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Southwest’s growing international game

Southwest is a major player on international routes. (Image: Southwest)

Southwest has become a major player on international routes. (Image: Southwest)

This week Southwest Airlines kicked off new daily service from Los Angeles International to Liberia, Costa Rica – not major news in itself, but the latest reminder that what was once a strictly domestic airline has gradually developed an international network of significant proportions.

From zero international destinations in June 2014, Southwest now flies to 11 of them, all in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, with flights from a dozen domestic gateways. The airline started out by absorbing international routes from its acquisition of AirTran Airways and then added its own.

Destinations include Cancun, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos in Mexico; Belize City, Belize; Liberia and San Jose in Costa Rica; Nassau, Bahamas; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; and Aruba. (It also serves San Juan, but that’s not an international destination.) By June of 2015, Southwest was operating a Saturday schedule of more than 100 flights to those points.

Last fall, Southwest added an international concourse at Houston Hobby. (Image: Houston Airports System)

Last fall, Southwest added an international concourse at Houston Hobby. (Image: Houston Airports System)

The biggest bump in Southwest’s international service came last fall, when the airline added flights from Houston Hobby to all four of the airports it serves in Mexico and to both Costa Rican cities, as well as Montego Bay, Jamaica and seasonal flights to Aruba and San Juan. That big increase was made possible by Hobby’s opening of a new international concourse for Southwest. The airline now has a dedicated international section on its website.

If Southwest has its way, it will soon add another big destination to its growing international route map. The company has applied to three points in Cuba from Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa and Orlando. But it has lots of competition from other big U.S. airlines eager to crack the Cuba market.

In other news – in case you haven’t already noticed – Southwest last month quietly raised the fee for its Early Bird Check-In option from $12.50 to $15.

Have you flown Southwest lately? How’d that go for you? Would you fly Southwest south of the border? Please leave your comments below. 

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Comments

  1. I would love to see some Canadian routes. Anyone know if this has been rumored? (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and/or Ottawa).

  2. Totally agree. Hopefully they have some non-stops out of Pittsburgh soon! But Balt isn’t too far away.

  3. I don’t fly SouthWest when there’s more than one stop involved. Bad weather at any of those airports can ruin your trip. Flew from LAX to New Orleans once with a scheduled change of aircraft in Phoenix with a stop in Houston. Circled over Houston because thunderstorms had closed down the airport. Landed in Brownsville/South Padre Island instead to wait out the storm. (Fortunately we were let out to go to the bar). Flew back to Houston where three planes had just landed, all trying to get on the one flight to New Orleans. We ended up flying to Birmingham first before arriving in the Big Easy, 18 hours later…

  4. I have every intention of using SWA out of Newark to Puerto Vallarta in December. Even with the extra hour “connection”, it’s still better than United. Once you get used to the Southwest Culture you won’t flay anyone else.

  5. Southwest’s “union” is, if I recall correctly, not affiliated with the TWU or any other established transit workers for legacy carriers.

    Texas is also a right-to-work state and one of the most unfriendly places to labor anywhere.

    But I should add that the real reason the unions have leverage in Hawaii is that Southwest always enters a market using older airports with lower landing fees. You can’t exactly do that in the Islands, so you need union support of any landing fee reduction.

  6. The former rules more than the latter. Cost structures at Canadian airports are thievery for the Canadian federal government, and if they’re not profiting handily they’re playing footsie under the table with AC. Convenient when there is no Open Skies policy.
    Amazes me how Westjet is able to not only survive but thrive…

  7. It is too difficult to get into the market and a hassle. They also have different flight attendant to passenger ratios there if memory serves.

  8. SWA is one of the most heavily unionized carriers flying. They still turn a profit and function well. Everyone from labor to management seems to know what two things matter. The customer and the bottom line.

  10. Southwest is betting eventually it will shuttle Mexicans, Canadians etc. just like Americans flying point to point routes.

    The population distribution in Mexico has to change however, to ensure that this model will work.

    In the meantime, LUV will keep testing which international routes are lucrative enough to keep.

  13. Flew from Tulsa to Belize City last year, booked the flight the first day they opened up the calendar for international booking from Hobby. We have the Companion Pass, used less than 17,500, I think. They show the flight takes 2 hours from Hobby, in fact was 1 1/2 hours going and coming back, same when my daughter flew down there. Trying to pick between some of the other Caribbean destinations now.

  14. My wife and I have had the companion pass for 3 years and it is good til end of 2017. Traveling to the caribbean with this is a incredible deal.Going to mexico, punta cana, and aruba in the next year and all trips from Wisconsin are only 21,000 to 24,000 points for two people! We even use it on our return trips from hawaii. Fly Kauai to seattle, and then hop on a southwest flight home for only 10,000 points.

  15. I can certainly see Southwest expand in North America but I’m doubtful that they’ll go to Asia. Too much competition and all the Asian airlines (SQ, CX, NH, BR…etc) have a leg up on even many of the US carriers flying to Asia.

  16. A long time back, Southwest stated it won’t be years before they fly to Hawaii. Anyone know of any updates?

  17. Funny you mention that, I just booked a business trip on Southwest and saw that the early-bird check-in had gone up to $15. I used to buy it, but lately I’ve been using the official U.S. time web site (time.gov) to check-in exactly 24 hours before the flight, and I almost always get something in the “A” boarding group. $15 isn’t worth it to me unless it’s a really long flight and I absolutely want an aisle seat.

    Who knows, perhaps in 10 years Southwest will be flying to Asia and Europe. I can’t imagine flying such long distances in Southwest’s awful seats, but if there’s a market there then go for it.

  18. Good point, Rich! Thanks. An alternative from the west coast is now Copa with a daily nonstop to Panama City, Panama and a good sized hub operation there.

  19. Just flew Southwest to San Jose, Costa Rica a few weeks ago. The trip down was a breeze. They’re still figuring things out on the Costa Rican end — our experience in the airport was a bit chaotic.

  20. I fly Southwest more than any other airline. I earned the Companion Pass last year and do trips about once a month. I haven’t made it to any of the international destinations yet. My home airport is pretty small and for some intl destinations like Costa Rica, I’d have to book 2 different itineraries. A bit of a hassle, but I won’t complain if my husband gets to fly for free!

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