Southwest Airlines
Gate Turnaround at Southwest Airlines
Video Case Study
Southwest Airlines was started in 1971 by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher. Their idea was simple. If they could take airline passengers where they want to go, on time, at the lowest possible price; all while having fun doing it, then people would love to fly on their airline. As a result of this, no other airline in the industry’s history has enjoyed the customer loyalty and extended profitability which Southwest is now famous for. The company now flies more than
3,400 times each day to over 64 destinations across the United States. (Krajewski, Ritzman &
Malhotra 2010) Turnaround times at the airports are another reason that Southwest is able to maintain customer loyalty and exploit their competitive advantage over other companies in the industry. Strategy is an intent or plan that precedes action. It is the chosen direction, or set of directions, we follow in our quest toward the fulfillment of our larger mission or purpose.
Strategic decisions determine the grand direction upon which an entity will embark. Seizing competitive advantage and having a solid strategy are major aspects of any successful business model and Southwest uses it to their advantage. Southwest has garnered a fair amount of attention over the past couple of decades as a company that continues to thrive in the middle of a sluggish and seldom profitable industry. The difference is that Southwest simply does things different. Southwest achieves its competitive advantage by minimizing turnaround time at the gates, doing away with seat assignments and carefully managing the queuing for aircraft boarding. They also simplify operations by using one and only one type of aircraft – the Boeing
737. This means every pilot and mechanic is capable of working any plane in the fleet. Avoiding non-essential services such as in-flight meals in order to cut cost and enhance
Video Case Study
Southwest Airlines was started in 1971 by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher. Their idea was simple. If they could take airline passengers where they want to go, on time, at the lowest possible price; all while having fun doing it, then people would love to fly on their airline. As a result of this, no other airline in the industry’s history has enjoyed the customer loyalty and extended profitability which Southwest is now famous for. The company now flies more than
3,400 times each day to over 64 destinations across the United States. (Krajewski, Ritzman &
Malhotra 2010) Turnaround times at the airports are another reason that Southwest is able to maintain customer loyalty and exploit their competitive advantage over other companies in the industry. Strategy is an intent or plan that precedes action. It is the chosen direction, or set of directions, we follow in our quest toward the fulfillment of our larger mission or purpose.
Strategic decisions determine the grand direction upon which an entity will embark. Seizing competitive advantage and having a solid strategy are major aspects of any successful business model and Southwest uses it to their advantage. Southwest has garnered a fair amount of attention over the past couple of decades as a company that continues to thrive in the middle of a sluggish and seldom profitable industry. The difference is that Southwest simply does things different. Southwest achieves its competitive advantage by minimizing turnaround time at the gates, doing away with seat assignments and carefully managing the queuing for aircraft boarding. They also simplify operations by using one and only one type of aircraft – the Boeing
737. This means every pilot and mechanic is capable of working any plane in the fleet. Avoiding non-essential services such as in-flight meals in order to cut cost and enhance
References: Krajewski, L. J., Ritzman, L. P., & Malhotra, M. K. (2010). Operations management. (9 ed., pp. 239-40). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson College Div