"Southwest to resume flights at SFO"

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Southwest to resume flights at SFO
By Tim Simmers
The Contra Costa (CA) Times


Southwest Airlines Co., the nation's largest low-fare carrier, announced it
will begin service at San Francisco International Airport in August with 18
flights and cut-rate introductory fares on its initial departures to San
Diego, Las Vegas and Chicago.

The 18 nonstop departures starting Aug. 26 represent the airline's largest
initial new-city schedule in its history and beats its announcement in
February to resume service at SFO this fall with 14 flights.

Southwest will resume SFO flights six years after it pulled out of the
airport because of high costs, flight delays and restraints on growth.

'We've been longing to return to San Francisco," said Gary Kelly,
Southwest's chief executive. "We beat our promise of coming back in the
fall."

Southwest will occupy two gates in Terminal 1 and initially employ 90 local
workers.

Kelly called the airline's new costs at SFO "sweet" and announced
introductory one-way fares of $39 to San Diego, $59 to Las Vegas and $99 to
Chicago. Those fares, which exclude taxes and other fees, are available on
Southwest.com with 21-day advance purchase and are good from all three Bay
Area airports Southwest serves: SFO, Oakland International and Mineta San
Jose International.

The introductory fares can be purchased through Oct. 10 at Southwest.com.
Travel for those discounted fares is valid from Aug. 26 through Oct. 31.

"It's a great day for (SFO) to welcome back Southwest after six years, and
we're looking forward to continued growth," said John Martin, SFO's airport
director. He said the airport will increase Southwest's space from two gates
to four gates in the fall. He also said he will work to reopen the old
international terminal at SFO for future growth by Southwest and other
airlines.

Southwest's new schedule includes eight daily flights to San Diego, seven to
Las Vegas and three to Chicago.

The announcement comes on the heels of discount competitor JetBlue Airways
Corp. last week starting its four-times-daily nonstop service between SFO
and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, plus one daily nonstop
flight between SFO and Boston.

In addition, discount startup Virgin America of Burlingame is expecting
government approval soon to launch its service out of SFO, which will
further cement the Peninsula airport as a growing hub for low-fare carriers.

"We got smarter and reduced the costs at the airport and reduced the
delays," San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said. "I've been sneaking over to
Oakland to fly Southwest, but it's great to have them back. And we're not
taking anything away from Oakland. This will be a complementary service."

Southwest is the top carrier at Oakland airport, operating 60 percent of the
daily flights. The airline plans to keep growing in Oakland as well as SFO,
Kelly said. Southwest operates 145 daily flights in Oakland and 80 in San
Jose. Kelly believes Southwest could grow to 100 or more daily flights at
SFO.

Related Stories:

Southwest Airlines Consolidates Northern California Flights
http://archives.californiaaviation.org/airport/msg12806.html

Southwest's SFO Departure A Sign of the Not-on-Times
http://archives.californiaaviation.org/airport/msg13266.html

Southwest pullout rings warning for SFO
http://archives.californiaaviation.org/airport/msg12950.html

SFO's loss, Oakland's gain: Low-fare airline to move
http://archives.californiaaviation.org/airport/msg36776.html

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