Southwest

Southwest Airlines (ICAO: SWA) is a prominent American low-cost carrier known for its unique operational model and customer-centric approach.

Southwest Airlines Co., often simply referred to as Southwest, was founded on March 15, 1967, by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher as Air Southwest Co., commencing operations as Southwest Airlines in June 1971. Initially, the airline focused on providing low-cost air travel within Texas, flying a "Texas Triangle" network between Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, thus avoiding federal regulations at the time. Its headquarters are located in the Love Field neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, which also serves as a primary operating base. Southwest operates numerous major operating bases across the United States, including Atlanta (ATL), Baltimore (BWI), Chicago-Midway (MDW), Denver (DEN), Houston-Hobby (HOU), Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX), Nashville (BNA), Oakland (OAK), Orlando (MCO), and Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX).

Southwest Airlines operates an exclusive all-Boeing 737 fleet, making it the world's largest operator of the Boeing 737 Next Generation family. As of June 2025, the fleet consists of 810 aircraft, including Boeing 737-700s (older models, some being replaced), 737-800s, and 737 MAX 8s, with over 500 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on order as of November 2025. This single-aircraft strategy streamlines maintenance and training. The airline's route network is extensive, serving over 100 domestic destinations across 42 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. Southwest also offers international flights to over ten countries in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, including Aruba, the Bahamas, Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Turks and Caicos.

Southwest Airlines is not a member of any of the three major airline alliances (Star Alliance, SkyTeam, or Oneworld). However, it does engage in interline agreements and partnerships, notably with Icelandair, China Airlines, EVA Air, and Philippine Airlines. Southwest is renowned for its open seating policy, where passengers choose any available seat upon boarding based on their assigned group and number, though this is scheduled to end on January 26, 2026. The airline offers various fare types, including "Wanna Get Away," "Wanna Get Away Plus," "Anytime," and "Business Select," with new fare classes like "Basic," "Choice," "Choice Preferred," and "Choice Extra" being introduced in 2025 for flights departing in 2026. A notable service is the allowance of two free checked bags for every passenger.