Southwest Virtual | Heart Sets Us Apart | Bold is in our Blood
The new Southwest Virtual launched in April of this year with many new features for both sides of the community: Those who fly, and those who come along for the ride. As we eclipse 100 days of operation, we reflect on how far we’ve come, inform the community on what’s yet to come, and re-affirm our commitment to not only our passengers, but the most valued, cherished, and respected part of any virtual airline; our pilots. This new thread symbolizes our devotion to the community, including our own, and shows that we have much more to complete before we’re finished.
Pilots
Pilots, they make up the “Heart” that “Sets Us Apart”. They are our most powerful fuel. That’s why we give them several innovative and new features without any restrictions. 41 Routes in seven different regions is just one way we show you love. Our current, and any future pilots will have access to:
Features
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Detailed flight hours document showing stats relating to aircraft, server, most popular/unpopular routes and much more!
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Company Drive updated frequently with new handy-dandy documents for pilots.
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Weekly group flights and events
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Scheduled Flights with virtual passengers
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Routes Database (Global)
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Aircraft Database (Global)
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Airport Documents (Runway, Approach, Departure information, etc.) (Global)
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Pilot Rewards Program (Currently Testing and tweaking, Full release with Global)
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Much, Much more both now and for Global!
While several of our features are in place now, we will continue to add new ones as we get closer to the Global release. A full Global Project report is down below.
Flight Rewards and Ranks
We are also introducing a flight rewards program upon Global release. Collecting hours or PIREPs is plain and we know it can get boring. That’s why, you’ll now be earning points every time you fly, much like a passenger does when they fly. Below, you’ll find our points and ranks system.
Route Classes
Class 1: Less than 350NM
Class 2: 351NM-500NM
Class 3: 501NM-1250NM
Class 4: 1251NM-2000NM
Class 5: More than 2000NM
(Class# corresponds to number of points awarded.)
New Rank System
Trainee 0 Points
Second Officer 7 Points
First Officer 14 Points
Senior First Officer 28 Points
Captain 42 Points
Senior Captain 71 Points
ATP Captain 107 Points
Hub Leader Manual Promotion
Division Leader Manual Promotion
Global
Ahh, yes. The long-awaited Global release. The whole world will be at our fingertips, and you better believe we have been hard at work preparing for the biggest update yet. Our largest, and quite possibly, the most important sub-project is our Global Routes Database. Every single route the real-world airline operates will be available to our pilots. View it full-screen here. Pilots will also have access to:
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Aircraft Database (Under Construction, Preview a little later)
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Interactive Destination Map (Completed)
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Route Maps (Some completed, some not. Folder with those completed available shortly.
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Documents with Detailed Information About all Airports We Fly To (Case-By-Case basis. Another folder available in the coming weeks.)
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An automated bidding and flight validation system (Not Started, Currently looking at options. We’ll keep you posted.)
Passengers
They’re what keep us in business (not really, but you get the point). Our Booking Department got off on the wrong foot. We found our methods were not as efficient as we first thought, and with our department director having to step down, we did not provide the service we hoped for, and for that we are deeply sorry. We have an awesome new director, who we hope is here to stay and have just launched a new website dedicated to Booking so routes and fleet and anything else distracting isn’t there to confuse you. More about how we do it below.
Passenger Flights
We pioneered the idea of booking a virtual flight, and we are here with version 2.0 of our Booking Department. There are only four steps from booking to landing:
- Book
- Check-In
- Fly
- Do it again!
We will explain it a bit more clearly here. First, navigate to our website and book the flight using a valid e-mail address or Infinite Flight Community Account (Or both). Then, 24 hours before your scheduled flight, you’ll check-in using your conformation code and receive your boarding pass. Then for the fun part, you can either track the flight using the amazing LiveFlight Tracker or fly alongside your Southwest Virtual pilot. Once your finished, a quick satisfaction survey and you can do it all again! Here’s an example of a boarding pass you’ll receive (It’s a bit different than last time). Click here to book now!
Cargo Flights
You can also ship a package, parcel, or envelope with Southwest Virtual as well! Much like our passenger service, all you need to do is book, track or fly, and repeat. You can find a detailed report of our process here and an example cargo slip that you will receive when you book.
Rapid Rewards
Our Rapid Rewards account will allow you to earn points every time you fly. The more you fly, the more points you earn (duh…) and that will give you special features that normal passengers won’t get. Special drink coupons, Priority boarding, check-in, and security screening are just some of the features we offer with A-List (and above) Status. Below are our tiers and you can also find them by clicking here.
A-List Features: (20 One-Way Flights or 15,000 Points Required)
- Priority Boarding
- Priority Check-In
- Priority Security Screening
- 25% Earning Bonus
- Free Standby
A-List Preferred Features (40 One-Way Flights or 35,000 Points Required)
- Priority Boarding
- Priority Check-In
- Priority Security Screening
- 100% Earning Bonus
- Free Standby
- Free Inflight Wi-Fi
Companion Pass Features (65 One-Way Flights or 55,000 Points Required)
- Priority Boarding
- Priority Check-In
- Prioirty Security Screening
- 100% Earning Bonus
- Free Standby
- Free Inflight Wi-Fi
- Choose One Person to Fly Free With You for 1 Year
Company Makeup
Staff
@CaptJackson CEO, Event Coordiantor
@CaptCurt Chief Operating Offcier
@L.A.Aviation Booking Department Director
@Juanca Recruitment Specialist
Media Department Director (Currently Vacant)
Media
Main Website
Booking Website
Instagram
YouTube
If you made it this far, thank you for reading this rather lengthy post. We will continue to evolve, adding new features for pilots and passengers while making our heart stronger. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or you’d just like to say hi, please don’t hesitate to comment below. We hope to see you on board one of our aircraft soon (In the front, or the back) because bold is in our blood.
Before you ask, yes we are certified, yes we received permission from proper IFVARB staff before making this thread.
Southwest Virtual is classified as a “realistic” VA.