Southwest Airlines Case Analysis Essay Example

Southwest Airlines Case Analysis Paper Southwest History 1966: Rollin King marched into Herb Kelleher’s law office with a plan to start a low-cost/low-fare airline that would shuttle passengers between San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston. Thought of this idea because businessmen were complaining about the commute. 1967: Kelleher filed papers to incorporate the new airline and submitted an application to the Texas Aeronautics Commission for the new company to serve Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. 4 year legal and regulatory battle from rival airlines 1971 (January): Lamar Muse brought in as the CEO to get operations under way. Boeing supplied three new 737s, discounted price by $1 million (5gt;4) and financed 90% of the $12 million deal. 1971 (June): Southwest initiated its first flights with a schedule that soon included 6 round-trips between Dallas and San Antonio and 12 round-trips between Houston and Dallas. Disappointing results despite only $20 fare compared to rivals $27-28. Their funds stretched thin and they were putting fuel on Muse’s credit card. Employee morale was high. 1971 (November): Muse came up with idea to offer $10 fare to passengers on the Friday-night Houstongt;Dallas flight. The flight sold-out without advertising. Muse came up with a two-tier on-peak and off-peak pricing structure. BEGINNING OF THE NO-LAYOFF POLICY, they have never laid off or furloughed any employees. 1972: Moved flights in Houston from the newly opened Houston Intercontinental Airport to the abandoned Houston Hobby Airport (for money and location reasons). 1973: Reported its first-ever annual profit in 1973. Introduced a profit-sharing plan for senior employees (first in the airline industry) -Rest of the 1970s consisted of legal battles- 1977: Listed on the NYSE 978: Muse resigned; Howard Putnam became CEO after Kelleher turned down the offer. 1979: First route outside Texas (New Orleans) 1981: Putnam resigned; Kelleher became CEO. Southwest had 27 planes, $270 million in revenues, 2100 employees, and 14 destination cities. Kelleher did not run from his office but among the troops. 1983: 3 additional Boeing 737s purchased; Southwest flies more than 9. 5 million passengers. 1984: Sout hwest is ranked first in customer satisfaction among the U. S. airlines for the fourth straight year. 1985: Service begins to St. We will write a custom essay sample on Southwest Airlines Case Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Southwest Airlines Case Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Southwest Airlines Case Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Louis and Chicago Midway. Southwest named the Ronald McDonald House as its primary charity (a pilot lost his daughter to leukemia). 1986: Southwest flies more than 13 million passengers. 1988: Southwest becomes the first U. S. airline to win the Triple Crown (best on-time record, fewest reports of mishandled baggage, and fewest complaints per 100,000 passengers) for a single month. 1990: Revenues reach $1 billion; only major U. S. airline to record both an operating and a net profit. The Culture Committee was formed to promote â€Å"Positively Outrageous Service. † 992: First annual Triple Crown; second-year running they were the only major U. S. airline to record both an operating and a net profit. 1993: Begins operations on the East Coast and wins second annual Triple Crown; revenues exceed $2 billion and profits exceed $100 million. Third consecutive year of being the only U. S. airline to record both an operating and net profit. 1994: Introduced ticketless travel in four c ities; third Triple Crown; acquires Morris Air (Salt Lake City) 1995: Ticketless travel becomes available system-wide; fourth consecutive Triple Crown. 996: Service to Florida begins; fifth consecutive Triple Crown; ~$740,000 to RMDH 1997: Service begins to Southwest’s 50th city; more than 50 million people fly Southwest. 1998: Named by Fortune as the best company to work for in America 1999: Service is added to three more cities. 2000: # of passengers exceeds 60 million; revenues surpass $5 billion; 28th consecutive year of profitability; 9th consecutive year of increased profits; becomes the 4th largest U. S. airline in terms of passengers carried. 2001: 30th Consecutive year of profitability; only U. S. airline to report a profit; record 64. million passengers 2001 (June): Kelleher stepped down as CEO but stayed chairman of the Board. James Parker and another trusted protege became CEO. 2002: Ranks second among companies across all industry groups (first in airlines) on Fo rtune’s 2002 list of most admired companies. Began changing the look of its planes. 2004: Parker retired unexpectedly. Gary Kelly appointed CEO. 2005: Becomes 2nd largest U. S. airline in terms of passengers carried. First significant blemish on Southwest’s safety record (overshot runway in Chicago). 2006: A record 96. 3 million passengers fly Southwest. 007: Becomes the largest U. S. airline in terms of passengers carried; profitable for the 35th consecutive year; named to Business Week’s first ever â€Å"Customer Service Champs† list and is voted â€Å"Overall Best Airline in the U. S. They introduced the Business Select fare to attract economy-minded business travelers. Did an â€Å"Extreme Gate Makeover† to improve experience. Ticketless travel accounted for more than 95% of all sales. Operation Kick Tail (customer service initiative) launched. 