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If you’re looking to get away for a few days or even a week, there are always places to go and experiences to be had—especially when you get to visit one Southwest’s 99 cities across the United States and 10 additional countries! Nobody knows a city and its hidden gems better than the Employees who live and work there. Check out a few of our Employees' favorite places in the San Antonio area and share your hidden gems in our comment section below!   The San Antonio River Walk is a great place to walk, explore, and share a margarita with friends.            Interested in sharing your travel inspiration? Leave a comment below or visit our Travel Inspiration Discussion Forum to share your knowledge with Southwest Customers.    A Taste of History The Guenther House, located downtown in the King William Historic District along the San Antonio River, was built in 1860 and served as the main home for C.H. Guenther, an immigrant millwright from Saxony, who used the river as the power source for his flour mill. This home is now a restaurant, museum, and store that serves the best baked goods you can imagine including waffles, pancakes, and fresh bread. They also have excellent sandwiches, salads, and house coffee. After filling up, you’re in a perfect spot to enjoy the river or walk along the eight-plus miles of dedicated pathways that run from the famous downtown River Walk. History, great food, and Texas ... you can't go wrong!   –SAT Ramp Agent P.J.  Henderson   Get active by exploring the historic missions of San Antonio on a bike.Hike & Bike Embark on a 16-mile roundtrip trail that runs alongside the San Antonio River and stops at four famous missions: Mission Espada, Mission San Juan, Mission San Jose, and Mission Concepcion. Not only is the San Antonio Missions Trail a healthy way to see the city, it is full of history and architectural beauty you won’t want to miss.   –SAT Customer Service Agent Barbara Ott   Need a Drink? If you want to avoid the crowded bar scene in the downtown area, stop by Havana Bar, a dark little basement bar in the Havana Hotel.  There’s also the complete opposite—a  high-in-the-sky bar called Paramour that is very up and coming. Then there’s The Brooklynite, an award-winner craft cocktail parlour. Outside downtown near Fiesta Texas is an awesome bar under the Eilan resort called George’s Keep, a great place to people watch. Cheers!   –SC Customer Support & Services Michelle Salas   Cool off and experience a refreshing taste of San Antonio at Pearl Brewery. Like a Local If you’re looking to experience San Antonio from a local’s perspective, check out First Friday, an art walk that takes place every first Friday of the month in the King William Historic District and features live music, food, vendors, and arts and crafts. Another place that reflects the distinct San Antonio culture is the historic Pearl Brewery, which makes a great place for gatherings. The Brewery hosts a farmers market every Saturday and often has live music. Visit Japanese Tea Gardens located on St. Mary's St. for an even more relaxing environment. This place features beautiful gardens with tropical flowers and ponds filled with koi fish. It’s a great place to eat, drink tea, take pictures, or just enjoy the scenery.   –SAT Operations Agent Carolina Mendoza   Need a break from strolling along the River Walk? Take an iconic river taxi down the stream to experience true San Antonio culture. Cruising Around Take the San Antonio River Taxi to go from downtown along the San Antonio up to the north section that contains several important city museums and parks.  The biggest feature along this river route is San Antonio's mini version of the Panama Canal—a modern canal lock system built in to compensate for a significant difference in the water level on one part of the river compared to the other. You’ll go through the canal lock as a passenger on the river taxi and can see the lock doors open and close and experience the pumping waters that either raise or lower your barge to the next level so you can continue your journey.   –SC Customer Support & Services Steven Cohen ... View more

“The most important thing is adapting to change and working as a Team.” —Tarun Patel, Operations Agent When Passengers line up to board a plane in Tampa, Florida, there’s a good chance they’ll be greeted by smiling Operations Agent Tarun Patel. Delivering excellent Hospitality is a way of life for this 15-year industry veteran who got his start with AirTran Airways. Tarun exemplifies The Golden Rule and always goes the extra mile. Aside from scanning boarding passes and greeting Customers, the most critical part of Tarun’s job is calculating the weight and balance of the aircraft to ensure it can fly safely and arrive ontime. Off the clock, Tarun takes inspiration from Southwest when he assists his wife with her art and wine franchise, Bottle & Bottega. It’s a competitive market, but, like with Southwest, Tarun’s focus on customer service makes it one of a kind! Bright Lights “I’ve never lived in a small town, so I’m drawn to larger cities. I like to try my luck at the casinos in Las Vegas, and I also love Nashville’s upbeat music scene.” Sea Change “I volunteer at the annual Southwest beach cleanup in Tampa. We’re proud of our beautiful beaches and want to encourage travelers to visit again.” On Your Toes “No two days are ever the same, and that’s what makes work even more exciting.”   Photo by Bob Croslin ... View more

