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Home » Southwest Airlines » A Sinister Warning From Southwest Airlines CEO
Southwest Airlines

A Sinister Warning From Southwest Airlines CEO

Matthew Klint Posted onApril 24, 2020November 14, 2023 12 Comments

a man in a red shirt

“So what’s going to happen to us? The honest answer is I don’t know. No one knows. That’s the only honest answer anyone can provide. We’ve never experienced anything like this in our lifetimes.”

Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly addressed employees in a video chat this week and worked very hard to tow the line between “candid CEO, calming Dad, and preacher” (credit to USA Today’s Dawn Gilbertson for that quip).

In this case, I think the quotes speak for themselves. I will offer brief commentary under each one.

Delusional Southwest Employees

“Most of my co-workers are not processing the dark and dangerous reality. Our messages of strength have created a false sense of security. My co-workers talk about the losses at JetBlue and Delta yet somehow don’t apply those numbers to Southwest.”

Most people suffer from a “grass is always greener on the other side of the fence” syndrome, but apparently not so at Southwest. Instead, employees (and feel free to chime in if you are employee in the comments section below) have thought (once) high and might Southwest will be spared. But apparently Kelly does not think so.

Warning Of A Smaller Airline

“If things don’t improve dramatically over the May, June, July time period, we’ll have to prepare ourselves for a drastically smaller airline. I am not predicting that. I am not predicting that. But life can be very humbling.”

Sadly, I am going to predict that. I’d love to see a V-shaped recovery, but have a feeling it will much more resemble a “W” (where the middle peak only rises to about half of the height of the outer peaks). That will mean a “dramatically” smaller airline. That would also mean potential job cuts, something Southwest has never had to enact in its 48-year history. But Kelly says that if the situation does not improve, he will seek pay and benefit cuts before job cuts.

A Rallying Cry

“Many companies will not survive this and it may be through no fault of their own. A lot of jobs will be destroyed. Institutions will be lost that took years or decades to build. … But Southwest is too precious to lose. All of us, we are the stewards and the protectors of what’s been built over 50 years and must guard this treasure that has been entrusted to us with all our might.”

Great sentiment, but the humbling thing is this is really totally outside of Southwest’s control. You can guard the treasure all day long, but this situation is more akin to holding treasure but the oxygen flowing out of the room, making such treasure pointless.

You can watch the entire discussion below:

CONCLUSION

While United has chosen to convey a pessimistic (I’m sure incoming CEO Scott Kirby would say realist) message and American Airlines an optimistic one, Southwest has taken a middle road. Kelly’s words are hardly comforting, but there must be some hope that comes from channeling his inner-Winston Churchill.

“Do we give up? Well, of course not. We fight. … And we fight like we’ve never fought before. We fight to defeat this virus. And we fight for our customers, every single one. They’re precious and we need them. And don’t ever be rude.”

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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12 Comments

  1. George Reply
    April 24, 2020 at 9:18 am

    It’s actually in the hands of the people of the USA.

    If the people and bloggers and news continue to beat the drum of Fear uncertainty Death!!
    And if people act on insanely irrational fears. Then many more people will die, starve or go bankrupt. So many more suicides. And obviously exponentially more business collapses and the damage that comes with that.

    Or people can grow a spine, help out their fellow countryman and get to traveling and enjoying our country.

    Yes bloggers, there is more money to be made on fear and with people indoors. But look past the money, lives depend on it now. Get out there, help people by being a person – not a hermit.

    • UA-NYC Reply
      April 24, 2020 at 9:22 am

      Matthew – this troll is repeating the same garbage on VFTW and OMAAT, every day. IP ban is in order. Not all traffic is good traffic.

      • stogieguy7 Reply
        April 24, 2020 at 10:47 am

        Just because he has a different opinion that you, doesn’t make him a troll and certainly doesn’t warrant an IP ban. These fascistic attitudes need to stop.

        The entire USA is not the NY/NJ/CT tri-state area. Most of us don’t have a huge mass transit system that an absolute dumbass not only kept open, but cut back on frequency – resulting in packed trains. And 100,000+ cases of Covid-19. Let the rest of us start getting back to work, or else there will be no reason to have nice things, such as Matthew’s blog.

