经济学人下载:微笑服务和免费花生

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, but this was still better than American, Delta or the merged United Continental, all of which lost money. Southwest has increased its capacity, too. In 2009 it began its first services to New York City and Boston and in 2010 it launched a nonstop “nerd bird” between the high-tech hubs of Austin and San Jose. On May 2nd it completed a $1.4 billion acquisition of Atlanta-based AirTran. The move brings Southwest about 700 new flights, putting the total to just above 4,000. Now the airline has access to the bustling hub at Atlanta for the first time, and some short-haul international flights.

上个月西南航空宣布其第一个季度的收益达31亿美元，比起2010年得第一个季度增长了18%。该季度500万美元的利润虽然是微乎其微，但相对于都在亏损的美国、三角洲或是合并组成的联合大陆航空公司来说，情况就好多了。西南航空也增强了它的运载能力。2009年它开始提供飞往纽约和波士顿的航班服务，2010年又开通了往返于奥斯丁和圣何塞高新科技中心的“呆鸟”（往返于高新科技城市的航班，因其大部分旅客都是搞研究的呆子，所以把这类航班称作“呆鸟”）直达航班。在今年5月2号，它进而出资14亿美元完成了对亚特兰大穿越航空公司的收购。这一举措为西南航空新引进了大约700架飞机，使得其飞机总数刚好突破4000架。西南航空现在还首次开通了通往亚特兰大繁华中心地带的航班，和一些短程国际航班。

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

不断飞涨的飞机燃油价格可能会迫使所有的航空公司提高票价。西南航空公司可能首当其冲，因为低价位是该公司策略的核心所在。西南航空的票价有时都已不比那些一般认为是针对高端消费群体的对手们便宜，特别是当乘客需要临时买票的时候。

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

西南航空从来没有与Orbitz或者Kayak这类网站签约，以便于旅客们通过这些网站对比各家航空公司的票价。西南航空的许多旅客选择需要付费的额外服务，如早一点办理登机手续，这意味着很多人为了有一个更为舒适的旅行，愿意多花点儿钱。

Southwest’s main advantage is that its rivals often treat passengers like cargo. Not only do they squeeze them into seats that make dentists’ chairs seem comfortable, but they do so with an air of ill-concealed resentment. Southwest’s staff, in contrast, affect a madcap jollity reminiscent of British holiday camps in the 1970s. They may no longer wear hot pants, but they sometimes break into song. The scramble for seats is arduous—Southwest typically does not let you reserve a specific one—but at least the stewards smile.

西南航空所占据的主要优势是其竞争对手将旅客们经常视为货物一样。竞争公司们不仅把旅客们塞到看上去都没有牙医的椅子舒服的座位上，而且流露出难掩的反感情绪。相反，西南航空的员工们总是做出一副兴高采烈的样子，使人们不由想起20世纪70年代英国假日野营地的场景。他们可能已不再穿火辣的短裙，但有时会高歌一曲。要想抢个座位是很困难的，要想抢个座位是很困难的，因为通常西南航空是不提供特定的座位预定服务的，但至少乘务员们都是面带微笑为您服务。