DALLAS - Southwest Airlines for the first time will operate a summer Saturday schedule of 104 scheduled flights among a dozen airports in the continental United States and ten cities across the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America.
"Our People have worked hard to bring Southwest's value and brand promise of great service, lower fares, bags fly free and no change fees to destinations outside the contiguous states where it made sense for us to grow," said Bob Jordan, Southwest's Chief Commercial Officer and Executive Vice President. "As an example, this new, weekly flight between BWI and Los Cabos gives our Customers the fastest route between the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. and the tip of the Baja peninsula."
At Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) near San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, Southwest flight 394 touched down today from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), and was welcomed with a ceremonial water arch and a reception at the gate. The nonstop service to/from BWI and the international airport in Baja California Sur operates weekly on Saturdays, and is the carrier's fourth nonstop market to the Cabo San Lucas region.
The carrier began service in its 95th city, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, via Lic. Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR) on Sunday, June 7, with daily, nonstop service to/from Orange County/Santa Ana (SNA) and connecting points across the U.S. The carrier has also announced daily, nonstop service between PVR and both Denver and Houston (Hobby). The Ministers of Tourism for both Mexican States of Jalisco and Nayarit are expected to welcome Southwest Airlines in its first month of serving Puerto Vallarta on June 18, the carrier's 44th birthday.
Southwest spread its wings beyond the 48 contiguous United States in April 2013 with service to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The carrier's international operations began less than a year ago on July 1, 2014, and include daily, near-international or longer-distance/over-water flights from a dozen gateway cities: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore/Washington, Chicago (Midway), Denver, Houston (Hobby), Fort Lauderdale, Milwaukee, Orange County/Santa Ana, Orlando, San Antonio, and Tampa Bay. Southwest offers service between the U.S. mainland and San Juan, Puerto Rico, along with these destinations in six countries: Cancun, Mexico City, San Jose del Cabo/Los Cabos, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; San Jose, Costa Rica; Oranjestad, Aruba; Nassau, The Bahamas; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Next up for Southwest is previously announced scheduled service to the carrier's seventh near-international country and 96th destination, Belize City, Belize, made possible by a $156 million international terminal facility at Houston (Hobby) scheduled to open Oct. 15, 2015. Then, on Nov. 1, Southwest begins previously announced scheduled service between Houston and the carrier's 97th city, Liberia, Costa Rica. Both routes are subject to foreign government approval.
