The 60 Minutes interview: Southwest's Herb Kelleher

[@PInk77W1]

I have a friend who was homeless at 16 till 19. Then she got hired by Southwest. One of her first days on the job she was told to go see if a plane was clean. Upon entering the plane she noticed a man smoking on the plane. She said “Excuse me sir, no smoking on the plane.” He said “sweetie, I own these planes.” It was Herb. About a yr later she ran into him by chance. He said to her “Excuse me no smoking on the plane.” And gave her a big hug and remembered her Name !!!!! She told me he is the nicest guy ever. RIP Herb

[@hughporter5234]

I would occasionally run into Herb at the Simon David Food store in Dallas. I am a shareholder in SWA so he would always ask if SWA was taking care of me. In 2005 my mother died and I flew to Houston for her Funeral. Going back to Dallas the next day was the first day of tropical storm Alison, so there were no flights to Dallas. They did put me on a ferry flight to San Antonio with the expectation that they would set up a connection to Dallas. When I go to SA there was no record of my flight and I had to buy another ticket. Later when I ran into Herb, I told him about it. He took down the details and within a couple of days I had a refund check in my hand. He will also be a truly be missed.

[@khalidabdulghani]

RIP Herb Kelleher, the best CEO and Founder of any airline in this world, and will and already has made the biggest impact in the aviation industry.

[@StuUngar]

“That’s not the case. If we were trying to (put them out of business), we would’ve.” Such a badass comment. I remember my undergrad capstone professor showed this to our class. One guy in class, who was a bit of a clown, shouted “Got-damn!”

[@AnthonyJMurph]

And he did put them out of business

[@josephtafur]

RIP Herb Kelleher The Best Airline CEO Ever

[@MarkRiconosciuto]

Rest in Peace Herb. Thank you for creating the Best Airline I've ever worked for. You are missed by so many!

[@edmccaffrey1]

Nothing short of a true business genius! The companies performance , the employees performance, and the dedication of the their dedicated flyers, is all the result of Mr. Kellehers vision and philosophy of making everything about other people's well-being!

[@avalon1995]

I spent nearly two decades with SWA before retiring and was one of Herb's greatest admirers for his unapologetic ways of facing the competition. We worked very hard but also played very hard. Many tried to take us on but ultimately could not duplicate our culture which is what made us exceptional.

[@JavanHamiltonTV]

Michael c And they still can’t. That’s why #iFlySouthwestJets. ✈️💙💛❤️ #HOUcrew #RIPHerb

[@hcwcars1]

Herb the only one allowed to smoke Cigarettes in the cockpit

[@RiverDogRun]

I can't wait to fly for Southwest.

[@TPIR_Fan_1972]

This interview came up in my KZbin recommendations, so I watched it, remembering what an oversized personality Herb Kelleher was. I hadn't realized that he passed away on the 3rd of January. My condolences to his family. I am, however, grateful for innovators like Mr. Kelleher who make life better for the rest of us.

[@ko6jay681]

RIP Mr Kelleher. About 20 years ago, I flew from San Diego to Oakland. Mr Kelleher was on our plane bantering with all of us! He sat next to me for 10 minutes and it was like chatting with my next door neighbor! Wow what a cool guy he was.

[@danbeau9404]

I spent 2 or 3 weekends with the Kelleher family when I was in Ft. Lewis in 69 training to go you know where. There was a program where families would take 3 GI's for the weekend supposedly to go to church. We had a ball, forgot about our destination for a couple of days. I believe he lived in Bellevue. We went out on his boat and ate a lot of steak and pizza along with some beer. I am sure it was him because years later one of the fellows that went to his house told me he was CEO of Southwest. He was everything they say he is in these comments. Funny, smart and genuinely cared about us and seemingly everyone else. And he did what he wanted to do. We never went to church, he asked us if we wanted to go and we said not really. That was that, we didn't. He spent a good deal of time showing me how to cook the perfect steak on the grill. He didn't know I don't eat red meat. But that time I did. Near the end of our training we were not allowed off base anymore and I never saw him again. I consider myself fortunate to have briefly known him and of all the thousand of people I have come in contact with, he is one who stands out.

[@aananhenderson2689]

just found out herb kelleher went to nyu law as a current nyu law student this hypes me up

[@ChrisJohnson-hk6es]

Rest easy Herb! The man is a legend! His business philosophy is and was genius. Giving employees empowerment! I have worked for airlines that had more policies and procedures than one could imagine. Not being able to make a decision in a rough situation, knowing it could get me in trouble if I did the right thing! At Southwest, he literally trusted his employees to do the right thing!

[@bobgodfrey9524]

There will never be another quite like Herb. He was the best. RIP.

