We are in the customer service business; we just happen to fly airplanes.

Often cited in discussions of Southwest Airlines’ culture to emphasize that the company’s primary focus is serving people well, with aviation as the operational means of delivering that service.

The statement reframes an airline’s identity around customer experience rather than the technical act of flying, implying that service mindset should drive decisions, training, and priorities across the organization.

We’re in the customer service business; we just happen to fly airplanes.

We are in the service business; we just happen to fly airplanes.