DALLAS, March 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest
Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today announced an intention to
bring the flexibility and value of Southwest Airlines®
to three new airports in 2021. Southwest Airlines Chairman and CEO
Gary Kelly today is sharing the
following message with the Employees of Southwest:
I'm pleased to share with you
all that today we're announcing our intention to serve three more
destinations and continue our focus on putting our aircraft to work
to pursue more Customers and much-needed revenue.
And the destinations are (drum
roll!) Myrtle Beach, South
Carolina; Eugene, Oregon;
and Bellingham, Washington—three
very different and appealing locations to both serve our existing
Customers and places where we feel Southwest can make a real
difference for local travelers.
We're looking to start
Myrtle Beach service in time for
summer vacations and we expect our arrival to appeal to travelers
who currently drive to this very popular coastal area in the
Southeast. 'Golf bags fly free'* should be very popular for
Myrtle Beach service!
Eugene is about two hours south of
Portland, and it's ripe for the
Southwest Effect, our Hospitality, and our flexible policies, with
no hidden fees, and low fares.
Southwest service in
Bellingham positions us just south
of metro Vancouver, British
Colombia. Following the reopening of the Canadian border, we expect
a return of the value-minded travelers who already drive to this
alternative airport to escape high fares and taxes—and that's very,
very typical for Southwest destinations. Southwest provides a great
value for them.
Service to both Eugene and Bellingham is something we've anticipated in
the second half of the year.
That makes 17 new airports that
either we have opened or announced since the pandemic began. And
for those that have commenced service, they're performing very
well. In fact, we just shared with the airports serving Steamboat
Springs and Telluride that we're extending our service beyond the
winter season to continue serving both through the summer of
2021.
Colorado Springs, Savannah, and
our Long Beach service to
Hawaii all start-up this coming
Thursday.
That's a lot of work, a lot of
new destinations, and a lot of options for our Customers and so I
want to thank all of the Teams that have a hand in continuing to
grow the Heart of Southwest while better positioning us to capture
more Customers as the travel demand rebounds.
*Golf bags fly free as one of two checked pieces of baggage
offered to every Southwest Customer (weight and size limitations
apply)
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 network plans and expectations,
including its intention to serve Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Eugene, Oregon; and Bellingham, Washington; and other new
destinations. These forward-looking statements, based on the
Company's current intent and expectations, are not guarantees of
future actions. 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. Among others, factors are
(i) the Company's ability to obtain necessary approvals, and the
impact of governmental regulations and other governmental actions
related to the Company's operations; (ii) the extent of the impact
of the COVID-19 pandemic on overall demand for air travel and the
Company's related business plans and decisions; (iii) the impact of
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 business decisions, plans, and strategies; (iv) the
Company's dependence on third parties; (v) the impact of labor
matters on the Company's plans and expectations; and (vi) 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, 2020.
ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
In its 50th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines
Co. continues to differentiate itself from other air
carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than
56,000 Employees to a Customer base that topped 130 million
Passengers in 2019. Southwest has a robust network of
point-to-point service with a strong presence across top leisure
and business markets. 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. In 2020, the carrier added service to
Hilo, Hawaii; Cozumel, Mexico; Miami; Palm Springs,
Calif.; Steamboat Springs; and Montrose (Telluride), Colo. Thus far in 2021,
Southwest has initiated service to both Chicago (O'Hare) and Sarasota/Bradenton on Feb.
14; and will begin service to both Savannah/Hilton Head and Colorado Springs on March 11; both Houston
(Bush) and Santa Barbara,
Calif. on April 12;
Fresno, Calif. on April 25; Destin/Ft. Walton Beach on
May 6; Bozeman, Mont. on May
27; and Jackson, Miss. on June 6. The Company has
announced an intention to initiate new service in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Eugene, Ore., and Bellingham, Wash., all in 2021.
The carrier issued its Southwest® Promise in
May 2020 to highlight new and
round-the-clock efforts to support its Customers and Employees
well-being and comfort. Among the changes are enhanced cleaning
efforts at airports and onboard aircraft, along with a federal
mandate requiring every person to wear a mask at all times
throughout each flight. Additional details about the Southwest
Promise are available
at Southwest.com/Promise.
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). Southwest does not charge 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.
Media Contacts:
Visit the Southwest Newsroom at swamedia.com for multimedia assets
and other Company news.
Media Relations Team: (214) 792-4847, option 1
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SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.