Spirit Magazine - March 2014 - (Page 18)

Rapid Rewards Freedom Story + Taylor Hicks R EC O R D I N G A R T I S T, L A S V EG A S What do winning American Idol and flying Southwest Airlines have to do with each other? Well, if you ask Season Five Idol winner Taylor Hicks, quite a bit. If not for a unique set of circumstances and the help of Southwest, mixed with a bit of luck and perfect timing, Taylor might not have been discovered. In August 2005, Taylor traveled to New Orleans to attend a friend's wedding. But Hurricane Katrina moved in quickly, resulting in the cancellation of all flights. Taylor hailed one of the last cabs leaving New Orleans, eventually making his way to Birmingham in a rental car. Since the storm had impacted his travel plans, Southwest provided Taylor with a voucher that could be applied to the purchase of a future flight. A couple months later, he decided to fly to Las Vegas on a whim. After landing at midnight, Taylor got a call from his brother, who told him that the American Idol tryouts were being held in Vegas that coming day. He headed over, got in line, and the rest is history. While Southwest played a small role in Taylor's rise to Idol fame, frequent flying has become a big part of his life since he won the competition. He and his band are currently performing in residence in Las Vegas, but when they're headed elsewhere for a gig or a recording session, Southwest is always their first choice. Consistently friendly Customer Service and abundant nonstop flight options are just two reasons for that-as A-List Members in Southwest's Rapid Rewards Frequent Flyer program, they also enjoy Fly By® Priority Lanes, reserved checkin, standby priority, and more. Another constant in Taylor's success has been his Taylor-brand guitar. Last year, he surprised Customers by performing onboard a flight as part of the Travelin' Taylor (Guitar) Tour and the Live at 35® concert series. These days, Taylor spends much of his time on our redbellied jets traveling between Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Nashville, Tennessee; and Birmingham, Alabama. Taylor, as one of your songs puts it, you do "make us proud!" -Erin Terry PLUCKY DUCK A serendipitous trip paved the way for Taylor's musical success. CLOTHING COURTESY OF JOHN VARVATOS Here's Your Chance! Scan this tag, or go to southwest.com/ taylor to enter to win a trip to see Taylor perform in Las Vegas. 18 SPIRIT MARCH 2014 PHOTOGRAPHY BY JARED MCMILLEN http://www.southwest.com/taylor http://www.southwest.com/taylor

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spirit Magazine - March 2014

Spirit Magazine - March 2014
Contents
Gary’s Greeting
Gary’s Greeting en Español
Star of the Month
Freedom Story
From the Editor
Your Words
Your Pictures
Media Center
Eat Drink Sleep
Wise Guide
Numbers
Business
The New American Dream
Your Adventure In New York City
Calendar
Fun!
Spotlight
Community Outreach
Products & Services
Flight Service
Terminal Maps
Information
Rapid Rewards and A+ Rewards Partners
Route Map
The “If” List

Spirit Magazine - March 2014