As you read through this section of the One Report, you might notice that we talk a lot about “our People.” When we say “our People,” we mean more than our Employees. Of course we love our Employees (they’re members of our Southwest Family!), but we also believe that our Customers and communities are “our People” too. So we treat them with the same concern, respect, and caring attitude that they’d experience as part of the Southwest Team. So when we say “our People,” you’ll know what we mean: we’re a Company of our People, focused on serving our People.
Over the years, we’ve seen how treating our Employees well does good things for the rest of our business. We provide them with great jobs and benefits, and a world-famous Culture where they are encouraged to draw on their unique perspectives, skills, and experiences in their day-to-day jobs. Because authentic, empowered Employees make great ambassadors, and that positively affects Customers, the world around us, and the success of our business. It’s no wonder we’ve always said Employees are the Heart of Southwest.
At Southwest, we take a different approach to Customer Service compared with most companies. We view each Customer as a valued, unique individual—and when you’re serving real People with varying needs and wants, a one-size-fits-all approach just doesn’t work. We strive to always serve our Customers from the Heart, with respect, compassion, and Southwest Hospitality. And as we look into the future, we believe our approach will help us continue to enact our Vision: to be the world’s most loved, most efficient, and most profitable airline.1313) The 2020 Southwest Airlines One Report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Specific forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements related to (i) the Company’s environmental sustainability beliefs, plans, and expectations; (ii) the Company’s plans, goals, objectives, and initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion; (iii) the Company’s plans and expectations with respect to Employee training, development, benefits, (including post-retirement benefits) pay, and staffing (including with respect to avoiding furloughs or pay cuts); (iv) the Company’s Vision; (v) the Company’s network plans, expectations, and opportunities, including factors and assumptions underlying the Company’s plans and expectations; (vi) the Company’s initiatives and related goals with respect to global distribution system access and related alliances and capabilities; (vii) the Company’s financial position, outlook, plans, strategies, goals, targets, and projected results of operations; (viii) the Company’s fleet plans and expectations; and (ix) the Company’s initiatives and expectations with respect to fuel efficiency and emissions. These statements involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that are difficult to predict and that could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by them. Factors include, among others, (i) the extent of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the duration, spread, severity, and any recurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic, including through any new variant strains of the underlying virus; the effectiveness and availability of vaccines; the duration and scope of related government orders and restrictions; the duration and scope of the Company’s actions to address Customer and Employee health concerns; the extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on overall demand for air travel and the Company’s related business plans and decisions; and any negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s access to capital; (ii) the impact of fears or actual outbreaks of other diseases, economic conditions, fuel prices, extreme or severe weather and natural disasters, fears of terrorism or war, actions of competitors, consumer perception, and other factors beyond the Company's control, on consumer behavior and the Company's results of operations and business decisions, plans, strategies, and results; (iii) the impact of governmental actions and governmental regulations on the Company’s plans, strategies, and operations; (iv) the Company's dependence on Boeing with respect to the Company's fleet order book and delivery schedule; (v) the Company’s dependence on other third parties for products and services, in particular with respect to global distributions systems and related alliances and capabilities, and the impact on the Company’s operations and results of operations of any third party delays or non-performance; (vi) the Company’s ability to timely and effectively implement, transition, and maintain the necessary information technology systems and infrastructure to support its operations and initiatives; (vii) the impact of labor matters on the Company’s result of operations, business decisions, plans, and strategies; and (viii) other factors, as described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the detailed factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2020.
Our focus on communities is a natural extension of Southwest’s People-centric approach to citizenship. We seek to connect People to what’s important in their lives—and the communities where we live, work, and play are an essential part of what brings us together. We believe that cooperation can advance our impact, so we partner with like-minded people and organizations to promote resilience, civility, and peace in our communities.
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active, full-time equivalent Employees at year-end1616) Active, full-time equivalent Employees as of Dec. 31 for specific calendar year. Included 10,421 Employees participating in the Extended Emergency Time Off program as of Dec. 31, 2020. | 56,537 | 60,767 | 58,803 | 56,110 | 53,536 |
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active, full-time equivalent Employees at year-end, by gender1717) Active, full-time equivalent Employees as of Dec. 31 for specific calendar year. Included 10,421 Employees participating in the Extended Emergency Time Off program as of Dec. 31, 2020. | 58 % Male 42 % Female | 57 % Male 43 % Female | 57 % Male 43 % Female | 58 % Male 42 % Female | 57 % Male 43 % Female |
| New Hires during the reporting period, by age and gender: under 30 years old | 215 Male 133 Female | 1,093 Male 787 Female | 1,450 Male 1,038 Female | 1,223 Male 940 Female | NR |