2008: More people were flying Southwest than any other U. S. airline and they were the only U. S. Air carrier that was consistently profitable and had been since 1973. Southwest did not choose to use a la carte pricing like other airlines; they stuck with an all-inclusive fare. Mission statement was revised to highlight customer service commitment. Belated Aircraft Inspections further tarnish Southwest’s reputation (placed three employees on leave). 2008 (May): Kelleher resigned as chairman of the board. Kelly assumed chairman of the board, president, and CEO. Southwest Financial and Statistical Background Key Financial Ratios | 2005| 2006| 2007| 2008| Gross Profit Margin| 31. 2%| 30. 54%| 26. 63%| 22. 07%| Operating Profit Margin| 9. 56%| 10. 28%| 8. 02%| 4. 07%| Net Profit Margin| 6. 38%| 5. 49%| 6. 54%| 1. 61%| Return on Total Assets| 3. 46%| 3. 71%| 3. 85%| 1. 27%| Return on Stockholders Equity| 7. 25%| 7. 74%| 9. 29%| 3. 59%| Earnings Per Share| 61. 00%| 63. 00%| 85. 00%| 24. 00%| Current Ratio| 94. 07%| 90. 09%| 91. 84%| 94. 55%| Quick Ratio| 90. 18%| 89. 37%| 87. 34 %| 88. 80%| Working Capital| -$228| -$286| -$395| -$153| Routes and Flight Data May 2008 serves 52 U. S. cities. Currently serves 69 U. S. cities. Top 10 Airports: May 2008| Current| Las Vegas| Las Vegas| Chicago Midway| Chicago Midway| Phoenix| Phoenix| Baltimore/Washington| Baltimore/Washington| Oakland| Denver| Houston Hobby| Houston Hobby| Dallas – Love Field| Dallas – Love Field| Los Angeles| Los Angeles| Orlando| Oakland| San Diego| San Diego| Aircraft Fleet: | May 2008| Current| Total A/C: | 527| 544| Total Seats:| 71,824| 74,153| †¢Southwest tested Wi-Fi on four of there airplanes, and in late 2009, made the decision to begin installing satellite-delivered broadband from their Wi-Fi provider, Row 44, on the rest of their fleet. Southwest estimates that heir entire fleet will be Wi-Fi enabled in the 2013 timeframe. Number of Domestic Passengers by Air Carrier | 2000| 2005| 2006| 2007| Q1 2008| Southwest| 15. 32%| 19. 63%| 21. 68%| 21. 95%| 23. 21%| American| 14. 42%| 17. 16%| 17. 29%| 16. 48%| 16. 64%| Delta| 20. 68%| 17. 22%| 14. 29%| 13. 26%| 13. 43%| United Air| 15. 30%| 12. 25%| 12. 88%| 12. 14%| 11. 61%| US Airways| 11. 96%| 8. 22%| 7. 18%| 11. 17%| 11. 26%| Northwest| 10. 23%| 10. 36%| 10. 16%| 9. 43%| 9. 09%| Continental| 7. 73%| 7. 32%| 8. 05%| 7. 99%| 8. 18%| Jet Blue| 0. 24%| 3. 21%| 4. 07%| 4. 42%| 6. 59%| America West| 4. 11%| 4. 63%| 4. 41%| 3. 6%| 0. 00% *| * America West data is included with US Airway starting in 2007 due to merger. Operating Revenues of Selected US Airlines, 2000-2007 (in billions) | 2007| 2006| 2005| 2004| 2003| 2002| 2001| 2000| American| 1st$22. 9| 1st$22. 5| 1st$20. 6| 1st$18. 6| 1st$17. 4| 1st$15. 9| 2nd$15. 6| 2nd$18. 1| United| 2nd 20. 1| 2nd19. 3| 2nd17. 3| 2nd15. 7| 3rd13. 4| 2nd13. 9| 1st16. 1| 1st19. 3| Delta| 3rd 19. 2| 3rd17. 5| 3rd16. 5| 3rd15. 2| 2nd14. 3| 3rd12. 4| 3rd13. 2| 3rd15. 3| Continental| 4th 14. 2| 4th13. 1| 5th11. 1| 5th9. 9| 5th7. 3| 5th7. 4| 6th8. 2| 5th9. 4| Northwest| 5th 12. 5| 5th12. 6| 4th12. | 4th11. 3| 4th10. 1| 4th9. 2| 4th9. 6| 4th11. 0| US Airways| 6th 11. 7| 6th11. 6| 7th7. 2| 6th7. 1| 6th6. 8| 6th6. 9| 5th8. 3| 6th9. 2| Southwest| 7th 9. 9| 7th9. 1| 6th7. 6| 7th6. 5| 7th5. 9| 7th5. 5| 7th5. 6| 7th5. 7| America West| *| *| 8th3. 4| 8th2. 5| 8th2. 2| 8th2. 0| 8th2. 0| 8th2. 3| Total| 110. 5| 105. 7| 96| 86. 8| 77. 4| 73. 2| 78. 6| 90. 3| *America West merged with US Airways in 2005. Major U. S. Airlines Fuel amp; Oil and Total Operating Expenses Per Passenger Revenue Miles Southwest Airlines had the 4th lowest fuel cost in 1995, 2nd lowest in 2000, and the lowest fuel cost from 2006 to Q1 2008 Southwest Airlines had the 2nd to the lowest total operating expenses in 1995 and the lowest from 2000 to Q1 2008. | 1995| 2000| 2005| 2006| 2007| Q1 2008| Fuel amp; Oil| | | | | | | America West| 1. 40| 2. 18| 3. 32| 3. 85| 3. 87| | American Airlines| 1. 53| 2. 04| 3. 67| 4. 15| 4. 34| 5. 75| Continental Air Lines| 1. 67| 2. 18| 3. 42| 3. 82| 3. 97| 5. 26| Delta Air Lines| 1. 70| 1. 73| 3. 68| 4. 18| 4. 32| 5. 67| Northwest Airlines| 1. 73| 2. 35| 4. 01| 4. 56| 4. 47| 5. 94| Southwest Airlines| 1. 56| 1. 95| 2. 44| 3. 37| 3. 71| 4. 54| United Air Lines| 1. 51| 1. 98| 3. 53| 4. 11| 4. 26| 5. 5| US Airways| 1. 59| 2. 44| 3. 89| 4. 30| 4. 45| 5. 63| | | | | | | | Total Operating Expenses| | | | | | America West| 10. 57| 12. 15| 14. 50| 16. 15| 15. 58| -| American Airlines| 14. 25| 14. 48| 15. 18| 15. 55| 15. 98| 18. 18| Continental Air Lines| 12. 87| 13. 70| 16. 38| 16. 51| 16. 56| 18. 81| Delta Air Lines| 13. 53| 12. 85| 16. 68| 17. 50| 17. 63| 20. 95| Northwest Airlines| 12. 77| 12. 99| 17. 40| 16. 20| 15. 90| 19. 25| Southwest Airlines| 10. 91| 10. 91| 11. 21| 12. 03| 12. 53| 13. 85| United Air Lines| 12. 58| 14. 65| 15. 35| 16. 07| 16. 27| 19. 13| US Airways| 17. 73| 19. 8| 18. 49| 20. 03| 20. 14| 21. 45| Operating Expenses per Average Seat Mile (Available Seat) | 1995| 2000| 2005| 2006| 2007| Compensation| 33. 95%| 36. 35%| 40. 62%| 37. 39%| 35. 38%| Fuel amp; Oil| 14. 29%| 17. 34%| 19. 63%| 26. 25%| 28. 02%| Maintenance| 8. 49%| 8. 15%| 6. 46%| 5. 80%| 6. 81%| A/C Rentals| 6. 65%| 4. 27%| 2. 36%| 1. 93%| 1. 76%| Landing Fees| 6. 22%| 5. 69%| 6. 58%| 6. 02%| 6. 15%| Depreciation| 6. 08%| 6. 08%| 6. 83%| 6. 36%| 6. 15%| Other Expenses| 24. 33%| 22. 12%| 17. 52%| 16. 25%| 15. 