When someone says the word “Southwest,” two things come to mind: reliability and timeliness. Southwest is known for their on-time track record, and their direct flights. In my opinion, that is what constitutes a great design. These two attributes are made possible by a number of strategies such as their flight model, aircraft model and bag check policy.
Ask anyone, and they will say that operating an airline company is expensive. Since 1978, there have been well over 100 bankruptcy filings for airlines due to fierce competition. Since airlines have such a small profit margin, they look for any way to cut costs. For Southwest Airlines, it was by choosing the point-to-point model over the hub-and-spoke model. In this model, the plane lands, goes through a quick turnaround, and often heads right back where it came from. The system is designed to facilitate short-haul flights, not international travel—Southwest targets the domestic business commuter, not the globetrotting “jetsetter.” This shows that Southwest understands who their customer is, and what their needs are – a direct quick flight to wherever their destination is. In addition, with this simpler network, there is less luggage getting lost in the shuffle.
Another great design strategy that Southwest employs is a single type of aircraft; the Boeing 737. The use of a single aircraft results in numerous cost-saving efficiencies. For example, mechanics only need to be trained on one type of plane, they only need extra parts and inventory for one type of plane, and if they need to swap a plane out for last minute maintenance, the fleet is totally interchangeable. The entire onboard-crew and ground crews are already familiar with it.
Southwest Airlines is also an anomaly when it comes to their bag check policy. While most other budget airlines charge for checked bags, Southwest does not. Not only is this a good marketing strategy, but it also has operational benefits. When you charge people to check bags, they try to carry more on- and often struggle with fitting them into the overhead bins. This results in more bags being checked at the gate, right before departure, which wastes time. Southwest is known for their punctuality, and this ensures that they can leave on-time.
