Southwest Airlines and AirTran Prepare Employees and Customers for Arrival of Hurricane Irene

[Brooks]

Fri, Aug 26, 2011Customers encouraged to check airline web sites for flight-specific information

DALLAS and ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --

Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) and its subsidiary, AirTran Airways, have each made service adjustments in advance of Hurricane Irene's arrival, to ensure the safety of the carriers' Employees, Customers, and aircraft.

Southwest expects to cancel some 400 flights along the eastern seaboard through Monday. AirTran expects to cancel approximately 300 during the same time period.

Customers should contact the airline on which they are booked for travel (Southwest Reservations (800) 435-9792, or AirTran Reservations (800) 247-8726), or look for updated travel advisories and reaccommodation tools on their respective carrier's web site: Southwest Airlines http://www.southwest.com; or AirTran Airways http://www.airtran.com.

Customers traveling to/from the following cities within the specified timeframe may change their reservation* for another travel date, without penalty: Richmond, Va (RIC)**, Norfolk, Va(ORF), Newport News, Va (PHF)**, Atlantic City, NJ (ACY)**, Newark, NJ (EWR), Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA)**, Washington-Dulles International (IAD), Baltimore/Washington (BWI), Philadelphia (PHL), Allentown/Bethlehem, PA (ABE)**, Boston Logan (BOS), Providence, RI (PVD), Manchester, NH (MHT), Portland, ME (PWM)**, LaGuardia, NY (LGA), Islip/Long Island, NY (ISP), Albany, NY (ALB), White Plains, NY(HPN)**, Hartford, CT (BDL), Charleston, NC (CHS), Raleigh-Durham, NC (RDU), and Nassau Bahamas (NAS)**.

**AirTran-only service

*Reaccommodation policies, by carrier:

Southwest Airlines: Customers holding reservations for travel to/from the affected cities starting Saturday, August 27 thru Monday, August 29 are eligible to reschedule their flight in accordance with our accommodation procedures. Customers may rebook their flight in the original class of service or travel standby (within 14 days of the original date of travel between the original city-pairs) without paying any additional charge.

AirTran Airways: Passengers who are traveling to or from the affected cities on August 25 through August 29 may adjust their travel 3 days prior through 7 days after the original scheduled departure date, based on space availability, without change fees or fare adjustments.

For specific airport information including number of daily departures and number of Employees, please visit http://www.swamedia.com .

SOURCE Southwest Airlines