71%| 1. Is there anything that you find particularly impressive about Southwest Airlines? One of the most impressive facets about Southwest Airlines is the foundation the airline was built on and how that foundation remains present after 40 years, â€Å"true grit. † Southwest Airlines fought to be in existence, remain in existence, and today fights to remain a lean and fearless competitor by providing a low-cost, low-price and no-frills product. Southwest Airlines’ tenacity is very distinctive and they are proud to show it through their marketing campaigns, such as, â€Å"Nobody Is Going to Shoot Southwest Airlines Out of the Sky for a Lousy $13. † The value Southwest Airlines has for its employees is impressive. The low employee turnover rate and large number of applicants is a strong indicator that this value is real and not lip service. Another interesting fact in regards to employees at Southwest is that in 40 years there have only been four CEOs, with 20 of those years being one individual, Herb Kelleher. 2. What grade would you give Southwest management for the job it has done in crafting the company’s strategy? What is it that you like or dislike about the strategy? Does Southwest have a winning strategy? In respect to Southwest’s efforts in crafting the company’s strategy, we feel that the company deserves an A for its relentless efforts to stay true to its low-cost provider strategic intent and for its ability to be able to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. As customers, we feel like the low prices are an extremely likeable aspect of the strategy. It is also important to mention that their customer service level is strong and leaves each passenger feeling a connection with the Southwest brand. However, we dislike the lack of creature comforts and the cattle-like approach to boarding. Southwest does maintain a winning strategy. One of the most important concepts that Southwest developed and grasped in their strategy was that it was not enough to be a low-cost provider; they needed to have a sustainable competitive advantage. The company addressed this by stressing that through the low-cost provider strategy, customer service, and customer satisfaction, they are able to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage, which is demonstrated in their financial and statistical data. A manager from Southwest stated â€Å"our fares can be matched; our airplanes and routes can be copied. But we pride ourselves on our customer service. † Although no strategy is without fault or mistake, Southwest has managed to significantly make its strategy into one that can thrive in both a short and long-term vision. With its focus on ways to keep cost low for customers, from paperless tickets to special programs for frequent flyers, the company has been able to effectively provide service to their customers and hold true to their mission. 3. What are the key policies, procedures, operating practices, and core values underlying Southwest’s efforts to implement and execute its low-cost/no frills strategy? Southwest has many key policies, procedures, operating practices and core values that help to implement and execute its low-cost/no frills strategy. Fare Structure: Southwest employs a relatively simple fare structure featuring low, unrestricted, unlimited, everyday coach fares, along with even lower fares available on a restricted basis. Route System: Southwest did not use the hub-and-spoke route systems like their rivals; instead their route system was carefully designed to concentrate on flights between pairs of cities 150-750 miles apart where there was enough passenger traffic that Southwest could offer a sizable number of daily flights. Relationship with Boeing: Southwest operates only one type of aircraft (Boeing 737s) to minimize the size of spare parts inventories, simplify the training of maintenance and repair personnel, improve the proficiency and speed with which maintenance routines could be done, and simplify the task of scheduling planes for particular flights. With their loyalty to Boeing they were able to acquire new aircrafts at favorable prices. Ticketless Travel Option: Southwest was the first major airline to use ticketless travel which eliminated the need to print and process paper tickets. They were also the first to allow customers to make reservations and purchase tickets at their website; this allowed them to bypass the need to pay commissions to travel agents for handling the ticketing process and reducing staffing requirements at reservation centers. Congestion Avoidance: Southwest de-emphasized flights to congested airports which helped them produce better-than-average on-time performance and reduce the fuel costs associated with sitting in line on taxiways or circling waiting for clearance to land. It also allowed them to avoid the higher landing fees and terminal gate costs at such high-traffic airports. No Reserved Seats Policy: To economize on the amount of time it took terminal personnel to check passengers in and to simplify the whole task of making reservations, Southwest stopped assigning seats. No Cleaning Crew: Southwest flight attendants were responsible for cleaning up trash left by deplaning passengers. No First-Class: Southwest does not entertain a first-class section in any of its planes nor do they entertain frequent fliers at fancy clubs in terminals. They also do not serve meals in order to make reprovisioning planes simple and quick. Bags Fly Free: Southwest does not charge a baggage transfer service fee. Passengers pick up their luggage themselves. Software Updates: They implemented use of new software that significantly decreased the time required to generate optimal crew schedules and help improve on-time performance. Cloth to Leather: Southwest concluded that an all-leather interior would be more durable and easier to maintain, more than justifying the higher initial costs. Fuel Hedging: Southwest was a first-mover to fuel hedging and derivative contracts to counteract rising prices. Their fuel hedging strategy had produced savings of about $3. 