Southwest Airlines Features Wayne Elsey in Spirit
Rapid Rewards Freedom Story
Wayne Elsey
Soles4Souls, Nashville, TN
Much like Southwest Airlines, Wayne Elsey's company, Soles4Souls, focuses on doing the right thing. In Wayne's case, this means providing shoes to people in need around the globe. "We have a simple, specific mission: changing the world with the gift of shoes," says Wayne about his company. Since its inception in 2005, Soles4Souls has distributed more than 10 million pairs of shoes to people in 125 countries.
As founder and CEO, Wayne spends most of his time traveling from his home in Nashville, Tennessee to Orlando, Florida; Chicago; and New England. Wayne started flying Southwest Airlines more than 15 years ago. After being "at the top levels of multiple airlines 'loyalty programs," Southwest has become his "go-to" airline as he appreciates the high level of Customer Service and the ease of Southwest's entire process. "I feel like a valued customer," he says, "not a check mark on an itinerary." Beause he flies with Southwest so frequently, Wayne says Employees often recognize him on flights as "the shoe guy," and have even offered him donations.
Wayne prefers Southwest to other airlines because of its low fares, flexibility, and the "friendly Service and fun attitudes" he experiences both on the ground and in the air. Wayne says he appreciated the ease of Southwest's Rapid Rewards Program, and the fact that he can earn an Award Ticket after only eight roundtrips. With the amount of flying Wayne does, that adds up to several Award Tickets each year.
When asked how the core values of Southwest Airlines line up with that of Soles4Souls, Wayne explains how each company exists to "make a difference in the lives of millions of people." While Southwest Airlines began with the goal of providing everyone with the Freedom to fly, Wayne started Soles4Souls to ensure that everyone has access to shoes. In addition, he feels each company is "committed to performance, our planet, and people."
Thank you, Wayne, for being a loyal Southwest Customer. We appreciate you, and we're grateful to be part of your mission to "change the world with the gift of shoes."
Story By Caroline Garza