        • UA-NYC Reply
          April 24, 2020 at 10:51 am

          LOL fascist…can I guess which side of the political aisle you are on? Ironic.

          Social distancing works, wearing a face mask works. People going around calling it a hoax, championing nonstop travel – that is dangerous and devious. Take that garbage to the Dark Web, not these sites.

          This isn’t just metro NY you know – familiar w/South Dakota?

    • Super VC10 Reply
      April 24, 2020 at 9:40 am

      “Lives depend” on people getting “out there”, George? No, lives depend on people staying home. Becoming one of the 50,000 American dead (so far) may be an ‘irrational” fear to you, but it’s not to anyone with common sense.

  2. Stuart Reply
    April 24, 2020 at 10:49 am

    I wonder what Herb would have said? Sure could have used his humor and positive spirit in the world right now.

    I can imagine him smoking a cig, drinking Wild Turkey and telling the WN team on video that, “I got your back and if I have to I’ll arm wrestle this virus b#stard to the ground!”

    Herb was ridiculous in all the good ways. He was made for moments like this.

  3. S-Ray Reply
    April 24, 2020 at 11:13 am

    UA-NYC is spot on correct! George is a troll if he’s posting the same message everywhere.

    More importantly, the USA IS ACTUALLY the tri-state area. We and California – just 4 states, generate 25% of the US GDP. So you can get back to work, but if we in the Northeast cant (and thats just prudent), it really makes no difference.

    You red state people don’t have mass transit, but plenty of trailer parks – I’m sure they get crowded too…

    • ChuckMO Reply
      April 24, 2020 at 11:48 am

      A thousand thumbs up.

  4. Paolo Reply
    April 24, 2020 at 12:06 pm

    Completely agree about the recovery. Some coverage suggesting an instant V-Shape is borderline delusional ( IMO, that would only happen in the event of a universal vaccination program/ miracle treatment discovery).
    Business travel will take an age to recover, partly from an abundance of caution but also as a consequence of social distancing requirements, making leisure economy travel more expensive. It’s a double whammy.
    Add to that: many people won’t have loads of ready cash. My own income is down exactly 100%. And that income, tourism related serviced apartments, is not going to V-Shape either.

  5. cargocult Reply
    April 24, 2020 at 4:44 pm

    Petit-dictators like Cuomo blather nonsense like “if everything we do saves just one life, I’ll be happy,” to justify the abrogation of citizens’ liberties on the basis of very tenuous “science.” Why didn’t de Blasio and Cuomo follow the science to prevent the American Wuhan in New York and recommend (or require, as tyrants are wont to do) that everyone wear a mask? They were only too glad to lie to the public. The true case fatality rate of COVID-19 is nowhere near as high as the eye-watering numbers bandied about before the lockdown. It turns out ventilators aren’t even the best treatment for COVID-19. Almost 90% of intubated patients in New York end up dying anyway, and again almost 90% of COVID-19 deaths in New York involved at least one comorbidity. Don’t want to die an early death (from COVID-19 or otherwise)? Don’t be obese! But that is racist. The virus is far more widespread than previously thought and far less deadly. Sure, it might be worse than the seasonal flu, but how many more times worse must it be for you to accept shutting down the entire economy? Compare the per capita deaths from the flu and from COVID-19 and you will see that in many countries, the flu number is higher. In the winter the virus was spreading in the population freely, but now we know it is out there and can take precautions to mitigate infections while going on with our lives. Those who demonize anyone who favors a bit of return to normalcy as sacrificing human lives on the altar of capitalism are free to cower at home, safely ensconced in their self-imposed prisons of smugness.

    • UA-NYC Reply
      April 25, 2020 at 8:55 am

      Let’s see here – because the CDC (currently hamstrung by your Lysol Drinker In Chief) only started suggesting wearing masks a couple weeks ago?

      Thankfully the vast majority of the country does not share your sentiment – because facts.

      Enjoy your final 6 months of your Cheeto in charge.

  6. CharlieWarlie Reply
    April 28, 2020 at 6:20 pm

    If people would wear a mask and keep their hands clean, 90% of our dilemma would go away. I like SWA, but it may be time for assigned seating boarding from the rear forward. I think the old free for all days are gone.

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