Southwest Airlines goes international

[dmcowen674]

1-27-2014

http://www.latimes.com/business/tra...tional-20140127,0,2015303.story#axzz2rdSRhFtq

Southwest Airlines goes international


The nation's biggest domestic carrier is going international.
Southwest Airlines announced Monday plans to leave U.S. airspace in July with flights to three Caribbean beach cities in time for the summer travel season.


Southwest's first flights to Aruba, Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Nassau, Bahamas, will depart from Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington D.C. and Orlando.

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[dmcowen674]

Delta could use some competition but alas I doubt this will bring down prices.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Delta could use some competition but alas I doubt this will bring down prices.

They have been flying to Mexico already for quite some time. Nevertheless, airline travel is ridiculous these days. I'm trying to find a nice honey moon location - I wanted something original like islands off Australia... Yeah, it's $2k per ticket out to Australia.

 

[KMFJD]

They have been flying to Mexico already for quite some time. Nevertheless, airline travel is ridiculous these days. I'm trying to find a nice honey moon location - I wanted something original like islands off Australia... Yeah, it's $2k per ticket out to Australia.

You ever look and see how far that flight is? DTW to Montego Bay is like $700 , i can do DTW -> Sydney for $2000


That's a 4.5 hour flight vs 20 hours in the air to Sydney.

 

[JManInPhoenix]

I used to really like Southwest. In the past few years they have become as shitty as all of the other airlines.

 

[Genx87]

They occasionally have sales that make them worth it. But their every day fares seem to be as expensive as the other airlines.

 

[MrPickins]

They have been flying to Mexico already for quite some time.

This.

I've flown to Cancun twice via AirTran after they were purchased by Southwest.

The fares were quite a bit cheaper than other carriers, and the flights were non-stop from Austin to Cancun unlike the others.

You gotta love going from home to the Caribbean in 2.5 hrs.


Edit: Typo due to fever addled brain.


Who's got the cowbell?

 

[davmat787]

They have been flying to Mexico already for quite some time. Nevertheless, airline travel is ridiculous these days. I'm trying to find a nice honey moon location - I wanted something original like islands off Australia... Yeah, it's $2k per ticket out to Australia.

Have you checked fares to the Cook Islands? I have heard they are a great location, similar to French Polynesia where I went, but much less expensive. No idea if this is indeed the case today, but have heard this from multiple people before.

 

[rudder]

I hope they make sure to update their GPS maps.

 

[Lithium381]

Awesome i have lots of points saved up on SW and would love to travel outside the US for "free"!

 

[StinkyPinky]

Have you checked fares to the Cook Islands? I have heard they are a great location, similar to French Polynesia where I went, but much less expensive. No idea if this is indeed the case today, but have heard this from multiple people before.

The Cook Islands is only sub-tropical so if anyone goes and they want a beach to sit on, I would suggest going in their summer.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Have you checked fares to the Cook Islands? I have heard they are a great location, similar to French Polynesia where I went, but much less expensive. No idea if this is indeed the case today, but have heard this from multiple people before.

Just checked flights. Cheapest they get is $1500. Average is $2000 just like Australia.

Got any other idea's or am I missing something? Looks like fun though.

Here's the way I see it. If I blow $3.5 - $4k on airfare alone, then it's another $2k+ on hotel (unless you go motel 6 on your honeymoon ). There you have it - $6k ALONE without food or fun. Just imagine the end bill

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

woops.

 

[mizzou]

does southwest still do cattle call groupings for boarding? I used to hate getting in line like an hour early just because everyone starts it.

getting last in line usually meant no room for overhead bin or worst case, your seat was taken D:

 

[Exterous]

They have been flying to Mexico already for quite some time. Nevertheless, airline travel is ridiculous these days. I'm trying to find a nice honey moon location - I wanted something original like islands off Australia... Yeah, it's $2k per ticket out to Australia.

Not really. Air Tran flies to Mexico not Southwest. Southwest owns Air Tran but Southwest itself did not have the international certification to have its own planes and crew fly internationally.

They still aren't fully integrated companies as there are several areas where policies don't carry over from one to the other. Not that it really matters as Air Tran is supposed to be completely subsumed by Southwest next year.

does southwest still do cattle call groupings for boarding? I used to hate getting in line like an hour early just because everyone starts it.

getting last in line usually meant no room for overhead bin or worst case, your seat was taken D:

No - its generally done by check-in time. At check-in you get an assigned boarding position so you just need to be there by the time that number is allowed to board. Its a free for all inside the plane after that though. There are no assigned seats

 

[Exterous]

We have a lot of points to burn on Southwest so we may go to Aruba later this year but their on-time performance lately has really made me reconsider travel on them. Basically they went from the best to the worst of the major airlines and have had the worst on time performance for the last 4 months in a row with some 59% of planes arriving on time in December compared to the high 70s average of the other majors like Delta, US, AA

Just checked flights. Cheapest they get is $1500. Average is $2000 just like Australia.

Got any other idea's or am I missing something? Looks like fun though.

Here's the way I see it. If I blow $3.5 - $4k on airfare alone, then it's another $2k+ on hotel (unless you go motel 6 on your honeymoon ). There you have it - $6k ALONE without food or fun. Just imagine the end bill

The Oceania area tends to be one of the most difficult places to get to (and, hence the most expensive). Few airlines, few routes and airports are all hurting your cause and make 'cheap' or 'sale' tickets next to impossible to find. Maybe consider somewhere in the Caribbean? There are a lot of options competing for your business there.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

The Oceania area tends to be one of the most difficult places to get to (and, hence the most expensive). Few airlines, few routes and airports are all hurting your cause and make 'cheap' or 'sale' tickets next to impossible to find. Maybe consider somewhere in the Caribbean? There are a lot of options competing for your business there.

Our issue is The Carribbean is where everyone goes. You get shipped in like bus loads as if it's something unique - instead you're cattle amongst a herd.

We found some islands off Greece that don't look bad for only ~$800 flight. Those cook islands don't look TOO bad. As much as I want to save, sadly unreasonable pricing may be something I have to deal with... but I'll fight it to the end damnit!

 

[Exterous]

Our issue is The Carribbean is where everyone goes. You get shipped in like bus loads as if it's something unique - instead you're cattle amongst a herd.

Thats what makes it cheap!

We found some islands off Greece that don't look bad for only ~$800 flight.

I've heard good things about Greece's beaches, esp in Corfu and Crete. Just keep in mind that a lot of these places get Europeans shipped in like bus loads (and often on busses)

I've heard Croatia is the new up and coming travel destination so it may still be the right mix of cheap + tourism developed but I don't know if thats up your alley location wise

FWIW we just came back from a wedding in the DR and the resort did a good job of being spread out and feeling not congested despite all the vacationers.