5 billion since 1998. Vertical Winglets: To enhance the performance and efficiency of the fleet, they added vertical winglets on the wing tips to reduce lift drag, allow aircraft to climb more steeply and reach higher flight levels quicker, improve cruising performance, extend engine life and reduce maintenance costs, and reduce fuel burn. New Technology: Southwest is investing in technology and software to replace its ticketless system and its back-office accounting, payroll, and human resource information systems. This will enhance data flow, operational efficiency, and customer service capability. 4. What are the key elements of Southwest’s culture? Is Southwest a strong culture company? Why or why not? What problems do you foresee that Gary Kelly has in sustaining the culture now that Herb Kelleher, the company’s spiritual leader, has departed? The key element of Southwest’s culture is the total employee benefit package, from compensation to training and development to promotion to retirement. Southwest’s operative principle states, â€Å"employees come first and customers come second. Management believes that by placing a high priority on employees, it would result in those employees being passionate about their jobs, but also lets the employees know that Southwest is concerned for their general well-being and would provide them with job security. It is important to note that Southwest Airlines has never laid off or furloughed any of its employees since beginnin g operations in 1971. Southwest’s simple thesis is as follows: Keep employees happy—then they will keep customers happy. CEO Gary Kelly even said, â€Å"Our people are our single greatest strength and our most enduring long-term competitive advantage. † Southwest is a very strong culture company. By placing their focus on employees first, they are ensuring that their customers will be well taken care of. They hire employees based on their attitude and then train them for skills. Herb Kelleher stated â€Å"We can train people to do things where skills are concerned. But there is one capability we do not have and that is to change a person’s attitude. So we prefer an unskilled person with a good attitude†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Southwest has the belief that superior, hospitable service and a fun-loving spirit flowed from the heart and soul of employees who themselves were fun-loving and spirited, who liked their jobs and the company they worked for, and who were also confident and empowered to do their jobs as they saw fit. Southwest also has the lowest employee turnover rate in the industry with pay scales above the industry average (sometimes even near or at the top of the industry). Another important part of their culture is their no-layoff policy. Kelleher stated â€Å"Nothing kills your company’s culture like layoffs†¦you want to show your people you value them and you’re not going to hurt them just to get a little more money in the short-term. † Southwest has two core values: LUV and fun. LUV turned into the code word for how to treat customers, with dignity and respect and demonstrating a caring, loving attitude. LUV and red hearts appeared on posters at company facilities to remind employees of the behavior that was expected towards customers and other employees. Fun at Southwest includes pranks and jokes, dressing up on holidays, charity benefit games, entertaining behavior of employees while on the job, and more. CEO Gary Kelly explains that the â€Å"Southwest Way†, which includes having a Warrior Spirit, Servant’s Heart and a Fun, Loving attitude are the three things that have defined their culture for 36 years. In 1990, a Culture Committee was formed to nurture the Southwest Spirit. The committee sponsored and supported hundreds of ways to promote the Southwest Spirit by using the red hearts and LUV to embody the spirit of caring and other things such as serving employees pizza. Southwest’s monthly newsletter, LUV Lines, spotlights experiences and deeds of certain employees, reprinted letters of praise from customers, and company milestone celebrations. There are also occasional meetings called Culture Exchange in which they share similar information as the LUV Lines. All of these culture-building exercises have helped Southwest be a profitable company with loyal employees and happy customers. Gary Kelly may still encounter problems after taking over as CEO. Herb Kelleher instituted practices and support systems that promoted operating excellence which were a source of company pride. He devoted many years and a great amount of effort to find the best and most effective ways to operate every aspect of the company, from aircraft maintenance to efficient baggage transfers. CEO Gary Kelly has been following Kelleher’s lead in pushing for operational excellence. Kelly may not be the â€Å"original spiritual leader,† but he is doing his part to keep the company the way Kelleher left it. Kelly has strong strategic objectives; one being that Southwest would be â€Å"the safest, most efficient, and most reliable airline in the world. Both men believed that having a strong balance sheet and profitability were important financial aspects of the company. Kelleher’s vibrant, fun and caring attitude will be hard for any other CEO to match. He was known for his