Southwest Airlines working toward international flights

[JODO 2]

Southwest Airlines working toward international flights via ATA

The Associated Press

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

DALLAS: Southwest Airlines Co. is planning to sell seats on ATA Airlines flights from the East Coast to the Caribbean by 2009 and later to Europe, Southwest's CEO told a business group in Baltimore.

Southwest has been upgrading its computerized reservations system for international service on ATA by 2009 for some time. But Chief Executive Gary Kelly's comments Monday appeared to be the most detailed look at the airline's plans for connecting to foreign destinations.

Southwest and ATA already operate a partnership in which each can sell seats for connecting flights on the other carrier, a common airline industry practice called code-sharing. The agreement has already allowed Southwest to offer service to new U.S. destinations, including Hawaii, on ATA jets.

Kelly said Southwest will offer service from Baltimore-Washington International Airport to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean by 2009 and to Europe soon after, once Southwest completes work on modernizing its computer systems. He made the comments at a BWI business group's annual meeting.

Baltimore is Southwest's largest operation on the East Coast, with 178 daily departures. BWI opened a new international terminal in 1997 but has struggled to attract and keep international carriers. BWI competes with two other large airports near Washington, D.C., and with Philadelphia International Airport.

Kelly has talked often about wanting to add international service, but Dallas-based Southwest has not been very specific about how it would do that, said spokeswoman Beth Harbin.

Southwest offers connecting service to ATA at several airports with international service, including Chicago Midway, Las Vegas and Phoenix, Harbin said.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

If I can connect to Western Canada from SLC ("The Salt") or Midway ("MDW"?) to YYC (Calgary), I'll be interested.

[AGarcia 0]

I hate southwest. They always make my husband check in at the airport and not online.

[JoeMama 0]

After watching the show, "Airplane" about Southwest, I don't care if they fly from here to the moon. I'll grab another airlines

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

SW International? That would be something. Love those guys!

[William33 110]

Open economy seating will never work on long haul flights. Regular travelers spend considerable time targeting the best seats. If they are subjected to first come, first served, they will not fly SW.

In Europe and Asia, the A/B/C queue will be mobbed at boarding time, just like it is with assigned seating. Boarding chaos at it’s best.

Midwest Airlines, on the other hand, with their assigned business class sized seating would work. Of course, this depends on the actions of US Air, who just bought them. I hope they don’t ** it up.

[homesick_american 1]

After watching the show, "Airplane" about Southwest, I don't care if they fly from here to the moon. I'll grab another airlines

One of my cousins is a VP at Southwest and he LOATHES that show. He says the production company didn't tell them that their aim was essentially to make the airline look like it was run by azzholes. I wish he'd asked me to send him some episodes of the UK program 'Airline' which is in the same format. They make EasyJet employees look like complete and utter prats.

I flew Southwest more than any other airline when I live in Texas and its safety record speaks for itself. It is by far one of the best airlines in the world and if you don't want to fly with them you're welcome to try your luck on a more accident-prone carrier.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

I love Southwest - I personally think the only thing non-budget domestic US carriers have over them is assigned seating.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I love Southwest - I personally think the only thing non-budget domestic US carriers have over them is assigned seating.

Plus some facsimilie of "meal" on ultra-long-haul (such as N/S IAD-LAX) flights.

[homesick_american 1]

I love Southwest - I personally think the only thing non-budget domestic US carriers have over them is assigned seating.

Plus some facsimilie of "meal" on ultra-long-haul (such as N/S IAD-LAX) flights.

I'd rather pay less and do without the constant reek of scorched plastic and overcooked beef/chicken on a flight, thanks.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

I love Southwest - I personally think the only thing non-budget domestic US carriers have over them is assigned seating.

Plus some facsimilie of "meal" on ultra-long-haul (such as N/S IAD-LAX) flights.

Really? I have flown LAX-JFK and LAX-Orlando recently on American and United and all I got was the option to buy a crappy sandwich.

On LAX-DTW (a four hour flight) the only option is to buy pretzels/chips/cookies.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I love Southwest - I personally think the only thing non-budget domestic US carriers have over them is assigned seating.

Plus some facsimilie of "meal" on ultra-long-haul (such as N/S IAD-LAX) flights.

Really? I have flown LAX-JFK and LAX-Orlando recently on American and United and all I got was the option to buy a crappy sandwich.

On LAX-DTW (a four hour flight) the only option is to buy pretzels/chips/cookies.

Well, I did say "some facsimilie"--amended now to "barely-edible-in a pinch facsimilie for overprice".

[homesick_american 1]

I love Southwest - I personally think the only thing non-budget domestic US carriers have over them is assigned seating.

Southwest has piloted assigned seating at various airports and from what I hear it hasn't gone well. As far as I know they have no plans to introduce it in the future, but this info is third-hand.

One consequence of FCFS seating is that you check in extra-early to get a high boarding card number so you can be part of the first stampede onto the airplane and get those cushy leather seats up front or one of the exit row seats. That's what my friends and I always did: showed up super early and by the time the other people were schlepping briefcases and garment bags on board, we were sitting pretty in those leather seats up front. I LOVED FCFS seating because we usually beat the system and ended up with the best seats on the plane. More often than not, some jagoff with a boarding card number in the 90s would try to steal my seat by telling me how much he paid for his ticket and it was important for him to be first off the plane, blah blah blah. I was like...dude, first-come, first-served. Watch me care. Tell that sob story to the stew, who was often my second cousin working her way through college...see how far that gets ya. When I was doing Austin/Dallas, I'd let her know and she'd try to snag that particular flight. I got extra peanuts. I wub my cousin.

I love Southwest - I personally think the only thing non-budget domestic US carriers have over them is assigned seating.

Plus some facsimilie of "meal" on ultra-long-haul (such as N/S IAD-LAX) flights.

Really? I have flown LAX-JFK and LAX-Orlando recently on American and United and all I got was the option to buy a crappy sandwich.

On LAX-DTW (a four hour flight) the only option is to buy pretzels/chips/cookies.

I flew Southwest so often that I got used to bringing my own bag lunch on the plane. It's a habit I have to this day. The stews don't eat the airplane food; that ought to tell you something. Just bring your own.

[William33 110]

I bring my own food on domestic flights, while others drool, as they eat their pretzels.

I may take some spare Quiznos prime rib subs on board and auction them off next time...

[homesick_american 1]

I bring my own food on domestic flights, while others drool, as they eat their pretzels.

I may take some spare Quiznos prime rib subs on board and auction them off next time...

LOL, that's what I used to do too!!! Sometimes some woman with rugrats crawling all over her would ask me to share my food and I'd be like...no. Bring your own. I didn't bring cookies for THEM.