Video summary

SOUTHWEST AIRLINE CITY & AIRPORT CODES |HOW TO MEMORIZE THE HARDEST ONES QUICKER WITH THESE TIPS !!

Main summary

Key takeaways

Educational

Main ideas / lesson conveyed

  • City (airport) codes can be memorized more easily, even if they seem “the hardest,” including codes that don’t relate obviously to the city/airport name.
  • The video demonstrates memory tricks using simple associations—sounds, common phrases, pop-culture references, and vivid visuals.
  • The presenter uses a together-practice + shuffle/test approach:
    1. Go through codes in order (alphabetical by city).
    2. Teach a mnemonic for each.
    3. Then randomly test the 13-year-old daughter to check recall.

Method / instructions (as shown in the video)

Prepare

  • Collect a set of Southwest city/airport codes (the presenter notes these may not match everyone’s exact needs).
  • Use visual aids (“pop-ups”) to support memorization.

Learn in an ordered sequence

  • Go through cities starting with A’s, then B’s, etc. (alphabetical order).

For each city, build a mnemonic that matches the code letters

Use one of these tactics:

  • Direct spelling/sound match for obvious ones (e.g., “Las Vegas”).
  • Sound-alike substitutions when the code is unrelated to the city name
    • Example: “Columbus, Ohio” → code letters linked to “Christopher Columbus” and “history.”
  • Story/phrase-based mnemonic
    • Example: “poor why me” for Portland Maine.
  • “Replace a familiar word with a new sound”
    • Example: GPS → VPS for Destin (then align it to the needed letters).
  • Personal references
    • Fighters/brands/characters to make the association memorable.

Test recall

  • Shuffle and ask the learner to provide either:
    • the code for a given city, or
    • the city for a given code (subtitles suggest both).

Repetition

  • Repeat the mnemonic while presenting and practicing to “train” memory.

Optional extension

  • Offer cards/cheat sheets with tricks (mentioned as something she could provide via her website).

Key concepts and mnemonic examples (city → mnemonic → code)

A–C

  • Aruba → “ocean blue waters” → A U A (mnemonic: “A-R-B” → “A-U-A”)

  • Baltimore Washington (International) → avoid the “B” from Baltimore; “W” for Washington; add “International” → B W I

  • Cabo San Lucas → “sipping Jack Daniels” → S J D
  • Chicago O’Hare → “O’Hare” starts with O; “with an O” → O R D
  • Chicago Midway → “midway to Chicago” → M D W
  • Columbus, Ohio → “Christopher Columbus” + “made history” → C M H
  • Destin, Florida → “destination” → V P S (GPS replaced with VPS; also framed as “very pretty sand”)

D–H

  • Fort Myers, Florida → “Roswell” flying saucers idea → R S W
  • Hartford, Connecticut → “Bradley” (unknown cousin) / “big deer” logo → B D L
  • Hilo, Hawaii → repeating “Hilo ito” → I T O
  • Greenville, South Carolina → fighter “GSP” (George St-Pierre) → G S P

  • Jacksonville, Florida → “Jacksonville has a ville” → J A X (contrast taught below)

    • Jacksonville → J A X
    • Jackson, Mississippi → “Janet Jackson” → J A N
    • Kahului, Maui → multi-part associations involving “green grass / barefoot walking” → O G G
    • Kansas City → “thank you” in French = “merci” → M C I

L–N

  • Long Island, New York → “Long Island Iced Tea” → I S P
  • Louisville, Kentucky → “southern deep fried” → S D F
  • Montrose (“Mont rolls”) Colorado → “mountain of joy” → M T J
  • Midland, Texas → “marry a farmer / mad / mean” → A F
  • New Orleans → “messy” (partying/beads) → M S Y
  • Nashville, Tennessee → bananas → B N A (from “banana Nashville”)
  • Orlando → “MCO” = “Mickey corporate office” → M C O
  • Orange County, California → “snob” / “send no apples to orange county” → S N A
  • Portland, Maine → “poor why me” / “pants warm me up” → P W M
  • Portland, Oregon → “PDX” idea: police/developer/ex-boyfriend → P D X
  • Panama City Beach, Florida → “hey call the police” / “everybody comes to parties” → E C P
  • Punta Cana → “put your jumpsuits on / put your jammies / poor you jump” → P U J
  • Spokane, Washington → “who lives in spokane? Greg” + “I gag” → G E G
  • Steamboat Springs, Colorado → “Hayden” (captain / captain of the boat) → H D N
  • Sacramento, California → “blue smurf” idea → S M F
  • S= Turks and Caicos (interpreted as Turks & Caicos) → “please” → P L S
  • West Palm Beach → remove “west” from “Palm Beach International” → P B I

Final recap / testing highlights (what the daughter correctly recalled)

The daughter correctly recalled many learned mnemonics, including:

  • BWI, SJD, ORD, MDW, CMH, VPS, RSW, BDL, ITO, GSP, JAX, OGG, MCI, ISP, SDF, MTJ, AF, MSY, BNA, MCO, SNA, PWM, PDX, ECP, PUJ, GEG, HDN, SMF, PLS, PBI

Sources / speakers featured (with roles)

  • Shelly — flight attendant for a major U.S. airline; coach; owner of “Fly With Shelly” (main presenter).
  • Diana — Shelly’s daughter (13 years old); participates as the learner/testing subject.
  • Implied external references (not speaking on-camera):
    • GSP (George St-Pierre) — used as a mnemonic reference
    • Janet Jackson / Michael Jackson — used as mnemonic references
    • Jack Daniels — referenced for the “sipping” association
    • “French merci” — used for the Kansas City mnemonic

Original video