 by the Women's Chamber of Commerce Texas.

March 04, 2002

URC receives 2001 Reservation Center of the Year Award.

March 06, 2002

AUS is named Station of the Year for 2001 El Paso is honored as the Station of the Year (for Medium, Small and Very Small Stations) in 2001. Las Vegas is honored as the Station of the Year (for Mega and Large Stations) in 2001.

March 07, 2002

Southwest Airlines ranks 20th on Business Ethics "100 Best Corporate Citizens" list.

April 10, 2002

Colleen Barrett and Herb Kelleher receive the Kupfer Distinguished Executive Award from Texas A&M.

April 15, 2002

Southwest Airlines ranks 34th in Forbes 500 in Forbes Magazine. Southwest Airlines ranks 317th in the Fortune 500 in Fortune Magazine.

April 25, 2002

Herb Kelleher is inducted into the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Leadership Hall of Fame by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

May 01, 2002

Jim Parker receives the Best of the Best award from Fast Company.

May 08, 2002

Southwest Airlines is honored in the Freddie Awards by Inside Flyer Magazine.

May 10, 2002

Southwest holds the annual Phoenix LUV Classic Golf Tournament and Party. $220,000 was donated to the Ronald McDonald House in the following manner: $52,000 to STL, $52,000 to PHX, $52,000 to TUS, $20,000 to LAX, $52,000 to SNA, $20,000 to Camp Ronald McDonald. Southwest Airlines is named the Best Low Cost Airline by the Official Airline Guide (OAG).

May 21, 2002

Southwest Airlines Cargo Department is awarded ACCA Airline of the Year. Southwest Airlines ranks 15th in D-FW Top 100 list according to the Dallas Morning News.

June 01, 2002

Southwest Airlines ranks 18th in The Top 20 Companies for Leaders by Chief Executive Magazine.

June 06, 2002

Herb Kelleher is awarded as One of the Top 25 Most Influential People in the Business Travel Industry by Business Travel News.

June 10, 2002

Colleen Barrett receives the Lousie Raggio Pathfinder Award from the Dallas Fort Worth chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners.

July 18, 2002

Southwest Airlines' net income for second quarter 2002 was $102.3 million compared to second quarter 2001 net income of $175.6 million, a decrease of 41.8 percent. Total operating revenues decreased 5.2 percent to $1.47 billion, compared to $1.55 billion for second quarter 2001. Revenue passenger miles increased 1.8 percent, compared to a 4.4 percent increase in available seat miles, resulting in a load factor of 69.9 percent. Southwest ranks 6th on The Worlds Best Awards for best domestic airline by Travel & Leisure Magazine.

July 26, 2002

Employee Communications celebrates the 737th issue of Today@SWA, the Company's daily newsletter. The "daily" was first published on September 20, 1999. Southwest Cargo earns the 2002 Quest for Quality Award for outstanding Cargo performance. The Logistics Management & Distribution Report determines the award based on a survey of 3,000 shippers.

August 19, 2002

Marketing Groups and Meetings receive Incentive Magazine's 2002 Platinum Partner Award from Incentive Magazine.

August 22, 2002

Southwest Airlines is listed on Corporate Spotlight-Best Practices List by Unmarried America. Colleen Barrett receives the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Virginia Aviation Conference.

September 30, 2002

Colleen Barrett ranks 13th on The 50 Most Powerful Women in Business by Fortune Magazine.

October 10, 2002

Southwest Airlines receives the Civic Award of Excellence from Oakland Civic Pride.

October 11, 2002

Southwest Airlines' 1,300 Mechanics, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, ratifies an agreement extending their contract through August 16, 2005. The contract includes pay increases for all Mechanics, along with stock options, to be granted at today's fair market value of Southwest Airlines stock. LUV Classic golf tournament at Bear Creek. $505,000 was donated to Ronald McDonald Houses in the following manner: $120,000 each to Dallas, San Diego, Palo Alto, and Long Island. Colleen Barrett is honored with The Women's Leadership Exchange Compass Award by Women's Leadership Exchange.

October 15, 2002

Southwest Airlines is selected as finalist in the Global Corporate Achievement Awards 2002 by The Economist.

