Route Exchange Carrier: Southwest Airlines

OVERVIEW

After nearly 40 years of service, Southwest Airlines continues to differentiate itself from other low fare carriers – offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest Airlines is the nation’s largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded, and will serve over 70 cities in 37 states once new service in 2011 commences to New York-Newark, Charleston S.C, and Greenville-Spartanburg S.C. Southwest also is one of the most honored airlines in the world known for its commitment to the triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet. Based in Dallas, TX, Southwest operates more than 3,100 daily flights and has nearly 35,000 employees systemwide.

FLEET

Southwest currently operates 527 Boeing 737 jets

• 737-300 x189
• 737-500 x25
• 737-700 x313

PERSONNEL

NETWORK STRATEGY

Southwest Airlines just launched our International Connect product with enabling our Customers to book connections to five Mexican destinations served by our partner, Volaris. Southwest seeks to leverage the strength of being the largest U.S. domestic carrier to further expand its presence in the international marketplace. Its potential acquisition of AirTran will give Southwest its first access with its own aircraft into the international market place.

AIRLINE REQUIREMENTS

Southwest Airlines is seeking to advance its understanding of international destinations and wishes to receive the following information from international airports:

• Origin and destination traffic levels and trends
• Percentage of traffic that originates at your airport vs traffic that is destined for your airport (originating vs non-originating)
• Local catchment area geography and dynamics
• Market composition - business, leisure, visiting friends/relatives (VFR)
• Airport operating cost structure including rates, charges
• Airport operating environment – facility overview, U.S. pre-clearance, etc…
• Specifically for business-oriented destinations

Locally-based companies with significant travel

Other communities with which a strong business link exists

Specifically for leisure destinations

Source of visitors - if U.S. - based, where in the U.S?

Length-of-stay

Level of repeat visitors vs first-time visitors

Accommodation profile - hotel, condominiums, timeshare, etc...

Trends in accommodation mode - hotel, condominiums, timeshare growth

Booking mode - package market, or airfare separate

Specifically for VFR markets

Location and details of large, ethnic, communities living abroad

Booking channel - internet, travel agent, other

• Southwest encourages airports to share any other information that provides unique and meaningful insight about their market
• Southwest is also pleased to accept periodic reports produced by airports. Please feel free to add us to your distribution of these reports.

To send a route proposal to Southwest Airlines please click on the following link

https://www.routesonline.com/airlines/4522/southwest-airlines/50/airline-requirements/