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WELCOME, AKRON-CANTON, DAYTON, AND DES MOINES…AND LOTS MORE SCHEDULE CHANGES FOR THE SUMMER AND FALL!

Bill
Employee
Employee

So…if we announced all of this yesterday, you’d think it was an April Fool’s joke.  BUT IT’S NOT!  We’ve just unveiled lots of service adjustments in the Summer/Fall 2012 schedules.

Headline News:  Southwest is adding THREE new cities!  Effective August 12, Southwest will begin daily service at Akron-Canton (CAK) and Dayton, Ohio (DAY).   At Akron-Canton, we’ll begin with two daily roundtrips to Chicago Midway and a daily roundtrip to Denver alongside AirTran’s 10 daily flights to five markets.  At Dayton, we’ll begin with one daily roundtrip to Denver alongside FL’s eight daily flights to four markets.  Then, on September 30, we’ll begin service to Iowa’s Capital—Des Moines (DSM)—with two roundtrips to Chicago Midway, effectively converting that airport to the Southwest brand.  The new Southwest service will offer Customers in Ohio and Iowa fantastic access to the rest of the Southwest network.   

We also unveiled a number of other schedule changes.  On June 3, we’ll shift the one remaining AirTran flight between Milwaukee and Denver to Southwest, giving us three daily Milwaukee-Denver roundtrips!  We’ll also add two AirTran roundtrips daily in the Atlanta-Houston and Atlanta-Chicago Midway markets, and one AirTran roundtrip between Atlanta and Baltimore/Washington, Denver, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.  Southwest also will add one new seasonal nonstop flight between St. Louis and Panama City Beach, FL (where “Everyone Can Party!”) and between Austin and Portland, Ore., as well as an additional nonstop between St. Louis and Boston and between Dallas and Austin.

Starting August 12, in addition to our new service to Akron-Canton and Dayton, we’ll be shifting one roundtrip daily from Southwest to AirTran between Atlanta and Los Angeles, Chicago Midway, and Phoenix, as well as adding AirTran frequency between Atlanta and Boston, Baltimore/Washington, and Houston Hobby.  We’ll also shift one roundtrip from AirTran to Southwest between Milwaukee and both Las Vegas and Phoenix.  We’re also implementing similar service swaps in numerous markets effective September 30, in addition to our new service at Des Moines. 

These schedule changes mark the first time that we’ve shifted existing, out-for-sale service between the Southwest and AirTran networks, which will go a long way toward aligning both networks to provide even better Customer access (note:  if you have reservations on service that’s affected, we’ll contact you very soon!).  Of course, we’re also incredibly hard at work to make the ultimate in network alignment possible— allowing Customers to fly across the Southwest and AirTran networks!  We’re making progress, but it’s a very large job, since neither Southwest nor AirTran’s reservation system had the capability to connect the networks prior to the acquisition.  Hopefully we’ll have the capability ready to roll out to our Customers in 2013.  Until then, again—welcome to Southwest, Akron-Canton, Dayton, and Des Moines.  Have a great day, everyone!