[@bobcarter4343]

RIP Herb Kelleher and thanks for creating such a wonderful airline. Your vision was spot on.

[@jsmith1746]

What I find so amazing is that of two most successful and admired airline CEOs of the de-regulation era are Herb Kelleher and Gordon Bethune (who re-built Continental). These men ran profitable airlines, made billions for their investors and millions of dollars for themselves, and were universally admired by their employees. Yet for all their success, most airline CEOs of today would rather follow the Frank Lorenzo model, which bankrupted airlines, angered employees to the point of Lorenzo still needing bodyguards to this day, and resulted in the Department of Transportation permanently banning Lorenzo from ever being involved in managing a U.S. airline again.

[@adamlofquist]

It is funny to listen to the other CEO and how he always blames Southwest for beating them.

[@WheelsUPWanderlust]

Herb was an ABSOLUTE GENIUS! I am a PROUD TEXAS and EMPLOYEE of this phenomenal company #Southwest❤

[@drewski1535]

4 years since Herb has passed on we miss you

[@TheLifetraveler1]

My favorite airline. I was so glad when they finally came to Atlanta, so I wouldn't have to drive over to Birmingham, to get good rates to the west coast. Recently I had a SW flight cancel from LAX to SFO. They got me on another flight less than 90 minutes later. Then sent me a $100 voucher for the inconvenience. So if the other airlines will do that for you.

[@trevordoyle6823]

RIP to my business idol, I hope one day I can lead a company as well as he did. And be loved by all who knew and worked with me as well as he was.

[@ericsalazar6946]

Herb's grit is second to none, this man decided to settle a legal dispute by arm wrestling the CEO of a rival company instead of going to court. Granted the air industry was vastly different than it is now, but the ability for people to travel via plane across Texas and eventually the United States at an affordable rate is a groundbreaking concept. The success of Southwest cannot be understated as it's still in service today. Their business model was so successful that other airlines such as JetBlue and Spirit now seek to cater to the same customer base.

[@porthose2002]

Who else but Herb would settle a legal argument with an arm wrestling match? Great PR, reflective of the company's values, and certainly lower cost than hiring a building full of attorneys.

[@cliffordbodine5834]

Herb identifies with the little guy. That's their secret.

[@BoomerKeith1]

Not only as a boss but as a traveler. That's what made Southwest so different and so successful.

[@TECHN0]

Amazing airline. No change/cancelation fees, bags fly free, low fee to upgrade boarding position, companion pass etc.

[@gameshowguy2000]

And no more Wright Amendment, allowing you to fly *anywhere* in the US...and maybe internationally too.

[@calihiker7980]

I fly SWA and have been for as long as I can remember..... Probably late 1990s. Never had a problem with them, and it’s always a great experience.

[@dianapitzer1489]

RIP HERB, I'll MISS OUR TALKS.

[@khalidabdulghani]

He was such a legand!

[@johnkean5848]

Guys so sad but what a legacy! He seemed to give much of his soul to his company.

[@ronniedelahoussayechauvin6717]

I always wanted to be an Airline Stewardess. That was “My Dream”.

[@georgfriedrichhandel4390]

Southwest is fully unionized and yet still manages to be consistently profitable. That should shatter the delusion that unions destroy companies.

[@ryankenyon5010]

They broke the mold after Herb. RIP

[@johniii8147]

Ryan Kenyon They had to evolve as as any company does

[@juancalderon128]

I love when he said "if we wanted to shut them down we would have." DAM!!!

[@krcm1981]

As a passenger, SWA is my favorite to fly hands down. It’s the people who make the difference.

[@drewski1535]

I'm sad I didn't get a chance to meet Herb he was an amazing gentleman and company president

[@velodjk2975]

It looks like the Southwest objective has always been to provide the employees with a good environment. give customers a good value, and think long term for the future. For America West, the objective was more along the lines of how do we beat Southwest. When your main focus is trying to outdo a rival, you just made things harder on yourself. When your main focus is trying to create rivals within your organization, your just created the environment of Eastern Airlines.

[@DJAUDIO1]

I miss that days of being able to get to the airport 20 minutes before your flight took off. Times have changed for many reasons. I fly SWA a lot. 0 complaints.

[@chrisstromberg6527]

Thank you Herb!

[@JerryDLTN]

2:30 32 cities then 99 cities now.

[@georgfriedrichhandel4390]

And from the 10th largest to the largest airline in America.

[@DraculaxAlucard]

They hand out pretzels now becuase of allergy concerns. I prefer the peanuts.

