Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines Co.

, typically referred to as Southwest, is one of the major airlines of the United States and the world's largest low-cost carrier. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has scheduled service to 121 destinations in the United States and 10 additional countries. As of 2018, Southwest carried more domestic passengers than any other United States airline.

The airline was established on March 15, 1967, by Herb Kelleher and Rollin King as Air Southwest Co. and adopted its current name, Southwest Airlines Co., in 1971, when it began operating as an intrastate airline wholly within the state of Texas, first flying between Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. It began regional interstate service in 1979, expanding nationwide in the following decades. Southwest currently serves airports in 42 states and multiple Central American destinations.

Southwest's business model is distinct from other US airlines as it uses a rolling hub and point-to-point network and allows free checked baggage. It exclusively uses Boeing 737 jets in its fleet.

The airline has nearly 60,000 employees and operates about 4,000 departures a day during peak travel season.

Destinations List of Southwest Airlines destinations

As of 2021, Southwest scheduled flights to over 100 destinations in 42 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Fleet

Southwest Airlines fleet

As of February 2022, Southwest Airlines operates 735 aircraft. In its history, Southwest Airlines has operated only Boeing 737 jetliners, except from 1979 to 1980 and 1983 to 1985 when it leased and operated a few Boeing 727-200s. Southwest is the largest operator of the Boeing 737 worldwide. Using a single basic aircraft type allows Southwest pilots and flight attendants to crew any aircraft in the fleet without restrictions.

In March 2021 Southwest announced an order for 100 MAX 7 jets. The order established Southwest Airlines as the largest purchaser of the Boeing jet model. In June 2021, they increased their overall purchase order of Max 7 planes to 234 jets in total.

In-flight entertainment

All Southwest Airlines aircraft are equipped with Wi-Fi, along with free of charge streaming live television, movies, streaming music, and app messaging. After completing a testing phase that began in February 2009, Southwest announced on August 21, 2009, that it would begin rolling out in-flight Wi-Fi Internet connectivity via Global Eagle Entertainment's satellite-broadband based product. Southwest began adding Wi-Fi to its aircraft in the first quarter of 2010. The airline began testing streaming live television in the summer of 2012 and video on demand in January 2013. As of November 1, 2018, live in-flight TV, movies, messaging (iMessage and WhatsApp) and real-time flight tracking information via Wi-Fi became available to passengers, with full Internet access available at a fee for regular passengers.

Rapid Rewards
Southwest first began to offer a frequent-flyer program on June 18, 1987, calling it The Company Club. The program credited for trips flown regardless of distance. Southwest Airlines renamed its frequent flyer program Rapid Rewards on April 25, 1996.

The original Rapid Rewards program offered one credit per one-way flight from an origin to a destination including any stops or connections on Southwest Airlines. When 16 credits were accumulated in a 24-month period, Southwest awarded one free round-trip ticket that was valid for 12 months.

On March 1, 2011, Rapid Rewards changed to a points system based on ticket cost. Members earn and redeem points based on a four-tier fare scale multiplier and the cost of the ticket. Changes also included no blackout dates, seat restrictions, or expiring credits. Since October 18, 2019, Rapid Rewards points do not expire as long as the member is alive. It also adds more options to use points.

List of Southwest Airlines destinations

1 Denver Denver International Airport
2 Chicago Midway International Airport
3 Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport
4 Baltimore Baltimore/Washington International Airport
5 Dallas Dallas Love Field
6 Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
7 Orlando Orlando International Airport
8 Houston William P. Hobby Airport
9 Nashville Nashville International Airport
10 Oakland Oakland International Airport
11 San Diego San Diego International Airport
12 San Jose Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport
13 St. Louis St. Louis Lambert International Airport
14 Austin Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
15 Sacramento Sacramento International Airport
16 Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport


Southwest Airlines flies to 121 destinations.