October 21, 2002

Southwest Airlines ranks first in the Best Companies in North America for 2002 from Global Finance Magazine.

October 22, 2002

Herb Kelleher receives the 2003 Bower Award for Business Leadership from the Franklin Institute Awards.

December 27, 2002

Colleen Barrett and Jim Parker are awarded Business People of the Year by Dallas Business Journal.

December 31, 2002

388 Southwest Maintenance Employees are awarded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in its Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) awards program, which recognizes aircraft mechanics for participation in initial and recurrent training. 280 of the Mechanics received the two highest levels of the FAA award: Ruby and Diamond. The TSA begins screening all checked bags. Colleen Barrett and Jim Parker are named in the Best Managers list for 2002 by Business Week. Southwest Airlines is honored as Salvation Army 2002 Volunteer Partner of the Year.

January 24, 2003

BusinessWeek names Southwest Airlines CEO Jim Parker and President Colleen Barrett in their "Best Managers" list for 2002.

January 24, 2003

Southwest Airlines is honored on the Top Companies for Building Executives Within by Hewitt Associates, Inc.

January 27, 2003

Air Transport World selects Southwest Airlines the Airline of the Year for 2003. The editors praised Southwest for being profitable for 30 consecutive years, while providing affordable fares for millions of passengers. Southwest ranks second on TravelQuality.com Aviation Awards 2003 by travelquality.com. AMFA (Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association) is the new union representing Southwest's Mechanics.

February 19, 2003

Southwest Airlines ranks second in America's Most Admired Companies and the #1 Airline for 2002, according to Fortune Magazine.

February 26, 2003

Southwest Airlines President and COO, Colleen Barrett, is honored by Fast Company magazine as one of the "Fast 50" of 2003. The annual "Who's Fast" list highlights the business elite who demonstrate the power or persistence, the value of values, the rewards of solving problems, and the business of culture.

March 10, 2003

San Antonio is chosen as Station of the Year for 2002. Over the weekend, Southwest completed the eight-month task of installing the reinforced cockpit doors on all of its aircraft.

March 31, 2003

Southwest Airlines is honored as the "2003 Airline of the Year" by the Air Couriers Conference of America (ACCA). The annual award is based on surveys completed by actual ACCA members. Southwest Cargo ranked first in three categories: service, communication, and tracking and tracing.

April 10, 2003

For the third year in a row, Southwest is recognized as the Best Low Cost Airline at the OAG (Official Airline Guide) Airline of the Year awards.

April 24, 2003

The Franklin Institute presents Herb Kelleher with the 2003 Bower Award for Business Leadership for his remarkable contributions to the aviation industry. Southwest Airlines crosses the finish line with lightening speed today in its race to be the first carrier operating from Bradley International Airport's new East Concourse in Terminal A. Rapid Rewards is honored with first place awards in three categories: Best Award Redemption, Best Bonus Promotion, and Best Customer Service. This is the fifth year for Rapid Rewards to receive first in the Best Award Redemption category.

May 19, 2003

Southwest is named Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Award winner in the airlines category. The annual Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Awards honor the companies that are most single-mindedly devoted to creating loyal customers.

June 20, 2003

Aviation Week magazine names Herb as one of the "Top 100 Stars of Aerospace." The list includes Leonardo daVinci, Charles Lindbergh, and Chuck Yeager. Southwest Captain and former Astronaut, Robert "Hoot" Gibson is selected to NASA's Astronaut Hall of Fame.

October 10, 2003

Chief Executive magazine places Southwest Airlines into its Top 20 list of companies the produce great Leaders. Southwest ranks tenth, up from its 18th place rating the year before.

February 16, 2004

The People Benefits Department is named 2004 Heroes of the Heart.

February 24, 2004

Southwest is named America's most admired airline–and the third most admired company overall, down from second last year–in FORTUNE magazine's latest listing of "America's Most Admired Companies." Wal-Mart topped the list for the second straight year, with Berkshire Hathaway finishing second. Rounding out the top ten were GE, Dell, Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, Starbucks, FedEx, and IBM.

