Southwest Airlines Announces New Nonstop Service From Dallas Love Field to Kansas City and St. Louis
President George W. Bush recently signed a transportation appropriations bill containing language that exempts Missouri from federal restrictions placed on Dallas' Love Field airport. This exemption now makes it possible for Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV), the signature carrier at Love Field, to initiate new nonstop jet service from Dallas to its Missouri operations in Kansas City and St. Louis.
Southwest will start service to St. Louis and Kansas City from Dallas on Dec. 13, 2005, with four daily nonstop flights to each city. The one-way fare from Dallas to either city will be just $79 with 14-day advance purchase. The unrestricted "walk-up" fare is just $129 each way, compared to fares as high as $599 each way on American Airlines.
"Southwest Airlines has served Missouri for more than 20 years but Congress has prevented us from offering low-fare service between Missouri and our home airport at Dallas' Love Field," said Herb Kelleher, Southwest's executive chairman and co-founder. "Missouri has been punished far too long by the resulting high-fare monopoly. We are delighted by Senator Bond's efforts to wipe out the last vestige of airline regulation for the people of Missouri."
Under the leadership of Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond (R-MO), Missouri has been added to the list of states eligible for nonstop commercial air service from Love Field. Since 1979, nonstop service from Love Field has been restricted to Texas and its four surrounding states due to the Wright Amendment, named for then-Speaker of the House Jim Wright who sought to protect Dallas/Ft. Worth International (DFW) Airport. In 1997, Senator Richard Shelby (D-AL) succeeded in adding Alabama, Mississippi, and Kansas to the list. The "Bond Amendment" of 2005 allows competitive air service at Love Field to reach one state further.
"When these two Missouri airports gain new Southwest Airlines service, history tells us that airport traffic will increase as more people are able to fly at a lower price," Kelleher said.
A study by the Campbell-Hill Aviation Group, commissioned by Southwest Airlines, predicts nearly 500,000 additional Missouri passengers per year will be generated through fare savings estimated to be more than $77 million. The US Department of Transportation calls this well-documented stimulation of passenger traffic through low fares the "Southwest Effect." Campbell-Hill also predicts an additional $218 million per year will go to the Missouri economy in related spending.
All eyes will be on Missouri to see if the venerated "Southwest Effect" takes hold in an established market. History, and Southwest Airlines, say that it can. "They don't call Missouri the 'Show Me State' for nothing!" Kelleher said. "The push from Missouri allows us to create a competition laboratory, if you will, to prove our case. Our experience in 60 other markets tells us that all carriers serving these markets will decrease their fares and increase their Missouri traffic. I can't think of a state that wouldn't want that."
Southwest Airlines, the nation's largest carrier in terms of domestic passengers enplaned, currently serves 61 cities in 31 states. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 2,900 flights a day and has 31,000+ Employees systemwide.
Fare Rules
Fares are available one-way and are combinable with all other fares. When combining fares, all ticketing restrictions apply. The fares are available for purchase today through the end of Southwest's published schedule (currently March 31, 2006). Tickets must be purchased at least 14 days before departure. Seats are limited. Fares may vary by flight and day of week and will not be available on some flights that operate during very busy travel times. Fares do not include a federal segment tax of up to $3.30 per takeoff and landing. Fares do not include airport-assessed passenger facility charges (PFC) of up to $9 one-way and a U.S. government-imposed September 11th Security Fee of up to $5 one-way. Fares are subject to change until ticketed. Tickets are nonrefundable but may be applied toward the purchase of future travel on Southwest Airlines. Fares are valid on published, scheduled service only. Any change in itinerary may result in an increase in fare.
SOURCE Southwest Airlines
12/01/2005
CONTACT: Public Relations, 1-214-792-4847, or Customers, 1-800-I-FLY-SWA, or 1-800-435-9792, or en Espanol, 1-800-VAMONOS, or 1-800-826-6667, all of Southwest Airlines
0945 12/01/2005 10:10 EST http://www.prnewswire.com