SOUTHWESTAIRLINES FARES

2007-04-24T22:56:00.000-07:00

First Flights
In early 1971, Air southwestairlines changed its name to southwestairlines Airlines, and the first flight was on June 18, 1971. Its first flights were from Love Field in Dallas to Houston and San Antonio, short hops with no-frills service and a simple fare structure, features that became the basis for southwestairlines's popularity and rapid growth in the coming years.
The start of service in June 1971 was accomplished with three 737-200 aircraft that had been obtained from Boeing on favorable terms, and a fourth aircraft was obtained in September of 1971.
Over time, southwestairlines has added improved 737 variants but has stayed within the Boeing 737 family to reduce operating costs. Because this technique simplified training, maintenance, and ground operations, it revolutionized the industry's approach to building aircraft fleets.
In January, 2005 southwestairlines retired its last 737-200, the oldest type in its fleet. To celebrate "putting the -200s to bed", selected employees donned southwestairlines pajamas for an early morning flight that covered the original Dallas-San Antonio-Houston triangle before returning to Dallas Love.
Early losses and financial troubles
The rest of 1971 and 1972 saw operating losses. One of the four aircraft was sold to Frontier Airlines of Denver and the proceeds used to make payroll and cover other expenses. southwestairlines continued to operate a schedule predicated on 4 aircraft but using only 3, and in so doing the "ten minute turn" was born, and was the standard ground time for many years.
southwestairlines turned its first annual profit in 1973, and has done so every year since -- a record unmatched in commercial airline industry history. southwestairlines has used financial techniques to bolster its profitability and counteract many of the fiscal disadvantages of operating an airline.
By 1979 southwestairlines served all of the cities currently served in Texas, plus Beaumont and interstate service began to New Orleans, Oklahoma City and Tulsa was added shortly thereafter. In 1981 southwestairlines co-launched the 737-300 with USAir. In 1982 the first expansion beyond the Texas area took southwestairlines to the west coast adding Phoenix, Las Vegas and San Diego. In 1984 the 737-300 was placed into service. Chicago Midway and St. Louis service began in March, 1985, spreading low-fare service into Midwest markets.
Hedging fuel
southwestairlines has a longtime program to hedge fuel prices. southwestairlines has purchased fuel options for years in advance to smooth out fluctuations in fuel costs. southwestairlines substantially increased its hedging in 2001 in response to projections of increased crude oil prices. The use of these hedges helped southwestairlines maintain its profitability during the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks and the oil shocks related to the Iraq War and later Hurricane Katrina. As of 2005, southwestairlines is currently paying 50% of the market price for its fuel; however, the price southwestairlines pays will increase as hedges from 2001 and 2002 expire and new hedges at higher prices take effect. southwestairlines has hedges of varying percentages and prices in place through 2009.
The Wright Amendment
Main article: Wright Amendment
After the opening of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in 1974, southwestairlines was the only airline to remain at Love Field.
When airline deregulation came in 1978, southwestairlines began planning to offer interstate service from Love Field. This caused a number of interest groups affiliated with DFW, including the city of Fort Worth, to push the Wright Amendment through Congress to restrict such flights.
Under the restrictions of the amendment southwestairlines, and all other airlines, were barred from operating, or even ticketing passengers on flights from Love Field to destinations beyond the states immediately surrounding Texas. In effect, to travel through Love Field, a passenger and luggage would have to deplane and fly on a separate ticket, on a separate aircraft. The Wright Amendment left one loophole, that aircraft configured with 56 or fewer seats are exempt from the Wright Amendment. In 2000 Legend Airlines attempted to operate long distance business-class flights using older DC-9s with 56 seats, but did not have the resources to survive American's legal and marketing attacks, and quickly ceased operations. southwestairlines has not used the 56 seat loophole, even with its market strength at Love Field and the availability of more modern regional jets such as the CRJ-700/900 and the Embraer E-jets.
southwestairlines's efforts to repeal or even alter the Wright Amendment had been met with opposition from American Airlines and DFW International Airport. Both American Airlines and DFW contended that repeal of the Wright Amendment restrictions would cripple DFW, while southwestairlines contended that repeal of the Wright Amendment would be beneficial to both Love Field and DFW. Continental Airlines has a successful hub and spoke operation at Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport despite unrestricted competition from southwestairlines at Houston Hobby Airport.
