Southwest Airlines By: Andrew Streff, Brett Burger, Graham Steen, Monica Zakrzewicz, Ujiro Okiomah & Sam Smith
Jan 15, 2015
Southwest Airlines
By: Andrew Streff, Brett Burger, Graham Steen, Monica Zakrzewicz, Ujiro Okiomah & Sam Smith
Southwest SpiritSouthwest SpiritPerformance Performance The Five ForcesThe Five ForcesHistory & OverviewHistory & Overview
Statistics Statistics
Threats & Future ChallengesThreats & Future Challenges
Outline
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History of Southwest AirlinesThe Southwest Airlines was proposed as a local airline serving only three cities in Texas.
San Antonio, TX
Houston, TX
Dallas, TX
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On June 18th 1971 Southwest Airlines makes its first commercial flight.
October 1978 President Carter signs the Airline Deregulation Act.
History of Southwest Airlines
President Jimmy Carter signs the Airline Deregulation Act.
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October 1996 Southwest Airlines expands into the Northwestern United States.
In 2005 Southwest Airlines carried more domestic passengers than any other U.S. airline.
History of Southwest Airlines
Southwest SpiritSouthwest SpiritPerformance Performance The Five ForcesThe Five ForcesHistory & OverviewHistory & Overview
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Threats & Future ChallengesThreats & Future Challenges
Outline
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Supplier power
Buyer power
Substitutes
New entrants
Rivalry
Porter’s Five Forces
*Southwest Airlines business strategy is Low-cost leadership
*Southwest Airlines is performing well in a bad industry
Southwest SpiritSouthwest SpiritPerformance Performance The Five ForcesThe Five ForcesHistory & OverviewHistory & Overview
Statistics Statistics
Threats & Future ChallengesThreats & Future Challenges
Outline
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Earned a profit for 32 consecutive years:- Fly more passengers per employee than any other airline- Have fewest number of employees per aircraft- Own almost 80% of there aircrafts
Performance
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Has had the fewest customer complaints since 1987
Most admired airline in the World, 1997-2003
Maintained a debt-to-equity ratio much lower that the industry average
Performance
Southwest SpiritSouthwest SpiritPerformance Performance The Five ForcesThe Five ForcesHistory & OverviewHistory & Overview
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Threats & Future ChallengesThreats & Future Challenges
Outline
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External Spirit: Great Customer Service.
Ex: A gate agent volunteering to watch a dog for two weeks; Austin passenger needing a kidney transplant operation was flown there by a southwest pilot in his private plane
Flight attendants are encouraged to have fun, jokes and have humorous announcements.
Southwest Spirit
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Internal Spirit: Employment at Southwest is highly desired.
In 2004, 1,706 employees were hired and 225,895 applications were received.
An employee had not been laid off since 1971.
Employee turnover hovered around 7%; the lowest rate in the industry.
Southwest Spirit
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Southwest SpiritInternal Spirit: Camaraderie in the Company.
• New-employee orientation, known as the new-hire celebration
- Wheel of fortune, scavenger hunts, Southwest Airline Shuffle
• Advanced Employee Training- Three-day classes called “Leading with
Integrity”. “Walk-a-Mile Day”
• Employees conserve fuel during flights, ice storage equipment, luggage faced handles out.
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Internal Spirit: Corporate labor relations.
81% of employees were unionized
Southwest pilots belong to independent union
In 1974 Southwest was the first airline to introduce employee profit sharing. Employees owned about 10% of the company’s stock.
Southwest Spirit
Southwest SpiritSouthwest SpiritPerformance Performance The Five ForcesThe Five ForcesHistory & OverviewHistory & Overview
Statistics Statistics
Threats & Future ChallengesThreats & Future Challenges
Outline
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Southwest airplanes flew an average of eight times a day, nearly double the industry average.
Southwest usually turns around airplanes in 15 minutes, as opposed to the 45 minute industry average.
Southwest uses only one type of airplane, the Boeing 737. American Airlines uses six different airplanes
Statistics
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Statistics
Southwest pilots belong to an independent union. Other airline pilots belong to the Airline Pilots Association.
In 2005, Southwest pilots had the highest salaries for pilots of narrow-body jets (38% above United Airline’s)
Resources
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• Spirit & High Moral
• Routes & Lack of Hub
• Reputation
• One type of Plane
Southwest SpiritSouthwest SpiritPerformance Performance The Five ForcesThe Five ForcesHistory & OverviewHistory & Overview
Statistics Statistics
Threats & Future ChallengesThreats & Future Challenges
Outline
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ThreatsOn entering the Northeast market, Southwest Airlines would now be competing directly with JetBlue Airways also a low-fare carrier out of NYC’s JFK International Airport.
*Currently, JetBlue has 60 A320 Airbus aircrafts and orders with Airbus for as many as 233 A320 aircrafts
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With the potential of the Northeast market, several threats to Southwest’s smooth operations such as airport congestions, air-traffic control delays, lengthy turnaround time at airport gates and severe weather.
Threats
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Future ChallengesIn 2005, Southwest had the highest salaries for pilots of narrow-body jets (38% above those at United Airlines).
They just concluded a bitter contract negotiation with flight attendants that resulted in a richer than-expected settlement for the union.
Recommendations
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The reputation of Southwest Airlines in the Western and Southern part of the country would be enough to help them break into the Northeast market.
Southwest Airlines could also break into the region by providing special fares to travelers flying to warmer climate zones such as Florida and other states in that region.
Questions...