Southwest Airlines Begins More Than A Dozen New Routes This Week

DALLAS, April 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) this week will begin operating more than a dozen new nonstop routes across North America. San Jose, Calif. saw six new nonstop routes take off on Sun., April 8, adding more nonstop routes from the Bay Area to cities across the United States.

New Nonstop Flights Connect California With More Places

On Sun., Apr. 8, 2018, Southwest® inaugurated service on 11 new routes between cities throughout California and cities across the United States. The nonstop flights will take Customers between:

San Jose, Calif. and Boise
San Jose, Calif. and Houston
San Jose, Calif. and Spokane
San Jose, Calif. andSt. Louis
San Jose, Calif. and New Orleans(Flights operate on Sundays)
San Jose, Calif. and Albuquerque (Flights operate on Sundays)
San Francisco   and Austin
Sacramento       and Austin
Sacramento       and St. Louis
Oakland              and Newark
San Diego           and Newark

Also on Sunday, the carrier also began new intra-Florida service between Ft. Lauderdale and Jacksonville. The flights operate three times a day. Additionally, Southwest celebrated new daily nonstop flights between Raleigh/Durham and Kansas City, Mo., and Sunday-only nonstop service between Austin and Indianapolis.

New Saturday Service
On Saturday, April 14, the carrier will begin weekly service on Saturdays between Oakland and Orlando, marking the first time Southwest has connected the Bay Area and Orlando with nonstop service. The service will be offered daily beginning July 15, 2018.

New Seasonal Service
Also on April 14, 2018, the carrier will begin seasonal weekly service on Saturdays between Kansas City, Mo. and Pensacola, Fla., and between Orlando and Oklahoma City. Southwest will also begin weekly nonstop service on Saturdays between PhoenixandNew York (LaGuardia). The service will continue until June 2, 2018.

New International Gateways Open
Southwest is also beginning its international journey from two new gateway cities. On Saturday, April 14, the carrier will begin weekly seasonal service on Saturdays between Columbus andCancun and between New OrleansandCancun.

To book a seat on any of these flights or any of the carrier's more than 4,000 daily flights, visit southwest.com.

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.

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SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.