Southwest Airlines is known for having special state livery airplanes. Yesterday, they showed off their newest one: Florida One. The plane will be taking a trip around Florida, showing off the new livery. The newest livery is one of 13 other special liveries already in the Southwest fleet: Arizona One, California One, Illinois One, Lone Star One (Texas), Nevada One, New Mexico One, Maryland One, three Shamu aircraft (SeaWorld), Silver One (celebrating Southwest’s 25th anniversary), Triple Crown One (recognizing Southwest’s top rankings for ontime performance, baggage handling, and Customer satisfaction), and Slam Dunk One (tribute to our NBA partnership).
Florida One required 32 people at the Boeing Company working three shifts over the course of eight days to paint. Over 46 gallons of paint and 16 different colors were used.
CK Louis doing his thing. Click to watch the video
After I posted my blog where I fought the LA Times, my mom emailed me a video that she felt really helped my argument that airlines are magical and most of us just take them for granted.
In 2008 Louis CK, a comedian, was on Conan and had some AWESOME jokes about most passenger’s perceptions on airlines. The airline stuff really starts at the two minute mark, but I really think the full four minutes is worth watching!
His comedy is RIGHT ON and says what I have been trying to say on the blog. If any little thing goes wrong with an airline, it seems almost the end of the world, however most people forget how frek’n amazing it is to be flying around the world.
Everytime I am delayed or things go wrong I get frusterated, but I always try to think what it would take for me to get to my destination 100 years earlier and it never seems to be that big of a deal anymore.
I am sure you know about the old Twilight Zone video of the Nightmare at 20,000 with the monster on the wing? Well Saturday Night Live recently re-did the video with a little humor added on.
This is a very entertaining 21 minute video I found via PlaneBuzz.com. Some might watch this and think “the good old days of flying,” but I disagree. Yes, they have limos and all first class service, but notice how only the very rich were flying? Also, first class accommodations back in 1933 are not what they would be like today. No fold down seats, no in flight entertainment and much noisier. Not to mention the shows it takes about six hours to get from Chicago to New York with all the stops, unlike the short flight it would take today.
Don’t forget the safety! The video talks about the high end safety that American Airways had back in the 1930’s, but the safety record is nothing like it is today. Yea, we might have to pay for a lot of fees, but I much rather fly in a full Boeing 737 from Chicago to New York with peanuts than in a bi-winged Curtis Condor any day. (Well, ok…if I got an opportunity to ride in one today, I would but just for the fun of it).
Last week Southwest Airlines had a commercial poking fun that passenger’s bags don’t fly for free on other airlines. The plane used in the ad was an AirTran Boeing 717 (even though the name was blurred out). Well, AirTran fights back with this funny (and creative) ad showing Southwest passengers as cattle and a little “yee-haw” action to boot.
Most people might have not realized that was an AirTran Boeing 717 used in the Southwest ad, but it is quite obvious that it is Southwest Airlines in the AirTran ad.
Man I love a good advertisement war. Southwest, it is your move :).
