Southwest Airlines

　　美國西南航空公司

　　ADVERTS from the early years of Southwest Airlinesevoke a lost era. Remember what it was like beforeSouthwest Airlines? asks a hostess in a 1972television spot, wobbling across the tarmac in orange micro-shorts and white go-go boots. You didnt have hostesses in hot pants. Remember? The airline had started up a year earlier,with three planes shuttling between Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. It later acquired a tickeron the New York Stock ExchangeLUVthat fitted its perky image. On early flights,hostesses plied passengers with free cocktails.

　　西南航空早年的廣告讓我們回想起一個逝去的時代。在 1972年的一期電視廣告中，一位身穿橘色迷你短褲和白色齊膝長筒靴的空姐，扭動身姿走在鋪有柏油碎石的飛機跑道上，說道還記得西南航空出現前是個什么樣子嗎?那時是沒有穿著熱褲的空姐的，不是嗎?這家航空公司于1971年開始運營，當時擁有三架往返于達拉斯、休斯頓和圣安東尼奧之間的飛機。西南航空隨后在紐約證券交易所上市，股票代號LUV，這也恰恰符合其富有朝氣的形象。在該公司的早班飛機上，空姐們會殷勤的為乘客們提供免費雞尾酒。

　　Forty years later, Southwest has become Americaslargest low-cost carrier. That is a striking change.Southwest was for a long time the underdog ofAmerican aviation. During the 1980s it was downrightfrumpy, flying middle managers to Kansas City onbargain fares. But it has now developed a mix of lowfares and friendly service that appeals to Americasvast herd of cattle-class commuters. RyanAir and EasyJet, two of Europes leading budgetairlines, learned many of their tricks from Southwest.

　　四十年后，西南航空成為美國航空業巨頭中票價最低的一家。它的蛻變是顯著的。西南航空很長一段時間內都在美國航空業中處于劣勢。20世紀80年代西南航空還相當落后，只是經營著一些通過廉價機票吸引中層經理們飛往堪薩斯城的業務，而現在該公司已經推出一系列價廉質優的服務，以吸引美國大批需經常乘坐經濟艙往返的乘客。瑞安航空和易捷航空這兩家歐洲領先的廉價航空公司也借鑒了西南航空不少的技巧。

　　Last month it announced first-quarter revenues of$3.1 billion, up 18% from the first quarter of 2010.Profits were a negligible $5m for the quarter, butthis was still better than American, Delta or themerged United Continental, all of which lost money.Southwest has increased its capacity, too. In 2009it began its first services to New York City andBoston and in 2010 it launched a nonstop nerdbird between the high-tech hubs of Austin and SanJose. On May 2nd it completed a $1.4 billionacquisition of Atlanta-based AirTran. The movebrings Southwest about 700 new flights, putting the total to just above 4,000. Now the airlinehas access to the bustling hub at Atlanta for the first time, and some short-haul internationalflights.

　　上個月西南航空宣布其第一個季度的收益達31億美元，比起2010年得第一個季度增長了18%。該季度500萬美元的利潤雖然是微乎其微，但相對于都在虧損的美國、三角洲或是合并組成的聯合大陸航空公司來說，情況就好多了。西南航空也增強了它的運載能力。2009年它開始提供飛往紐約和波士頓的航班服務，2010年又開通了往返于奧斯丁和圣何塞高新科技中心的呆鳥直達航班。在今年5月2號，它進而出資14億美元完成了對亞特蘭大穿越航空公司的收購。這一舉措為西南航空新引進了大約700架飛機，使得其飛機總數剛好突破4000架。西南航空現在還首次開通了通往亞特蘭大繁華中心地帶的航班，和一些短程國際航班。

　　The soaring cost of jet fuel will probably force all carriers to raise fares. That could hurtSouthwest more than most, since low fares arecentral to its strategy. Already, Southwestsfares are sometimes no better than those of its supposedly more upmarket rivals, particularlywhen a passenger books a seat at short notice.

　　不斷飛漲的飛機燃油價格可能會迫使所有的航空公司提高票價。西南航空公司可能首當其沖，因為低價位是該公司策略的核心所在。西南航空的票價有時都已不比那些一般認為是針對高端消費群體的對手們便宜，特別是當乘客需要臨時買票的時候。

　　Southwest has never signed up with websites that allow passengers to compare prices fromdifferent airlines, such as Orbitz or Kayak. And many of its passengers opt for extra servicesthat cost money, such as early check-in, suggesting that they are willing to pay more for aneasier journey.

