I think a basic fact of flying life is that most travelers really don’t care where what color the airplane wears. They want reliable transportation between points on a map, their bag to get there when they do, and for the experience in between to not be torturous. On the other hand, I’m a bit of an airplane junkie, have been a lifelong student of the airline industry, and well….while I’d never book an airline based on their paint job, I do care. The colors and branding an airline chooses represents something….its core….its people…..its product.
I’ve posted, Tweeted, and Facebooked my feelings about airline liveries, most notably that of American Airlines, which I did not love at first. In truth, I still don’t love the tail art, but it has grown on me. With rumors of a new branding at Southwest hitting the wires over the last several days, I eagerly anticipated a look at the new branding. When pictures began to surface over the weekend, I thought it looked OK, but now that I’ve gotten a good look at it, I really am kind of partial to it. I like the way it looks. I like the brightness. I like the big “Southwest” on the fuselage. Most of all, I like the heart.
Image courtesy of Southwest Airlines
-MJ, September 8, 2014
