Southwest Airlines shows off its unique history and company culture with its corporate office

The Winning Spirit conference room BOKA Powell

  • Southwest Airlines displays its history and culture at its headquarters in Dallas, Texas.

  • The company’s headquarters have murals, unique lounges, model airplanes, and old flight attendant uniforms.

  • 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 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 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 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

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 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

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

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

Former employer pilot wings Southwest Airlines

Source: Southwest Airlines

And the logo “50 years of LUV”.

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

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

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

Southwest cultural center Corgan

Source: Southwest Airlines

Centers also have funny names like “Observe, Listen, Learn …”

Observe, Listen, Learn Cultural Center

Observe, Listen, Learn Cultural Center BOKA Powell

Source: Southwest Airlines

“Go. See. Do …”

Go, See, Do cultural center

Go, See, Do cultural center Southwest Airlines

Source: Southwest Airlines

“The attic…”

The Attic cultural center

The Attic cultural center Southwest Airlines

Source: Southwest Airlines

And “nuts and bolts”.

Cultural center 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

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

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

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

Southwest TOPS lobby BOKA Powell

Source: BOKA Powell, Southwest Airlines

A life-size aircraft cabin where flight attendants train …

Cabin simulator

Cabin simulator Southwest Airlines

Source: Southwest Airlines

A training center for emergency evacuation …

Emergency evacuation training center

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

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

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

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 founders Herb Kelleher and Rollin King Southwest Airlines

Source: Southwest Airlines

Early flight attendants pose with passengers …

Early flight attendants with customers

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

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

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 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

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

Old uniforms Southwest Airlines

Source: Southwest Airlines

And a piece of the decommissioned Lone Star One plane.

Lone Star One skin

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

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

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

Airplane nose photo opportunity Southwest Airlines

Source: Southwest Airlines

One engine …

Engine photo appointment

Engine photo appointment Southwest Airlines

Source: Southwest Airlines

And a flight deck.

Flight deck photo op

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

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

CEO Gary Kelly and executives dress up as Star Wars characters for Halloween 2019 Southwest Airlines

Source: Southwest Airlines

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