Penelope and Odysseus of Homers Odyssey Essay -- Homer Odyssey Essays

Penelope and Odysseus of Homer's Odyssey    Penelope and Odysseus, being kin spirits, soul mates, and a great husband and wife in their own right, are very much alike.   They have many of the same qualities.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Both Penelope and Odysseus are very quick thinking and cunning.   Odysseus, for example, devises the plan to get the Cyclops to drink the wine so the crew could stab him in the eye.   Another example of Odysseus' cunning is his elaborate plan to massacre the suitors.   Odysseus orders that all the weapons be taken out of the room where the arrow contest was being held, then that the women of the household to be locked in their rooms, as to not interfere, then for the doors to be locked by his allies, then to...

The Man Behind Hubble: Bob Williams :: Shuttle Astronomy Space Essays

The Man Behind Hubble: Bob Williams Four weeks after space-walking shuttle Endeavour astronauts repaired the Hubble Space Telescope in December 1993, an ecstatic Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski waved a Hubble picture of the core of the spiral galaxy M100 at her naysaying colleagues. Today, Mikulski could host a Capitol Hill star party: The orbiting telescope has generated more than 100,000 photos of celestial objects, including a cemetery of dying stars, elephant trunks of dust and hydrogen gas twisting in the Eagle Nebula, jovian storms and aurorae, the rocky rings of Saturn and the colossal supernova smoke rings blown from an exploded star, to list a few. Hubble's pictures do double duty not only as congressional lobbying props, but also as screen savers, T-shirt prints, calendar photos, a background for the "Babylon 5" science fiction TV series and even planet trading cards to be provided soon to schoolchildren. One of the most electrifying pictures of all, the Hubble Deep Field image began literally as a shot in the dark: the sum of 342 exposures taken with Hubble's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 in December 1995 of a black speck of northern sky. Although the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet impact on Jupiter may have generated a bigger media splash, astronomers still are agog over the Deep Field. Aides to Vice President Al Gore ordered a Deep Field poster from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), which manages the Hubble's science program under contract with NASA. Borrowing a page from Mikulski, Gore plans to use the Deep Field poster to promote scientific research in the next millennium. In an age of cost-cutting and smaller-is-preferred, the $3 billion Hubble has demonstrated that bigger can be better: The telescope attracted 1,298 proposals for observing time during its next annual cycle that began in July, an increase of 30 percent from the previous cycle and more than had been rece ived by any other U.S. telescope or NASA project. Ever. A driving force behind Hubble's scientific mission, particularly the Deep Field, is astronomer Bob Williams, 56, who took over as director of the STScI a few months before the 1993 repair mission. Like Hubble itself, Williams began his astronomy career with high promise, then was written off as lacking focus. Both have rebounded spectacularly. Williams is admired as an articulate champion of astronomy with a penchant for accomplishment. "There is not a devious molecule in his body," says Ray Weymann, an astronomer at the Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena, California, who spent many nights collaborating with Williams in the quiet and darkness of telescope towers.

Eulogy for Mother :: Eulogies Eulogy

Eulogy for Mother The desert sands have seen grand dames but the grandest they ever did see was your friend, my mother, a soul like no other, the beautiful Marti B. We are gathered together to pay our respects and to bid her fond adieu. Though a eulogy cannot do justice to the woman we all knew The lessons I learned when I was young are things I don't recall, But Mom, I know, was always there in the center of it all. She instilled in me the "little" things on which my life is built: Courage, compassion, laughter and drive, with a sprinkling of guilt. She taught me how to tie my shoes and taught me to stand tall She taught me that to really live means giving it your all She kept me sharp and on my toes; she pushed me to excel And gave to me a love of words, as if you couldn't tell She gave us all security, by always being there. She didn't always agree with you but you could feel her care She gave us all sincerity and our sense of wrong from right Yet she would stay up worrying if we were late at night. She was the keeper of the clan, and could tell a picture's story. You know that she was proud of us, and reveled in our glory. She had a way of reaching out that kept us all in touch She helped enriched so many lives, we'll miss her oh so much. So boundless was her selfless love and gigantic was her heart, Her daughter's class all called her Mom and boy she fit the part. She had a way of making friends no matter where she'd go In a checkout line, or a round of golf -- more friends she 'd get to know She usually made such an impression at any type of party. Our high school friends would drop on by, to visit just with Marti. She held her own out on the floor; she loved to cut a rug. And treated everyone as friends, and each one got a hug. President of the Ladies Club, she made friends and got things done. Always working at her game, even after her hole in one. With her flair, her smile, her caring eyes, there should be no doubt. That like a bundle of energy, giving 's what she was about She really loved to play group games, even if she'd often loose She was always ready to play again, any game that you might choose