[@beernpizzalover9035]

Robert Taylor Yep, SWA had the best honey-roasted peanuts! 😀

[@johnkean5848]

There's always one! Just joking but seriously who cares about peanuts: you flew SOUTHWEST you lucky man.

[@BELCAN57]

Fillet of peanut.

[@RobinNatural1]

Bring Peanuts back!!!!

[@johnfarr2738]

He was a genius businessman who had a Nitch of an idea and understood his market customers.

[@MarcusLeepapi]

God Bless him...He left us and went to heaven just a couple of days ago....A great guy!!!!!!

[@lukew5602]

CEOs like this are few and far between that’s for sure.

[@khalidabdulghani]

Now that's one fewer. RIP Herb Kelleher, the best CEO and Founder of any airline in this world, and will and already has made the biggest impact in the aviation industry.

[@josephtafur]

True

[@tarekalkadri3698]

I really admire SWA. Great team and excellent service. I also like the team of Dallas Love Field Airport

[@bicyclist2]

I've done a lot of flying in my life. Its not because I ever bought any tickets. My grandmother did and she never bought any southwest tickets. I had frequent flyer cards from Northwest and American. I would have liked to have the chance to fly southwest, maybe I will some day. Thanks.

[@seanf5634]

I was a frequent flyer at SWA and I don't think you are missing much. Its a good airline, on time with friendly staff. I got on the plane early and could get any seat, but if you end up with the dreaded "C" boarding pass, you are probably stuck with a middle seat. That is the downside of the airline, you cannot book early and get an assigned seat, instead you check in the day before and hope you get in the early boarding, otherwise you get a lousy seat despite early booking.

[@briangasser973]

Herb Keller reminds me of Jack Bogle from Vanguard. Two giants ofbindustry that changed America for the better.

[@hcwcars1]

RIP Herb the only one allowed to smoke Cigarettes in the cockpit.

[@AnthonyJMurph]

I think the internet has made Southwest even better. Their rules and fees are easy to follow. They might not be the cheapest everytime, but they give you the full picture on what you are getting. They also don't charge for the things that annoy people too. Keep it nice and simple. I also like that they keep it democratic. Generally speaking, everybody is treated the same. Their "special" group just gets to go on the plane first, thats it.

[@joelt4416]

God I miss Herb! And look at all the passengers dressed up, unlike today!

[@hoopsheavenpa]

Genius! RIP, Herb 🙏

[@Amtran727]

I would be interested to read comments from Southwest employees who have been there since Herb Kelleher was CEO and are still there now. The company is a lot bigger now with new management. is it still the same fun place to work? Does management still treat you with respect?

[@Phat737]

Amtran727 Yes they do.

[@rifare4045]

100%!

[@lemonsugar26]

Depends on your work group. It's not the same as under Herb

[@JerryDLTN]

10:59

[@JerryDLTN]

3:25 "customers don't want to be on a long phone call when booking a flight".... I don't remember pre-internet days of booking a flight

[@DJAUDIO1]

Travel agencies were huge pre-internet.

[@johnfarr2738]

Jerry Lifsey I do as a kid

[@danbeau9404]

We need more like him and I bet he would have made a great President

[@stewpuddy4161]

Lol hot pants and him saying "good morning don't you look nice" to his secretary. My how things have changed in America! He would be vilified today for that!

[@asifaslam2835]

Great sense of humor

[@Dre2Dee2]

The last time airline stewardesses were beautiful and gorgeous... it's a lost art

[@aleomedia]

Those $19 fares are roughly $39 today, adjusted for inflation

[@horrhiunioj507]

Great leadership

[@davidsambell9731]

I used to be a Sr Domestic Pricing Analyst for US Airways in Corporate HQ in PHX....SWA would clean our clocks in the Domestic Pricing game. When me and fellow US Airways employees would fly Non-Rev on US, we would all hide our badges, because the second a passenger saw your badge, you were in for at least a 30 minute nonstop horror story about how bad the service was on US Airways, and how much they hated US Airways. US Airways was so lame they even removed all In flight entertainment systems and started charging for soft drinks...the plane's interiors were shabby and even had duck tape covering rips on the seats...plus the FA's were so rude and nasty. Herb Kelleher laughed at us non-stop. He was a genius. Doug Parker, our CEO, was too busy getting DUI's to run an efficient airline that the passengers loved. Herb Kelleher cleaned Doug Parker's clock. RIP Herb. You are the KING of the SKIES.

[@ericjones7769]

Southwest is my absolute second favorite airline after Delta 💙💙💙💙💙💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯

[@bborkzilla]

I wish more airlines would follow this model. I never feel like cattle when traveling Southwest - even when it's the lowest fare.

