Southwest Airlines is going international. For the first time ever, the largest carrier of domestic passenger in the U.S. is selling tickets for international flights.
"Beginning July 1, 2014, Bags Fly Free® beyond U.S. borders to Aruba, The Bahamas, and Jamaica," announced Gary Kelly, Southwest Airlines Chairman, President & CEO, to Employees and media assembled for a news conference at the carrier's headquarters. "As our Customers seamlessly click through southwest.com to make these historic bookings today, our People celebrate the final lap in the journey to make possible our international future."
Starting July 1, Southwest Airlines will operate daily, nonstop flights between Atlanta and Aruba, and Montego Bay, Baltimore/Washington and Aruba, Nassau, and (twice daily) Montego Bay and Orlando and (Saturday only) Aruba, and Montego Bay.
In the first phase of Southwest's international plan, subsidiary AirTran Airways will continue service between Atlanta and Nassau, between Chicago Midway and Montego Bay, as well as flights to/from Cancun, Los Cabos, and Mexico City, Mexico, and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. By the end of the year, Southwest plans to complete the launch of its service to the remaining for international destinations on the Company's network route map of 96 destinations in six countries. Both carriers' full flight schedules are now open for booking through Aug. 8, 2014.
"Southwest Airlines democratized the sky from our first flights more than four decades ago," said Kelly. "Today's milestone enables us to reach new territory, new Customers, and build upon a four decade foundation of doing right by the travelers who trust our value and our People."
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