Phoenix Suns players traded places with Southwest Airlines employees

On Friday February 9, several members of the Phoenix Suns “traded places” with employees at Southwest Airlines, getting a feel for the work that goes into keeping an airline running smoothly, efficiently, and getting everyone – and their baggage – to their destination safety and on time.

Southwest Airlines, partner of the Phoenix Suns as the franchise’s Official Airline, invited Suns players and staff to “trade places” with Southwest Airlines employees to help players both better appreciate the work that goes on behind the scenes, but also to delight passengers with a surprise visit moments before they embark on their collective journey’s.

Suns players Dragan Bender, Tyson Chandler, Marquese Chriss, Jared Dudley and Tyler Ulis, Head Coach Jay Triano, Suns alumni Tom Chambers and Steven Hunter, and The Gorilla each assisted Southwest Airlines employees as they went about their important daily routines getting passengers to their correct planes and ultimate destinations safely and efficiently.

Passengers on the selected flights had no idea ahead of time that the Suns would be a part of the final preparations of their trip and were treated with this surprise of a lifetime. From listening to Jared Dudley give out final boarding instructions; having Tyler Ulis help a pilot with pre-takeoff planning; Jay Triano loading of baggage; Marquese Chriss assisting with moving a plane onto the tarmac and into it’s takeoff position; and the Gorilla helping passengers ease their stress of travel before their flight, the Phoenix Suns were all over the airport, assisting Southwest Airlines staff along the way.

An event that the two community leaders have engaged in several times over the past few years, the opportunity for Suns players and staff to give back while charming and delighting a few fans while on their way to destinations outside of Phoenix is something that they look forward to and are eager to participate in.

Jared Dudley doesn’t want the player’s position as professional athletes to place them on any higher plain than the average citizen – and fan – explaining that “we’re just like normal people. You play in the NBA, you might be an entertainer or movie star, but overall we’re all normal, so it’s good to have this.”

All Suns members and staff involved were excited about the opportunity to participate in the event and delighted in the chance to surprise passengers.

“It’s a lot of fun, you know, just kind of surprising people when they didn’t really expect it…they were just planning on going on a trip,” said Marquese Chriss.

Jay Triano was pleased to be able to see first hand the importance of the roles of Southwest Airlines staff who make flying smooth – something that professional athletes do more often than the average traveler. He delighted in the opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes giving him, and his players, a better appreciation for the work involved getting them to their next game on time.

“So much time is in the airport, and you don’t see what goes on behind the scenes. This is a great way for us to see, recognize, and respect the people that do a lot of the work so that we can travel.”

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Many passengers have been surprised knowing that there is a celebrity on the same flight as them, but very rarely do celebrities take time out to actually be a part of the travel process not only showing thanks to the staff that helps make their own flight run efficiently, but also helping take the stress off of traveling in general.

The Phoenix Suns and Southwest Airlines partnering together not only helps to make the community a brighter and more prosperous place, but when stars from the team come out, they also make traveling much more fun.