How Herb Kelleher Made Southwest a Vexing Problem for Online Travel
Photo Credit: Southwest co-founder Herb Kelleher (left) with CEO Gary Kelly. Southwest Airlines
Skift Take
Southwest has perennially been a thorn in the side of online travel companies that lusted after getting access to its flights and fares. But no one can credibly argue that Southwest's insistence on direct distribution hasn't worked for the airline. Its competitors and peers inside and outside of the airline industry can only be jealous.
Southwest co-founder Herb Kelleher, who passed away last week, deservedly earned heartfelt plaudits from airline partners and competitors of various persuasions.
Kelleher, who was executive chairman and/or CEO of the airline for three decades, ending in 2008, practically invented low-cost carriers, and created a beloved airline. Southwest is one of the largest airlines in the United States, never went bankrupt, as did many of its peers, and has been profitable for 46 years in a row. It's an unparalleled record in U.S., if not global, aviation.
We reached out to online and business travel leaders whose tenures overlapped with Kelleher's, and they universally praised his legacy. But Kelleher's track record also made Southwest a formidable obstacle to their goals of creating comprehensive solutions for their customers.
For example, beginning with Kelleher, Southwest shunned giving its flights and fares to online travel agencies; most global distribution systems, with the exceptio
