Not-So-Friendly Skies

City consultant falls hard for Southwest Airlines in Dallas Love Field gate bid

LEK Consulting has a mad crush on Southwest Airlines.

Although there are three airlines bidding for the open gates at Dallas Love Field, it's clear LEK Consulting only has eyes for one: Southwest.

The City of Dallas hired the firm to evaluate proposals from Delta, Virgin America and Southwest. It seems there isn't much of a competition.

The local airline has the whole girl-next-door vibe going for it; the fact that the U.S. Department of Justice already reached a deal with Virgin American just makes Southwest all the more desirable. LEK wants to hop onboard Southwest's forbidden flight, and the City of Dallas might just go along for the ride, potential lawsuits be damned.

LEK Consulting wants to hop onboard Southwest's forbidden flight, and the City of Dallas might just go along for the ride.

At a transportation committee briefing on April 28, council members were more than willing to hear LEK's full love letter to Southwest, which came in the form of a PowerPoint presentation.

LEK created a scoring mechanism for each carrier. Lo and behold, Southwest was the runaway winner.

"Southwest certainly has the most attractive of the three proposals," LEK gushed to the committee, citing fleet plans and "potential cannibalization" at DFW International Airport.

"Southwest has the greater potential to drive lower fares," LEK added authoritatively, glossing over some not-so-flattering data about periods of higher ticket prices.

In the spirit of fairness, LEK did give both Delta and Virgin an edge over their sweetie Southwest in one category: potential community impact. Because Southwest is already a major player in the Dallas community, Delta's or Virgin's getting the gates means a new influx of charitable partnerships.

But that's really just a backhanded way of complimenting all the great work Southwest is already doing. "Southwest looks to be the most stable and committed in the long term," LEK said in closing.

After about an hour in closed session with the city attorney, transportation committee members decided to send the issue back to the full City Council for another briefing. Stay tuned to hear how this love story turns out.

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the future of boarding

American Airlines to debut electronic boarding system at DFW Airport

American Airlines new electronic boarding gates at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport

Rendering courtesy of American Airlines

The new electronic boarding gates are intended to create a user-friendly experience.

American Airlines is introducing a new futuristic feature for travelers departing from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport: electronic boarding gates. The days of handing over boarding passes for an airline attendant to scan before boarding an American flight are coming to an end.

About 20 electronic boarding gates will be installed at American Airlines' new Terminal A and Terminal C expansions that are expected to open this summer, a release states.

These new gates will streamline "manual tasks" for staff during the boarding process by automatically validating travelers' boarding passes, and regulating the speed of boarding to reduce passenger congestion and to "improve jet bridge flow." Passengers will also notice the "clear, American-branded" instructions provided via touchscreen before boarding their flight.

Electronic boarding gates should essentially create a "more seamless and consistent process" for both employees and travelers, according to American's Chief Customer Officer Heather Garboden.

"This innovative change is part of a broader shift toward creating a more intuitive travel journey, one that blends technology and service to guide customers through each step with greater ease and confidence, delivering a modern, consistent experience wherever they travel with us," Garboden said.

American says it will be the first major airline to offer Dormakaba Argus Air XS electronic boarding gates at scale at one of the largest U.S. air transport hubs. The new boarding gates were piloted in November 2025 and received positive feedback from users and staff.

These new changes are also part of American Airlines' ongoing initiative to expand operations out of DFW. In April, the airline expanded its structure from nine to 13 banks to offer travelers more departure options in highly desired time windows — and fewer early morning departures.

Other enhancements include improving connecting flights and adding 15 new routes to cities like Chicago and Phoenix starting this summer. Even smaller changes like debuting new in-flight condiments from movie star Glen Powell's Smash Kitchen can elevate traveler experiences.

dfw airport travel dallas fort worth international airport innovation american airlines