Travel & Tourism

DALLAS, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Southwest Airlines today opened the carrier’s flight schedule from May 9, 2009, through June 26, 2009. In a continuing effort to optimize the airline’s flight schedule, Southwest has eliminated 32 existing roundtrip flights from its current schedule and added 19 roundtrip flights for a net reduction of 13 roundtrip flights systemwide. Southwest will initiate new nonstop service between Denver and Tucson with one daily nonstop flight when the new schedule opens in May. To view a complete chart of the schedule changes in each city, click here: http://www.swamedia.com/swamedia/Flight_Changes_Chart_120908.pdf . To view a blog post from Schedule Development Lead Planner Bill Owen explaining the airline’s optimization efforts, click here: http://www.blogsouthwest.com/blog/deck-halls-with-schedules . To book flights, click here: http://www.southwest.com/?src=PRPRPRNGENR000000080808 .

"In today’s environment, it is more important than ever to maximize our productivity with our aircraft,” Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly said. ”Our optimization exercise is a case of eliminating unproductive flights and reallocating our aircraft to match supply with demand, all the while focusing on key cities such as Denver."

Several markets will be gaining new nonstop service, including:

BEGINNING MAY 9, 2009:

-- One new daily nonstop roundtrip flight between Denver and Tucson.

-- One returning daily nonstop roundtrip flight between Nashville and Oakland.

-- One returning daily nonstop roundtrip flight between Nashville and Seattle.


Southwest is the only U.S. airline to remain consistently profitable this decade and enjoys an unprecedented string of 35 consecutive years of profitability. Southwest has among the lowest cost structures, a strong balance sheet, and the most comprehensive fuel hedging program of any major U.S. airline. At Southwest Airlines, fees don’t fly with us. You can check your first two bags for free, there are no change fees, no fees for a window or aisle seat, and, as always, snacks, sodas, and smiles are all complimentary!

After 37 years of service, Southwest Airlines, the nation’s leading low-fare carrier, continues to differentiate itself from other airlines —offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest Airlines is the most productive airline in the sky and offers Customers a comfortable traveling experience. Southwest offers a very comfortable ride with all premium leather seats and plenty of legroom with a young all Boeing 737 fleet. Southwest recently updated its gate areas and improved its boarding procedure to make flying Southwest even more convenient and simple. Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV), the nation's largest carrier in terms of domestic passengers enplaned, currently serves 64 cities (will begin service to Minneapolis-St. Paul in March 2009) in 32 states. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,300 flights a day and has more than 35,000 Employees systemwide.

http://www.southwest.com

SOURCE Southwest Airlines