　　西南航空從來沒有與Orbitz或者Kayak這類網站簽約，以便于旅客們通過這些網站對比各家航空公司的票價。西南航空的許多旅客選擇需要付費的額外服務，如早一點辦理登機手續，這意味著很多人為了有一個更為舒適的旅行，愿意多花點兒錢。

　　Southwests main advantage is that its rivals often treat passengers like cargo. Not only dothey squeeze them into seats that make dentists chairs seem comfortable, but they do sowith an air of ill-concealed resentment. Southwests staff, in contrast, affect a madcap jollityreminiscent of British holiday camps in the 1970s. They may no longer wear hot pants, but theysometimes break into song. The scramble for seats is arduousSouthwest typically does notlet you reserve a specific onebut at least the stewards smile.

　　西南航空所占據的主要優勢是其競爭對手將旅客們經常視為貨物一樣。競爭公司們不僅把旅客們塞到看上去都沒有牙醫的椅子舒服的座位上，而且流露出難掩的反感情緒。相反，西南航空的員工們總是做出一副興高采烈的樣子，使人們不由想起20世紀70年代英國假日野營地的場景。他們可能已不再穿火辣的短裙，但有時會高歌一曲。要想搶個座位是很困難的，要想搶個座位是很困難的，因為通常西南航空是不提供特定的座位預定服務的，但至少乘務員們都是面帶微笑為您服務。

　　Southwest messes up occasionally. Last month it earned angry headlines after asking twoheavy passengers to wait for the next plane. And in April it cancelled 700 flights after one of its ageing Boeing 737s suffered an ominouscrack in its roof. But still, Americans seem to like Southwest more than most. In the currentissue of Consumer Reports it was rated Americas favourite airline.

　　有時西南航空也是會出錯的。上個月因為要求兩位體態肥胖的旅客推遲到下一趟航班，憤怒的旅客將西南航空投訴上了報紙的大字標題。今年四月份，由于其中一架運行老齡化的波音737號飛機機頂出現了不祥的一個裂縫，迫使西南航空取消了700次航班。即使如此，西南航空仍然是美國人的最愛。現刊消費者報告上顯示，西南航空在美國是最受歡迎的航空公司。

　　It is the small things that make the difference. Southwest still gives out free peanuts, an oddlyemotive subject among travellers. It lets passengers switch their flights often, for no extracharge. Most importantly, perhaps, it does not charge for checked-in luggage. Bob Jordan,Southwests vice president for strategy, reckons that charging for bags would have given theairline an additional $300m a year. But bag fees are so irritating that Southwest decided togo without.

　　小不同則有大差距。西南航空仍舊提供免費的花生米，這也是使旅客情緒上產生奇妙變化的東西。西南航空時常允許乘客們調換航班，并提供無償服務。可能最重要的，西南航空不為托運 行李收費。其戰略副總裁鮑勃.喬丹認為，行李收費每年公司會額外盈利3億美元，但因為行李費用是另旅客們相當困擾的問題，西南航空決定不為其收費。

　　Executives crow that this has allowed Southwest to poach customers from rivals, which hasmade up for the forgone fees. Meanwhile, Southwest has no qualms about charging for extrasthat irk passengers less, such as those early check-ins, and this generates a happy whack ofcash.

　　主管們高調的聲稱，這個舉措使得西南航空從其競爭對手那里吸引了不少旅客資源，這也就彌補了托運行李上所花費的費用。同時，對于額外服務收取額外費用，例如提早登機手續辦理，旅客們不怎么在意，西南航空也沒什么顧慮，高高興興地又為公司贏得了大筆的鈔票。

　　Other airlines could imitate Southwests original approach to smiles and peanuts. Anybodycan copy anybody, right? Mr Jordan concedes. But he argues that the others have grown soaddicted to the extra revenue from bag fees that if they change, the hurt will linger like ajumbo grounded by a snowstorm.