My Scholarship

Learning is never confined within the four walls of a classroom. However, it is through the four portals of the academe wherein the appreciation of learning begins. It is a domain wherein Ideas and theories clash, different views and perspectives are expressed and the onward steps to civilization are witnessed. Indeed, the education system is one of the most potent instruments of every country. It establishes the foundation of a strong and every state. Anyone who receives good training is armed with confidence, stature and grace. Education acts as an efficient shield against any adversities that are encountered in the real world. An educated individual enjoys the privileges of encountering different chances and opportunities that can improve his or her life and therefore contribute to the whole community. For every parent, seeing their child attain a degree is something that they can be proud of. All the years of struggles and hardships has finally come to an end since education is indeed, one of the best gifts that any parent can provide. Likewise, this scenario has also created a great impact and change in my life. It has been quite some time when I received my high school diploma. Looking back, the ephemeral and nostalgic moments bring back a hodge-podge of bitter-sweet memories. But I guess, none can be sweeter when I was admitted in the College of Technology. The institution offers two year courses to bachelor degrees in computer-related courses such as programming, network administration etc. The institution is known for drafting students who have the potential to pursue a bachelor degree. For two and a half years, I have survived all the storms that came along my way. It was indeed a great battle, but I managed to pull it off. All the blood, sweat and tears that I have rendered are worth the wait since I was able to finish my two year course. However, this did not prevent me from achieving one of my most precious dreams—and that is to attain a bachelor degree. Fueled with motivation and desire, I started to work so that I can support myself. Afterwards, I gathered all my guts and applied for a degree in the college. Unfortunately, my hopes and dreams seemed to disappear into thin air. My GBA did not qualify. The college requires a grade of more than three and a half. I must admit that at some point I felt discouraged. It seemed that hope has finally betrayed me. But then again, the warrior in me refused to give up.   I know that rough seas make a skillful sailor. I continued working for three long years. I consider it as a blessing when I was immediately hired right after I graduated. Those opportunities do not usually come to other individuals. Others have to wait for months before they can finally get a decent job. Mostly of my previous work were on a temporary basis. Yet in a short span of time that I have stayed in a particular company, I have gained a lot. The experiences I have encountered exposed me to different situations wherein my decision making skills were continuously challenged. Those were the times when I seized the opportunity to develop more of my talents and skills. I knew that in the future, I would surely benefit from it. During those moments, each day is a lesson learned mistakes to correct and small steps to the fulfillment of my long term goals and dreams. As I overcome the challenges that I encountered I am gaining more experiences that are related to my course. The jobs that I have entered served as a good training ground and inspiration for me to pursue my dreams. As I continue with my life, the awaited opportunity came and knocked me off by surprise. The minister of high education announced that the government is now opening its doors to individuals who want to pursue their degrees in the United States. Scholarships were offered to those who are highly interested. At first, I have no idea that such situation would occur. This is most especially true when the 9/11 attacks took place. Before the tragic event, the ministry of the higher education used to launch scholarship programs to different countries. These include the United States and the United Kingdom. However, when the attacks occurred, scholarship programs in the United States were suspended until 2004. By the time 2004 came, the king of Saudi Arabia negotiated with the American government. The two parties decided to open the scholarship program once again. At first I was having doubts on whether I should seize such opportunity—to a certain extent that the mere thought of applying for the scholarship program sent shiver to my spine. Finally I gathered all my guts and fill out the online application. Hesitations, anxieties and nervousness accompanied me as I answered every question. Will I be accepted? Will I be rejected? These are the questions that entered my mind. Deep inside of me, I know that I have the smallest chances of being accepted. I know that there are other individuals who are better than me and competition is indeed very fierce and stiff. Yet, ten minutes after, a shocking revelation engulfed my soul. I received an email stating that I was chosen as one of the scholarship program’s candidates. At first, I cannot believe my eyes. It seemed like I was trapped in a beautiful dream wherein waking up translates to a sorrowful requiem. Honestly, I found it hard to convince myself that I was among the chosen few. There are many aspirants and I am included in the crà ¨me of the crop. A miracle was happening and I could not believe my eyes. All the memories that I had three years ago flash back. During those times I was heavily preoccupied in processing my application for a university in Saudi Arabia and several minutes later, the last thing I knew was that I was already a candidate for the United State’s scholarship program. I wasted no time and immediately processed all my papers and necessary documents. I now have the chance and the opportunity that I have been waiting for such a long time. Now that it was already within my grasp, I never wanted it to vanish in an instant. Upon the completion of the requirements, I submitted it to the ministry of higher education. Afterwards, I got my schedule for the initial interview. Armed with courage and bravery I faced the scrutinizing eyes and critical minds of the panelists. The panel was comprised of respectable members of the academe. Doctors and professors who are working in Saudi Arabia universities are chosen to be among the panelists and they know whether the applicants or students were serious via asking certain questions like: why are you going there? and why did they choose such majors? Through answering those questions, the panel determined whether the applicant is indeed serious about the scholarship program. I was hoping that I would pass the interview and my instincts never failed me. I saw my name in the list. A month later, I was required to take yet another test. It is similar to SAT which seems to be its counterpart in Arabic. The exam concentrated on math, physics and chemistry. When I was told that I passed the exam, I could not feel anything but joy and excitement. I was aware that I was already on the final step. I had another interview in the United States’ embassy in Saudi Arabia. This time, the interview is for my visa. An American guy asked me questions that are related to my degree of specialization, the reason behind choosing it, the state where I came from and how long will I stay in the country. I gathered all my confidence and answered all the questions with honesty. After that I was told that I will get my visa after a week. Within the week, I was filled with joy and enthusiasm as I received my passport and student’s visa. The long wait is over, my destiny’s already fulfilled.   

