Southwest Airlines And Matador Network Launch Travel Content Partnership Inspired By Southwest Employees' Hometown Heart

Southwest and Matador launch new series: My City, My Heart: An Insiders' Guide by Southwest Employees

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Aug 06, 2019, 12:00 ET

DALLAS, Aug. 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) and Matador Network today release the first of a four-episode series called, My City, My Heart: An Insiders' Guide by Southwest Employees. Episode One features Southwest® Flight Attendant Javier, who shares his insider tips to exploring what he loves most about his hometown of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The new series will introduce Matador fans and viewers to the Heart of Southwest—its People. Taking a different approach to a destination guide, the series will showcase Employees from four different Frontline work groups, each playing an important role within the Southwest Operation, as they head off the clock and guide viewers through what makes their hometowns special.

"At Southwest, it's the Heart of our People that beats the strongest," said Michelle Agnew, Manager of Brand Partnerships and Entertainment Public Relations for Southwest. "Our Partners at Matador Network showcased the stories of our Employees and brought to life their passion and unique perspective for their city through this inspiring destination content. It's a fitting approach for Southwest to showcase its destinations through the Heart of our Employees in every journey."

"There are so many companies right now seeking partners to help in telling their story—influencers and celebrity endorsements are all the rage," said Ross Borden, Founder and CEO of Matador Network. "We were thrilled that Southwest wanted to partner with us on a different path, one where the brand story is told through the true faces of the Company—their own Employees! The original video series we've created together only reinforces that Southwest has built an amazing Company Culture that translates into happy and engaged Employees, which in turn benefits their Customers and their overall brand."

The series will launch across Matador's digital channels throughout the month of August. Beginning in September, Southwest Customers can view the series onboard WiFi-equipped flights via the custom Southwest Destinations TV Channel found on the carrier's Onboard Entertainment Portal, which features curated videos that highlight cities Southwest serves. The four My City, My Heart episodes will feature: Southwest Flight Attendant Javier in his hometown of San Juan, Puerto Rico; Southwest Provisioning Agent Angie in her hometown of Nashville, Tennessee; Southwest Ops Agent Bevin in his hometown of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; and Southwest First Officer Deidre in her hometown of Denver, Colorado.

In addition to the four episodes showcasing Southwest Employees and their hometowns, Southwest-sponsored editorial content will distribute across Matador Network. The editorial pieces highlight the value of using—not losing—hard-earned vacation days, and perfecting the art of the five-day weekend, offering creative solutions to make your vacation days work even harder for rest and relaxation. This partnership marks the first time the two brands have collaborated to produce high-quality episodic content.

ABOUT MATADOR NETWORK

Matador Network (matadornetwork.com) is a travel publisher and digital media company focused on inspiring people to live a more adventurous life. We believe the world is still a safe place to explore and that travel is the single most powerful tool for human empathy and understanding. Every day, we publish original videos, articles, city guides and social native content to encourage our readers, app users and social followers to explore their world more often and swap out stale routines for new adventures -- both in faraway lands and right in their own backyard.

The "Network" in our name represents our tribe of millions of passionate travelers and adventurers who share our outlook on the world and seek to explore it with an open mind. Since 2006, Matador has been publishing the stories, perspectives and experiences of thousands of our contributors in over 160 countries worldwide. Our view on editorial and brand partnerships is one and the same: focusing on people and the human experience is the single most powerful way to tell stories.

Matador Network is based in the Bay Area of California and has staff in six countries. The company was founded in 2006 with $11,000 and has grown into one of the world's biggest travel media brands, reaching 6 million unique monthly visitors on its website and over 120 million people a month on social media. Our brand partners include Southwest Airlines, Disney, REI, Subaru, Lufthansa, General Motors, Visit Costa Rica, Visit Las Vegas, GoPro and Intel, among many others.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.

In its 49th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 59,000 Employees to a Customer base topping 130 million passengers annually. Southwest became the nation's largest domestic air carrier in 2003 and maintains that ranking based on the U.S. Department of Transportation's most recent reporting of domestic originating passengers boarded. In peak travel seasons, Southwest operates more than 4,000 weekday departures among a network of 101 destinations in the United States and 10 additional countries.

Southwest coined Transfarency^® to describe its purposed philosophy of treating Customers honestly and fairly, and low fares actually staying low. Southwest is the only major U.S. airline to offer bags fly free^® to everyone (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and weight limits apply, some carriers offer free checked bags on select routes or in qualified circumstances), and there are no change fees, though fare differences might apply.

Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for a triple bottom line approach that contributes to the carrier's performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities they serve, and an overall commitment to efficiency and the planet. Learn more about how the carrier gives back to communities across the world by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship.

Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online at Southwest Airlines or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.