PODCAST · leisure
Is This Seat Open?
by Southwest Airlines | L.A. Times Studios
Most airlines don't have stories about high stakes arm wrestling, planes full of dogs, and a decade of go-go boots, but Southwest isn't like most airlines. To celebrate 50 years of flying, Southwest Airlines proudly presents this 20 episode series featuring first-hand stories from the people who lived through the wildest and most memorable moments in the airline's history. Hosted by Southwest employees Quinnie Jenkins and Lucas Hershberger, produced by LA Times Studios and At Will Media.This is a paid podcast funded by Southwest Airlines. The Los Angeles Times newsroom was not involved in the production of this podcast.
Episodes
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Episode 20: Flying Through A Pandemic
Passengers stopped flying. Cleaning protocols needed to be overhauled. Keeping an airline running through a global pandemic is no easy task, but Southwest Airlines pulled it off, and without involuntary furloughs, layoffs, or pay reductions. In this episode, Southwest Chairman and Chief Executive...
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Episode 19: Yes, This Seat Is Open
Window, aisle, or middle? Since Southwest Airlines first took to the skies, seating has been customer's choice. The reasons behind the open seating have as much to do with the airline’s unique culture as they do with an optimized boarding process. In this episode, Managing Director Customer...
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Episode 18: The Last Flight Of Rosa Parks
Lou Freeman can lay claim to a lot of firsts. He was in the first group of students to integrate his high school in Dallas. He was the first African American undergraduate to train at his air force base in Texas, He was the first Black pilot at Southwest Airlines, and he was the first Black chief...
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Episode 17: Hedging Against Jet Fuel
One day, Gary Kelly and his team had a billion-dollar idea. Literally. In the 90s, Gary implemented a cost-saving measure to protect against fluctuations in jet fuel prices, and it paid off. In this episode, we’ll hear from the Southwest Airlines Chairman and Chief Executive Officer himself about...
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Episode 16: Donating Time, Talent & Tickets
Bill Baracani didn’t grow up with much, but he never had to worry if there would be food on the table. Through his volunteer work, Southwest Airlines Ramp Agent Bill discovered how fortunate he really was, and was inspired to save and dedicate almost all his time off to charity work. In this...
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Episode 15: A Flight For Her Life
The news was hard to hear. Nicole Parris’ infant daughter had survived a high-risk double lung transplant, but she would need to return to a hospital in St. Louis every 6 months for the rest of her life. For Nicole and her family in Florida, this would be nearly impossible if not for Southwest...
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Episode 14: The Darkest Hour
Alan Hugley was at work the morning of 9/11. He’s a Flight Dispatcher for Southwest Airlines, and while the country was grappling with the events of that day, The Federal Aviation Administration ordered an immediate grounding of all planes nationwide. This was an order that Alan had to execute.…
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Episode 13: Used Doesn’t Mean Useless
Pop quiz: what do you do with a pile of discarded seat leather that could stretch 43 acres? Throw it in a landfill? Not if you’re Southwest. In this episode, Laura Nieto, the Director of Community Outreach at Southwest Airlines, tells us how a small idea in 2014 led to a huge repurposing project...
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Episode 12: Love Is In The Air
Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the inflight marriage of two customers. For Southwest Airlines, being “The Love Airline” is more than a nickname, as customers from coast to coast have met, fallen in love, and even gotten married on Southwest flights. In this episode,...
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Episode 11: Paying It Forward
It’s not every day that a flight attendant can make more money by retiring, but such is the life of some of Southwest Airlines’ early employees thanks to the company’s ProfitSharing Plan. Bucking the trends of the airline industry, Southwest decided to share its profits with the employees who...
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Episode 10: The 10-Minute Turn
Most airlines took an hour or more to “turn” their planes, meaning to get them ready to fly again after landing. Southwest Airlines did it in just 10 minutes. The year was 1972, and the fledgling airline realized their only chance for survival was to turn planes faster than anyone had ever done...
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Episode 9: Bringing Dad Home
Colonel Roy A. Knight Jr. disappeared over Laos during the Vietnam War. His son grew up without knowing what happened to his father until he received a phone call in 2019. Retired Southwest Airlines Pilot Bryan Knight tells us how after more than 50 years, he was finally able to fly his dad home....
