Original airline blog celebrates first birthday

Southwest Airlines is celebrating the one-year anniversary since becoming the first US carrier to start a corporate blog.

Offering a hitherto unavailable insight into the culture and workings of a low-fare airline, Southwest Airlines was launched one year ago, and now features the thoughts of around 30 participants - from mechanics and attendants, through pilots, to marketers and planners.

According to Colleen Barrett, President of Southwest, the blog works because the company has "nothing to hide" and its employees "absolutely ooze authenticity".

The number of visits to the blog has increased incrementally each month since its launch, and interaction with customers is steadily rising.

"It takes time to build a trusting audience in the blogosphere," Barrett continued. "As we celebrate our first anniversary, we can see that we are really starting to build a strong online community."

One pivotal discovery the Dallas-based carrier made through its blog was that its fliers are almost completely enamored by its unique open-seating policy.

More than four in five of the 700 respondents to a post on assigned seating by Gary Kelly, the Southwest Chief Executive, argued in favor of the airline's controversial approach.

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