DALLAS, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest
Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) (the "Company") is celebrating its
50th Anniversary this year, with June 18 marking 50 years since the carrier's
first commercial flight. To celebrate, Southwest® has
declared June 18 as Wanna Get Away
Day and has registered the day with the National Day Calendar. In
1996, Southwest coined the phrase "Wanna Get Away®" to
highlight the Company's expansion, as well as creating humorous
moments relevant to its Customers within its marketing. As Wanna
Get Away has become an iconic and recognized expression for the
brand, Southwest took it a step further to celebrate its
50th Anniversary by announcing this new annual day.
Beginning today, Customers have the chance to engage with Southwest
throughout the month of June, with its biggest surprises occurring
on its anniversary and newly-branded day.
No one knows how to throw a party like Southwest Airlines.
Southwest Employees will celebrate this milestone, and Customers
will be able to participate in the fun. In celebration of
Southwest's 50th Anniversary, the carrier is giving
Customers the chance to win a total of 50 million Rapid
Rewards® bonus points from June
1, 2021, through June 18,
2021.* Customers will have daily opportunities to win Rapid
Rewards bonus points, with Southwest gift cards, and Companion
Passes also up for grabs on June 18.
Visit Southwest50.com/WannaGetAway to view full terms and
conditions and to enter for a chance to win.
"It's our 50th Anniversary and we are ready to
celebrate and thank our Customers," said Bill Tierney, Southwest Airlines Vice President
of Marketing. "In true Southwest Spirit, we are turning our
50th Anniversary into Wanna Get Away Day, allowing
Customers the opportunity to celebrate our 50-year history of
Heart, low-fares, legendary Hospitality, and flexible policies by
giving them opportunities to turn 'Wanna get away' into 'Gonna' get
away."
Turn "Wanna Get Away" into "Gonna Get Away"
As travel
demand returns, this celebration is an opportunity to encourage
Customers to reconnect with the People and places they love, and
turn those travel dreams into a reality. Southwest's Purpose is to
connect People to what's important in their lives, and the carrier
is excited to celebrate this national day with its Customers, and
most importantly turn their "wannas" into "gonnas."
Continuing the Celebration
Southwest is celebrating
all month long with its Employees and Customers. Starting today,
Southwest will have pop-up photo opportunities in 24 airport gate
areas across the nation and Heart Carts full of swag and fun
giveaways in more than 40 of its locations. And who can forget
Southwest's famous gate games featuring its amazing Employees? The
fun doesn't stop at the gate—Southwest's Inflight Crews will be
surprising and delighting Customers with additional swag on
June 18.
Speaking of swag, take a trip down memory lane with Southwest's
50th Anniversary collection including its retro
merchandise, throughout 2021 at Southwest: The Store. The carrier
is celebrating its golden year with a Retro Hostess Build-A-Bear
now available for sale exclusively at Southwest: The Store. The
official Build-A-Bear furry friend commemorates the original
Southwest Airlines' Hostesses, now called Flight Attendants, in an
iconic orange, white, and red outfit, reminiscent of the Hot Pants
uniform of the early days. Other new featured merchandise available
the week of Southwest's 50th Anniversary (beginning
June 14) include a silk 70s Retro
Hostess Scarf (to match the Retro Hostess Build-A-Bear, of course),
Southwest Birthday T-shirts, Southwest 50th Anniversary
pin, and much more!
Stay tuned to Southwest.com for more details about the surprises
to come. To learn more about Southwest's 50th
Anniversary and five-decade-long history of friendly, reliable, and
low-cost air travel, visit Southwest50.com.
*SOUTHWEST AIRLINES SWEEPSTAKES TERMS
NO PURCHASE
NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR
CHANCES OF WINNING. Open to legal residents of 50 United
States and the District of
Columbia (excluding Alaska)
age 18 or older at time of entry. Void where prohibited. Limit one
entry per person. All fields must be completed. For complete
details and Official Rules, visit Southwest50.com/wannagetaway. By
submitting this entry, you agree to the Official Rules. By
entering, information collected will be used in accordance with the
Sponsor's Privacy Policy at Southwest.com/privacy. Sponsor: 2702
Love Field Drive HDQ 5MC, Dallas,
TX 75235. Enter by June 18,
2021, 11:58:59 pm Pacific Daylight
Time. Points and Companion Pass® bookings do
not include taxes and fees of at least $5.60 per one-way flight.
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/Crested
Butte), 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, Colo., 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; as well as Bozeman, Mont., on May
27; and will begin service to Jackson, Miss., on June 6; and
Eugene, Ore., on Aug. 29. The Company also has announced an
intention to initiate new service to Bellingham, Wash., later this year.
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
1-800-I-FLY-SWA®.
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SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.