Caffeine in Coca-Cola Essay

Design Question: Does the caffeine in Coca-Cola affect blood pressure? Hypothesis: The amount of caffeine in Coca-Cola will cause to the adrenal glands, located on the top of the kidneys, to release more adrenaline which will in turn cause an increase in blood pressure. As the amount of Coca-Cola decreases, so will the difference between initial blood pressure and blood pressure after the consumption of the caffeine. Variables: Vemier Labquest Procedure: In order to test my hypothesis, I decided to use a common caffeinated beverage, Coca-Cola. The amount of caffeine in each bottle is given as 48mg/500mL. So, to keep my calculations clean my initial test was with 500mL of the Coca-Cola. I took my blood pressure with a Vermier Labquest before I consumed any caffeine to have a control variable. It was a manual blood pressure monitor, so I took my own blood pressure. After placing the cuff on my arm, I squeezed the bulb until the cuff pressure reached 170 mm Hg. Then, I released the bulb and let the pressure drop until it was 50 mm Hg and I used the release valve on the bulb to completely release the pressure and stopped the data collection. This data was recorded. Next, I measured the amount of the Coca-Cola used for the current test into a measuring cup and then consumed it. I waited 20 minutes after consumption to take my blood pressure again. Caffeine has been reported to take affect after a time period of 15-45 minutes. I did an identical test every day for five consecutive days with varying amounts of Coca-Cola consumed. On the first day, I consumed 500mL, 400mL on the second day, 300mL on the third day, 200mL on the fourth day, and 100mL on the fifth day. I recorded my blood pressure pre-caffeine consumption on each day. * Spike in blood pressure during the third trial could also be due to the additional consumption of food during the time between initial blood pressure data collection and post-caffeine consumption data collection. No other trials had outside influences on data. Data Processing: The following is a line graph that represents the systolic pressures of each trial before and after caffeine consumption: There are noticeably great differences between the different trials up until the fourth trial when the systolic pressures seem to be nearly the same. The pressure at trial three seems to be an outlier. The following is a line graph that represents the diastolic pressures of each trial before and after caffeine consumption: The correlation between the diastolic pressures does not go along with my hypothesis in showing that the blood pressure will rise as the caffeine intake rises. The spike at trial three is also an outlier here like it was with the systolic pressures. Both of these graphs help to illustrate the change in the pressures visually. Conclusion: Although there is some relation between caffeine intake and a rise in blood pressure, my data was not one-hundred percent accurate in showing that the more caffeine consumed the more of an increase. This would have been shown had the data for trial three been less of an extreme. If the systolic pressure had fallen between 117 and 129 (The systolic pressures for trials 4 and 2) then the data would appear to be much more consistent. The cause of this could be directly due to the fact that I was also eating at the time of the trial whereas with the other four tests, the only thing that I was ingesting at that point in time was the Coca-Cola. I chose to do this experiment on myself for that very reason: I can control my consumption and I am aware of everything consumed that may or may not affect the outcome of the data. If I were to redo this entire experiment, I would also choose to use myself as the test subject. This keeps my variables to a minimum and ensures uniformity. I would also make sure that at the time of the trials that nothing but the actual product, in this case Coca-Cola, was being consumed; especially in the time period between consumption of the test product and then the second blood pressure reading. I would also change my equipment. The blood pressure monitor that I used was manual and at times very unreliable. If given the opportunity to redo this, I would purchase a digital blood pressure cuff that would insure that each reading could not be the product of operator error. This could have also been a factor that led to the outlying data for trial three. Time between consumption and taking a blood pressure reading could also be altered. I used twenty minutes due to the fact that it is a short amount of time and I would not have to worry about controlling possible outside factors for a long period of time. However, if I had let the caffeine be in my system for up to 45 minutes, there may have been more of a noticeable effect to the change in my blood pressure. My hypothesis that the amount of caffeine in Coca-Cola will cause to the adrenal glands, located on the top of the kidneys, to release more adrenaline which will in turn cause an increase in blood pressure. As the amount of Coca-Cola decreases, so will the difference between initial blood pressure and blood pressure after the consumption of the caffeine was somewhat proven to be right. Yes, blood pressure did rise each and every time that I drank the Coca-Cola. However, the latter portion of the hypothesis is still unclear. It is unclear due to the data collected in trial three thus the need to redo trial three for an accurate confirmation of my hypothesis.

