Lowcost US airline launches Caribbean flights
US lowcost carrier Southwest Airlines has announced flights to the Caribbean, in its first foray into the international market under its own name.
From July 1, Southwest will fly to Aruba and Montego Bay from Atlanta and Orlando and to Aruba, Nassau, and Montego Bay twice daily from Baltimore/Washington.
All routes are available for booking from today.
Although these will be the first overseas routes under the Southwest Airlines flag, it is not exactly new territory for the carrier.
In 2011, it acquired Air Tran Airways as a wholly-owned subsidiary which currently operates independently to international destinations including Nassau, Montego Bay, Cancun, Los Cabos, Mexico City, and Punta Cana.
The company hopes to integrate all Air Tran flights into the Southwest Airlines fleet by the end of 2014.
This will create a single network to 97 destinations in the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
The company said it will also fully integrate ticketing and loyalty programmes at the same time.
Last week Dallas-based Southwest posted 2013 full year net income of $754 million, its 41st consecutive year in profit.
By Ray TravelMole US editor Ray Montgomery
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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