[@Mr_Chris77]

I fly SWA out of price and sheer convenience. They fly direct to the places I want to go, while other airlines require one or two stops. For instance, BNA to LAS, nonstop for $160 one way. No other airline can match it.

[@seneca55]

R.I.P. Southwest Airlines June 18th 1971 - July 25th 2024

[@InChristalone737]

Ah the good old days.

[@johniii8147]

Much has changed since these times. Very different carrier.

[@shine-on-tv8082]

Damn how America was so different back then every is upside down now.

[@Lylelanley99]

"Charge the lowest possible fare to develop the greatest possible volume." Now, that is the norm of all the airlines.

[@ExaltedDuck]

Yet, somehow Southwest manages to maintain a high level of service while the others just cram passengers around like some unholy amalgamation of sardine and cattle. It really highlights the impact of culture in a business. It's important to maximize value and quality rather than minimize costs. And so many business "leaders" get that wrong...

[@rogeralsop3479]

What a bloke!

[@basantahluwalia8595]

Great man-he took exceptional care of his people and customers. He would be so sad to see what has become of SWA.

[@lj33p]

RIP Herb.

[@Balakov100]

Never heard of Herb before this. But from the looks of it he was quite the character. I have definitely heard of Southwest.

[@jslasher1]

Have you been living under a rock, mate? Everyone knows who Herb is. His legendary status has seen to that.

[@DylanCannon]

Herb Kelleher and Bob Crandall are names to know.

[@Balakov100]

Lol You Guys are funny. I listen to news for hours a day never once heard his name... Until he passed..

[@georgfriedrichhandel4390]

"American doesn't try to drive TWA out of business". American bought TWA in 2001 and gradually absorbed it (AA closed TWA's former St. Louis hub) so American did indeed drive TWA out of business!

[@mikeluvrs]

This almost makes me want to fly in an airplane

[@ruzzelladrian907]

7:16 Ed He makes it seem as if Herb is dangerous or something. It's pathetic. No matter what Herb and his competition dispute over, the facts are apparent, Herb's methods benefits customers. The customer wins as they get a superior product and service. Ed and his fellow competition in the industry can't fathom that they can't set the prices high enough to satisfy them, because customers prefer South West Airlines. Competition is what gives customers choice.

[@ndl799]

It is very important that I get access to the full video of the song at the end.

[@MaxPower-11]

I miss the Southwest of old... Mainly point-to-point nonstops between mid-sized cities and very inexpensive fares. Nowadays to get just about anywhere they route you through a mega hub and their fares often aren’t that great anymore. With the exception of free bags, the mother of all low cost carriers has become just another airline.

[@georgfriedrichhandel4390]

Despite its success, Southwest has proven to be a difficult model to copy. It's a profitable low-cost carrier but 80% of its workforce is unionized and it makes about the same pay that employees at other major airlines make. And as the video stated, it eschews the hub-and-spoke system other airlines use in favor of the point-to-point system that requires that Southwest utilize its assets more frequently, one way that it keeps its costs low. And Southwest prefers to fly in and out of smaller airports like Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby or Chicago Midway and its biggest west coast airport is Oakland International. But many other airlines have tried to copy this model and failed. Who remembers ValuJet, Vanguard, Muse Air, People Express or Western Pacific? They tried to copy Southwest's business model but ultimately went out of business. Just having low fare is not enough because those other airlines never made a profit when they were in operation. No one does it like Southwest!

[@johniii8147]

Bernard Ignatius Grayson A lot of that is not true anymore of the model is changed. They do in fact operate how does now they just call them that. They also increasingly shower away from small airports and focusing on the big one is a model has evolved over time

[@georgfriedrichhandel4390]

@@johniii8147 Since the Wright Amendment was finally repealed, that's probably true though SW is still very much a no-frills point-to-point airline. But many start-up carriers still tried to copy Southwest's original business model and failed. Let's not forget that Southwest came into being during the pre-Deregulation era which means they are considered a legacy carrier. It's much harder now to start an airline because this is a notoriously high-fixed cost industry. Robert Crandall himself said after he left American Airlines that he would not invest in an airline.

[@ghettobirdie]

Fast forward 30 years. Now its very hard to find nonstop flights. And cheap??? That is a thing of the past also. Needed to take a last minute flight a few weeks ago. Frontier was more than half of the price of SW. Also it was a nonstop flight both ways. Too bad Herb couldn't have been able to run that Airline forever!

[@skyking0475]

America West who ?

[@khalidabdulghani]

They were an airline who went through a reverse merger with US Airways in I think 2002 then American bought US Airways later in around 2015/16

[@Bellman84]

Khalid Abdulghani actually US Airways bought American and Doug Parker is still the CEO. America West was a really good airline as well. They had a great livery. They changed their name because more international travelers associated with names like US Airways and American.