If you’re looking to get away for a few days or even a week, there are always places to go and experiences to be had—especially when you get to visit one Southwest’s 99 cities across the United States and 10 additional countries! Nobody knows a city and its hidden gems better than the Employees who live and work there. Check out a few of our Employees' favorite places in the Nashville area and share your hidden gems in our comment section below!                Interested in sharing your travel inspiration? Leave a comment below or visit our Travel Inspiration Discussion Forum to share your knowledge with Southwest Customers.    Hit the Town Nashville has a lot of great neighborhoods that are off the grid and away from Broadway. I suggest going to East Nashville, a really cool eclectic side of town with a lot of great restaurants and bars like Rosepepper Cantina—home to some amazing Mexican food and the best margaritas in town. If you’re looking to stuff yourself to the gills with some great southern food right by the airport, Monell's at the Manor is the place to be. As far as sites to visit, Centennial Park is beautiful and has a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon right in the middle, and history buffs should drive 25 miles south to Franklin where a major Civil War battle took place.   -BNA Operations Agent Jaclyn Owens     Kiddin’ Around Sky High Sports is an indoor trampoline park by the airport that will help your kids burn off excess energy. It’s $14 an hour, but they run some pretty good specials. Also Cornerstone’s indoor playground is our go-to destination on rainy days—plus it’s free! Other great, kid-friendly options on the outskirts of town are the Nashville Zoo and Nashville Shores water park.    -BNA Station Administrator Mandie Fisher     Take the kids on an exotic adventure at the Nashville Zoo. Worth the Drive Take a drive to Fontanel Mansion, the former home of country star Barbara Mandrell. Not only do you get a tour of her house and grounds, but there also is a zip line, winery, restaurants, and shops all within walking distance. Arrington Vineyards, located in the rolling hills of Tennessee Wine Country, has some amazing views, great picnic areas, and offers free wine tasting.    -BNA Customer Service Agent Susan Bricker     Music City 101 The Honky Tonks down on Broadway are always a good time—my favorite is The Stage. We also have the Wildhorse Saloon Downtown, which is a three-story bar that has live bands every night and features national acts quite a bit. There is a lot of good talent downtown with bands starting as early as 10 a.m. The Mother Church of Country Music, also known as The Ryman Auditorium, is the original home of the Grand Ole Opry and a must-see for all music lovers.   -BNA Ramp Agent Mark Byers     Stay Grounded Middle Tennessee is chock full of rivers, streams, waterfalls, ridge tops, valleys, and other natural wonders that make for gorgeous hiking trails. My absolute favorite is Radnor Lake.  Right in the heart of a residential neighborhood, Radnor’s 1,300 plus acres of trails and forests provide a peaceful and scenic retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city. Get your camera ready because you will most likely catch an up-close glimpse into the wonderful world of wildlife including deer, turkeys, and eagles!    -Community Affairs & Grassroots Regional Leader Ana Schwager   Radnor Lake offers stunning views in the heart of Tennessee. Do you have any Nashville Hidden Gems?  Please share them with us!   ... View more

This  post was written by the following Communication & Outreach Employees at Southwest: Advisor Andrea Cavanagh, Senior Specialist Laura Hoagland, and Community Programs & Engagement Interns Jessie Ross and Kelby Czerwonka. Environmental stewardship is a responsibility Southwest takes seriously, as minimizing waste and effectively using our resources (energy, people, and materials) helps us protect our most vital resource of all--the world in which we live. Through our national community partnership with Earth Day Network, Southwest is committed to support their mission in building the world’s largest environmental movement. Earth Day Network launched the Billion Acts of Green campaign in 2010. To date, people have registered more than two billion global Acts of Green! While you may not feel like you are changing the world with one simple act, this initiative proves that small but sustainable acts can make a big impact on the environment. On April 22, Earth Day, Southwest Employees will kick off participation in Earth Day Network’s national “Billion Acts of Green” effort. An act of green is a simple, everyday action that makes a positive impact on the environment (i.e. turning off the lights when exiting a room, carpooling to work, or recycling)--easy things everyone can do.  The Southwest location with the most Acts of Green accumulated and submitted will receive a tree planting at a local school. This will further Earth Day Network’s Canopy Project, planting trees to help communities.  The green just keeps going! We invite everyone to join in our efforts to go Green this April! Continue to check back here and through our social media channels on the progress of our efforts in Billion Acts of Green and how you can get involved. To learn more about Billion Acts of Green and Earth Day Network, visit earthday.org. ... View more

