Twenty-five years ago, that company was Southwest Airlines Co. ( LUV), which went on to gain a reputation as one of the best run companies in the country.

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Our family flew on Southwest Airlines, a continually delightful company.

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Southwest Airlines is a good example of a company that highly empowers their employees and gives them great latitude to keep customers happy.

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In 1971 the company changed its name to Southwest Airlines and made its first flight in June of that year.

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AMR, parent company of American Airlines, posted results on Wednesday, suffering the same fate as Southwest pertaining to its fuel hedges.

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Southwest Airlines, which topped the 2010 list, is second in 2011, with a 4.4 company rating and a 95% approval rating for its CEO, Gary C.

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There are also some symbols that have a dubious relationship to their owners, such as (NYSE: KO) of Coca-Cola Company (were CO or COLA taken?) and (NYSE: LUV) for Southwest Airlines (a bit cutesy).

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