Southwest expands footprint beyond the 48 contiguous states as the carrier continues to integrate with AirTran Airways.
DALLAS – Southwest Airlines now offers for sale nonstop service from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Orlando and Tampa Bay, for travel beginning on Sunday, April 14, 2013. Beginning in April, Southwest will operate three daily nonstop flights between Orlando and San Juan and one daily nonstop flight between Tampa Bay and San Juan, as the carrier transitions these routes from AirTran-operated city pairs.
AirTran will continue to offer service between San Juan and Baltimore/Washington, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, and Atlanta. Southwest soon will determine the best time to convert the remaining AirTran flying to Southwest as part of the ongoing integration to eventually become one airline flying under the Southwest brand. AirTran Customers who booked flights between San Juan and Tampa Bay or San Juan and Orlando for travel beginning April 14, 2013, or later will be contacted by the airline and rebooked on Southwest flights. As Southwest continues to integrate AirTran’s People, places, and planes into Southwest Airlines, Customers of both carriers may exchange earned loyalty points between both AirTran’s A+ Rewards and Southwest’s Rapid Rewards frequent flyer programs for reward travel on either airline.
“Southwest celebrates San Juan, Puerto Rico, as our first venture beyond the continental United States,” said Southwest Airlines Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer and AirTran Airways President, Bob Jordan. “AirTran has done a wonderful job establishing a presence in this market, and Southwest is proud to continue that legacy and extend our vast network of destinations, exceptional Customer Service, and convenient low fares to the San Juan community.”
“We are excited about Southwest’s arrival into Puerto Rico to offer its legendary Customer Service. It is an honor to be Southwest’s first destination outside the continental United States. The Puerto Rico Tourism Company and all Puerto Rican travelers welcome this new carrier to our Island and know that this new service will provide great opportunities for growth into the airline’s robust network, and great connectivity to the west coast markets in the U.S.,” said Luis G. Rivera Marin, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.
AirTran began service at San Juan in March 2008 with service to Orlando and Atlanta. In February 2009, the carrier added service between San Juan and Baltimore/Washington. AirTran added San Juan service to Tampa Bay in April 2011 and to Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood in May 2012. Today, AirTran still offers a total of five daily nonstop flights to three markets from San Juan: Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