April 29, 2004

Southwest's Rapid Rewards frequent flier program is honored with first place awards for Best Award Redemption, Best Customer Service, Best Web Site, Best Award, and Best Bonus Promotion at InsideFlyer magazine's 16th annual Freddie Awards ceremony. In addition to first place awards, Southwest is honored with second place awards in the categories for Program of the Year and Best Newsletter.

June 26, 2004

Annual Awards Banquet is held at the Wyndham Anatole Hotel in DAL.

February 15, 2005

The Schedule Planning Department is named 2005 Heroes of the Heart.

February 23, 2005

Southwest is named most admired airline and fifth most admired company overall, down from third last year in FORTUNE Magazine's latest listing of "America's Most Admired Companies."

March 11, 2005

The Express Delivery and Logistics Association names Southwest "Airline of the Year" for Cargo. This was the sixth year the award had been given with Southwest Cargo winning three times and placing second three times.

April 12, 2005

President Colleen Barrett is honored as one of the ten inductees into the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans.

May 05, 2005

Southwest's Rapid Rewards frequent flyer program receives first place for Best Award Redemption at InsideFlyer magazine's 17th annual Freddie Awards ceremony for the 7th consecutive year. Southwest also received first place for Best Customer Service and Bonus Promotion, and second place for Program of the Year, Best Web Site, and Best Member Communications

May 06, 2005

To support the efforts to repeal the Wright Amendment, Southwest launches www.SetLoveFree.com. Colleen Barrett receives the 2005 George E. Haddaway Award for her contribution to aviation.

August 01, 2005

President Colleen Barrett is ranked 52nd in this year's listing of the 100 Most Powerful Women by Forbes magazine. In last year's inaugural list, Colleen ranked 63rd. Colleen ranked above ABC's Diane Sawyer (55), CNN's Christiane Amanpour (72), and Great Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (75), but below Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (1), Oprah Winfrey (9), and Sen. Hilary Rodham Clinton (26).

August 24, 2005

Southwest Founder and Chairman Herb Kelleher is named one of the top three CEOs of all time by his peers, according to an article that will run in Chief Executive magazine. Herb ranked third behind Jack Welch of GE and Bill Gates of Microsoft in the top-ten listing.

December 08, 2005

Herb receives the 2005 Global Services Leader of the Year Award in Phoenix. The award, established by the W.P. Carey School of Business Center for Services Leadership, recognizes business Leaders of international stature who embody excellence in strategic business use of service, and extraordinary service Leadership in his or her communities.

February 14, 2006

Valentine's Day was a special day for our hardworking Legislative Awareness Department as they were named our 2006 Heroes of the Heart in front of a standing-room-only crowd in the Main Lobby at HDQ.

February 27, 2006

The Legislative Awareness Team recently won the 2006 Grassroots Innovation Award for their "Set Love Free" campaign, developed to help repeal the Wright Amendment. The award was presented during Innovate to Motivate 2006: The National Conference for Political Involvement Professionals.

May 02, 2006

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards cleaned up at the 18th Annual Freddie Awards Ceremony in Los Angeles last week. Rapid Rewards proudly took home the most coveted award of the evening —"Program of the Year"—and also won top honors for "Best Award Redemption," "Best Web Site," "Best Award," and for the eighth straight year, "Best Bonus Promotion."

May 03, 2006

LUVLines was recently honored by Ragan Communications, a leading corporate communications firm, for winning the Grand Prize for Best Employee Publication from among more than 400 entries. In addition to the Grand Prize, Southwest was also honored with an Award of Excellence for "The Heart of the Woman You LUV," Colleen's profile from June 2005; and honorable mentions for the article "Katrina's Wake" from October 2005, the "Ask Colleen" column, and overall cover design.

July 21, 2006

Pilot Air Freight recently named Southwest Airlines Cargo their "Carrier of the Year" for 2005.

August 25, 2006

Cargo earns the 2006 Quest for Quality Award for the tenth consecutive year (12th win in total).

February 06, 2007

The Leadership Excellence Magazine ranks the U4P third in the nation as one of the Best Leadership Programs and Practices.

February 14, 2007

Internal Customer Care is named the 2007 Heroes of the Heart. Colleen is presented the first-ever, special "Heroine of the Heart" Award for a lifetime of dedicated service to the Employees and Customers of Southwest Airlines.