Aruba Oranjestad Queen Beatrix International Airport
Bahamas Nassau Lynden Pindling International Airport
Belize Belize City Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport
Cayman Islands George Town Owen Roberts International Airport
Costa Rica Liberia Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport
San José Juan Santamaría International Airport
Cuba Havana José Martí International Airport
Dominican Republic Punta Cana Punta Cana International Airport
Jamaica Montego Bay Sangster International Airport
Mexico Cancún Cancún International Airport
Cozumel Cozumel International Airport
Puerto Vallarta Lic. Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport
San José del Cabo Los Cabos International Airport
Turks and Caicos Islands Providenciales Providenciales International Airport
United States (Alabama) Birmingham Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport
United States (Arizona) Phoenix Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Focus city
Tucson Tucson International Airport
United States (Arkansas) Little Rock Little Rock National Airport
United States (California) Burbank Hollywood Burbank Airport
Fresno Fresno Yosemite International Airport
Long Beach Long Beach Airport
Los Angeles Los Angeles International Airport Focus city
Oakland Oakland International Airport Focus city
Ontario Ontario International Airport
Orange County John Wayne Airport
Palm Springs Palm Springs International Airport
Sacramento Sacramento International Airport
San Diego San Diego International Airport
San Francisco San Francisco International Airport
San José San Jose International Airport
Santa Barbara Santa Barbara Municipal Airport
United States (Colorado) Denver Denver International Airport Focus city
Steamboat Springs Yampa Valley Regional Airport
Telluride (Montrose) Montrose Regional Airport
Colorado Springs Colorado Springs Airport
United States (Connecticut) Hartford Bradley International Airport
United States (Florida) Destin Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport
Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport Focus city
Fort Myers Southwest Florida International Airport
Jacksonville Jacksonville International Airport
Orlando Orlando International Airport Focus city
Palm Beach Palm Beach International Airport
Panama City Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport
Pensacola Pensacola International Airport
Miami Miami International Airport
Sarasota Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport
Tampa Tampa International Airport
United States (Georgia) Atlanta Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport Focus city
Savannah Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport
United States (Hawaii) Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International Airport
Kahului Kahului Airport
Kailua–Kona Kona International Airport
Hilo Hilo International Airport
Lihue Lihue Airport
United States (Idaho) Boise Boise Airport
United States (Illinois) Chicago Midway International Airport Focus city
O'Hare International Airport
United States (Indiana) Indianapolis Indianapolis International Airport
United States (Iowa) Des Moines Des Moines International Airport
United States (Kansas) Wichita Wichita Eisenhower National Airport
United States (Kentucky) Cincinnati/Covington Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
Louisville Louisville International Airport
United States (Louisiana) New Orleans Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
United States (Maine) Portland, ME Portland International Jetport
United States (Maryland) Baltimore Baltimore–Washington International Airport Focus city
United States (Massachusetts) Boston Logan International Airport
United States (Michigan) Detroit Detroit Metropolitan Airport
Grand Rapids Gerald R. Ford International Airport
United States (Minnesota) Minneapolis/St. Paul Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport
United States (Mississippi) Jackson Jackson International Airport
United States (Missouri) Kansas City Kansas City International Airport
St. Louis St. Louis Lambert International Airport Focus city
United States (Montana) Bozeman Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport
United States (Nebraska) Omaha Eppley Airfield
United States (Nevada) Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport Focus city
Reno/Tahoe Reno-Tahoe International Airport
United States (New Hampshire) Manchester Manchester–Boston Regional Airport
United States (New Mexico) Albuquerque Albuquerque International Sunport
United States (New York) Albany, NY Albany International Airport
Buffalo Buffalo Niagara International Airport
Long Island/Islip Long Island MacArthur Airport
New York City LaGuardia Airport
Rochester, NY Greater Rochester International Airport
Syracuse Syracuse Hancock International Airport
United States (North Carolina) Charlotte Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
Raleigh/Durham Raleigh–Durham International Airport
United States (Ohio) Cleveland Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
Columbus John Glenn Columbus International Airport
United States (Oklahoma) Oklahoma City Will Rogers World Airport
Tulsa Tulsa International Airport
United States (Oregon) Eugene Eugene Airport
Portland, OR Portland International Airport
United States (Pennsylvania) Philadelphia Philadelphia International Airport
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh International Airport
United States (Puerto Rico) San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
United States (Rhode Island) Providence Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport
United States (South Carolina) Charleston Charleston International Airport
Greenville/Spartanburg Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport
Myrtle Beach Myrtle Beach International Airport
United States (Tennessee) Memphis Memphis International Airport
Nashville Nashville International Airport
United States (Texas) Amarillo Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport
Austin Austin–Bergstrom International Airport Focus city
Corpus Christi Corpus Christi International Airport
Dallas Dallas Love Field Focus city Headquartered in Dallas
El Paso El Paso International Airport
Harlingen/South Padre Island Valley International Airport
Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport
William P. Hobby Airport Focus city
Lubbock Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport
Midland/Odessa Midland International Airport
San Antonio San Antonio International Airport
United States (Utah) Salt Lake City Salt Lake City International Airport
United States (Virginia) Norfolk Norfolk International Airport
Richmond Richmond International Airport
Washington, D.C. Dulles International Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
United States (Washington) Bellingham Bellingham International Airport
Seattle/Tacoma Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
Spokane Spokane International Airport
United States (Wisconsin) Milwaukee Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport