Microsoft and Southwest Airlines team up for picture perfect holiday

For the second year in a row, Microsoft and Southwest Airlines have joined forces to offer free holiday themed photos and giveaway some great prizes as well. Between now and December 24th, you’ll be able to score a Windows 7 laptop each day and be entered to win free travel for a year on Southwest.

The two companies have set up photo booths in 21 airports and 3 malls across the U.S. Visitor to these locations will be able get free photos with Santa, which they can then share with friends and family. The booths are located in major airports that Southwest flies in and out of, such as Logan International in Boston, Dallas Love Field, and Denver International. Additionally, the malls that are hosting the photo experience are located in Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. For a complete listing of the locations click here.

Microsoft and Southwest haven’t forgotten about those of us who won’t be visiting any of those locations this holiday season either. We can still enter their online sweepstakes, where they are giving away a Windows PC every day through Christmas Eve, ten Epson printers, and the grand prize of free flights for a year. What traveler wouldn’t want that prize? To enter, simply click here and fill out the online form.

Video: Southwest Airlines’ departure from the Oskhosh AirVenture

Though aviation enthusiasts are the focus of each annual Oshkosh AirVenture, there’s also a big commercial and and industrial component. This year, for example, Ford, GE and Honda each had a significant presence on the grounds, largely for what seems to be exposure.

As part of the festivities, Southwest also brought one of their Boeing 737s to display at the show, and they chocked the airplane full of volunteers, employees and media for a special shuttle flight from Chicago‘s Midway into the heart of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. And since Gadling Labs is based out of Chicago, we hitched along for the ride.






Departure from Midway was at an eye-rubbing 7AM, and once on the ground in Oshkosh we had full range to wander wherever and photograph whatever we wanted. And just as the clouds rolled in at 5PM, we gathered back together to make the journey home.

First officer JC was standing on the airstairs as we watched the clouds roll in, and somehow we got onto the topic of cockpit jumpseat availability. Asked if we could take an open slot, he shrugged in affirmation — since this wasn’t a commercially operated Southwest flight the rules on passengers in the cockpit weren’t as strict, so after checking with the captain of the flight we came up front.

Above, you’ll see the perspective of the Southwest crew during the taxi and takeoff from Oshkosh AirVenture. With spectators lining the parallel taxi way and a festive atmosphere all about it was truly a unique experience — we hope you enjoy the perspective.

Photos from the Oshkosh Airventure

Festivities from the 2011 Oshkosh AirVenture are just wrapping up as we type, and as our photos come back from the dark room we’re sending them straight out to print.

As far as air shows go, one can do no better than the Oshkosh AirVenture in Wisconsin. Your typical small town air show this is not. Sure, they’ve got the warbirds and the experimental planes and the helicopters and the commercial jets — in sheer volume of hardware here there is no doubt.

Oshkosh goes well beyond the lifeless shell of steel and rivets though — this show is more about community than anything else. It’s immediately apparent as you walk down the runway where the primary show takes place. On the left side you’ll see cycles of aircraft flying in formation, in loops, around in spirals and performing for the audience.

And on the right? Legions of personal aircraft surrounded by campsites. Thousands of them. Some visitors sleep in their aircraft, others right under the wings. Scores of people make the trip up to Oskhosh each year to nestle back into the community, talk shop and catch up with old friends. It’s the annual reunion of airplane nerds.

Add to that mix a strong commercial component of airframe, technology and culture displays and you’ve got the biggest aircraft event in North America, a virtual playground for any aviation enthusiast. Take a look at the pictures from Gadling labs courtesy Erin Drewitz below.

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Southwest Airlines suspends, reinstates pilot after profanity-laced rant

Southwest Airlines confirms that it suspended a pilot who was caught ranting over air traffic control channels in a profane, misogynistic and homophobic manner. The event, originally reported by CBS 2 in Houston, states that the pilot’s speech on March 25 tied up frequencies for other pilots in the area.

