If you had the option of not adhering to strict earthquake or fire codes — i.e., if there was little or no regulation or oversight — it would almost inevitably be cheaper and quicker to skip such niceties.A few months ago, in September, they put the same sign lamenting the company’s outdated technology on the side of a truck and drove it in circles around Love Field (Southwest’s core airport) in Dallas as well as the nearby Southwest headquarters.Even as the then-Southwest C.E.O., Gary Kelly, objected to the pilots’ claims, saying Southwest had “wonderful technology,” he conceded that their tools could use improvement.For example, if a crew from Buffalo doesn’t arrive in Baltimore because their flight was canceled, the employees have had to manually call in to let the company know where they actually are, and get hotels arranged for them.Lyn told me that employees had sent in screenshots that showed their being left on hold on the phone for three, six, seven, eight, 12 hours, and even one of 17 hours, just to let the company know their whereabouts and get hotel rooms arranged."