In the wake of Frontier Airlines announcing that they will unveil new livery next week, the website avgeekery.com lists the top 5 reasons why the Southwest Airlines LUV jet might be getting a make-over in the very near future:

1. Southwest Is Updating Their Image – move over ‘shorts-and-polo shirts’, as Southwest wants to project more of a polished and professional image, much like that of traditional legacy carriers.
2. Canyon Blue Paint Fades Quickly – Dark paint schemes on airframes don’t seem to wear well, and the faded out paint schemes are easy to spot. Southwest uses 5 paint colors on their planes, where most other carriers use 3.
3. Dark Blue Paint Heats Up The Cabin During Extended Ground Times – Passengers and Crews hate a ‘sweat jet’, and lighter colors on a fuselage deflect heat rather than absorb it.
4. AirTran’s Planes Need To Be Reapainted This Fall Anyways – AirTran’s last flight is set to depart on December 28, Flight 1 from ATL to TPA.  Good bye ‘little a”.
5. New Livery Is Free Publicity – with the repeal of the Wright Amendment on October 13, 2014 – giving Southwest Airlines the ability to serve markets non-stop out of Dallas Love Field – there is going to be a party.  What better venue to unveil some fancy new party clothes/aircraft livery?

Bottom Line:

There has been some chatter on both on flyertalk.com and airliners.net that this is going to happen.  And why not?!? This also seems like the right time for Southwest to make the move considering they announced their last revamp from desert brown to canyon blue on January 16, 2001.  What do you think?  Is it time?