193 Comments
Belle_Allen
Explorer C
I've always been very satisfied with the Airtran option of a direct flight from Orlando (MCO) to Akron/Canton airport (CAK) since my roots are in the Akron/Canton area, and was estatic to read that Southwest is even adding a flight to Akron/Canton. Yay! Thank you for continuing to provide excellence service. Good luck with this complicated effort of combining two airlines and offering the most flying options for customers.
wayne_seaman
Explorer C
Any plans to have a flight from Hobby to ROC in the future?
Deborah_Dannibl
Explorer C
Any chance there will ever be a direct flight out of Albany, NY to Dulles airport?
Nancy_Ropp
Explorer C
Will there ever be more flights between Minneapolis, MN and Tulsa, OK...they are few and far between!! Thanks!!
Andrea_Soukup
Explorer C
Happy to hear about great new flights..however...I wish SWA would add flights to Cincinnati. Delta charges a fortune between BWI and CVG. I'd love to visit my family more often (and they, us) but have had to use Dayton to save some $$ - then drive. Guess Delta has to pay for that big hub and they have the only directs between the 2 cities.
Anne_Marie_Bobe
Explorer C
I was a die hard continental flier. However, with SWA to Newark as of MArch 2011, I have been transformed to a SWA lover. My trip this weekend from EWR to ABQ confirmed that this SWA is the best. The attendants were back to their funny and entertaining antics. IT WAS A PLEASURE ! GO SWA
Bethany3
Explorer C
I am sooo stoked for AKRON CANTON,...amazing...like seriously, that is a great airport and its growing and Southwest is a great airlines...I can't wait until AUG 12, 2012.
Jim_Ulrich
Explorer C
When will there be flights from Springfield MO to Baltimore BWI?
SEW
Explorer C
I really like that SWA and would take SWA over any other airline. Is there any chance of Memphis being added in the future? Please!!!
S__Weiss
Explorer C
I love to fly SWA so am "hoping" for a Cincinnati flight from Providence. Please!!!
JoAnn_Theisen
Explorer C
Yea! Finally coming to Des Moines, IA. Thanks, I have been waiting for this for several years, I plan on using Southwest every time I fly.,
Marcia_Brazil
Explorer C
Sure wish Southwest would fly from Pensacola, FL to Louisville, KY!!! We now have AirTran, but they don't fly to Louisville and Southwest currently does out of Atlanta.
Starr_Heiliger
Explorer C
I am with the other posts...PLEASE please add Cincinnati ..soon!!! It is such a great airport and a great hop off to Indiana, ohia, and Kentucky..Prtty please!
Carol_Gantenbei
Explorer C
Too bad that once more Moline and the Quad-Cities are left out of having any flight connections between Midway in Chicago and here. This makes it very difficult to get a Southwest flight out of Midway as it most often has to entail van shuttle service which is more expensive than the Southwest flight tickets!
Robin_Y
Explorer C
Yay, Iowa! Consider adding a direct hop to LA as well! Now when I go to visit friends I won't be wearing out the rental car! Thanks, Southwest! You guys are awesome! 🙂
Roseanne_Korfan
Explorer C
So, when can we start purchasing tix for CAK (Akron Canton?)
ted_pierce
Explorer C
We would love to see SWA service on BUF-DEN!!! Americans and Canadians would support this route.
carolyn_mcguire
Explorer C
My dream has been to be able to fly from DesMoines to Austin without travel to Kansas City on short notice . Do you anticipate some timely travel time for this route? Or do I continue to drive my little car ?
Ed_Walick
Explorer C
I would love to see Southwest adopt the city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota !
Patricia_Feilen
Explorer C
Just love flying on SW. The crew are friendly and courteous. Do you expect to add Portland International Airport in Maine anytime soon? Presently, we fly out of Manchester, NH. -- but Maine would be great. Pls advise. thnks.
Marilew
Explorer C
My family in Texas and Michigan are impatiently waiting for Grand Rapids, Michigan Airport to switch from Air Tran to Southwest. Currently we have to fly from Houston Hobby Southwest to Chicago and drive to Michigan or fly AirTran with multiple stops (sorry but no) or fly Continental Airlines nonstop. Please move faster Southwest!
Matt4
Explorer C
Anchorage, Alaska PLEASE!!! Alaska has been held hostage by Alaska Airlines for far too long!!!
Jean_Marie_Smit
Explorer C
Good to know of your changes, but I am still very disappointed about the drop of the Seattle-Spokane connection. I used it regularly for work and personal travel--and really miss SW service. In my opinion, connection and work travel is much more common between Seattle-Spokane than to Portland. I have been a SW Reward customer since 2005. I will be eager to see if I can connect from Spokane to Dayton--have a partial flight earned, but my primary route has been cancelled!
