Low fare daily flights from LAX to San Jose del Cabo, Puerto Vallarta and Cancun will benefit both travelers and the destinations.
Just prior to the June 5 launch of inaugural service to and from Long Beach Airport (LGB) — the carrier’s 98th city served — Southwest Airlines announced its filing of an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to reach even further into Mexico with new service from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
Plans call for the low fare carrier to provide LAX service with twice daily flights to San Jose del Cabo and Cancun, and one daily flight to Puerto Vallarta beginning Nov. 6, 2016. Flights are contingent on route authority approval that is anticipated to be granted by June 30. Currently, Southwest Airlines serves four Mexican destinations from eight U.S. cities.
Southwest has actually asked the DOT for extra-bilateral authority so it can operate the additional flights during an interim period before the liberalized Aviation Agreement between the U.S. and Mexico materializes.
“We’ve committed aircraft resources to serve these important trans-border routes at the start of the winter season and are asking that Southwest be allowed to add its low-fare, bags fly free, no change fee competition, and legendary customer service to benefit consumers in the U.S. and Mexico,” said Gary Kelly, chairman, president and CEO of Southwest Airlines.
Projections from the Campbell-Hill Aviation Group — an independent economic analysis firm that was tapped by Southwest for route impact studies — indicate that Southwest’s competitive stance in the three new LAX-Mexico markets could potentially reduce airfares more than 20 percent below current average fares.
It also projects boosting of total route traffic by more than 500,000 passengers annually, and saving passengers in the neighborhood of $50 million in airfare annually. The carrier’s 2016 capacity (available seat miles) is expected to elevate 5-6 percent above 2015 levels.
Upon approval, flights will be available for booking via southwest.com or 800-I-FLY-SWA.
Source: Mexico’s Resort Hotspots Getting a Boost From Southwest’s New LAX Service | TravelPulse