March 05, 2007

Herb is honored with the "History Making Texan" Award at the Texas State History Museum Foundation's Texas Independence Day Dinner.

March 29, 2007

Southwest Cargo is named "Airline of the Year" by the Express Delivery & Logistics Association (XLA).

April 12, 2007

Colleen is honored as the first female recipient of the Tony Jannus Award.

April 16, 2007

Senior Vice President Corporate Communications Ginger Hardage is honored with the Legendary Communicator Award at Southern Methodist University.

October 16, 2007

At an awards luncheon in New York City, Nuts About Southwest receives PR News Platinum PR Award for Best Corporate Blog.

April 24, 2008

Southwest's Rapid Rewards win three first-place Freddie awards for its Award Redemption, Best Award, and Best Customer Communication. In addition, the airline also placed in the top five of four more categories. Winners are determined by readers of Inside Flyers magazine.

October 02, 2008

For the second consecutive year, Southwest's blog, Nuts About Southwest, receives PR News' Platinum PR Award for Best Corporate Blog.

October 07, 2008

Gary is named "Friend of the Year" by the Friends of Texas Public Schools. They cite Gary's "legacy of commitment to, and support of, public education in Texas."

April 28, 2009

Rapid Rewards wins the Best Redemption Award in Inside Flyer magazine's annual Freddy Awards. Southwest also placed in the top five programs for Program of the Year, Best Web Site for southwest.com, Best Member Communications, Best Bonus Promotions, and Best Customer Service.

August 20, 2009

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes Southwest for its purchase of green power for the Dallas and Houston operations. In addition, Southwest is recognized for its support and participation in EPA's Fortune 500 Green Power Challenge.

August 31, 2009

Logistics Management magazine ranks Southwest Cargo as number one among all air carriers "Quest for Quality" award winners. For the fourth year in a row, Southwest Airlines earned the top spot, and for the 13th consecutive year it scored above the overall weighted industry average. Southwest Airlines earned the highest scores in the categories of Ontime Performance, Value, and Customer Service.

March 10, 2010 

Air Cargo World magazine recognizes Southwest as the top airline with their annual Air Cargo Excellence Survey.  Rated against 84 airlines, Southwest Airlines earned the highest overall airline score, led all airlines in the Performance and Value categories, and received the highest honor, the Diamond Award.

March 25, 2010

The Express Delivery and Logistics Association (XLA) names Southwest Airlines Cargo their Airline of the Year for the sixth straight year.  Southwest Airlines has placed on XLA's Airline of the Year list for nine consecutive years.  In addition, Southwest Airlines Cargo won XLA's award for Excellence in Web Site and Technology.  On top of that, Southwest Airlines Cargo also was named Carrier of the Year by the Airforwarders Association.  AFA members voted on the Airforwarders Association member carrier with the best ontime performance, Customer Service, problem resolution, claims handling, technology support, service options, and overall value.

September 16, 2010

Hispanic Business Magazine selects Southwest Airlines as one of the 2010 Diversity Elite companies in the United States. The list is featured in the September issue of the magazine.  Southwest Airlines exemplified the inclusion of diversity measures in the workplace by meeting more than 32 variables that measure a company's commitment to Hispanic hiring, promotion, marketing, philanthropy and supplier diversity.

October 6, 2010

For the 14th year in a row, Logistics Management magazine awarded Southwest Airlines with its Quest for Quality Award.  In addition to the award recognition for top air cargo carriers, Southwest Airlines Cargo received the highest scores among all airlines.  Southwest Airlines topped each critical category including: Ontime Performance, Value, Information Technology, Customer Service, and Equipment and Operations.

November 10, 2010

GI Jobs magazine recognizes Southwest Airlines as one of the top military friendly companies in the nation, with its eighth annual list honoring corporate best practices.  The annual survey conducted by G.I. Jobs magazine is one of the primary tools used to determine the nation's most Military Friendly Employers(R). "This isn't about charity or patriotism. It's about good business. The companies on our list understand that," said Rich McCormack, who heads G.I. Jobs' list.