Ramji Bhai Vasava Essay

G.H.Patel Post Graduate Institute of Business Management, Vallabh Vidhyanagar, Anand In the undivided Bombay province was worked out to build earthen dams and problems faced while building a dam across the rivers Lokmata and Sadmata in northern Gujarat and further issues encountered while a proposal is made to raise the control levels of it. The objective of the case is to maximize the irrigation potential of the dam while respecting the religious sentiments of the people. The options are either to implement the former plan in its present form or the latter by convincing the people of its benefits and deal with the issues faced. The conclusion is to try and implement the new plan resulting in maximization of irrigation and revenues. PROPOSAL 1 PROPOSAL 2 Approximate cost – 1.7 Approximate cost – 1.9 Water impound – 4700 Water impound –5700 Full supply level -592 Full supply level-595 Highest flood level-596 highest flood level-606 OBJECTIVES * Government aim for economic development through agricultural development. * Build the dam PROBLEM * Opposition of people to temple getting submerged * People getting affected due to submerge of villages CONSTRAIN * Location of dam CRITERIA * Maximum irrigation * Minimum people affected * Maximum returns * Minimum time * Minimum cost PRIORITY * Minimum people affected * Minimum cost * Minimum time * Minimum returns * Maximum irrigation ALTERNATIVES * Convincing villages to shift temple * Resettlement of affected people * Raising height of the temple ACTION PLAN Government should follow proposal 1 as temple was saved using gates from flood so that minimum people are affected so the cost incurred is also low and the time required is minimum and also there is irrigation which leads to economic development. CONTINGENCY PLAN * Raising height of the temple * Go with proposal 2 if proposal 1 does not work

