As a supporting data point here, one of the things which makes SWA such a profitable airline (in addition to its amazing luck using futures to hedge its fuel co

As a supporting data point here, one of the things which makes SWA such a profitable airline (in addition to its amazing luck using futures to hedge its fuel costs) is that it has some of the fastest turnaround times in the industry. Its planes spend their time flying, not on the ground waiting to be unloaded/loaded. This lets them get in more flights that other airlines with comparable fleets.