08-18-2014
01:01 PM
3 Loves
Beginning October 13, Dallas Love Field is FREE! The restrictions of the Wright Amendment will be gone, ushering in nonstop destinations that span from coast to coast. Southwest has been counting down the years and weeks (literally—we have a billboard at the Love Field entrance and a countdown clock in our Headquarters lobby) until we can say, “Goodbye, Wright Amendment. Hello, America!"
We are excited to begin this new era by serving five new nonstop destinations on October 13, followed by ten additional new nonstop destinations on November 2. The addition of these 15 new nonstop destinations will bring Southwest to a total of 31 nonstop destinations from Love Field.
In anticipation of this momentous event, each week we will take a look at one of the cities that North Texas Customers will be able to soon visit nonstop on Southwest. Each post is written by a Southwest Employee who is affiliated with the city and can give an insider’s view of what to see and do while visiting. Enjoy!
In 2005, my Department (then known as Corporate Communications) was tasked with pounding the pavement to obtain as many signatures we could get for the petition to "Set Love Free." I couldn’t be more thrilled to personally experience the fruits of our labor with all of our new nonstop cities from Dallas Love Field—especially Ft. Lauderdale! Having only been here about 16 months, I've noticed that typically Ft. Lauderdale is not often thought of as a "destination" city—primarily because so many people come through here to get to their cruises or to use the city as a convenient (and less expensive!) way to get to Miami—but don’t be fooled, there is plenty to see and do!
Ft. Lauderdale serves connections to over 20 cities with 42 nonstop departures a day. When I transferred here from the concrete confines of Dallas, I returned to my first LUV, the beach! In Ft. Lauderdale, it's all about the water. The ocean is warm; the color of it is different every day, and there's plenty of sand and lots of water activates for everyone! There is a huge truth in the saying, "It's always better at the beach!" Please enjoy some of my recommendations, because you could get lost in all the possibilities.
Your Ft. Lauderdale to-do list:
To Eat:
Don Arturo’s: Local flavors such as Cuban or Jamaican are well-blended with the seasonal tastes brought in from the Canadian and European snowbirds, providing many different ways to enjoy excellent food from all around the world. I suggest stopping by Don Arturo's for a wonderful plate of Cuban/Latin specialties like pork chunks with sweet plantains.
Local Bakeries: Whether you need breakfast or a small pick-me-up, you’ll be able to find some delectable treats at our local bakeries. Incredible French and Italian bakeries like Croissan’Time and Pan’e Dolci make you feel like you’re in Europe, with the added bonus of a Florida beach nearby!
To Do:
Water Activities: You can fish off the pier or out on the sea, standup paddleboard, kayak, or just hang out under a palm tree and read a book. When in Ft. Lauderdale, you have to take advantage of our water! Let the sunshine keep you company while you try something new, like paddle boarding, or something comforting, like reading you magazine in the sand.
Gondolas West: Ft. Lauderdale is known as the “Venice of America,” and Gondolas West provides another wonderful way to experience the city and its vast number of canals and waterways. Their quiet electric boat tour takes you right by the beautiful waterfront homes and massive yachts along the smaller canals.
To See:
Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show: Also the “yachting capital of the world,” Ft. Lauderdale hosts an International Boat Show in the fall. This spectacular event that brings in over a billion dollars’ worth of private yachts and super yachts from all around the world. It is truly a sight to behold!
Everglades Holiday Park: One of my favorite places to take my (now ironically frequent!) out-of-town guests is Everglades Holiday Park. The television show “Gator Boys” began there, and the park is a really fun and informative way to learn about the Florida Everglades. Take an airboat ride, and then get up close and personal with the alligators. I’ve never been disappointed and have seen alligators every time I’ve been on the tour.
My City Secret:
Coconuts: Ease into the evening by enjoying fresh seafood at a waterfront table on the Intercostal Waterway at Coconuts—their Key Lime pie is out of this world. You definitely won’t regret it!
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Recently, we hosted a CAN-tastic contest to raise awareness and encourage volunteerism during National Disaster Preparedness Month. With the recent impact to Employees and Customers with Hurricane Sandy, we know just how important it is to be prepared in the face of disaster.
We are proud to announce that more than 600 Employees in 34 cities collected and donated 13,734 pounds of food, which will generate 11,195 meals benefitting communities across the nation. The giving back didn’t stop there—hundreds of Employees traveled to their local food bank to donate the cans they collected and to volunteer their time to help sort food, clean, and assist with other needs.
The Employees who participated also competed in a CAN-tastic design contest, which was judged based on the overall combination of volunteer hours, pounds of food collected, and creativity. You can see some of the amazing creativity our Employees have by checking out this video!
How do you give back in your community? Let us know by commenting below!
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Hi, my mom needs a get away to some where nice! My mom works 10 hour shifts most of the time she has to work over time and does not get paid for it. Then when she gets home she takes time at home to clean, cook, and do things around the house. Another great thing about my mom is that she saved my life when I was 8 years old. There was a car going out of control, so she put her arm out and when the car hit use the air bag did not kill me! Dispite her broken arm she took me out of the car and then called 911. She held me until the police came. Then she had to spind time in the hospital to recover. Now she is a mom that works 24 hours aday. So I think that she need a vacation off. Please think about it!
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Ronald McDonald House and RMCC has always been my favorite charity ever since I worked for McDonald's way back in the mid-90's. And now as a SWA employee, I feel very proud of all the good work that is voluntarily done especially for Ronald McDonald House. I wish I could have been there but thank you for sharing the pictures and the Red Belly Radio-cast; I need a box of Kleenex now~!!!
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08-15-2009
07:04 PM
156 Loves
August 15 marks a significant milestone for the Southwest Airlines Charitable Giving team! The team is celebrating their one-year anniversary of going PAPERLESS via an online application system found at www.southwest.com/donations. Last year alone, this small but mighty team received 19,592 charitable donation requests – all with a paper letter, envelope, and attachments…that’s a lot of paper! Our Team was thrilled to launch an online system and start saving some trees. One year later, we’re happy to share that the application system has not only saved many trees, but also increased the team’s efficiency so that we can provide even better Customer Service. All while still allowing us to donate thousands of tickets to many worthy causes. The system has also enabled us to offer even more Positively Outrageous Service to our Customers via electronic updates alerting them that the request was received, as well as updates as the request goes through the decision making process. Lastly, the online tool allows our Customers the freedom to check the status of their application 24/7! As we celebrate our one-year anniversary of going PAPERLESS, we’re planting a tree to honor the efforts of our environmentally-minded Customers and Team. Anyone else find it ironic that the traditional 1st anniversary gift is paper?
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