Your unions say that for years, Southwest has been too targeted on traders and hasn’t invested sufficient within the operation. What’s your response to that criticism?
I’ve been requested so much about whether or not we’ve got antiquated expertise. We spend a billion {dollars} a yr on expertise right here at Southwest. And, like each firm, there are all the time issues which can be brand-new, like our upkeep system, and there are all the time issues that you just’re engaged on.
We’ve a very good operations enchancment plan. Crew scheduling is an enormous a part of that. In the event you simply look again on the final yr, we put, I feel, eight new variations of SkySolver in. We’ve employed 120 crew schedulers. We put management over crew scheduling and realigned ourselves. I’m not saying for a minute that we’re performed or that that’s sufficient.
On the shareholder query, it’s not a singular resolution. We’re financially very wholesome. And due to that, we don’t should make decisions between investing in expertise or investing in our shareholders. Through the holidays, we went to premium pay, we supplied gratitude pay, we did gestures of excellent will for our staff, similar to for our clients.
How do you regain the belief of your clients?
We’ve acquired a 51-year historical past of working a very good airline and having terrific service. That didn’t change simply because we had this occasion.
That doesn’t dismiss the truth that we tousled. I feel the most effective factor that we will do is use this occasion as a catalyst to be even higher. This can be a nice firm, however the most effective factor we will do for our clients is proceed to supply an excellent product, spend money on our product. You’ve seen us do all these issues — we’re including energy ports and bigger bins. Preserve investing in them, maintain working an excellent operation, maintain offering terrific hospitality and be even higher.
Are you able to assist us perceive whenever you knew issues had been going actually incorrect round Christmas?
We plan days and days upfront for storms, hurricanes — all these issues. We watch the operation day by day; our leaders are on many calls a day simply to know how we’re doing. I’m on a number of calls a day, on a traditional day. All that was occurring.