Helen_Mann
Explorer C
Will you have flights from Texas to Memphis soon?
Nathan4
Explorer C
Please consider adding more business destinations from Nashville(ie.Boston, NYC, Charlotte and Atlanta). If you want business travelers these are routes you need to have.
Barbara_Butler
Explorer C
Will u be having flights between Atlanta & Savannah soon?
Jim_Bryan
Explorer C
Little Rock--Atlanta, to open up Florida and the Northeast. And another section to PHX before USAirways or Spirit step in. Thumbs up for the Houston Hobby F.I.S. proposal!
Neal1
Explorer C
What have I gained with the addition of Des Moines though? For example I need to make three flights between Boise and Des Moines between Oct 1 and Dec 1 and if what the scheduling through the website is telling me and reading through here I will still be stuck flying through Delta or United a fair amount more. Will there be any chance to make these flights from Boise to Midway to DSM? Or will it only be DSM to Midway?
swafan08
Explorer A
Buy more Gate space at Washington Dulles so you can offer us more Dulles Flights!
Nancy_Wirtanen
Explorer C
What about going into Harrisburg, PA & Marquette, MI?
Kelly_Starr-Kin
Explorer C
PLEASE, please, please come to MADISON, WISCONSIN!
Rosie_Kennard_H
Explorer C
I am very excited to have Southwest @ the CAK airport!!! I will certainly take advantage of the flights to Chicago Midway. Hopefully, you will soon include flight to Birmingham Alabama!
Linda_Greeb
Explorer C
Sigh,All these changes may be good but I wish you would bring back Philly-Providence flights, so many of us in "lil Rhody miss them. Air and train alternative are too expensive and we miss seeing our Philly daughter like we used to. Rhody mom
TELLIS_BETHEL
Explorer C
WILL YOU EVER BE ABLE TO ADD WICHITA, KANSAS AS ONE OF YOUR ROUTES ? THANKS
Matt23
Explorer C
PLEASE add service to / from SHV !!!!
Pamela_Rands
Explorer C
Hooray! How about service out of Moline, IL? AirTran served that market, and I hoped that Southwest would do so when it acquired AirTran. Such a change would be heaven for those of us stuck in no-man's land between St. Louis and Chicago.
Becky_C
Explorer C
Where can I find the cities Southwest currently flies to from Atlanta? Kinda surprised that service to Orlando doesn't start until Aug 2012!
John_B1
Explorer C
Hello. After August 12 there all flights cease between Milwaukee and Akron-Canto - AirTran and SWA. WHY? Ther is no mention of this in any of your press releases! I travel every week between Milwaukee and Akron. This flight is always full too. Do you plan to resume any flights to Akron from Milwaukee ? Thanks John
Steve_Thompson1
Explorer C
When are you going to add a route from Chicago to Savannah,GA? The United flights are always booked at very high prices.
Emily_Childs
Explorer C
Cannot wait for the service into Des Moines....I live in Denver but am from the Des Moines area, hoping they can keep the flights $$ low as well since nobody else into DSM is! Also agree with keeping the Omaha flight, sometimes fly there as well to meet family! All in for a direct to Omaha and a direct to DSM!!! Thanks Southwest!
April_Davis
Explorer C
CVG has to be one of the largest airports in the Midwest that SWA doesn't serve. Yes you have a little airport in Dayton and can drive 100 miles to CMH, but CVG is prime for SWA to come in big with Delta pulling back. Watch fares fall in CVG like they did when SWA started expanding in the northeast markets.
limpidlizard
Explorer C
I have been lobbying for KDSM service for years. Iowa has been held hostage by United and American for years with exorbitant obscene ticket prices. As a former Iowan who now lives in California, I still have a number of family members in Iowa, including my daughter who will be starting graduate school at the University of Iowa in August. Two suggestions: add a flight or two from KDSM to KDEN to the two that are scheduled to Midway. You need to go west as well as east. 2nd suggestion: KCID...airport for the University of Iowa and Iowa City. Why not? Thanks for doing this!!!!
cdenouden
Explorer C
Looks like they just discontinued the Des Moines to Chicago flights??? I've flown this flight over 15 times since it started and the flights were almost always full. Instead we have to go through St Louis? There is alot of support for DSM to CHI. Even the SW staff I spoke to couldn't comprehend the change. Please reconsider SW. Long time loyal customer.