Hawaiian print shirts, making jokes and tricked out motorcycle. He was well known not only inside the company, but also outside for his combativeness. In 1990, he had a message penned in the Dallas Headquarters Office that stated: â€Å"The people of Southwest Airlines are the creators of what we have becomeand of what we will be. † Kelly will never be the same person as Kelleher and it may take longer for employees to warm up to his different management style. Kelly is less of a â€Å"culture pusher† than Kelleher, which could hurt Southwest in the long run, since their whole company is based on promoting a fun, caring atmosphere. Although Kelleher spoke very highly of Kelly when he took over as CEO in 2004, that doesn’t mean that Kelly will be as highly respected in terms of a spiritual leader to employees than Kelleher was. In addition, the Kelleher era at Southwest seemed to always be in a dogfight to build and become what they are today. As the employees who fought that fight with Kelleher retire, a piece of the â€Å"warrior spirit† goes with them. This may make it hard for Kelly to keep the warrior mentality alive with new employees who didn’t have a dog in the fight and may feel they don’t have as much invested to ensure they stay on top. 5. What grade would you give Southwest management for the job it has done in implementing and executing the company’s strategy? Which of Southwest’s strategy execution approaches and operating practices do you believe have been most crucial in accounting for the success that Southwest has enjoyed in executing its strategy? Are there any policies, procedures, and operating approaches at Southwest that you disapprove of or that are not working well? During a difficult time within the airline industry, Southwest made its entrance in 1971, despite the endless attempts from rivals to collapse the company before they could get started. Southwest emerged and made its first flight in June 1971. Since then Southwest’s management team has done a monumental job in implementing their strategies. By using a differentiation approach Southwest was able to stand out amongst its competitors. Low fares, entertainment, more flights to the same locations, the gradual expansion into new geographic markets, adding flights in areas where rivals were cutting back service using first-mover strategies, and flight turnaround times around 25mins (compared to 50-60 minutes from its competitors) all contributed to a grade A for Southwest’s management. Southwest’s overall strategy has transitioned from the 1971 to 2010. When the airline first started, they were serving a market niche in the Golden Triangle (Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas). They moved towards a Focused Low-Cost Provider as they expanded their service by expanding into new geographic markets and adding flights in areas where rivals were cutting back service. Southwest is now moving towards becoming a Best-Cost Provider by upgrading the quality of the customer experience (i. e. leather seats, business-focused areas, family-focused areas, etc). The low-cost, low-price, and no frills strategies have worked very well for Southwest. The company took a two-tier fare approach which gave customers a choice between a low unrestricted, unlimited, everyday coach fare and one which was restricted that was even lower cost. Despite its highly effective strategy, Southwest has some aspects that may not be working as well as others. Their infamous cattle call (procedure for boarding) can make customers feel like animals rather than people when they are fighting for a seat. Many customers may choose to forgo the lower airfare to enjoy a more peaceful boarding experience. Another issue to be addressed is the maintenance policies and procedures that ultimately led to the fairly recent media debacle. Reports of lax aircraft inspections surfaced and Kelly admitted the wrongdoing of the company. He limited the bad media exposure by ensuring the public his airline was one of the safest to fly with. Despite his public apology, this matter needs to be aggressively approached to ensure customers feel safe flying Southwest. 6. What weaknesses or problems do you see at Southwest Airlines? 1. Public perception of safety after airline inspection issue 2. Lack of creature comforts such as pre-assigned seating and on-board meals. 3. There is no first class for customers, so those wanting a more luxurious experience may fly with competing airlines. . It also offers no baggage transfers to other airlines, which may be a complaint from passengers needing to catch another plane in a short amount of time. 5. Cattle-call boarding procedure 7. What recommendations would you make to Gary Kelly? 1. Establish a more aggressive maintenance inspection program, especially with the older aircraft in their fleet. 2. Offer premium services for a fee. For example: seat selection, leg room, seat size, baggage transfer, and boarding first. 3. Provide a few more creature comforts on longer flights. Doing without comfort is fine on short flights. 4. Sell even lower cost tickets to spontaneous travelers who truly decide at the last minute to get away for a short weekend vacation when there are vacant seats available. 5. Continue hedging fuel to save money in that aspect. 6. Explore increasing the number of destination cities so they can grow their customer base. 7. Southwest should continue learning about the types of customers that tend to fly with Southwest so they can make changes to better serve their clientele. 8. Explore international flight options.