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Episode 8: To The Rescue: Pets on Planes
This might sound crazy, or like a pet lover’s dream, but how would you like to fly next to 70 cats and dogs? In 2018, Southwest Airlines sent a plane of supplies to Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, and returned with a cabin full of rescued animals. In this episode, Southwest Chief...
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Episode 7: Southwest Spirit & A Fun Surprise
The often imitated, never duplicated culture of Southwest Airlines has inspired 50 years of loyalty from employees and customers alike, but what exactly is it? Don’t worry, you don’t have to figure it out, that’s Whitney Eichinger’s job. She is Southwest’s Managing Director of Culture and...
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Episode 6: Go-Go Boots, Khakis & Jams
Southwest Airlines’ uniforms have always been a cut above. From the early days of hot pants and white lace-up boots in the 70’s to the khaki wave of the 90’s and beyond, customers can spot a Southwest employee from across the airport at the drop of a hat. In this episode, we’ll hear from Flight...
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Episode 5: Gregg The Guy At The Gate
Let’s get this Boeing going! Southwest Airlines is known to add some levity to the air travel experience through fun announcements, gate games, and playful personalities behind the gate and onboard announcements. In this episode, we’ll hear from long-time Southwest Operations Agent Gregg Lynn,...
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Episode 4: Legal Eagles: Fighting For The Right To Fly
For most of Southwest Airlines’ history, the company was limited in where it could fly and faced a number of uphill legal and regulatory battles. In this episode, Ron Ricks, the Vice Chairman of the Board and retired Executive Vice President and Chief Legal and Regulatory Officer of Southwest,...
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Episode 3: Fare Play & A Bottle of Booze
When a price war with a competitor caused big trouble for Southwest Airlines, the company made a marketing gamble that would determine the future of the airline. In this episode, Southwest Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Ryan Green tells us the story of how Southwest was saved…
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Episode 2: Who Was Herb?
Herb Kelleher was known for many things: his larger than life personality, infectious laugh, dressing up in costume, and growing Southwest Airlines from a three plane upstart to the world’s largest low-cost carrier. In this episode, listen to the story of the legendary co-founder of Southwest…
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Episode 1: Malice In Dallas
Two CEOs step into a wrestling ring to arm wrestle. No this isn’t a joke, it’s a 1992 matchup to determine the rightful owner of a multi-million dollar marketing slogan. On this episode, listen to Matt Buckley, Southwest Airlines Retired Vice President Cargo and Charters, tell the story of what...
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Excuse Me, Is This Seat Open?
Why make a podcast about Southwest Airlines? Because this airline is anything but typical. While other airlines assign seats, you get to choose your own when you board Southwest. For the past 50 years, Southwest has zigged while the others zagged. Join us to hear more stories about Southwest –…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Most airlines don't have stories about high stakes arm wrestling, planes full of dogs, and a decade of go-go boots, but Southwest isn't like most airlines. To celebrate 50 years of flying, Southwest Airlines proudly presents this 20 episode series featuring first-hand stories from the people who lived through the wildest and most memorable moments in the airline's history. Hosted by Southwest employees Quinnie Jenkins and Lucas Hershberger, produced by LA Times Studios and At Will Media.This is a paid podcast funded by Southwest Airlines. The Los Angeles Times newsroom was not involved in the production of this podcast.
HOSTED BY
Southwest Airlines | L.A. Times Studios
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Is This Seat Open? have?
Is This Seat Open? currently has 21 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Is This Seat Open? about?
Most airlines don't have stories about high stakes arm wrestling, planes full of dogs, and a decade of go-go boots, but Southwest isn't like most airlines. To celebrate 50 years of flying, Southwest Airlines proudly presents this 20 episode series featuring first-hand stories from the people who...
How often does Is This Seat Open? release new episodes?
Is This Seat Open? has 21 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Is This Seat Open??
You can listen to Is This Seat Open? on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Is This Seat Open??
Is This Seat Open? is created and hosted by Southwest Airlines | L.A. Times Studios.
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