CBS 2 (see the video reporting on the incident) says the unidentified pilot “could be heard talking to his co-pilot in the cockpit, expressing frustration over the airline hiring so many flight attendants that he found to be unsuitable for dating.” “A continuous stream of gays and grannies and grandes,” the pilot could be heard saying from the cockpit via the Houston Center air traffic control frequency.

Apparently, the pilot didn’t take into account that he himself might not be date-able (he complains that he couldn’t get laid because women he took to a bar just wanted to complain). He also ignored an air traffic controller who tried to interrupt the rant at several points. [Listen to the audio here]

The pilot bemoans his station in Houston, saying that the base has “just a handful of cute chicks.”

CBS 2 reported that air traffic control sent the tape to the Federal Aviation Administration, who in turn forwarded the tape to Southwest Airlines for review. The FAA confirmed that the conversation did take place at a time when personal conversations were permitted in the cockpit.

Southwest issued an e-mail statement to CBS2, stating: “we’ve built our Company’s reputation on the Golden Rule: treating others as you would like to be treated. The actions of this pilot are, without question, inconsistent with the professional behavior and overall respect that we require from our Employees.” The pilot was suspended without pay, but has been allowed to return to duty after undergoing diversity training.

What do you think? Is Southwest that short on pilots that this one should have been allowed to return?

[USA Today also reported on this issue.]

[Flickr via Kevin Coles]

Airlines offer in-flight menu items at food trucks, pop-ups

In a marketing move best described as “ironic,” a handful of airlines are now offering land-bound folk a taste of the finest of what they serve in the air. The New York Times reports that Air France, Austrian Airlines, Southwest, and Delta are trying to lure potential passengers by tempting them with samples of in-flight meals “from” celebrity-chefs.

The modus operandi are primarily roving food trucks and pop-up restaurants in cities from New York to Denver (there are also some permanent vendor spots at various sports stadiums). In Washington, passerby were offered European coffee and guglhupf, a type of cake. In Manhattan, crowds lined up for a taste of buckwheat crepes with ham, mushrooms, and Mornay sauce, or duck confit.

I get it. Airline food sucks. Time for an image makeover. But isn’t the airline industry so financially strapped that we’re lucky to get a bag of stale pretzels during a cross-country flight? And just because reknown chefs like Joël Robuchon, Tom Colicchio and Michelle Bernstein act as consultants for airlines and design their menus, that doesn’t mean it’s their food you’re eating on the JFK-to-Paris red-eye.

Most ludicrous, however, is the notion that there’s any basis for comparison against fresh ingredients and made-to-order food versus even the best institutionally-prepared airline crap. I’ve had a couple of decent meals designed by well-regarded chefs when I’ve been lucky enough to fly business class, but in the grand scheme of things, they were still made from flash-frozen, sub-par ingredients whose origins I’d rather not ponder. And if food truck crews are merely nuking actual airline food, then how are they any different from the corner deli with a microwave?

I’m not trying to be a food snob. I just find it interesting that airlines are hopping on two of the hottest culinary trends of the new century–ones largely based upon local, sustainable, seasonal ingredients. Yet by all accounts (to hear airline reps tell it), the plane campaign has been wildly successful. Of course. Who doesn’t love free food?Raymond Kollau, founder of Airlinetrends.com, cites social media as the gateway to this type of “experiential marketing.” “As people are bombarded with marketing messages,” he explains, “real-life interaction with products and brands has become increasingly valuable for airlines to get their message across.”

Valid point, and there’s no doubt this is a clever scheme. But truth in advertising is what wins consumers. What a catering company can pull off on-site is a hell of a lot different from what you’ll be ingesting in the friendly skies. If airlines want to use food to entice new passengers, they need to start by sourcing ingredients in a more responsible, sustainable manner, rather than supporting ecologically detrimental produce, meat, and poultry (talk about carbon offsets). I realize that’s not financially feasible at this time, but supposedly, neither are in-flight meals. As for making it taste good? You got me.

[Photo credit: Flickr user OpalMirror]