Shopping Diaries Brand New Flat Screen 47

Shopping Diaries Brand New Flat Screen 47 Before Shopping My mother and I have been toying with the idea of getting a brand new flat screen 47 inch TV for over a year now. After much debating, consideration, and internet searching, we finally decided that it was time to go shopping and make the purchase.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Shopping Diaries: Brand New Flat Screen 47-inch TV specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Since this was like buying a new toy for a child, you can just imagine the excitement and eagerness that both of us felt as I drove us to the mall where all the appliance stores were located. Before we seriously buckled down to shopping, I remember feeling a tinge of apprehension. Were we really ready to make this purchase? Wasnt this just an impulse buy? Maybe we should sleep on it and come back another day? During the time when I was doing my internet research on the product, I had come to the realization that the amount of money needed to pu rchase the TV would probably pay for a semester of college for me. Not only that, but television technology advanced and came out with newer, more superior models to the previous flat screen TV releases on a 6 month basis. Making the item devalue practically the minute we plopped down our payment for it. Somehow I managed to convince myself otherwise and we trudged on in search of the perfect flat screen TV. Knowing that my mother was advancing in age and needed a larger screen TV in order to see the images on the screen, and that we already had a digital entertainment theater system set up at home, sans the correct TV set, were what probably helped me get over my initial apprehensions about buying the flat screen at this point in time. It may not be a necessity for me, since I spend most of my time at school, studying, or at work, but my mom, who is always at home, needs it for her own personal enjoyment. So who am I to prevent her from getting what she will enjoy the most? I can u se the set up when I have some free time anyway. After Shopping Okay, so here we are, sitting in the food court and enjoying an after shopping snack. We have finally made the purchase and both feel quite satisfied with our choice of an LG Scarlet 47 inch flat screen. We had actually lucked out at the appliance store because they had both a Samsung flat screen TV and an LG flat screen TV in the display area. These were the exact 2 brands that we were considering to buy and it was fantastic that we got to compare their visual output and other specs side by side. It made shopping and decision making a lot easier. Thanks to the internet research that I did previously, I was able to ask the salesman the proper questions about the items and get his opinion on the items, all things considered. Since we were shopping for opinions, he even went to the extent of asking his co-workers for their opinions on the 2 items, and later on, his store manager also weighed in with his opinion.Advertisin g Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The more opinions the better I always say. We finally settled on the LG flat screen because it had one thing that the Samsung flat screen did not have, a screen protector that would protect the pixels and bulbs from death in the event that the screen was accidentally hit by a sharp or blunt object at full force. The Samsung version would have dead pixels instantly. Since I had my mother with me, and the purchase was really being made for her, I felt that she was the best shopping companion that I could have brought with me. She helped me stay focused on what item we really wanted to get when my eyes would stray to the other product displays, and reminded me of the budget that we had to stick to. We had a pleasant time shopping together and enjoyed our time together because we both knew exactly what was needed and wanted at the time and had al ready discussed it before hand.

Les Miserables By Victor Hugo -Social Injustice Essay

Les Miserables By Victor Hugo -Social Injustice - Essay Example These themes are stressed by Hugo’s thoughts and views on politics, religion and justice; this forms a major part of the discourse. Though each of the mentioned themes are evident throughout the novel, they become more clearer on following certain characters who form the spine of the novel. These are, Jean Valjean and Javert, it is through these characters that we witness the extent of social injustice in early France. Social Injustice in Early France Social justice takes many forms; however, this study restricts its analysis to the three forms of social injustice highlighted by Hugo. Hugo in his book Les Miserables brings into focus three areas that require urgent attention, education, criminal justice and the welfare of women. These also happen to constitute a major part of social injustice not only as discussed by Hugo but also as highlighted by different social definitions. A look at France at the time of Hugo’s writing reveals a largely stratified society which was yet to receive the promises and aspirations of those who participated in the French revolution of 1789. It is understood that proper governance which would inevitably translate to social justice was one of the major driving force prior to the French Revolution. Therefore, it was hoped that with the revolution social justice would be achieved. Social justice in this regard referred to equitable distribution of resources, observance of equity in terms of gender and equal employment opportunities. However, close to a century after the revolution this still remained a pipe dream as highlighted in Hugo’s book. French socialists largely blamed capitalism; they argued that capitalism was an immoral system. They looked at capitalism as the reason behind the long working hours, child labor, poverty of working people, unemployment, income inequalities, social injustice and multiple other problems (Pejovich 18). It is these very concerns that form the backdrop of Hugo’s Les Mise rables, he is concerned of the rampant inequality and disregard of human equity. This particular concern is highlighted in the case of Fantine a young energetic woman. She is left to care for her child after the child’s father deserts them; she undergoes immeasurable suffering including a six month jail term for defending her dignity. This is just one instance of injustice against women in the novel; other injustices identified by the French sociologists are rife in Hugo’s book. Child labour is seen in the case of Cosette, Fantine’s daughter who is forced to work by her custodians who still go ahead to demand money for her upkeep. In short, early France was driven by struggles between two main stratifications, the rich and the poor. The rich decided how the poor would lead their lives and provided for systems which completely ignored the rights and privileges of the poor. Most notably, they used law enforcers to continually suppress the poor in a bid to ensure s ubordination. The face of such force in Hugo’s Les Miserables is Javert, Javer was born of a convict father but later denounced both his parents. He chose to work in prison as a guard; at one point he was mandated to guard against a chain gang whose one of the members happened to be Jean Valjean. Javert later on joins the police force, through his new position he is mandated to rid the city off offenders. One of the offenders is Jean Valjean who is apparently a repeat

