The Twitter account isn't used to break Southwest news or to go around the standard public relations and customer service channels. "I don't put anything out on Twitter that hasn't already been approved here in the communications department," Christi told me. That is especially important for Internet-shy companies who are concerned about maintaining a particular brand-image.

If your company is considering jumping into Web 2.0, using Southwest as a case study for your "PR 2.0" efforts could be a smart move.