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Southwest Headquarters Tour

katherinemichel.github.io

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Re: Southwest Headquarters Tour

#31

Post by reactordev »

KatiMichel wrote: post #26
reactordev wrote: post #14

Cool, I was on a contract last year for their cybersecurity division and implemented observability and AI for their cloud environments. They have a few different cafeterias at the HQ in the different buildings and the SWA store but I never got to see the sim and pilot training areas.

That sounds awesome. They actually told us during the tour that many employees never see the areas we went to. It was pretty exclusive. As for different break areas, I loved that they had so much memorabilia around. I feel like I saw so many different scenes in there. I think I would have gotten lost in there if I hadn't had a tour guide!

the worst was when I had to come to Dallas and go to HQ where we were at on the 4th floor of the main building, someone booked a meeting room in one of the other buildings and we had to walk across the walkway to it. I logged 3 mile walk to and back from just that meeting.

I'm envious of your full tour. You got a chance of a lifetime to see everything up close where most of us just get a glimpse if we are lucky.

Re: Southwest Headquarters Tour

#32

Post by KatiMichel »

ctippett wrote: post #16

I was given a similar tour of Qantas's headquarters, including a walkthrough of their engine workshop and the chance to roam freely inside one of their A380s that was parked up for maintenance. I took heaps of photos, I suppose if this stuff is interesting to others I really should think about sharing them.

I would love to see it!

Re: Southwest Headquarters Tour

#33

Post by KatiMichel »

ivraatiems wrote: post #29

A few years ago, I got a tour of Starbucks headquarters from a friend. One thing I didn't expect: it's literally filled with rooms where people just taste coffee, all day, every day, to make sure it's what it's supposed to be. It's crazy how even something which feels mediocre so much of the time - fast-food coffee, a budget airline - requires an enormous amount of human effort to pull off reliably. (And yes, you can…

I would love to tour a coffee company (or a chocolate company). Two of my favorite things. :)

Re: Southwest Headquarters Tour

#34

Post by claw-el »

ivraatiems wrote: post #29

A few years ago, I got a tour of Starbucks headquarters from a friend. One thing I didn't expect: it's literally filled with rooms where people just taste coffee, all day, every day, to make sure it's what it's supposed to be. It's crazy how even something which feels mediocre so much of the time - fast-food coffee, a budget airline - requires an enormous amount of human effort to pull off reliably. (And yes, you can…

Sometimes, large corporation values consistency above one-off excellence. It’s how they build their brand (the promise of consistency).

I won’t be surprised if the people in rooms tasting coffee is also looking for coffee that is too good for one-off but hard to be replicable in the various stores they have.

Re: Southwest Headquarters Tour

#35

Post by KatiMichel »

doctoboggan wrote: post #28
legitster wrote: post #8

I adore behind-the-scenes tours. I get there's a lot of work that goes into making it happen, but when you drop into a place where people work, you'll learn so much about real life problems that never make it to the Internet. The greatest tour I ever had was at the Smokejumper base in remote WA. At any time when they're open, you're allowed to drop in for a tour and whoever is there that day is obliged to give you on…

Yes, field trips were always my favorite part of school. The "How its Made" show scratches a similar itch. I've noodled with the idea of starting a "fieldtrips for grownups" group but I feel like a wastewater treatment plant is more likely to open their doors for a group of third graders than a group of thirty somethings.

That is a great idea. Too often, we just grow up getting used to the idea that things are just made somewhere in a "black box" and never take the time to investigate. We could probably get into more places than we realize.

Re: Southwest Headquarters Tour

#36

Post by KatiMichel »

plasticsoprano wrote: post #22
legitster wrote: post #8

I adore behind-the-scenes tours. I get there's a lot of work that goes into making it happen, but when you drop into a place where people work, you'll learn so much about real life problems that never make it to the Internet. The greatest tour I ever had was at the Smokejumper base in remote WA. At any time when they're open, you're allowed to drop in for a tour and whoever is there that day is obliged to give you on…

Remember, most fire stations will give you a tour, let you sit in the truck, etc, if you just pop in. They love to show off. Source: My father was a 35 year veteran of the fire department in a large city.

Great tip. I would never think to ask. Now I want to go to one!

Re: Southwest Headquarters Tour

#37

Post by xyzelement »

// We later learned that sadly only 6% of Southwest pilots are women,

I am not sure that's a "sadly". I used to fly a lot and talk to flight crews. Aviation is a ton of crazy schedules and nights away from home (I assume this is well known)

From a family perspective it's bad enough if dads missing from the house for days at a time, much more catastrophic if mom's not around like that.

(A child's relationship with mom vs. dad is very different. Kids need their mom in a very different way that we can't just paper over)

Re: Southwest Headquarters Tour

#38

Post by KatiMichel »

schoen wrote: post #17
legitster wrote: post #8

I adore behind-the-scenes tours. I get there's a lot of work that goes into making it happen, but when you drop into a place where people work, you'll learn so much about real life problems that never make it to the Internet. The greatest tour I ever had was at the Smokejumper base in remote WA. At any time when they're open, you're allowed to drop in for a tour and whoever is there that day is obliged to give you on…

I highly recommend the tour of the Itaipu Binacional hydroelectric dam in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil (well, it's also in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, but the tour starts from the Brazilian side). https://turismoitaipu.com.br/en/ Get the "special tour" which takes you inside the dam. An absolutely incredible spot and incredible achievement. They will take you into a room with a turbine shaft that's mechanically transmitting…

Sounds incredible. I am going to bookmark this to do if I take a trip to Brazil.

Re: Southwest Headquarters Tour

#39

Post by ani_k47 »

xyzelement wrote: post #37

// We later learned that sadly only 6% of Southwest pilots are women, I am not sure that's a "sadly". I used to fly a lot and talk to flight crews. Aviation is a ton of crazy schedules and nights away from home (I assume this is well known) From a family perspective it's bad enough if dads missing from the house for days at a time, much more catastrophic if mom's not around like that. (A child's relationship with mom…

forgive me if I am wrong, but this comment sounds like we are trying to build a narrative. I might be wrong. No offense.

Re: Southwest Headquarters Tour

#40

Post by HappyJoy »

xyzelement wrote: post #37

// We later learned that sadly only 6% of Southwest pilots are women, I am not sure that's a "sadly". I used to fly a lot and talk to flight crews. Aviation is a ton of crazy schedules and nights away from home (I assume this is well known) From a family perspective it's bad enough if dads missing from the house for days at a time, much more catastrophic if mom's not around like that. (A child's relationship with mom…

Fair - how does that account for the predominantly female FA population?
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