Contemporary Middle Eastern History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Contemporary Middle Eastern History - Essay Example I believe that some of his ideas are a stark reflection of the underlying reality and can offer some insight into present religious/cultural relations. That is, there is actually a tension of sorts between identifiable groups of humanity in the present day. However, Samuel Huntington makes a gross oversimplification of things without an in-depth understanding of the nature of present-day conflicts and the complex characteristics of cultures. So, there is no ‘clash of civilizations’ as such. Significantly, his theory fails to satisfactorily explain the post September 11th world. Samuel Huntington outlines a future where the â€Å"great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural† (Huntington 1993:22) and on this basis divides the world into seven civilizations. I agree with his broad idea of the significance of culture and that this is the basis upon which humankind can be differentiated. But, his differentiation is largely based on religion with some exceptions and the fact that he has ignored Buddhism altogether. Also, he puts Israel together with the West, thereby combining Jews with Christians, which is strange if we look at history. He does correctly identify nation-states as a relatively new phenomenon, and that economic and military power drives conflicts. He is also correct in saying that the concept of a global or universal culture is a relatively recent on originating in the West and that the West considers its own policies as positive for the rest of the world and therefore to be imposed upon it. As far as human rights is concerned this does not hold water because Islam conferred human rights over a thousand years ago, so this is more a reflection of the changed times rather than differences. Also, we could give examples of the not too distant past when for example inter-racial problems were severe, civil and women’s rights was obtained. So, America has no strong foundations

Duties of your own work Essay Example for Free

Duties of your own work Essay Ensure all children are safe and happy within the setting. Keeping walk ways, fire exits and doorways clear. Doing regular risk assessment checks throughout ­Ã‚ ­ the day (bye eye). Risk assessment check of the garden before going out. Making sure none of the toys are damaged or broken. EYFS Making sure the EYFS is followed when carrying out monthly spot obs, and when having input in the planning. 1.2 Explain expectations about own work role as expressed in relevant standards. As a practitioner my expectations should be to become a valuable practitioner, to be reliable and be able build good relationships with children and parent carers. Encourage the children in the setting to play whilst learning, and have our children’s best interests at heart for example physical activities and outings will help them to enjoy their growth in knowledge and assist them to expand on their development as a whole. Also I to be able to work with other staff members and parent/carers to support the children, so that the children will feel confident and able boost up their  self-esteem, and this will also help them in their future, and prepare them for when they move onto school or in my case the next room up. Also the expectations that are to be done in my setting at a relevant standard is to supervise the children this plays a big role in child protection Act and health and safety policy. As a practitioner I should always watch the children closely to prevent and reduce any type of injury to the children. Children often challenge their own abilities but are not always able to recognise the risks involved, as a practitioner I should always supervise the children to be able to identify any risks and minimise injury at all times while still encouraging the children to take their own risk. 2.1 Explain the importance of reflective practice in continuously improving the quality of the service provided. It is important to use reflective practise as it can improve your own work and make you consider ways of improving the things you do on a day to day basis. In order to reflect on your own practice, you need to be able to question what you do and think about it rather than just doing it. You can do this by observing how the children react to the activity, and how other have had input. Where you feel you have done well you should consider what skills, knowledge or practice you have used to help you achieve this. You can also ask others for example you room leader for input and ask what they think you did well and what you can improve on. Once you have been give this input you should think about what you need to do to improve. The way you might approach reflecting on your own practice could be to observe the children before you do an activity this can enable you to learn from the children and help you get a good idea of what the children are interested in and also the way they engage wi th other children. You should also be aware of and focus on the issues in hand for example things cannot be running smoothly because of issues as small as the daily routine having a minor issue such as the timings been just out, we should work on these problems as a setting rather than seeing them as just a small problem. Seek out alternatives, if you do not have something you need then don’t panic there is always an alternative you can use. Panicking can cause the children to feel distress and this in turn can cause the children to leave the activity. Also viewing things from a different perspective can help, if you view  things from the children’s perspective can help you experience how the children view the activities, also standing over Someone else’s activities can help you view the way you see how your own activity or went wrong. 2.3 describe how own believes, values and experiences may affect working practices. Your own believe systems, values and experiences can affect your working practices in a good and bad ways for example I believe that no matter what race, religion or background a child comes from they should all be treated as equals and we should follow what the parents would like us too, this can include dietary requirements, clothing, sayings before and after meals for example in my nursery we have some parents that would like us to say please and thank in Punjab. Whereas your own experiences can have an adverse effect on your working practice, for example as a child I was never aloud pudding until i had finished my meal, whereas at work I have to give the child their pudding regardless as to whether the child eats the main meal or not. 4.1 Identify sources of support for planning and reviewing my own development. The sources of support for planning and reviewing my own development are Nikol – manager Nikol helps me review my own development by giving me feedback on a daily basis. Nikol helps me by reviewing my practice and speaking to me when she sees something aren’t quite right and telling me how to handle things the next time round. I also have monthly appraisals with nikol when we talk about how I feel in the work place and how Nikol thinks I could improve and what I’m doing well in, Ema – Room Leader Ema helps me with my development by allowing me to set out my own activities and giving me giving me feedback after each activity. Ema allows me to put up displays and have input into the planning. Ema also gives me praise on a  daily basis. Ema also helps me when I’m unsure on something like what to write for observations or how to link the planning to the EYFS. Hayley – Tutor Hayley helps me with my own development by reviewing my work and giving me feedback on how to make it better. Hayley also plans observations to observe my work within the setting. Parents My parents help me to plan my future steps like uni and talk to me about where I want my studies to take me. My parents also push me to achieve my goals It good to have more than one source of support as everyone’s advice is different and some sources can provide more support in certain areas than others. It’s also good to have more than one source of support as that one source of support is not always available to help. When I was doing a display at work I was struggling to write the EYFS for the display I had just done I asked Ema for support on how to write this. Ema gave me the EYFS Someone else had done as a guide she also showed me which aspects of the EYFS to use to guide me. I felt a lot better after asking for help it made me feel that I could always ask for help when needed and that there was the support I needed.

