DALLAS, May 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest
Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today extended its published flight
schedule—from Oct. 31, 2020, through
Jan. 4, 2021—bringing travelers in
key Southwest cities additional flights and new routes during a
period that includes additional leisure travel for the autumn and
winter holidays.
"We're rounding out our plan for this unprecedented year with
our business travelers in mind with a fourth quarter schedule that
brings them new routes across the country. We're also offering more
flights for all of our Customers in places such as Denver, Las
Vegas, Nashville, and
Phoenix," said Andrew Watterson, Southwest Airlines Executive
Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer. "We anticipate
business travelers will hit the road with a heightened focus on
costs, so we're pairing unmatched schedules with our value and
Hospitality to welcome them back, whenever they're ready to
travel."
Southwest is making it easier for business travelers to get
moving when they're ready. Earlier this month, Southwest started
taking new business travel bookings via Travelport's Apollo and
Worldpsan Global Distribution Systems (GDS) with industry-standard
processes and settling by Airlines Reporting Corporation. By
partnering with Travelport to bring Southwest's business- relevant
content to the GDS, travel decision managers can book, modify, and
manage their organization's travel at their fingertips.
New for the Fall and Winter
As Southwest looks toward
the end of 2020, the carrier is adding a more robust schedule for
business travelers with more frequencies and more nonstop flight
options from Phoenix, Denver, Las
Vegas, and Nashville.
"Never before has Southwest been more primed to emerge as the
preferred choice of corporate travel as the business climate across
America begins its recovery," Watterson added.
More Reach from Long
Beach
Effective Nov. 1,
2020, Southwest will add roundtrip service nonstop between
Long Beach and
Phoenix three times daily,
as well as once daily nonstop service between Long Beach and Austin.
Music City to Orange
County
Effective Nov. 2,
2020, Southwest will add new nonstop service once a day
(except Sundays) between Nashville and Orange County/Santa
Ana, Calif.
The carrier also will offer nonstop service between
Ontario, Calif. and
Houston (Hobby) once a day
(except Saturdays), beginning Nov. 1,
2020.
New Routes for Atlanta and
Denver Customers
Effective Dec. 17,
2020, Southwest will add several new nonstop links between
cities across the nation:
- Phoenix and
Memphis, Tenn. – Once
daily
- Denver and
Birmingham, Ala. – Once
daily
- Denver and
Wichita, Kan. – Once
daily
- Denver and
Little Rock, Ark. – Once
daily
- Atlanta and
Oklahoma City – Three
roundtrips daily, reestablishing nonstop service previously offered
in 2016
- Atlanta and
Omaha, Neb. – Three
roundtrips daily
- Atlanta and
Louisville, Ky. – Three
roundtrips daily, reestablishing nonstop service previously offered
in 2014
International Schedule Update
Southwest continues to
monitor conditions in 14 international destinations on the
carrier's network map and update operational plans. The carrier
currently plans to resume service to Mexico and the Caribbean via Cancun, San
Jose del Cabo/Los
Cabos, Havana,
Montego Bay, and
Nassau on July 1, 2020, subject to change. Service to the
carrier's other international destinations will resume pending the
easing of government restrictions.
These flights, as well as the carrier's full schedule, are now
available for purchase on Southwest.com.
Steamboat Springs Update
Southwest continues working
to publish schedule details for the carrier's intended service for
Steamboat Springs, Colo., through
Yampa Valley Regional Airport (HDN).
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 (i) the Company's network
plans and expectations, including factors and assumptions
underlying the Company's plans and expectations; (ii) the Company's
initiatives and related plans and expectations, and related
operational and financial expectations, including with respect to
Southwest Business, global distribution systems, and related
alliances and capabilities; and (iii) the Company's expectations
about the business climate. These forward-looking statements are
based on the Company's current intent, expectations, and
projections and are not guarantees of future performance.
Forward-looking 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 extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including
the duration, spread, severity, and any recurrence of the COVID-19
pandemic, the duration and scope of related government orders and
restrictions, and the extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
on overall demand for air travel and the Company's access to
capital; (ii) the impact of fears or actual outbreaks of infectious
disease, economic conditions, governmental actions, extreme or
severe weather and natural disasters, fears of terrorism or war,
actions of competitors, fuel prices, consumer perception, and other
factors beyond the Company's control, on consumer behavior and the
Company's results of operations and business decisions, plans,
strategies, and results; (iii) the Company's dependence on third
parties, in particular with respect to global distribution systems,
related alliances and capabilities, and the Company's technology
plans and initiatives, and the impact on the Company's operations
of any third party delays or non-performance; 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 December 31, 2019, and in the Company's Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2020.
ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
In its 49th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines
Co. continues to differentiate itself from other air
carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than
60,000 Employees to a Customer base topping 130 million passengers
in 2019. 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. In peak travel seasons during 2019, Southwest
operated more than 4,000 weekday departures among a network of 101
destinations in the United States
and 10 additional countries.
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.
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. Learn more about how the carrier gives
back to communities across the world by visiting
Southwest.com/citizenship.
Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online
at Southwest.com or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.
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SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.