Southwest Airlines shows off its unique history and company culture with its corporate office
The Winning Spirit conference room BOKA Powell
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Southwest Airlines displays its history and culture at its headquarters in Dallas, Texas.
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The company’s headquarters have murals, unique lounges, model airplanes, and old flight attendant uniforms.
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Staff can watch Southwest aircraft take off and land from their deck overlooking Dallas Love Field Airport.
Southwest Airlines turned 50 this year and has become a favorite with both leisure and business travelers thanks to its long history of humor, hot pants and unique marketing campaigns.
Southwest Heart One Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
To celebrate its history, the airline has taken snippets of its past and important aspects of its culture and exhibited them at its corporate headquarters in Dallas, Texas.
Southwest corporate headquarters in Dallas, Texas Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
The company’s walls are lined with photos of special events, murals that highlight important people and moments, and dozens of other little tidbits that tell the company’s story.
Southwest Living Our Legacy Murals Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
Part of the interior of Southwest was designed by the architecture and design firm Corgan, who worked with over 1,000 employees to select furniture and create room models. The result was vibrant décor that maximized building density without compromising the employee-centric corporate culture.
Big Tea represents the culture of the Southwest Southwest Airlines
Source: Corgan, Southwest Airlines
One of the building’s largest exhibits is the fleet of model airplanes that hangs from the ceiling of the main lobby. The aircraft include the company’s original Desert Gold livery, its new Canyon Blue livery and a number of its special state flag liveries.
Southwest Headquarters Main Lobby Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
In the company’s five buildings, memorable photos and memorabilia adorn the walls, like the old Southwest Heart logo …
Old Heart logo and LUV campaign memorabilia Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
A framed presentation of almost 30 heart-shaped bag pendants from the 1970s …
Heart-shaped bag charm from the 70s Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
A collection of lapel pins from former Southwest Pilot employers …
Former employer pilot wings Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
And the logo “50 years of LUV”.
50 years of LUV Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
The story goes on
The buildings also host dozens of conference rooms with unique names that reveal popular travel destinations, people, values, and events in the Southwest such as The Winning Spirit.
The Winning Spirit conference room BOKA Powell
Source: Southwest Airlines
Southwest headquarters overlooks the runway at Dallas Love Field Airport and provides a unique opportunity for employees to watch planes take off and land from the company’s outdoor seating area, The Deck.
The deck overlooks the Dallas Love Field runway Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
The buildings have a handful of staff lounge areas known as “Culture Centers” which feature unique murals and interesting decorations such as old cabin seats.
Southwest cultural center Corgan
Source: Southwest Airlines
Centers also have funny names like “Observe, Listen, Learn …”
Observe, Listen, Learn Cultural Center BOKA Powell
Source: Southwest Airlines
“Go. See. Do …”
Go, See, Do cultural center Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
“The attic…”
The Attic cultural center Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
And “nuts and bolts”.
Cultural center nuts and bolts Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
Southwest’s Training and Operational Support Building, which houses its training and dispatching centers, shows photos of the airline’s Triple Crown One aircraft, unveiled in 1997. The overhead lockers from the aircraft cabin are also on display.
Triple crown display Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
Triple Crown One was painted to honor the workers who helped Southwest earn five consecutive “Triple Crowns” for on-time performance, baggage handling and customer service based on DOT data from 1992-1996. Each of the 24,113 employee names was put in the overhead lockers that are now on display at headquarters.
1997 Triple Crown paintwork Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
In 2015, the airline recreated the legendary aircraft with the original Triple Crown livery and the company’s new color scheme on the rear.
2015 Triple Crown One paint job Angel DiBilio / Shutterstock
Source: Southwest Airlines
Also in the TOPS building, which was designed by BOKA Powell, there is a huge Southwest model airplane in the lobby …
Southwest TOPS lobby BOKA Powell
Source: BOKA Powell, Southwest Airlines
A life-size aircraft cabin where flight attendants train …
Cabin simulator Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
A training center for emergency evacuation …
Emergency evacuation training center BOKA Powell
Source: BOKA Powell, Southwest Airlines
The Network Operations Center, where dispatchers and crew schedulers work …
Southwest Network Operations Center BOKA Powell
Source: BOKA Powell, Southwest Airlines
A large food court with a range of restaurants including soups, sandwiches, pizza and a grill made to order …
Southwest Food Court BOKA Powell
Source: BOKA Powell, Southwest Airlines
And a realistic airport experience that includes a ticket office, gate area, emergency evacuation center, baggage service bureau and jet bridge.
Ticket booth and gate training BOKA Powell
Source: BOKA Powell, Southwest Airlines
Southwest’s corporate buildings have a handful of beautiful murals that tell the story of its people and culture, including information about its founders, Herb Kelleher and Rollin King …
Southwest founders Herb Kelleher and Rollin King Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
Early flight attendants pose with passengers …
Early flight attendants with customers Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
A button that sounds like the laugh of Southwest founder Herb Kelleher …
Herb Kelleher’s smile button Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
A tribute to Kelleher’s infamous Malice in Dallas arm-wrestling match …
Malice in Dallas artwork at Southwest HQ Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
A reminder of the airline’s purpose …
Southwest Media Center with purpose posted on the wall Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
And a dedication to Southwest President Emerita Colleen Barrett who was an influential figure in creating the company’s culture and shaping the renowned Servant’s Heart customer service strategy.
Colleen Barrett Servant’s Heart Tribute Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
Small relics from the history of Southwest are also on display, such as mannequins of old flight attendant and pilot uniforms …
Old uniforms Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
And a piece of the decommissioned Lone Star One plane.
Lone Star One skin Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines
Lone Star One debuted in 1990 and was the first of many flagship aircraft that Southwest has developed to honor the states it serves.
1990 Lone Star One Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines
The company’s new Lone Star One was unveiled in 2016.
2016 Lone Star One Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines
There are also unique photo opportunities for employees along the walls of the Southwest Headquarters, such as a plane nose …
Airplane nose photo opportunity Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
One engine …
Engine photo appointment Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
And a flight deck.
Flight deck photo op Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
Southwest prides itself on its eccentric Halloween costumes worn by notorious Southwest leaders like Herb Kelleher, Colleen Barrett and Gary Kelly.
Halloween costumes worn by executives of the Southwest Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
Southwest executives contribute to the corporate culture by attending the annual holiday celebration.
CEO Gary Kelly and executives dress up as Star Wars characters for Halloween 2019 Southwest Airlines
Source: Southwest Airlines
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