　　其他的航空公司當然是可以模仿西南航空公司最初為乘客們提供微笑服務和免費花生的舉措。 喬丹先生也承認：任何人都可以模仿任何一個人，是吧。但他同時也表明因為其他的航空公司太過投入于從行李收費中獲取額外收益，使得其很難有所改變。如果改變，所受的創傷猶如暴風雪刮后造成飛機停飛的后果一樣嚴重持久。

　　Southwest Airlines

　　美國西南航空公司

　　ADVERTS from the early years of Southwest Airlinesevoke a lost era. Remember what it was like beforeSouthwest Airlines? asks a hostess in a 1972television spot, wobbling across the tarmac in orange micro-shorts and white go-go boots. You didnt have hostesses in hot pants. Remember? The airline had started up a year earlier,with three planes shuttling between Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. It later acquired a tickeron the New York Stock ExchangeLUVthat fitted its perky image. On early flights,hostesses plied passengers with free cocktails.

　　西南航空早年的廣告讓我們回想起一個逝去的時代。在 1972年的一期電視廣告中，一位身穿橘色迷你短褲和白色齊膝長筒靴的空姐，扭動身姿走在鋪有柏油碎石的飛機跑道上，說道還記得西南航空出現前是個什么樣子嗎?那時是沒有穿著熱褲的空姐的，不是嗎?這家航空公司于1971年開始運營，當時擁有三架往返于達拉斯、休斯頓和圣安東尼奧之間的飛機。西南航空隨后在紐約證券交易所上市，股票代號LUV，這也恰恰符合其富有朝氣的形象。在該公司的早班飛機上，空姐們會殷勤的為乘客們提供免費雞尾酒。

　　Forty years later, Southwest has become Americaslargest low-cost carrier. That is a striking change.Southwest was for a long time the underdog ofAmerican aviation. During the 1980s it was downrightfrumpy, flying middle managers to Kansas City onbargain fares. But it has now developed a mix of lowfares and friendly service that appeals to Americasvast herd of cattle-class commuters. RyanAir and EasyJet, two of Europes leading budgetairlines, learned many of their tricks from Southwest.

　　四十年后，西南航空成為美國航空業巨頭中票價最低的一家。它的蛻變是顯著的。西南航空很長一段時間內都在美國航空業中處于劣勢。20世紀80年代西南航空還相當落后，只是經營著一些通過廉價機票吸引中層經理們飛往堪薩斯城的業務，而現在該公司已經推出一系列價廉質優的服務，以吸引美國大批需經常乘坐經濟艙往返的乘客。瑞安航空和易捷航空這兩家歐洲領先的廉價航空公司也借鑒了西南航空不少的技巧。

　　Last month it announced first-quarter revenues of$3.1 billion, up 18% from the first quarter of 2010.Profits were a negligible $5m for the quarter, butthis was still better than American, Delta or themerged United Continental, all of which lost money.Southwest has increased its capacity, too. In 2009it began its first services to New York City andBoston and in 2010 it launched a nonstop nerdbird between the high-tech hubs of Austin and SanJose. On May 2nd it completed a $1.4 billionacquisition of Atlanta-based AirTran. The movebrings Southwest about 700 new flights, putting the total to just above 4,000. Now the airlinehas access to the bustling hub at Atlanta for the first time, and some short-haul internationalflights.

　　上個月西南航空宣布其第一個季度的收益達31億美元，比起2010年得第一個季度增長了18%。該季度500萬美元的利潤雖然是微乎其微，但相對于都在虧損的美國、三角洲或是合并組成的聯合大陸航空公司來說，情況就好多了。西南航空也增強了它的運載能力。2009年它開始提供飛往紐約和波士頓的航班服務，2010年又開通了往返于奧斯丁和圣何塞高新科技中心的呆鳥直達航班。在今年5月2號，它進而出資14億美元完成了對亞特蘭大穿越航空公司的收購。這一舉措為西南航空新引進了大約700架飛機，使得其飛機總數剛好突破4000架。西南航空現在還首次開通了通往亞特蘭大繁華中心地帶的航班，和一些短程國際航班。

　　The soaring cost of jet fuel will probably force all carriers to raise fares. That could hurtSouthwest more than most, since low fares arecentral to its strategy. Already, Southwestsfares are sometimes no better than those of its supposedly more upmarket rivals, particularlywhen a passenger books a seat at short notice.

　　不斷飛漲的飛機燃油價格可能會迫使所有的航空公司提高票價。西南航空公司可能首當其沖，因為低價位是該公司策略的核心所在。西南航空的票價有時都已不比那些一般認為是針對高端消費群體的對手們便宜，特別是當乘客需要臨時買票的時候。

　　Southwest has never signed up with websites that allow passengers to compare prices fromdifferent airlines, such as Orbitz or Kayak. And many of its passengers opt for extra servicesthat cost money, such as early check-in, suggesting that they are willing to pay more for aneasier journey.

