Southwest Airlines Announces Service From Raleigh-Durham International Airport
Southwest Airlines today announced that it will begin service from the Raleigh-Durham International Airport on June 6, 1999. Southwest will operate 12 daily nonstop departures to five cities: Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Nashville, Chicago's Midway Airport, Tampa Bay, and Orlando.
The airline will offer four daily nonstop flights to Baltimore/Washington, two daily nonstop flights to Chicago's close-in Midway Airport, four daily nonstop flights to Nashville, one daily nonstop flight to Tampa Bay, and one daily nonstop flight to Orlando. Southwest also will offer connecting service to 28 other cities. Connecting service requires a change of planes before continuing to the final destination.
"The citizens of the Raleigh-Durham area can look forward to an exceptional travel value in Southwest Airlines. When we begin service to a new destination, we offer communities much more than just low fares. Southwest's philosophy is to provide convenient, reliable, and affordable travel accompanied with warm, friendly service," said Ron Ricks, Southwest's vice president of governmental affairs. "The Raleigh-Durham International Airport is an extremely good fit for Southwest Airlines."
Southwest is offering a $65 one-way unrestricted fare between Raleigh-Durham and Baltimore/Washington, which is a 78 percent savings from the $297 one-way fare currently offered by other airlines between Raleigh-Durham and Baltimore/Washington. Southwest's $65 one-way fare is available on every seat, every flight, everyday between the two destinations. (See attached chart for fares to all destinations from Raleigh-Durham.)
An even lower fare of $39 each way, based on roundtrip travel, is available with seven-day advance purchase for travel between Raleigh-Durham and Baltimore/Washington. Seats are limited and an overnight stay is required. Tickets must be purchased within one day of making reservations and are nonrefundable but may be applied, if unused, toward the purchase of future travel on Southwest.
Customers can travel across the country from Raleigh-Durham for $299 one-way or less on Southwest Airlines. The unrestricted fare for travel between Raleigh-Durham and Los Angeles, for example, is just $299 one-way. Fares do not include airport-assessed passenger facility charges of up to $6 each way and a federal tax of $2 per segment.
The Company's current fleet is comprised of 284 Boeing 737s with an average age of 8.4 years, among the youngest pure jet fleets in the domestic airline industry.
The announcement of new service was made at a news conference at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport by John C. Brantley, Airport Director of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority, and Southwest's Ricks.
"We are pleased to welcome one of America's premier companies to Raleigh-Durham. Southwest Airlines has long been noted for its excellent service, reasonable fares, and for its long history of business success," said Brantley. "Southwest will provide a tremendous boost in air service options for North Carolina, particularly for people who live within several hours of the airport. Ours is a dynamic market, and we are pleased that Southwest picked Raleigh-Durham from the many new destinations it considers. We look forward with much excitement to a long and healthy association."
Southwest will occupy two gates at Raleigh-Durham International Airport and will employ 44 people when operations are fully staffed.
The fifth-largest domestic carrier in terms of Customers boarded, Southwest currently serves 52 cities in 26 states. This will increase to 53 cities in 27 states when Southwest begins service to MacArthur Airport on Long Island, New York, on March 14, and to 54 cities in 28 states when service begins to Raleigh-Durham International Airport in June. Southwest currently operates more than 2,400 flights a day.
This press release, as well as past releases, can be accessed on the Southwest Airlines internet site at: http://www.southwest.com
| City Name | State Code | City Code | Highest Unrestricted One-Way |
Lowest Restricted One-Way* |
| Austin | TX | AUS | $229 | $139 |
| Baltimore/Washington | MD | BWI | $65 | $39 |
| Birmingham | AL | BHM | $109 | $59 |
| Chicago (Midway) | IL | MDW | $119 | $69 |
| Cleveland | OH | CLE | $109 | $69 |
| Columbus | OH | CMH | $109 | $69 |
| Detroit Metro | MI | DTW | $119 | $69 |
| Ft. Lauderdale | FL | FLL | $119 | $69 |
| Houston Hobby | TX | HOU | $199 | $119 |
| Jacksonville | FL | JAX | $99 | $59 |
| Kansas City | MO | MCI | $169 | $99 |
| Las Vegas | NV | LAS | $299 | $179 |
| Long Island, New York | NY | ISP | $99 | $59 |
| Los Angeles | CA | LAX | $299 | $179 |
| Louisville | KY | SDF | $109 | $59 |
| Manchester | NH | MHT | $119 | $69 |
| Nashville | TN | BNA | $99 | $59 |
| New Orleans | LA | MSY | $149 | $89 |
| Oakland | CA | OAK | $299 | $179 |
| Omaha | NE | OMA | $179 | $109 |
| Ontario | CA | ONT | $299 | $179 |
| Orlando | FL | MCO | $99 | $59 |
| Phoenix | AZ | PHX | $299 | $179 |
| Providence | RI | PVD | $119 | $69 |
| St. Louis | MO | STL | $159 | $89 |
| Salt Lake City | UT | SLC | $279 | $169 |
| San Antonio | TX | SAT | $229 | $139 |
| San Diego | CA | SAN | $299 | $179 |
| San Jose | CA | SJC | $299 | $179 |
| Seattle | WA | SEA | $299 | $179 |
| Tampa | FL | TPA | $99 | $59 |
| Tulsa | OK | TUL | $199 | $119 |
* Lowest Restricted Fare Requires a 7-Day Advance Purchase and a Stayover. Fares are Non-Refundable.