Southwest unveils new 'freedom' livery, gives workers 50,000 points for 50th anniversary
Southwest unveiled a new aircraft livery on Friday as it celebrated its 50th anniversary. The carrier also said it would dole out 50,000 Rapid Rewards frequent flyer points to its workforce of more than 55,000 people.
The livery, dubbed "Freedom One," is meant as a nod to members and veterans of the armed forces, including nearly 8,000 Southwest employees.
The American-flag design on the Boeing 737-800 — Southwest's first -800 with a special livery — was meant to evoke the idea of "freedom" to align with the anniversary date, the airline said, linking "freedom" with 50 years of the "freedom to travel."
"The word 'freedom' has significant meaning to the People and history of Southwest Airlines," Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said. "We simply couldn't fulfill our purpose if not for the sacrifices and dedication of our military men and women.
Freedom One features the 13 stripes and 50 stars of the American flag — another link to the 50th anniversary, the airline said.
Five decades: Southwest Airlines, which gave us everything from hot pants to 'Wanna Get Away' fares, turns 50 today
As part of the unveiling and celebration, which occurred at an employee party and rally in Houston, each employee at Southwest was given 50,000 Rapid Rewards points.
"Southwest revolutionized the travel industry since our very first flight on June 18, 1971—a time when less than 15% of Americans ever had traveled by air," Kelly said. "The people of Southwest democratized the skies with friendly, reliable, and affordable air travel, and what better way to honor you, our employees, on our 50th Anniversary than by offering a gift of 50,000 Rapid Rewards points."
Following the employee event, Freedom One will depart Houston for Dallas Love Field (DAL), a tribute to Southwest's first flight (which actually went in the opposite direction). The flight is slated to fly a new approach into DAL named HERBZ, for Southwest co-founder Herb Kelleher.
TPG will be aboard the flight, so stay tuned for more from Southwest's 50th!
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Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month