On June 18, 1971, Southwest Airlines took to the skies for the very first time, operating regional interstate services from its home base in Dallas to Houston and San Antonio. At the time, flight attendants (known as air hostesses back then) wore raunchy go-go boots and bright orange hotpants. The airline dubbed them “love birds”.
In the more than five decades since, the uniform has changed massively, and no one knows that better than Sandra Force – one of Southwest’s very first flight attendants who still works for the airline today.
In fact, Sandra became the face (and body) of Southwest in 1972 when she was selected as ‘hostess of the month,’ which earned her the opportunity to take part in a now iconic photoshoot where she modelled the white go-go boots and a colorful kaftan.
To celebrate Southwest’s 55th birthday, the airline has dug into the archives to revitalise that iconic photo and superimpose it into a photo of Sandra wearing today’s uniform.
The photo might look familiar as Southwest did something very similar in 2016 to celebrate its 45th birthday, but this time around, the airline is not only showing off the past and present, but also the future, with a sneak peek of Southwest’s upcoming new uniform, which is set to be rolled out next year.
While Southwest’s uniforms and hiring requirements have changed significantly over the years, for decades, Sandra’s day-to-day work stayed much the same. Southwest stood solidly by the business model created by legendary founder Herb Kelleher.
Southwest’s open seating and two-bag-fly-free policy were constant for decades. While other airlines were creating ever more fare products, charging passengers for checked bags and seat assignments, Southwest refused to budge.
That was, however, until the activist investor Elliott got very involved in Southwest’s future. The investment firm was convinced that in order to survive and return to healthy profitability, Southwest had to radically change… that meant transforming itself to become much like every other airline in the United States.
Southwest initially resisted before announcing some concessions to try to fend off Elliott’s advances. Open seating would end, but the bags fly free policy would remain.
In October 2024, however, Southwest caved. Elliott was allowed to place its pick of five directors on Southwest’s board, and a massive transformation began. Within months, Southwest U-turned on its bags fly free promise, announcing that passengers would, in fact, have to start paying for checked bags.
Southwest introduced new fare products, including premium seats and seat assignments for a fee. Southwest is also mulling over a domestic First Class seat, premium airport lounges, and even the possibility of starting long-haul widebody flights.
Elliott has also reportedly called on Southwest to ditch shorts and polo shorts for flight attendants and other customer-facing employees in a bid to make them look more professional. Nearly three years after revealing prototypes of its new-look uniform, the rollout is expected to start early next year.
Out goes the bold red pops of color, and in its place is a muted blue uniform with matching scarves and accessories. The uniform is classic, although some crew members fear it’s just a little too generic.
