And This Is Why Customer Affection For Southwest Airlines Doesn’t Expire

And This Is Why Customer Affection For Southwest Airlines Doesn’t Expire

The airline recently announced that the travel vouchers it issues when customers cancel a non-refundable flight will no longer expire. Previously, Southwest adhered to the standard industry practice of requiring passengers to use travel credits within one year of the original ticket purchase date. Since the onset of the pandemic, major U. S. airlines (Southwest included) have temporarily waived that policy. But rather than extending that waiver for another few months (as most airlines have been doing), Southwest made the policy change permanent. It's a welcome enhancement for passengers, who have long craved greater flexibility in air travel (a desire that became even more pronounced in the pandemic). And it represents yet another customer experience differentiator for Southwest, a tangible brand proof point that sets them apart from the crowd. Time and time again, Southwest's approach to pushing the customer experience envelope has followed a familiar pattern – and it's a playbook that can benefit most any business: There are some customer pain points that are so closely associated with particular industries that their removal becomes a cause for consumer celebration (and a driver of competitive advantage). Consider how T-Mobile reinvigorated its business with its "Un-carrier" strategy, liberating cellular service