Coming out of COVID feels a little like starting a new year at school or moving into a new house. There is an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start afresh, which is what Southwest Airlines decided to do yesterday.Southwest Airlines (Southwest) has taken the opportunity for a fresh start by reinforcing itself as the airline with heart. To be precise, the airline has launched a new brand campaign - 'Go with Heart,' which, it says, shows how much it values its customers. In the words of Southwest vice president, marketing and digital experience, Bill Tierney,

"Go with Heart is inspired by what makes Southwest stand out from the competition - our outstanding employees, legendary customer service and flexible differentiators. We're here to connect customers with what's important to them by making travel easier with less anxiety."

The campaign, announced on Monday, reinforces that Southwest stands for low fares, flexible policies and unmatched hospitality, "delivering customers an enhanced experience when they travel on the airline with Heart." Here's one of the ways they plan to get their message out to the world:

Will the message resonate with passengers?

Southwest says that 'Go with Heart' is all about its point of difference - the experiences it gives to customers that shows they genuinely care:

• Bags fly free
• No change or cancelation fees
• Points don't expire
• Flight credits don't expire

Over-promising and under-delivering?

Airlines have had a tough time this year as they struggled to meet pent-up demand that has choked airports and highlighted staff shortages. It is interesting that Southwest is now portraying this kinder, softer image that looks nothing like what passengers have gone through during 2022.

The obvious challenge is living up to the promise of the video, so one start might be speeding up the availability of in-seat power on its fleet of Boeing 737s. In May, Southwest announced it was installing in-seat power "onboard 737 MAX aircraft beginning in early 2023," with no mention of its current 737-700/800 aircraft.

Almost every passenger will bring on at least one personal electronic device, and while it might be a first-world problem, there is anxiety about running out of battery power by the end of the flight. Data from ch-aviation.com shows that Southwest has 740 737s in its fleet, with 101 being MAX 8s, with another 201 MAX 8s and 241 MAX 7s on order. Based on those numbers, which will change as MAX aircraft are delivered, if in-seat power was available today, there is only a one in seven chance of getting on a Southwest plane with it installed. That's not the impression you get from watching the new video.

On the plus side, giving customers greater flexibility to alter or cancel bookings when their circumstances change is a more heart-warming approach. This is something else that Tierney highlighted when he said:

"Serving our customers is at the core of what we do at Southwest Airlines, and we know that having flexibility is top of mind for our customers when they're planning travel. When customers go book their next trip, they can do so without hesitation, knowing Southwest has generous and flexible policies coupled with legendary hospitality - they can "Go with Heart' by going with Southwest."

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What do you think about these re-branding campaigns, and has Southwest got it right on this one? Will it affect who you book with?

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  Southwest Airlines

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  WN/SWA

  Airline Type:

  Low-Cost Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Dallas Love Field, Denver International Airport, Harry Reid International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Houston Hobby Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Midway International Airport, Oakland International Airport, Orlando International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

  Year Founded:

  1967

  CEO:

  Robert Jordan

  Country:

  United States