DALLAS, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest
Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) joins Walt Disney
World® Resort with a special co-branded
commemorative aircraft honoring 50 years of connecting people
with memories and magic, as each company celebrates a
50th anniversary in 2021. The Boeing 737-700 features
50th anniversary logos of both Southwest
Airlines® and Walt Disney World Resort and is emblazoned
with a unique EARidescent treatment created by Walt Disney World
Resort especially for its milestone celebration.
"For 50 years, Southwest has connected our Customers to the
people and places that matter most. Whether a Customer is flying to
visit relatives in another state, close a business deal with a
client, or experience a family vacation, we are honored to be a
part of those moments," said Brandy
King, Director of Public Relations at Southwest Airlines.
"Celebrating 50 years of making memories during our shared
milestone anniversary is at the heart of this magical collaboration
with the Walt Disney World Resort."
"As Walt Disney World Resort kicks off The World's Most Magical
Celebration commemorating our 50th anniversary, we are
thrilled to bring even more magic to guests' vacations and to the
sky with the help of our friends at Southwest," said Claire Bilby, Senior Vice President of Disney
Destinations. "Both Walt Disney World Resort and Southwest Airlines
share an incredible 50-year legacy of creating exceptional vacation
experiences and treasured memories for guests."
The unveiling of the co-branded aircraft at the Southwest
Airlines Technical Operations Hangar at William P. Hobby
International Airport in Houston
featured Cast Members from Walt Disney World Resort performing
iconic songs that celebrate treasured history, as well as "The
Magic is Calling," an anthem to the Walt Disney World Resort
50th anniversary. Mickey
Mouse and Minnie Mouse joined
the event to celebrate the collaboration and send the aircraft into
service with its first stop at Orlando International Airport.
This special promotional aircraft also brings Walt Disney World
Resort magic into the interior, as overhead bins and window shades
sparkle with beloved Disney characters in the EARidescent
treatment. The aircraft will fly around the Southwest system
through March 2022. Fans can track
the aircraft (tail number N954WN) and share photos using
#Southwest50 and #DisneyWorld50.
The magic continues with a Southwest50 Days of Giveaways
sweepstakes*, which will award a winner and up to three guests with
a Southwest and Walt Disney World Resort prize package each day
from Sept. 28 through Nov. 16, 2021.
Consumers can visit Southwest.com/50days to enter each day for a
chance to win a vacation package that includes lodging, Walt Disney
World Resort Theme Park tickets, a Disney Gift Card with a value of
$200, and round trip air travel to
Orlando, Florida, on
Southwest.
Southwest Customers can enjoy a sneak peek at some of the magic
of the Walt Disney World Resort 50th anniversary
celebration with exclusive video on the carrier's Inflight
Entertainment Portal and the Walt Disney World on-demand TV series
channel. The video highlights some of the special moments at the
resort to come throughout the 18-month anniversary celebration, and
will be available onboard beginning Oct. 1,
2021, when The World's Most Magical Celebration begins.
To access broadcast quality footage and high-res images, as
well as photos from the aircraft unveiling, visit swamedia.com.
*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the 50 United
States and D.C. (excluding Alaska)
age 19 or older at time of entry. Ends Nov. 16,21 at 11:59 p.m. CT. To enter and for official rules,
including odds, and prize descriptions, visit
https://Southwest.com/50days. Void where prohibited.
ABOUT WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT
Walt Disney World Resort, The Most Magical Place on Earth, is a
contiguous, nearly 40-square-mile, world-class entertainment and
recreation destination featuring four theme parks (Magic Kingdom
Park, EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom
Theme Park); two water adventure parks (Disney's Blizzard Beach
Water Park and Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park); more than 25
resort hotels; 63 holes of golf on four championship courses; two
full-service spas; Disney's Wedding Pavilion; ESPN Wide World of
Sports Complex; and Disney Springs, a shopping-dining-entertainment
complex. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., 20 miles southwest
of Orlando, Walt Disney World Resort opened Oct. 1,
1971. Guests looking to purchase a Walt Disney World Resort
Vacation Package can visit
www.southwestvacations.com/wdw50 for more
information.
ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
In its 51st year of
service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines
Co. continues to differentiate itself from other air
carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than
54,000 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 Chicago (O'Hare) and Sarasota/Bradenton both
on Feb. 14; Savannah/Hilton
Head and Colorado Springs both on March
11; Houston (Bush) and Santa Barbara,
Calif. both on April
12; Fresno, Calif. on April
25; Destin/Fort Walton Beach on May 6; Myrtle Beach, S.C. on
May 23; Bozeman, Mont. on
May 27; Jackson, Miss. on
June 6; and Eugene, Ore. on Aug. 29. The carrier will begin service
to Bellingham, Wash. on Nov.
7; and Syracuse on Nov. 14.
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®.
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SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.