This case exhibits the growth of Southwest Airlines and how their operations have built an exemplary reputation on low cost reliable service. Over their tenure of 30 years in the airline industry, they have demonstrated 30 years of sustainable growth. The reason Southwest has remained financially viable is their commitment to point-to-point operations with an emphasis on quick turn around time. Southwest’s management faced many challenges due to the increase in security regulations post-9/11. Southwest was fortune that it was a strong performer prior to 9/11 but many of the security regulations that were implemented after directly contrasted with Southwest primary core competencies. For instance, Southwest initially had the colored boarding cards, which were generic without passenger names. Due to highest security risk, passenger names had to be cross-checked at the gate, causing delays. Southwest has been criticized for their flight delays since 9/11. Part of the reason for the deteriorating record is that Southwest tends to schedule flights close together to maximize efficiency. That ends up hurting the carrier when there are weather or other problems. Most other airlines tend to pad their gate-to-gate times, Southwest has recently changed its schedule to add more time for such in-between flight tasks as unloading passengers and preparing the plane for the next group of passengers. Another reason: Southwest has expanded its network into congested airports in cities such as New York. Those changes will take some time to implement. "But we do expect to see improvement