State and Religious Institutions and the Turkish Education System :: Education Turkey Educational Essays

State and Religious Institutions and the Turkish Education System Since 2000 B.C., when Turkey first appeared on the pages of history, the country has been a part of many different civilizations and has been constantly developing into the nation that we see today.? Turkey?s educational system has been developing as well.? The control of the educational system in Turkey is very much rooted in the State and is primarily controlled by the Ministry of National Education (commonly referred to as ?the Ministry?).? I found a good summary of the aim of the Ministry which stated that the goal of the Turkish national education system could be summed up as being, one where all individuals of the state are gathered together as an inseparable whole, united in national consciousness and thinking, trained to think along scientific lines with intellectually broadened views on world affairs, and to be productive happy individuals, who through their skills contribute to the prosperity of society and are instrumental in making the Turkish nation a creative and d istinguished member of the modern world. (MFA) The overall structure of how education actually works in Turkey is very rigid and detailed.? It seems that the Ministry has been the most significant in modifying the educational systems of Turkey within the past few years.? In 1997, for example, the required five years of primary school was replaced by eight years of primary school (Council).? There are other similar minor changes that have occurred over the past few years, but none of them, to my knowledge, have been drastically altering.? Also, In all of my research, it was difficult for me to find contrary information on any of the old systems and how they may have differed from the present day educational system, so I conclude that the system has been roughly uniform and similar, while obviously evolving over the years, for quite some time. ?As I mentioned earlier, the educational system of Turkey is very rigid and detailed, but at the same time appears to be very efficient.? All students in Turkey attend eight years of primary school, followed by three to four years of secondary school.? Turkey?s educational system, at this point, strays quite a bit from the educational system that most of us have grown up with in America.? Secondary education generally consists of a type of specialization for each individual student? State and Religious Institutions and the Turkish Education System :: Education Turkey Educational Essays State and Religious Institutions and the Turkish Education System Since 2000 B.C., when Turkey first appeared on the pages of history, the country has been a part of many different civilizations and has been constantly developing into the nation that we see today.? Turkey?s educational system has been developing as well.? The control of the educational system in Turkey is very much rooted in the State and is primarily controlled by the Ministry of National Education (commonly referred to as ?the Ministry?).? I found a good summary of the aim of the Ministry which stated that the goal of the Turkish national education system could be summed up as being, one where all individuals of the state are gathered together as an inseparable whole, united in national consciousness and thinking, trained to think along scientific lines with intellectually broadened views on world affairs, and to be productive happy individuals, who through their skills contribute to the prosperity of society and are instrumental in making the Turkish nation a creative and d istinguished member of the modern world. (MFA) The overall structure of how education actually works in Turkey is very rigid and detailed.? It seems that the Ministry has been the most significant in modifying the educational systems of Turkey within the past few years.? In 1997, for example, the required five years of primary school was replaced by eight years of primary school (Council).? There are other similar minor changes that have occurred over the past few years, but none of them, to my knowledge, have been drastically altering.? Also, In all of my research, it was difficult for me to find contrary information on any of the old systems and how they may have differed from the present day educational system, so I conclude that the system has been roughly uniform and similar, while obviously evolving over the years, for quite some time. ?As I mentioned earlier, the educational system of Turkey is very rigid and detailed, but at the same time appears to be very efficient.? All students in Turkey attend eight years of primary school, followed by three to four years of secondary school.? Turkey?s educational system, at this point, strays quite a bit from the educational system that most of us have grown up with in America.? Secondary education generally consists of a type of specialization for each individual student?

Pros and Cons of Television

For most people, watching television is an enjoyable way to spend time. It is an undemanding activity that passes the time and there are very few families that don’t own at least one television. Since so many people now own a television, there has been a proliferation in the number of channels available and shows to watch, so that you can quite easily find yourself spending hours in front of the television.Consequently, you may neglect other activities that need doing. Thus, although television may help to ease boredom, there are also some negative aspects associated with watching television.Breaking news shown live on your TVGlobal news network allows the latest global events to be aired worldwide and beamed directly to your living room. Examples (from top-left, clockwise) include September 11th attack, 2004 Tsunami in Indonesia, 2008 H1N1 outbreak and 2011 earthquake in Japan.Pros of watching televisionThe positive aspects of watching television include that you have somethi ng to talk to friends and relatives about. There are certain programs which are more popular than others and if you watch them you feel included and that you have something in common with the people around you. Television can help to foster a sense of national identity, since a significant proportion of the population will be exposed to the same kinds of news programs and television shows, so that people feel that they belong to a wider community. Plus, television can also be informative and educational, opening people’s eyes up to the world outside.Educational TV programsEducational TV programs provide priceless information that not only educate but also opens up your mind. Most of these programs teach and educate people on subjects that you may otherwise will not know and are never taught in schools.Cons of watching televisionNon-educational TV programsHowever, there are also a lot of television shows that are not very educational, and could even be considered trash. Realit y shows, for instance, offer nothing of any worth to the audience, yet people still tune in. People get hooked on shows which are poorly produced and concentrate mostly on issues of sex and violence. Although there is no conclusive evidence that watching violence on television makes children more violent, when there is so much violence on television, it makes sense that people would become desensitized to it, and that this could make it easier for children to engage in violent activities.Watching too much TV can lead to weight gain, poor social skills and lower academic results Unsupervised children spending too much of their time in front of a TV can have a big impact on their life. Obesity, lack of social skills and poor academic results are just some of the effects TV have on children. Some psychologist believe that too much TV time can have a major effect in the psychology of the child. Children are suppose to interact and play, not sit and watch.Poor parenting and weight gainIt is also evident that many people spend too much time watching television, so that parents don’t bother to spend any time playing or talking with their children. It is far easier to stick them in front of the television, rather than taking them to the park. It can’t be a coincidence that so many people are now overweight when they spend much more time watching television than they would have done years ago. People used to be a lot more active, but now television is the most convenient way for individuals to keep themselves occupied. Thus, they burn hardly any calories while most probably consuming an excessive amount of calories.It’s addictiveEven though there are many negative aspects associated with watching television, many people enjoy television far too much to reduce the amount  they watch or to avoid watching television altogether. People enjoy not having to think for themselves and to be able to sit down and watch something that helps them to relax, so why would they change?