December 9, 2010

The Council of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) recognizes Southwest Airlines' in-house Meteorology Team by naming Rick Curtis, Southwest's Chief Meteorologist, the recipient of the 2010 Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Advance of Applied Meteorology.  This award recognizes Southwest Airlines' outstanding contributions in advancing the use of meteorology within the airline industry to further enhance safety and efficiency of operations.

April 14, 2011

Southwest Airlines Cargo is recognized for excellence in Air Cargo World's annual Air Cargo Excellence (ACE) Survey as the winner of the "up to 199,999 tonnes" category.  In addition, Southwest Airlines Cargo received the highest overall rating across all weight divisions and was the highest rated carrier in three of the four performance categories: Customer Service, Performance, and Value.

November 15, 2011

Southwest Airlines is designated a 2012 Top Military Friendly Employer® by G.I. Jobs. This marks the third consecutive year the Company has been included in the Top 100 Military Friendly Employers® list, which was drawn from a sample of 5,000 companies whose annual revenues exceeded $500 million.  Criteria included the strength of company military recruiting efforts, the percentage of new hires with prior military service, retention programs, and company policies toward National Guard and Reserve service.

December 14, 2011

Glassdoor, a jobs and career community where people share workplace insights, announces its fourth annual Employees' Choice Awards, revealing this year's top 50 "Best Places to Work" based on surveys collected from U.S.-based employees in 2011. Southwest Airlines has been recognized as one of the top 50 Best Places to Work, a significant achievement, as nearly 150,000 companies are rated by their employees on Glassdoor.

March 15, 2012

Southwest Airlines is recognized at the J.D. Power and Associates Customer Service Roundtable in Orlando, Florida as one of the 2012 Customer Service Champions—one of only 50 companies earn the distinction this year. To qualify for inclusion on this elite list, companies not only must excel within their own industry, but also must stand out among leading brands in 15 major industries evaluated by J.D. Power. Among the five factors measured, including People, Presentation, Process, Product, and Price, Southwest Airlines was noted for standing out in Customer Service among the group of the 50 companies that excelled in the Travel and Leisure category.

April 18, 2012

Air Cargo World's eighth annual Air Cargo Excellence (ACE) Survey names Southwest as the platinum award winner of the "up to 299,999 tonnes" category. Southwest was the highest rated carrier in each of the four performance categories: Customer Service, Performance, Information Technology, and Value. In addition, Southwest is recognized by the Airforwarders Association (AfA) as the "Domestic Carrier of the Year" for the third year in a row. The award was presented based upon Southwest's ontime performance, Customer Service, problem resolution, claims handling, technology support, service options, and overall value.

May 08, 2012

CivilianJobs.com recognizes Southwest Airlines as the only airline on its list of 2012 Most Valuable Employers (MVE) for Military. Employers on the list were selected based on the best recruiting, training, and retention plans for military service members and veterans.

May 10, 2012

Air Transport World (ATW) Magazine reveals the winners of its inaugural 2012 Eco-Aviation Awards, naming Southwest Airlines as the Eco-Pioneer of the Year for the airline's focus on efficiency long before environmentally-sound business practices were understood or recognized. Whether it's diverting more than 7,300 tons of material equal to the weight of about 173 Boeing 737-700 aircraft from landfills and into recycling facilities since August 2008 with its co-mingled recycling program, or unveiling Evolve, the carrier's all-new eco-friendly cabin interior that emphasizes comfort and personal space, Southwest continues to operate with a green filter.

August 20, 2012

Southwest Airlines Cargo receives the 2012 Quest for Quality Award, awarded by Logistics Management Magazine. The Quest for Quality Award is the most extensive year-to-year market research study conducted in the logistics industry, which evaluates and measures transportation service providers based on five critical categories: Ontime Performance, Value, Information Technology, Customer Service, and Equipment and Operations. Southwest Airlines Cargo received the highest overall score among all air cargo carriers and received the highest score in the Performance and Customer Service categories.

September 13, 2012

Southwest Airlines is named one of the Best Companies for Diversity in 2012 by Hispanic Business Magazine, an annual list determined by more than 32 variables that measure the Company's commitment to Hispanic hiring, promotion, marketing, philanthropy, and supplier diversity. This is the fifth year Southwest has been included in the list. Top companies on this year's list went well beyond workforce diversity initiatives and implemented strategies to reach more Hispanic consumers and increase their procurements with minority- and Hispanic-owned suppliers.

