SWA starting its INTERNATIONAL FOOTPRINT

[Ky.BrownBourbn]

Heard through the grapevine that Costa Rica got announced today out of Houston, Was Costa Rica a AT destintation? Anyone else hear this?

KBB

 

[Ky.BrownBourbn]

Disregard, I found it, it was from the CostaRicanTimes newspaper:

Southwest Airlines Flying Soon to Costa Rica
Posted by Dan Stevens on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 · Leave a Comment
Costa Rica Travel News – This is the thing that all of us in Costa Rica have been waiting on and it is finally going to happen. With what is happening in Houston changes are in the wind for Southwest. It is busy putting together the pieces necessary to venture into international markets.
I do not know about you but I am a bit tired of paying for the expensive airfares from the airlines that currently fly to and from Costa Rica. Combine that with their absolutely terrible customer service and you see why other airlines need to enter this market.
With the lack of companies offering flights to Costa Rica, they know that even with a bad experience you will probably use them again if they have the lowest price for a flight to Costa Rica.
Southwest has set a goal of doubling within five years the amount of overseas flying the airline does. They acquired AirTran as one step toward international expansion as AirTran brought with it short-haul overseas destinations.
Southwest has announced plans to build a new international terminal in Houston, which is currently underway and will offer flights to Costa Rica from the Houston hub. This will be happening in the near future. It is also developing a number of new routes for its AirTran subsidiary – focused mainly on destinations in Mexico – and is eyeing other opportunities in South America.
Delta Airlines has also entered the Costa Rican market. Delta airlines has two flights daily from Atlanta, Georgia to San Jose, Costa Rica. It also has one flight per week from Atlanta to Liberia. JetBlue will also be coming in from Ft. Lauderdale.
We can only hope with this competition that the other airlines will finally start improving their customer service. It has not happened with competition in the telecommunications business in Costa Rica, but perhaps it will with the airline industry.

 

[scoreboardII]

Sweet titty f'ing Jesus, WN is adding a PHX SMF nonstop!

WN PHX-SMF OCT 6>5

 

[c9skytrain]

Houston to Costa Rica? Maybe out of IAH. Point out the Customs facility at HOU. Three year project just for building the int'l terminal.

As for the rest on international, WN has to be able to accept foreign currency, list passports, assign seats, and send all that info to DHS. Who here thinks they will be able to do that by August, in addition to getting the FAA and foreign approval in order to fly the routes?

 

[Flyby1206]

Sweet titty f'ing Jesus, WN is adding a PHX SMF nonstop!

WN PHX-SMF OCT 6>5

Think you're reading it wrong. In OCT it is reduced from 6x daily to 5x (year-over-year change compared to last OCT)

 

[scoreboardII]

Oh the huge manatee...

 

[waveflyer]

You're right c9, they haven't been working on anything in Dallas the last year and a half-
Just paying people to stare at the ceiling

 

[c9skytrain]

Well Wave, What anecdotal evidence from the company do you have that they are on track for int'l by Aug of this year?

 

[waveflyer]

I don't-
Mostly bc I don't care-
I see no reason for pessimism though

 

[humveedriver]

http://www.dallasnews.com/travel/co...hwest-and-airtran-begin-codeshare-flights.ece

Not sure what the hurry for SW to do Intl flying is? They are just rounding the corner with the AT codeshare. Eventually SWA will be the remaining company. Just not anytime soon.