Southwest Airlines Gate Agents Transform Boarding Area Into Fashion Runway In Nashville

Holiday travel is ramping up as passengers all over the US begin enacting their travel plans. Airlines and passengers are filled with holiday spirit and decided to show some of it off in Nashville while waiting for a Southwest flight.

Southwest’s impromptu fashion show

Air travel usually involves a lot of waiting, whether in line at the check-in counter or security or seated at the gate waiting for the aircraft to board. However, some airline employees and passengers take it upon themselves to improve the ambiance at the airport, often to spread joy and positivity.

Oscar Gonzalez is such an employee. The Southwest Airlines Gate Agent’s attempt at keeping a fun and lively atmosphere at the gate went viral on the social media app TikTok. Gonzalez turned the gate aisle into a makeshift runway, complete with background music to put on an impromptu fashion show at a Southwest gate in Nashville Airport, featuring both passengers and employees.

Gonzalez said that it’s his goal to create a culture filled with happiness and love for all the travelers at the airport. He claims that passengers board faster when he acts as an emcee and gets everyone to join in on the gate games he creates. Simple Flying has reached out to Southwest for a statement.

In an interview with Good Morning America, Gonzalez said:

“”It’s a celebration that brings everyone together. Everyone is energized and grateful and I’ve noticed they board faster and happier when I do the gate games. I want anxiety to come down for everyone getting on these flights and if playing a family-friendly Disney song will help a mom board with her kids, I want to do that.”

In the video, most of the passengers waiting for the flight are all chanting, clapping, and cheering for the person on the ‘catwalk’ in a display of camaraderie at the airport.

We often see these sorts of viral moments during the holiday season. On many occasions, vocally talented gate agents and passengers take to the mic during Christmas to sing carols, which often go viral on social media.

Airlines often encourage these ‘events’, which offer free advertising and social media engagement without incurring any costs. Large airlines often run marketing campaigns during the holiday season, such as WestJet’s Christmas Miracle campaign.

Holiday travel

As the year approaches its end, the holiday season is just around the corner, and air travel is set to lead to record-breaking numbers yet again as people travel all over the world to get to their families for the holidays. This is especially true in the US, as people travel to see their loved ones for Thanksgiving weekend.

Photo: Southwest Airlines

This year, during the Thanksgiving holiday period from November 26th to December 2nd, AAA Travel estimates that around 5.84 million people will take to the skies to travel domestically. This is a 2% increase over the same period last year and 11% more than in 2019. As demand skyrockets, so do airfares. According to research, passengers are paying 3% more per flight this year than last.

Related

US Airports Roll Out New Technologies For Smoother Holiday Travel

Passengers are expected to crowd many US airports in the coming days.