Fall In Love With More Nonstop Options On Southwest Airlines

DALLAS, March 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today extended its bookable flight schedule through Nov. 3, 2018. This autumn, the carrier is adding more flights to link cities across the United States with nonstop service that will make it easier and quicker for Customers to reach people and places that are important in their lives.

New Nonstop Routes
Beginning Oct. 3, 2018, Southwest® will add daily nonstop service between:

Houston (Hobby) and Columbus, Ohio
Houston (Hobby) and Louisville, Ky.
Denver and Memphis, Tenn.

Beginning Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018, the carrier will add weekly nonstop service on Sundays between:

Oklahoma City and Nashville, Tenn.
Denver and El Paso, Texas

Phoenix's Leading Low-Cost Carrier Grows with More Nonstop Flights
Southwest is investing in Phoenix by adding more flights and frequencies on its most popular routes.

Beginning Oct. 3, 2018, the carrier will fly one additional flight Mondays through Fridays between:

Phoenix and Austin, Texas (Increased from four to five roundtrips)
Phoenix and Denver (Increased from ten to 11 roundtrips)
Phoenix and New Orleans (Increased from one to two roundtrips)
Phoenix and San Antonio (Increased from three to four roundtrips)

Phoenix and San Jose, Calif. (Increased from six to seven roundtrips)"This additional service continues our Purpose of getting Customers to the places that matter most to them with our friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel," said Craig Drew, Southwest's Senior Vice President of Air Operations who serves as Southwest's Executive Ambassador for Phoenix. "Our Customers are looking for more options to fit their busy lifestyles, and we're answering their demands by adding more service on the most popular routes from Sky Harbor."

Seasonal Service Returns
Beginning Oct. 3, 2018, the carrier will add seasonal service nonstop between:

Albany, NY and Las Vegas (Flights operate Sundays through Fridays)

Beginning Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018, the carrier will add weekly service on Saturdays between:

Cleveland and Orlando, Fla.
Milwaukee and Fort Myers, Fla.

Beginning Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018, the carrier will add service between:

Oakland, Calif. and Tucson, Ariz. (Flights operate weekly on Sundays)

New Service Begins Today
The carrier also expanded its international presence in south Florida today with previously announced new daily service between Ft. Lauderdale and Aruba. This is the 10th international destination Southwest serves on a daily basis from a new international concourse in Ft. Lauderdale.

Also beginning today, the carrier inaugurated new daily service between Milwaukee and Houston (Hobby).

This Saturday, March 10, the carrier will begin operating several previously announced nonstop routes weekly on Saturdays between:

San Jose, Calif. and Cabo San Lucas/Los Cabos
Sacramento, Calif. and Cabo San Lucas/Los Cabos
Indianapolis and Cancun (Flights operate seasonally)
Tampa, Fla. and Detroit (Flights operate seasonally)
Tampa, Fla. and Omaha, Neb. (Flights operate seasonally)

Also March 10, the carrier will begin seasonal nonstop daily service between San Diego and Puerto Vallarta.

On Sunday, March 11, weekly service on Sundays will begin with new nonstop routes linking:

Sacramento, Calif. and New Orleans
San Diego and El Paso, Texas

The carrier continues to expect its 2018 available seat miles to grow in the low five percent range, year-over-year. To book a seat on these or any other flight, visit Southwest.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Specific forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements related to the Company's anticipated service offerings and network and capacity plans, opportunities, and expectations. These statements involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that are difficult to predict and that could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by them. Factors include, among others, (i) the impact of economic conditions, consumer behavior, fuel prices, actions of competitors (including without limitation pricing, scheduling, capacity, and network decisions, and consolidation and alliance activities), and other factors beyond the Company's control, on the Company's business decisions, plans, and strategies; (ii) the Company's ability to timely and effectively maintain the necessary information technology systems and infrastructure to support its operations and initiatives; (iii) the impact of governmental regulations and other governmental actions related to the Company's operations; and (iv) other factors, as described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the detailed factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2017.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.

In its 47th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 56,000 Employees to a Customer base topping 120 million passengers annually, in recent years. Southwest became the nation's largest domestic air carrier in 2003 and maintains that ranking based on the U.S. Department of Transportation's most recent reporting of domestic originating passengers boarded. During peak travel seasons, Southwest operates more than 4,000 weekday departures among a network of 100 destinations in the United States and 10 additional countries. Southwest has announced its intention to sell tickets in 2018 for service to Hawaii, subject to requisite governmental approvals.

Southwest coined Transfarency^® to describe its purposed philosophy of treating Customers honestly and fairly, and low fares actually staying low. Southwest is the only major U.S. airline to offer bags fly free^® to everyone (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and weight limits apply, some carriers offer free checked bags on select routes or in qualified circumstances), and there are no change fees, though fare differences might apply.

As launch customer of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 in North America, the Company operates the largest fleet in the world of Boeing aircraft, all of which are equipped with satellite-based WiFi. Customers who connect to the WiFi network may use their personal devices to view on-demand movies and television shows, as well as nearly 20 channels of free, live TV.

With a bold new look first unveiled in 2014, Southwest is progressing through a multi-year refresh of its fleet to showcase the carrier's Heart: a new logo, aircraft livery, interior design featuring new seats, Employee-designed uniforms, and an updated airport experience, all of which showcase a dedication of Southwest Employees to connect Customers with what's important in their lives.

From its first flights on June 18, 1971, Southwest Airlines launched an era of unprecedented affordability in air travel described by the U.S. Department of Transportation as "The Southwest Effect," a lowering of fares and increase in passenger traffic wherever the carrier serves. With 45 consecutive years of profitability, Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for a triple bottom line approach that contributes to the carrier's performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities they serve, and an overall commitment to efficiency and the planet.

Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online at Southwest Airlines or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.

Related Links

http://www.southwest.com