In 1997, southwestairlines's effort began to pay off with the Shelby Amendment which added the states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kansas to the list of permissible destination states. As of 2006, southwestairlines does not operate any nonstops from Love Field to cities in the Shelby Amendment states, and does not serve any airport in Kansas. southwestairlines does, however, offer service between Dallas Love Field and Birmingham, AL, and Jackson, MS, via connections at Houston, which it couldn't do prior to the enactment of the Shelby Amendment.
Since late 2004, southwestairlines has been actively seeking the full repeal of the Wright Amendment restrictions. In late 2005, Missouri was added to the list of permissible destination states via a transportation appropriations bill. New service from Love Field to St. Louis and Kansas City quickly started in December of 2005.
At a June 15, 2006 joint press conference held by the City of Dallas, the City of Ft. Worth, DFW Airport, American Airlines, and southwestairlines Airlines, the said parties announced a tentative agreement on how the Wright Amendment was to be phased out. Both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives passed Wright-related legislation on September 29, 2006, and it was signed into law by the President on October 13, 2006. The new law became effective on October 16, 2006, when the FAA Administrator notified Congress that any new aviation operations occuring as a result of the new law could be accommodated without adverse effect to the airspace. southwestairlines plans to start selling tickets undet the new law on October 19, 2006. Highlights of the agreement are the immediate elimination of through-ticketing prohibitions, and unrestricted flights to domestic destinations 8 years after the legislation takes effect.
southwestairlines remains the dominant passenger airline at Love Field, maintains its headquarters, hangars, and flight simulators adjacent thereto, and reflects its ties to Love Field in its ticker symbol (LUV).
Despite the restrictions on its home base, southwestairlines proceeded to build a successful business on an unusual model: flying multiple short, quick trips into the secondary (more efficient and less costly) airports of major cities, using primarily only one aircraft type, the Boeing 737.
Flights
Main article: southwestairlines Airlines destinations
Current Service
southwestairlines is one of the few airlines to depart from the more traditional "Hub-and-Spoke" flight routing system. It has notably large operations in certain airports. These include Maryland's BWI Airport, Chicago's Midway Airport, Houston's Hobby Airport, Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport, Nashville International Airport, Oakland International Airport, Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, and San Diego International Airport. southwestairlines also has large operations at Orlando International Airport and Tampa International Airport, where it handles a large amount of tourist traffic to various cities throughout the eastern United States. Currently, southwestairlines serves 63 cities in 32 states.
As part of its effort to control costs, southwestairlines tries to utilize secondary airports which generally have lower costs and are more convenient to travelers than the major airports at some destinations. For example, southwestairlines flies to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in South Florida, Love Field in Dallas, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport and T. F. Green Airport in Providence, Rhode Island, Midway Airport in Chicago, and Oakland International Airport and Mineta San Jose International Airport in the Bay Area instead of Miami International Airport, DFW International, Logan International Airport in Boston, O'Hare International, and San Francisco International respectively.
southwestairlines makes exceptions where necessary, and flies into some larger airports in major cities, such as Los Angeles International, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Philadelphia International, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International and Pittsburgh International.
southwestairlines withdrew from San Francisco International and Houston George Bush Intercontinental in favor of utilizing smaller airports with fewer operations nearby. It also once served Stapleton International Airport in Denver but withdrew in 1986 because of congestion caused by limited space between the runways. southwestairlines returned to Denver in 2006 with service to the new Denver International Airport.
On October 5, 2006, southwestairlines Airlines started operations at its newest destination, Washington-Dulles Airport (IAD) with 12 daily flights from two gates in Concourse B. southwestairlines announced plans to begin Dulles service earlier this year, but kept destinations secret until July 13th. The official announcement can be found here.
Markets Lacking southwestairlines Service
Due to intense competition from near-monopoly airlines such as United, Northwest, and others, some markets are not cost-effective for southwestairlines. New York City area flights are serviced from Long Island MacArthur Airport or through southwestairlines's codeshare with ATA to LaGuardia Airport instead of directly through the three main New York Area airports (Newark Liberty International, JFK International, or LaGuardia). Other large cities without southwestairlines service include Minneapolis / St. Paul, Charlotte, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Memphis, and Milwaukee.
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