The following blog post was co-written by Campus Reach Interns and husband-wife duo, Parker and Tara Banks.  The Campus Reach program welcomes hundreds of Interns each year and grants them the opportunity to learn, grow, and explore as students seek to gain professional experience. This semester, we were both welcomed on as Campus Reach Interns.  But what makes our story so special?  We are the first married Southwest Intern couple and we can both say, without a doubt, that it has been neat to share the experience with one another, as well as our love for Southwest. Parker Banks- Fortunately, I have grown up around Southwest since my father joined the Company as a mechanic (now a Maintenance Inspector) in 2003. Many of my childhood memories include the whirlwind of flying standby to cities across the U.S., while continuously exploring new airports. From a young age, I understood that Southwest is a great organization to work for, with a Culture that other companies cannot simply match or imitate. I once attended the annual holiday party in the hangar, where even Santa Claus heard about all the fun and made an appearance. Though I didn’t always know what I wanted to do professionally, I knew that if I could ever get my foot in the door at Southwest, it would be the best decision I could make. Ever since my freshman year in college, I knew I wanted to gain an internship experience, and Southwest was always going to the first place I submitted my application. After Tara and I got married, I encouraged her to do her research, as well and apply for the once-in-a-lifetime experience. Tara Banks- Although Southwest Airlines has been the airline of choice for my family for as long as I can remember, I didn’t know anything about what it’s like to work at Southwest. Luckily, when I married into the Banks family, I was able to capture a glimpse of the world of Southwest through nonrev travel, seeing the airplanes in the hangar up close and personal, and meeting my father-in-law’s Cohearts. I noticed that the Employees I met absolutely love working at Southwest, and I knew that it would be an honor to work for the Company. As my husband, Parker, and I discussed internship opportunities, I knew I wanted to apply, too, and hopefully get to firsthand experience the unbeatable Culture at Southwest. Fortunately for us, after a few months of interviews, it all worked out. We have been carpooling to work ever since!  Parker and Tara Banks- We have had some great experiences at Southwest and have created many memories thus far, from participating in the Intern Not-So-Amazing Race (a scavenger hunt held at the Southwest Headquarters to promote friendly competition), attending the Southwest Rally in Dallas, and, of course, taking advantage of our free flight privileges on the weekends. Our favorite trip so far was a day trip to St. Louis. We did the rounds to all the tourist spots like the arch, the city museum, and Busch Stadium, where the Cardinals play.  However, what we didn’t know is that St. Louis hosted one of the largest Mardi Gras parades in the nation, and we just happened to be there for that. It was an absolute blast! We feel fortunate to have the opportunity to grow our Family together as part of the Southwest Family and we look forward to making more memories at Southwest Airlines! ... View more

The following blog post was co-written by Caitlin McFarland and Emily Gipson, co-founders of the ATX Television Festival. We can’t keep quiet any longer … Southwest Airlines and ATX Television Festival are excited to announce the addition of the ATX Television Festival Channel! This new channel will be onboard Southwest Airlines’ WiFi-equipped aircraft via the on-demand TV channel on the Onboard Entertainment Portal, delivering free live television programming to Passengers’ personal electronic devices at all phases of flight. Starting today, Customers boarding a WiFi-equipped flight can catch a glimpse at panels and Q&A sessions from past ATX Television Festivals, as well as episodic and exclusive content from network and studio partners like Hulu and more! We’ll add new content as we approach the ATX Television Festival held from June 9-12, 2016, so if you're a regular flier, be sure to check back often. To kick-off the channel launch, we’re celebrating with the first-ever Primetime TV Flight, featuring a panel at 35,000 feet with the creator and cast of NBC's upcoming drama, “Game of Silence.” Creator, Executive Producer, and ATX Television Festival Advisory Board Member David Hudgins, plus cast members David Lyons, Larenz Tate, Michael Raymond James, Bre Blair, and Demetrius Grosse, will be on hand to talk all things “Game of Silence” during an inflight panel and Q&A session, moderated by Entertainment Weekly’s Danielle Nussbaum.  Follow along with @ATXFestival, @EW, and @SouthwestAir during the flight (to ask questions to our panelists use the hashtag #PrimetimeTVFlight), and be sure to check back here for photos and a video from the panel. ... View more

The following story was written by Ari's dad, Jonathan Hankin. Often times children ask for airplane-themed birthday parties but our son, Ari had a specific airline in mind. Ari simply loves Southwest Airlines, it's the only airline he has flown on domestically. His love for Southwest is so strong that he wanted dress up as a Southwest airplane for Halloween. When we asked him where he wanted to have his bi rthday party in February, he responded, "I want a Southwest Airlines birthday party."  In attempts to make his wish come true, I sent a polite request for ideas to the Southwest Airlines Facebook page.  We were hoping for some ideas on an airplane-themed party, and perhaps a nice birthday card for Ari.  We were amazed by the Social Business Team's quick response, and how much they wanted to help set up a birthday party for our soon-to-be 4-year old Southwest super fan.  They immediately put me in touch with Altha Wright at the Kansas City Airport Southwest Team, who coordinated an amazing party. On party day, February 21, 2016, Ari and more than a dozen friends (plus parents) were welcomed by Altha's team, who escorted us through the TSA line (the kids actually enjoyed taking shoes off), and onto an airplane that had just landed.  The entire plane was ours to explore for about 15 minutes, while we hung out with Altha and the Pilots.  The kids each took their turn in the cockpit, everyone chose their own seat, and we sang "Happy Birthday" over the intercom. After our "flight," we were led past the ticketing counter, where our birthday party was greeted by cheers of "Happy Birthday" from the Southwest staff, then on to the SWA Employee Training Room.  The training room was wonderfully decorated with balloons and streamers, a cake, and more.  After we played some games with our friends, including one that Altha planned for the guests, they had one more surprise … party favors for all of our guests, and some unique SWA gifts for Ari. We could not have planned a more perfect birthday party.  It's amazing how Southwest went above and beyond in response to a simple request via Facebook.  It's safe to say that Southwest has business for life from Ari and our family!  Thank you for showing the LUV to your little super fan! ... View more