Southwest Airlines 2014 Annual Report Download - page 22

Download and view the complete annual report

Please find page 22 of the 2014 Southwest Airlines annual report below. You can navigate through the pages in the report by either clicking on the pages listed below, or by using the keyword search tool below to find specific information within the annual report.

Page out of 156

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36
  • 37
  • 38
  • 39
  • 40
  • 41
  • 42
  • 43
  • 44
  • 45
  • 46
  • 47
  • 48
  • 49
  • 50
  • 51
  • 52
  • 53
  • 54
  • 55
  • 56
  • 57
  • 58
  • 59
  • 60
  • 61
  • 62
  • 63
  • 64
  • 65
  • 66
  • 67
  • 68
  • 69
  • 70
  • 71
  • 72
  • 73
  • 74
  • 75
  • 76
  • 77
  • 78
  • 79
  • 80
  • 81
  • 82
  • 83
  • 84
  • 85
  • 86
  • 87
  • 88
  • 89
  • 90
  • 91
  • 92
  • 93
  • 94
  • 95
  • 96
  • 97
  • 98
  • 99
  • 100
  • 101
  • 102
  • 103
  • 104
  • 105
  • 106
  • 107
  • 108
  • 109
  • 110
  • 111
  • 112
  • 113
  • 114
  • 115
  • 116
  • 117
  • 118
  • 119
  • 120
  • 121
  • 122
  • 123
  • 124
  • 125
  • 126
  • 127
  • 128
  • 129
  • 130
  • 131
  • 132
  • 133
  • 134
  • 135
  • 136
  • 137
  • 138
  • 139
  • 140
  • 141
  • 142
  • 143
  • 144
  • 145
  • 146
  • 147
  • 148
  • 149
  • 150
  • 151
  • 152
  • 153
  • 154
  • 155
  • 156

portable electronic devices are able to utilize the airline’s onboard WiFi from gate-to-gate when
travelling on a Southwest WiFi-enabled airplane. Southwest was the first carrier to offer gate-to-gate
connectivity.
Southwest has grown the onboard entertainment options on WiFi-enabled aircraft for viewing
on Customers’ personal wireless devices to include free access to Southwest’s live and on-demand
television product. The television product currently consists of 19 live channels and up to 75 on-
demand recorded episodes from popular television series. Due to licensing restrictions, free live TV
may not be available onboard WiFi-enabled international flights.
Southwest also provides movies-on-demand, which are currently priced at $5 per movie and,
in December 2013, became the first airline to offer a Messaging-only option for $2 a day per device,
including all WiFi-enabled stops and connections. The Messaging service allows access to iMessage
and pre-downloaded apps for Viber and WhatsApp.
Customers do not have to purchase WiFi to access television offerings, movies-on-demand, or
the Messaging-only service.
Proactive Customer Communications
The Company’s Automated Outbound Messaging (“AOM”) service enables it to
(i) proactively deliver customized automated voice, text, and e-mail messages to Southwest domestic
Customers when there has been a change in their flight status as a result of a cancellation or flight
delay (of 30 minutes or more), as well as potential disruptions to Southwest’s scheduled service; and
(ii) give Southwest domestic Customers the option to connect to a Customer Representative or rebook
online in the case of cancelled flights. Southwest domestic Customers who book their travel on
southwest.com have the option to receive these notifications via telephone (landline or mobile), SMS
(text message), or email. In addition to providing flight information to Southwest domestic Customers
using their preferred contact method, if applicable, the Company directs Southwest domestic
Customers to rebook their flights online via southwest.com/rebook. The AOM strategy is designed to
increase proactive Customer outreach and accommodations, reduce Customer inconvenience, uphold
regulatory requirements, mitigate costs, and provide a better overall travel experience. Customers with
international reservations are able to sign up for text messaging and email alerts, via Southwest’s Flight
Status Notification (“FSN”) service on southwest.com, when there has been a change in their flight
status as a result of cancellation or flight delay (of 30 minutes or more). Through the Company’s
coordinated technology initiatives, it expects to combine its AOM and FSN products into one
streamlined messaging platform for domestic and international flight notifications.
Mobile App and Website and Mobile Boarding Passes
In 2014, Southwest released several updates to its mobile app and website, including the
introduction of an updated homepage that allows Customers to quickly view information like flight
status, boarding position, and gate information. Travel information is updated in the app beginning 24
hours prior to a flight allowing Customers to checkin and access their mobile boarding pass from the
homepage. During 2014, Southwest also completed the rollout of its mobile boarding pass to all U.S.
airports that Southwest serves. In addition, Southwest refreshed the look and feel of the app to align
with the new visual expression of its brand discussed above under “Other Initiatives - New Livery and
Branding and Aggressive Promotion of the Company’s Points of Differentiation from its Competitors.”
Additional features and updates are expected in 2015 as mobile demand continues to grow.
14