Clue 1 · The Basics
U.S. transportation company · large-cap · listed on NYSE · headquartered in Texas.
Clue 2 · The Numbers
Carries roughly 130 million passengers a year and generates around $26 billion in annual revenue — all without a single international long-haul route for most of its history.
Clue 3 · The History
Founded in 1967, it spent its first three years fighting in court before ever leaving the ground, thanks to rivals who didn't want the competition.
Clue 4 · The Secret
While every other major carrier charges for checked bags, this one built its entire brand around the radical idea of not doing that — and prints its policy on every ad it runs.
Clue 5 · The Lore
It famously settled a business dispute with a rival by racing their CEOs in a footrace, and its open seating policy — no assigned seats — has enraged and delighted passengers for decades.
Clue 6 · The Giveaway
Its heart-shaped logo is on the tail of every plane, its ticker is literally a term of endearment, and "Bags fly free" is basically its religion.