[@mikecowen6507]

@@Bellman84 RIP "Cactus".

[@gumbyshrimp2606]

America West is the airline that runs American Airlines as we know it today. They did some clever maneuvering to take over US Airways, and then US Airways merged with the then bankrupt American Airlines, creating the American we have now.

[@jmurphy1973]

Love the old turbojet 737's

[@tedphillips2501]

One cost saver is SouthWest's use of only one model aircraft - the Boeing 737. It will be interesting to see if they can survive the time when ALL of these aging planes have to be replaced or if a competitor follows the same model using one newer, more fuel-efficient airplane.

[@josephtafur]

And they have to the next gen of 737s inculding the 737 Max

[@bobgodfrey9524]

Each time Boeing develops a newer version of the 737 SWA is usually the first to buy them, hence there are no longer any older 737-200s, 300s, & 500s in their fleet. They are always upgrading the aircraft on a continuing basis and if a more fuel efficient aircraft came along they would be first in line to purchase it. It's all about costs at SWA.

[@dahawk8574]

You could probably go so far to say that Boeing designs their 737 mods with SWA first and foremost in their plans.

[@johniii8147]

You haven’t been keeping up they upgrade their fleet to the latest model of the 737 all the time and always have

[@AnthonyJMurph]

@@johniii8147 Yeah. They keep all their planes the same because then their pilots only have to learn how to fly one kind of plane. Keep it simple for everybody

[@MindBodySoulOk]

1989 was a good year

[@drewski1535]

You're telling me I wish I could have seen all of the 80s I was born in 86 but thankful to have had a great life growing up

[@MindBodySoulOk]

@@drewski1535 torn. 78 through 81 were awesome. I don't remember anything from 81 to 83. Acid and other stuff. 84 to 89 I was lifeguarding on the beach and wow, yeah, good times.

[@GainesMediaInc]

90's white rapping. Life has never been better!😄

[@danburnette7674]

Herb Kelleher was the best and unfortunately last week Colleen Barrett passed away meaning the end of an ear. The so called " Southwest Culture " Flatlined when Herb passed the torch to Gary Kelly. Fast forward as i am posting this on 5-12-24 and current CEO, Bob Jordan made Southwest Airlines ab even more Hostile place to work. I enjoyed my 16.5 years at Southwest and will forever cherish the many friends and coworkers i worked side by side with. Southwest Airlines in 2024 consider its current and past employees and customers a Nuisance . Total Arrogance and Conceit from the modern day Southwest Airlines Leadership & Management.

[@charlieoconnor40]

knows his market

[@christopherdonaldson8231]

7:07 Go ahead and laugh, Herb!

[@prodos8]

I can't get a southwest one way fare for less than $150 nowadays. :( I miss the 80's.

[@johnkean5848]

He's like Branson's baby! I wanna fly SOUTHWEST!!!!

[@r.d.sussmann9672]

#HonoringHerb

[@nathanielcushman7489]

7:35, 7:45 indeed

[@MrREH1962]

I won't fly any other airline but SWA. And where is America West Airlines? Gone.

[@gumbyshrimp2606]

America West is American Airlines, the largest airline in the world lmao America West took over US Airways in a reverse merger. Then the new US Airways took over the bankrupt American Airlines. It gets confusing because they they kept the ‘US Airways’ and then ‘American’ brand, but those names were more well known than ‘America West’. So although it isn’t named that way, American Airlines has the same management as America West had all those years back.

[@EarPlugTV]

RIP

[@lee40az]

Beautiful Company to work for, to bad current management ""do not have the same dream as Herb"" Money First is NOT what Herb was talking about. So Sad share holders come First Now.

[@dylanvalenti5545]

Look up the "Wright act" by american airlines.

[@sdcashman45]

PSA...no credit to Ken Friedkin, whom Herb studied religiously. Also, PSA had those hot pants before SW. Give credit where credit is due.

[@ruk2023--]

I don't get to do it that often being British but when I do fly domestic in the US I first look to see if I can fly SWA before I book. Partly because Herb Kelleher is my role model for leadership but mainly because I just enjoy it more being on their planes and I think he'd have liked it being that way round.

[@bonnetroblox]

This video is too short..

[@caliglory1240]

....and donald trump claimed he is the BEST businessman in the world with ZERO airplane in the sky. LOLOLOL.

[@ritataylor4646]

I choose the train over plane every time.🕯️

[@Iggy67392]

Can we get an F in the chat?

[@Kyg1kek2]

10:50 cringe town