Most airlines don't have stories about high stakes arm wrestling, planes full of dogs, and a decade of go-go boots, but Southwest isn't like most airlines. To celebrate 50 years of flying, Southwest Airlines proudly presents this 20 episode series featuring first-hand stories from the people who lived through the wildest and most memorable moments in the airline's history. Hosted by Southwest employees Quinnie Jenkins and Lucas Hershberger, produced by LA Times Studios and At Will Media.

This is a paid podcast funded by Southwest Airlines. The Los Angeles Times newsroom was not involved in the production of this podcast.

&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;Passengers stopped flying. Cleaning protocols needed to be overhauled. Keeping an airline running through a global pandemic is no easy task, but Southwest Airlines pulled it off, and without involuntary furloughs, layoffs, or pay reductions. In this episode, Southwest Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly and Managing Director Communications &amp; Outreach Laurie Barnett discuss how they respectively tackled the greatest threat to their airline in the company’s 50 year history.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;For more stories on Southwest Airlines’ 50 years of flying and a look behind the scenes, check out latimes.com/isthisseatopen&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;<br />


Is This Seat Open?

The Data