September 14, 2012

Southwest Airlines is named as one of America's best adoption-friendly companies by the Dave Thomas foundation for adoption. Southwest Airlines offers Employees up to three weeks of paid leave and $2,000 per adopted child with a $4,000 lifetime maximum amount of financial reimbursement.

November 08, 2012

Southwest Airlines announces that it has been designated a 2013 Top 100 Military Friendly Employer® by G.I. Jobs. This marks the fourth year the Company has been included in the Top 100 Military Friendly Employers® list, which was compiled from a data-driven survey sample of 5,000 companies whose annual revenues exceeded $500 million. Criteria for selection to the Top 100 list included the strength of Company military recruiting efforts, the percentage of new hires with prior military service, retention programs, and company policies on National Guard and Reserve service.

November 09, 2012

The Civic 50 reveals the companies who ranked in its national initiative to survey, rank, and recognize America's S&P 500 most community-minded companies, naming Southwest Airlines in the top 20 for demonstrating a strong commitment to corporate civic engagement in the communities where Southwest does business. A partnership among Bloomberg News, the National Conference on Citizenship, and Points of Light, the Civic 50 survey is the first to scientifically measure corporate civic behavior. The initiative fills a notable gap in existing research and creates a roadmap for businesses seeking to become better stewards of their community.

March 28, 2013

Southwest Airlines Cargo received continued recognition for excellence in air cargo and was once again recognized in Air Cargo World's annual Air Cargo Excellence (ACE) Survey as the Diamond Award winner of the "up to 299,999 tonnes" category. Southwest was the highest rated carrier in three of the four performance categories: Customer Service, Performance, and Value.  The Airforwarders Association presented Southwest with the "Domestic Carrier of the Year" Award for the fourth year in a row. In addition, Southwest was also recognized for excellence at this year's Air Cargo 2013 Conference.  Southwest received the "Domestic Airline of the Year" Award, along with the award for "Excellence in Web Site and Technology" by the Express Delivery & Logistics Association (XLA). This would be the 13th year Southwest had been placed on XLA's Airline of the Year list and the third year the Excellence in Web Site and Technology Award has been received.

June 26, 2013

Southwest Airlines Cargo is recognized at Connected World magazine’s Value Chain Awards Gala, having been honored with the gold award in the Aviation category for the product, Cargo Companion. Cargo Companion, a comprehensive GPS tracking device, launched in July 2012.

August 11, 2013

Southwest is excited to announce that LUV has officially landed in West Michigan with service to Grand Rapids Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR).  The Grand Rapids community rolled out the red carpet today as Regional Air Alliance of West Michigan (RAAWM) Founder & Chairman Dick DeVos joined the Gerald R. Ford International Airport officials and community leaders in welcoming Southwest's first Customers to Grand Rapids.

November 11, 2013

Southwest announced today that it has earned the 2014 Military Friendly Employer title by Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs and Military Spouse, making this the fifth consecutive year that the carrier has received the honor.  Criteria for the survey included a benchmark score across key programs and policies such as the strength of company military recruiting efforts, the percentage of new hires with prior military service, retention programs, and company policies on National Guard and Reserve service.

November 12, 2013

Southwest Airlines Cargo is honored to receive the 2013 Quest for Quality Award, awarded by Logistics Management Magazine. The Quest for Quality Award is the gold standard for customer satisfaction and performance excellence for the logistics industry. Southwest Airlines Cargo received the highest overall score among all cargo carriers for outstanding performance, and has been honored with the Quest for Quality Award for 17 consecutive years!

February 27, 2014

Southwest Airlines today was named to FORTUNE's 2014 list of World's Most Admired Companies for the 20th consecutive year. Southwest was ranked as the 9th Most Admired Company and is the only commercial airline to make the Top Ten.

March 20, 2014

Southwest Airlines Cargo has once again become the only U.S.-based airline to earn the highly coveted Diamond Award in the "up to 299,999 tonnes" category in Air Cargo World's tenth annual Air Cargo Excellence Survey. Southwest Cargo earned high marks for its great Customer Service, Performance, Value, and use of Information Technology.