Southwestern Airlines

Southwest Airlines Co. (â€Å"Southwest†) is a major U. S. airline that primarily provides short Haul high-frequency, point-to-point, and low-fare service. Southwest was incorporated in Texas and commenced operations on June 18, 1971 with three Boeing 737 aircraft Serving three Texas cities; Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. Today Southwest operates nearly 400 Boeing 737 aircraft to 59 U. S. cities. Southwest has the lowest operating cost structure in the domestic airline industry and consistently offers the lowest and simplest Fares. Southwest also has one of the best overall customer service records. LUV is Southwest’s NYSE symbol, selected to represent the company’s home at Dallas Love Field, as well as the theme of Southwest’s employee and customer relationships Within 30 years, Southwest Airlines has become the fifth largest major airline company in America. It currently operates 520 Boeing 737s throughout the United States. The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of customer service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit. It primarily provides short haul, high-frequency, point-to-point, low-fare air transportation service in the United States. The company essentially functions as a â€Å"point-to-point† operation rather than a â€Å"hub and spoke† service like its competitors. This provides for a unique competitive advantage, which has led this company to be a strong performer within the industry. The major success to their continued success is due to their low-cost model, as compared to their competitors, which allows Southwest airlines to differentiate itself from the competition and perpetuates its success and popularity among consumers. When we look at southwestern airlines competitive environment using porters five forces we find that the bargaining powers of Customers in the airlines industry have many options and are price sensitive. If driving is cheaper than flying southwest may lose customers. There are also over 100 carriers in the U. S. market therefore there are many options for customers. The bargaining power of suppliers: Southwest is at the mercy of the labor Unions and Gas suppliers. If these costs become too high then price raises will mandatory. The threat of new entrants: With so many major airlines going bankrupt there is a large supply of airplanes and personnel. This means that it is easier than ever to start up and airline and try and compete with Southwest. The threat of substitute products: Flying has very few substitutes in the U. S. market if you need to be somewhere in a hurry. However there are other forms of transportation including busses, trains, and cars. The intensity of competitive rivalry: There is intense industry competition. Every route is hotly contested with price wars and a grab for customers. Price margins are low, and airlines need to be able to trim costs any way they can. Southwestern airlines has got the following strengths; Southwest's commitment to customer service has led to an excellent track record. They held the unofficial Triple Crown in customer service for three consecutive years. The Triple Crown consists in being the best in on time performance, baggage handling, and customer satisfaction. This is an amazing feat considering no other airlines have held all three components for a single month. Southwest has a major advantage over other airlines because it operates a single type of plane, the Boeing 737. This means that all their pilots, facilities, and crews are trained on any plane that Southwest owns. Southwest also operates a fleet with an average age of 7 years. This means that they have less maintenance problems, and this leads to fewer delays, and higher customer service. Sensible expansion policy. Southwest has developed a very sensible strategy for expansion, paying particular attention not to strain the balance sheet. It has also achieved a national presence through flights to 59 airports in 58 cities. Southwest has been able to become a national airline by strategic expansion to airports where there is less competition. For example, it opened a major operation at Baltimore-Washington International and therefore avoided the presence of other major airlines at Reagan National and Dulles. The continued growth of the Company is testament to the strategic direction taken by management, particularly considering the difficult business environment. Southwest relies on direct ticket booking and does not heavily utilize travel agents this is a cost saver. They also do not have full food service on their flights, leading to a faster turnaround. Southwest also has a unique open seating system, with no assigned seats the planes load faster. Due to a change in passenger profile, business class and first class seats have suffered declining demand. Many companies have been forced to introduce low-cost fare options. Since southwest has been an industry leader and â€Å"ahead of the curve† in providing low cost, standardized travel options, it has no need to change strategy, thus saving on restructuring costs. The Company also benefits from its long establishment in the low-cost airline market, allowing the Company to capitalize on significant customer awareness of the brand. Southwest has a highly efficient operation. The Company was first to introduce to the Airline industry the ten-minute turnaround (between arrival at the gate and departure). This has subsequently increased demand for short flight routes. Strong financials. Southwest has the strongest market capitalization and balance sheet of all rivals in the sector. A market capitalization of $14,022 million accounts for twice the market capitalization of the five largest rivals put together. In the current volatile market, it should allow southwest to overcome short-term downturns in demand more Successfully than the other main carriers. The continued ability of Southwest to produce positive results highlights it among rivals. 2003 saw quarter-over-quarter increases in income, representing 51 consecutive quarterly profit rises. Revenues for the full year 2003, which were $5,937 million, increased 7. 