| New Hires during the reporting period, by age and gender: 30-50 years old | 254 Male 235 Female | 1,530 Male 1,014 Female | 1,871 Male 1,092 Female | 1,831 Male 996 Female | NR |
| New Hires during the reporting period, by age and gender: over 50 years old | 67 Male 73 Female | 379 Male 422 Female | 444 Male 439 Female | 405 Male 448 Female | NR |
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0.7 % | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| Asian | 3.9 % | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| Black or African American | 16.3 % | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| Hispanic or Latino | 14.8 % | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 1.5 % | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| Two or More Races | 2.6 % | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| White | 60.2 % | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight | 24,568 44 % | 25,864 43 % | 24,924 42 % | 23,561 42 % | 22,133 41 % |
| Maintenance | 3,012 5 % | 3,233 5 % | 3,021 5 % | 2,960 5 % | 2,951 6 % |
| Ground, Customer, and Fleet Services | 19,457 34 % | 21,013 35 % | 20,800 36 % | 20,175 36 % | 19,497 36 % |
| Administrative (Technology, Management, Finance, Marketing, Clerical Personnel) | 9,500 17 % | 10,657 17 % | 10,058 17 % | 9,414 17 % | 8,955 17 % |
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active and inactive Employees who participate in benefits program | More than 59,700 | More than 64,800 | More than 62,800 | More than 58,900 | More than 56,300 |
| Employee benefit programs excluding 401(k) and ProfitSharing Plans and share-based compensation (accrued)2020) Includes Southwest’s contributions to Employee health and welfare plans, workers’ compensation insurance, and employer payroll taxes. 2020 includes a one-time accrual for Employees participating in voluntary separation programs. | More than $ 1.3 billion | More than $ 1.3 billion | More than $ 1.2 billion | More than $ 1.1 billion | More than $ 1.0 billion |
| 401(k) savings plan participation | 92 % | 91 % | 91 % | 91 % | 92 % |
| ProfitSharing Plan participation | All eligible Employees | All eligible Employees | All eligible Employees | All eligible Employees | All eligible Employees |
| Company contributions to 401(k) and ProfitSharing Plans | $ 561 million | $ 1.2 billion | $ 1.0 billion | $ 1.0 billion | $ 937 million |
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot hours | 252,030 | 482,473 | 543,360 | 582,535 | 457,563 |
| Flight Attendant hours | 263,811 | 427,705 | 442,807 | 354,942 | 443,295 |
| Maintenance hours | 185,148 | 165,630 | 166,324 | 140,068 | 147,312 |
| Customer Support and Services hours | 63,841 | 134,783 | 181,670 | 255,106 | 175,447 |
| Ground Operations hours | 507,164 | 887,627 | 737,256 | 740,285 | 730,088 |
| Safety and Security hours (all Employees) | More than 320,000 | More than 780,000 | More than 820,000 | More than 660,000 | More than 811,000 |
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| External Customer commendations | More than 34,000 | More than 88,000 | More than 96,000 | More than 107,000 | More than 105,000 |
| Ratio of External Customer commendations to personnel complaints | 3:1 | 3:1 | 3:1 | 4:1 | 3:1 |
| American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) | 79 | 79 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Customer Satisfaction rating (consumer complaints per 100,000 enplanements)2121) U.S. Department of Transportation. (2021, February). Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR). A Product of the Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings, Aviation Consumer Protection Division. Washington, D.C. The Department of Transportation (DOT) ranks all U.S. carriers based on the lowest ratio of complaints per 100,000 passengers enplaned, as published in the DOT Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR). Southwest earned the best Customer Satisfaction ranking among U.S. Marketing Carriers with the lowest ratio of complaints to the DOT per 100,000 enplaned passengers for 2020. A Marketing Carrier is an airline that advertises under a common brand name, sells reservations, manages frequent flyer programs, and is ultimately responsible for the airline’s consumer policies. Operating Carriers only handle the flight operations, passenger check-in/boarding, and baggage handling for the respective Marketing Carriers they serve—Operating Carriers are not responsible for DOT complaints related to policies, procedures, and advertising associated with the Marketing Carrier’s brand. | 2.64 | 0.33 | 0.36 | 0.47 | 0.47 |
| Percentage of reported flight operations arriving ontime | 86.0 | 80.2 | 79.2 | 78.7 | 80.8 |
| Number of mishandled bags reported per 1,000 enplaned bags | 2.68 | 4.40 | 4.68 | 4.50 | NR |
| Passengers denied boarding per 10,000 Passengers | 0.06 | 0.19 | 0.15 | 0.53 | 0.99 |
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donation requests received Companywide | 5,872 | 18,456 | 17,243 | 17,032 | 15,237 |
| Tickets donated | 20,008 | 45,301 | 50,060 | 50,586 | 53,291 |
| Total monetary donations | $ 707,672 | $ 5,843,946 | $ 4,581,579 | $ 13,390,938 | $ 3,280,307 |
| Total corporate monetary, in-kind, and ticket donations | $ 10,190,071 | $ 24,306,076 | $ 25,235,753 | $ 37,043,294 | $ 25,324,794 |
| Monies raised through official Southwest fundraising efforts | $ 1,300,000 | $ 800,000 | $ 950,000 | $ 500,000 | $ 675,000 |
| Employee volunteer hours | Nearly 75,000 | More than 200,000 | Nearly 190,000 | More than 180,000 | Nearly 150,000 |
| Value of Employee volunteer hours2222) Independent Sector (2020, July). Independent Sector Releases New Value of Volunteer Time of $27.20 Per Hour. https://independentsector.org/value-of-volunteer-time-2020/ | More than $ 2,000,000 | More than $ 5,800,000 | More than $ 4,800,000 | More than $ 4,300,000 | More than $ 3,500,000 |
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employees represented by unions | Approximately 83 % | Approximately 83 % | Approximately 83 % | Approximately 83 % | Approximately 83 % |
| Employee human rights training hours | More than 61,000 | More than 53,500 | More than 44,000 | More than 39,000 | More than 51,000 |
| Employees trained on human rights | 56.2 % | 48.9 % | 43.9 % | 40.4 % | 44.4 % |
| Employees and business associates who acknowledged the Code of Ethics | More than 63,000 | More than 64,000 | More than 64,000 | More than 63,000 | More than 59,000 |
Pssst. Got a second to give us some feedback?Help us make the One Report even better.
2020 Southwest Airlines One Report
