The perfect airline, in my opinion, combines a couple of different aspects:
The Customers: The customers should be a top priority for the perfect airline. If the customers are satisfied, it makes the flight smoother, and all around less work for the company as a whole. Basic things such as low costs, complimentary services, and cleanliness are somewhat easy ways companies can cater to their customers. Southwest’s motto is all about customer satisfaction and hospitality, and I think that is a pleasant change from other airlines, who seem to sometimes forget about the importance of happy fliers. Southwest’s low prices on tickets, free baggage, and fast turn arounds make the flights enjoyable and efficient for a budget, and the employees know customer service is extremely important which also makes flights smoother.
The Employees: Employee happiness is the best way to ensure customer satisfaction. If employees aren’t happy, they will be less willing to be pleasant to customers. A perfect company would give ample employee benefits because, in the long run, that would increase company profit. Southwest gives perks such as retirement, health insurance, and free flights.
The Impact: This draws in the elements highlighted in the LP analysis: Environment, Culture, Economy, and People. People should be the top priority I think, and our ratings of Southwest have that ranked the highest in the LP analysis due to their intentionality revolving around their commitment to their people. The culture surrounding flights has certainly shifted, it used to be only people with more money could fly, now the industry has drastically changed to accommodate a wider range of budgets. Southwest also makes this a priority and as a result, dominates the low-cost carrier industry. The economy also plays into this, it should be an important aspect of the industry is affordability and opportunity. The environmental side is tricky. I would be interested in data and research about the shift to environmental sustainability in the flight industry, because it has been a social hot-button topic, and flights are becoming ubiquitous. I think there are major areas of improvement in this area.