The Medium is the Message

 
Southwest has been one of my favorite airlines. It started back in the day when its flight attendants were young and perky. Now they are looking more mature like your kindergarten teacher. But hey, there’s nothing wrong with that as it goes with the territory. I’ve gotten older, too.

The airline is notorious, and I mean it in a nice way, for coming up with catchphrases that reflect the company’s character and the image that it wants to project to the world.

These include “The Somebody Else Up There Who Loves You,” “Wanna get away,” “Low Fares. Nothing to hide,” “Love Bags Fly Free,” “I Carry Free Bags,” “Luv Goes A Long Way,” “Nonstop Love,” and “In a world full of no, Southwest Airlines is a plane full of YES.” Etc. Etc.

But there’s one that I find a little confusing. It’s in the in-flight magazine I was browsing while on a flight to Oakland International last Wednesday (see above photo).

“We’re adding all new seats to bring you added space,” it says, “Getting there just got more comfortable.”

Boy, does it give me the shivers. How could adding new seats be more comfortable? It seems like it should be the other way around and lead to the dreaded shrinking leg room. Unless, of course, I’m not reading it right.