5% against 2002 revenues. Southwest does not fly into major hub airports in most cities, this leads to lower gate costs, less congestion, and quicker turnaround times. Southwest has been marketed as the low price leader, and their planes have been painted in funky colors. Southwest views its major competition as the automobile and not other airlines. Southwest airlines operate a single type of plane B737 in an all coach configuration. They do not offer meals, and do no transfer bags to other airlines leading to lower operating costs. The airline has won the Triple Crown and is setting the industry standard in customer service. Southwest has come under intense competition from United. They are not a full service airline and do not offer the amenities and services for international travelers. They also do not have a higher cost first class option on their planes. Marketing. Southwest is a low-cost carrier. They provide themselves on cost efficiencies, which enable them to offer good service at lower prices to the customer than their competitors. Their marketing strategy was to convey the message that what Southwest had to offer was of value. Southwest markets itself as the only major short-hop, low-fare, and point-to-point carrier in the U. S. airline industry. Their marketing style is known for being unconventional, unique, unpredictable, and attention-getting in order to create and reinforce the Company’s maverick and fun-loving, combative image. They continually look for ways to make their distinctive image come alive and strike a spark in the minds of the consumer. Finance. In the year 2000, Southwest reported its 28th consecutive year of profitability as well as its ninth consecutive year of increased profits. In many years, Southwest was reporting profits while many other airline companies were reporting losses. Southwest is able to maintain and increase their profit margin by keeping costs low, being highly efficient, and creatively cutting costs. One of Southwest’s most important strategies is keeping its costs low and moving customers in above-average times. In an effort to move customers along quickly, Southwest tries to avoid congested airports. Southwest also encourages passengers to make reservations and ticket purchases through their website. By serving smaller airports near major metropolitan areas and in medium-sized cities, Southwest is able to produce better-than-average on-time performance, as well as reducing fuel costs of idle planes waiting for clearance to land. Serving smaller airports also lowers landing fees and terminal gate costs. Southwest’s operative principal is â€Å"employees come first and customers come second. † Southwest employees are â€Å"hired for attitude and trained for skill. † The Company’s strategy is that it can train people to do the tasks and hold the skills that are required, but a person’s attitude is not something that can be changed. The hiring process involves an interviewing approach called â€Å"Target Selection,† which aims at matching people’s traits (or target dimensions) for performing a specific job successfully. New hires are trained at Southwest University for People. Managers trained in this program take leadership courses that emphasize a management style based on coaching and encouraging rather than supervising or enforcing rules. The Company has the lowest turnover rate in the industry, which may be partly due to the fact that 80% to 90% of supervisory positions are filled internally. However just like any organization, despite the fact that they have strengths, south west also has weaknesses which include: Little room for strategic development. The main weakness of the Company results from operating in a highly competitive market, one that is increasingly susceptible to a volatile political environment. The airline industry is highly competitive as to fares, frequent flier benefits, routes, and service. Some carriers competing with Southwest have larger fleets and a more established brand name. Many carry passengers from the major hubs in the U. S. , holding long-standing relationships with key airports. To enter these markets, the corporate strategy of Southwest will have to be adjusted. No established alliances. Certain major U. S. irlines have established marketing alliances with each other, including Northwest Airlines/Continental Airlines, American Airlines/Alaska Airlines and Continental Airlines/America West Airlines. In 2001, AMR Corp. , parent of American Airlines, completed its acquisition of the assets of Trans World Airlines. This puts enormous strain on the Company to maintain its position in the industry while running a smaller fleet. Fully valued share price. Despite Southwest holding the strongest financial position in the airline industry, the stock of the Company is considered fully valued, particularly in the short term. This will disconcert the investor searching for quick gains resulting in the potential loss of capital to its competitors. The strong financial position will apply pressure to the strategic direction of the Company, forcing the directors of Southwest to consciously pursue the same level of growth if they are to maintain investor confidence. South west airlines have got the following opportunities; Southwest’s greatest opportunity is directly related to its greatest strength: to continue to develop its low-cost position in the airline industry. Southwest must maintain an emphasis on low-cost flying, and brand association that has served it well so far. After September 11, customer numbers dwindled due to consumer fears over flying. One way the Company hopes to regain the trust of the public is through lower airfare. In 2002, no fare was more than $399. However, in August 2002, the company reduced fares even further, lowering last-minute fares while maintaining the full schedule of frequent flights in order to further stimulate travel. As of 2003 Southwest was offering fares as low as $39. The company must keep prices as low as possible in order to stimulate demands, and look to edistribute expenses through other areas. Continual streamlining and automation is necessary in order to both aid in cost-cutting and