Originally Posted by
shoelu
Well, I can tell you with all certainty that SWA has no desire to emulate the legacies. Emulate by definition means to copy or imitate. I can assure you that is not a mantra that is preached at SWA. As a matter of fact I can assure you that acting like a legacy is exactly what management does not encourage from its employees.
The illegal preference and bribes is just comical. Please enlighten me about the bribes. I hear about them all the time on here but always assumed that it was a joke along the lines of the "kitten killers" myth that everyone realized was simply a joke. But, by all means if you have proof of this grave injustice I encourage you to avail yourself to the whistle blowers program and rid the aviation world of this illegal practice.
Its laughable to even try to deny the blatant preference ATC gives SWA at all phases of flight/taxi almost everywhere almost all the time. Some of that will slowly go away as they continue morphing into a classic legacy (LGA, ATL, international, etc) but the preference is real and in many cases flat out extreme. You can't seriously even attempt to deny it. Even the weak excuse "ATC knows we're always ready" doesn't justify the blatant preference SWA gets above all others with extreme predjudice at almost every terminal area and tarmac in the country.
The percentage of that preference is starting to lower on its own to the legacy model SWA is slowly adopting, but so far the other shoe hasn't dropped yet. It will eventually though. Y'all already got busted schmoozing the FAA before for MX favors. You won't continue to be the Most Favored Airline forever.
Why does Southwest use the callsign "Southwest"?
Because "Air Force One" was taken.