　　西南航空從來沒有與Orbitz或者Kayak這類網站簽約，以便于旅客們通過這些網站對比各家航空公司的票價。西南航空的許多旅客選擇需要付費的額外服務，如早一點辦理登機手續，這意味著很多人為了有一個更為舒適的旅行，愿意多花點兒錢。

　　Southwests main advantage is that its rivals often treat passengers like cargo. Not only dothey squeeze them into seats that make dentists chairs seem comfortable, but they do sowith an air of ill-concealed resentment. Southwests staff, in contrast, affect a madcap jollityreminiscent of British holiday camps in the 1970s. They may no longer wear hot pants, but theysometimes break into song. The scramble for seats is arduousSouthwest typically does notlet you reserve a specific onebut at least the stewards smile.

　　西南航空所占據的主要優勢是其競爭對手將旅客們經常視為貨物一樣。競爭公司們不僅把旅客們塞到看上去都沒有牙醫的椅子舒服的座位上，而且流露出難掩的反感情緒。相反，西南航空的員工們總是做出一副興高采烈的樣子，使人們不由想起20世紀70年代英國假日野營地的場景。他們可能已不再穿火辣的短裙，但有時會高歌一曲。要想搶個座位是很困難的，要想搶個座位是很困難的，因為通常西南航空是不提供特定的座位預定服務的，但至少乘務員們都是面帶微笑為您服務。

　　Southwest messes up occasionally. Last month it earned angry headlines after asking twoheavy passengers to wait for the next plane. And in April it cancelled 700 flights after one of its ageing Boeing 737s suffered an ominouscrack in its roof. But still, Americans seem to like Southwest more than most. In the currentissue of Consumer Reports it was rated Americas favourite airline.

　　有時西南航空也是會出錯的。上個月因為要求兩位體態肥胖的旅客推遲到下一趟航班，憤怒的旅客將西南航空投訴上了報紙的大字標題。今年四月份，由于其中一架運行老齡化的波音737號飛機機頂出現了不祥的一個裂縫，迫使西南航空取消了700次航班。即使如此，西南航空仍然是美國人的最愛。現刊消費者報告上顯示，西南航空在美國是最受歡迎的航空公司。

　　It is the small things that make the difference. Southwest still gives out free peanuts, an oddlyemotive subject among travellers. It lets passengers switch their flights often, for no extracharge. Most importantly, perhaps, it does not charge for checked-in luggage. Bob Jordan,Southwests vice president for strategy, reckons that charging for bags would have given theairline an additional $300m a year. But bag fees are so irritating that Southwest decided togo without.

　　小不同則有大差距。西南航空仍舊提供免費的花生米，這也是使旅客情緒上產生奇妙變化的東西。西南航空時常允許乘客們調換航班，并提供無償服務。可能最重要的，西南航空不為托運 行李收費。其戰略副總裁鮑勃.喬丹認為，行李收費每年公司會額外盈利3億美元，但因為行李費用是另旅客們相當困擾的問題，西南航空決定不為其收費。

　　Executives crow that this has allowed Southwest to poach customers from rivals, which hasmade up for the forgone fees. Meanwhile, Southwest has no qualms about charging for extrasthat irk passengers less, such as those early check-ins, and this generates a happy whack ofcash.

　　主管們高調的聲稱，這個舉措使得西南航空從其競爭對手那里吸引了不少旅客資源，這也就彌補了托運行李上所花費的費用。同時，對于額外服務收取額外費用，例如提早登機手續辦理，旅客們不怎么在意，西南航空也沒什么顧慮，高高興興地又為公司贏得了大筆的鈔票。

　　Other airlines could imitate Southwests original approach to smiles and peanuts. Anybodycan copy anybody, right? Mr Jordan concedes. But he argues that the others have grown soaddicted to the extra revenue from bag fees that if they change, the hurt will linger like ajumbo grounded by a snowstorm.

　　其他的航空公司當然是可以模仿西南航空公司最初為乘客們提供微笑服務和免費花生的舉措。 喬丹先生也承認：任何人都可以模仿任何一個人，是吧。但他同時也表明因為其他的航空公司太過投入于從行李收費中獲取額外收益，使得其很難有所改變。如果改變，所受的創傷猶如暴風雪刮后造成飛機停飛的后果一樣嚴重持久。