maintain the competitive advantage on which the company brand is based. Southwest has expanded ticket counters and security checkpoints and has increased its airport workforce. The boarding process has been streamlined through replacing the traditional plastic boarding card system with an automated one, and the carrier is in the process of rolling out new self check-in technology. This should result in a reduction of boarding times, and contrast sharply with those carriers that still have extensive queuing. Expand geographically. The market share Southwest holds has grown substantially, particularly since 9/11. Fifty percent of the core market is under control of Southwest and this is expanding. With the increase in the number of cities and networks to which it is linked, southwest could begin to target large city markets and with such a strong brand name, both marketing and PR costs will reduce. Furthermore, the timing appears perfect, if it wishes to capitalize on the pressure currently endured by many of the established carriers. Southwest could strengthen its position through an alliance. Many competitors have reduced share price due to poor financials. Southwest could exploit this through a merger or a favorable acquisition. This could provide an easier route into the major hubs and remove many of the challenges associated with entering new markets. A major threat comes from the unstable airline industry as the result of the 9/11 attacks. Immediately after the terrorist attacks, and in the face of falling demand for air service, most major carriers announced significant service reduction, grounded aircraft, and reduced employee levels. These events negatively impacted industry profits. Despite the absence of subsequent attacks, the political environment remains unstable, throwing into question the airlines’ ability to make long-range strategic plans. Following 9/11, Southwest was able to offset losses through lower jet fuel prices and internal cost reduction initiatives. However, there can be no assurance that Southwest will be able to continue to offset future cost increases resulting from the changing commercial airline environment. Another threat derives from the Company being subject to varying degrees of competition from surface transportation in its short-haul markets, particularly the private automobile. The short-haul air services that compete with surface transportation regard price as a competitive factor for customers. Similarly, frequency and convenience of scheduling, facilities, transportation safety and security procedures, and customer service may be of equal or greater importance to many passengers. These can limit the number of customers who choose southwest. However, southwest airlines need to put up the following strategies; it needs to launch a new promotional campaign. They need to remind customers in the California market that they are the winner of the Triple Crown, and that low cost means high service and customer satisfaction when it comes to Southwest. With lower turnaround times, and fewer delayed flights southwest has great unique selling points. They just need to remind the public about how great an Airline they are. This can be done with more TV ads, and more sponsorship of major sporting events. Southwest also needs to continue to be southwest. They have a winning business model, and have made money every year of their existence. They cannot abandon what their core competencies are. They need to keep prices where they are, or even lower prices, and they advertise that fact to the public. Southwest airlines have been able to successfully implement its fuel hedging strategy to save on fuel expenses in a big way and have the largest hedging position among other carriers. In the second quarter of 2005, Southwest’s unit costs fell by 3. 5% despite a 25% increase in jet fuel costs. During Fiscal year 2003, southwest had much lower fuel expense (0. 12 per ASM) compared to the other airlines with the exception of JetBlue as illustrated in exhibit 1 below. In 2005, 85 per cent of the airline’s fuel needs has been hedged at $26 per barrel. World oil prices in August 2005 reached $68 per barrel. In the second quarter of 2005 alone, Southwest achieved fuel savings of $196 million. The state of the industry also suggests t hat airlines that are hedged have a competitive advantage over the non-hedging airlines. Southwest announced in 2003 that it would add performance-enhancing Blended Winglets to its current and future fleet of Boeing 737-700’s. The visually distinctive Winglets will improve performance by extending the airplane’s range, saving fuel, lowering engine maintenance costs, and reducing takeoff noise. In an overall effort to improve customer’s in-flight experience, in-flight entertainment is something that Southwest is currently evaluating and which JetBlue has been very successful at already because of its introduction in its long-haul flights. In comparison, Southwest has 415 airplanes to consider and that represents an investment decision at a whole new dimension. Additionally, Southwest has to consider how things may fit into their environment. At this point, 60% of its service is still very short haul. Southwest needs to be mindful of the fact that a certain approach that has been successful for its competitor may not be necessarily work to its advantage. In summary, Southwest has long been regarded as a benchmark in its industry for operational excellence. Southwest Airlines is a fine example of a company that is committed to its core competencies – efficient operations to drive its low cost structure, outstanding delivery of customer service and innovative HR management practices. We hope this paper provided a good insight into Southwest operations, as part of its overall strategy, to achieve success and gain competitive advantage. References www. southwest. com] (Southwest airlines official web site www. mba-tutorials/marketing/southwesternairlines. html www. answers. com/topic/southwesternairlines. html Allen, Margaret. â€Å"Ground Controller. † Dallas Business Journal. August 3, 2001 Southwest Airlines: High Tech, Low Costs† – Eweek. com, April 2005