I tell my employees that we're in the service business, and it's incidental that we fly airplanes.

If the employees come first, then they're happy, ... A motivated employee treats the customer well. The customer is happy so they keep coming back, which pleases the shareholders. It's not one of the enduring Green mysteries of all time, it is just the way it works.

I think my greatest moment in business was when the first Southwest airplane arrived after four years of litigation, and I walked up to it and I kissed that baby on the lips and I cried.

Your employees come first. And if you treat your employees right, guess what? Your customers come back, and that makes your shareholders happy. Start with employees and the rest follows from that.

I guess the worst moment I ever had in business was the fear that Southwest Airlines wouldn't get off the ground.

When I started working on Southwest Airlines, I kid you not, only people flying on business and very wealthy people ever flew.