Wonderful news! But I can't believe it will take you over a year to set up the partnership?? The hawaii partnership with the now-defunct ATA airlines didn't take as long to set up did it?

And how will rapid reward travel to canada work? Double tickets, just like hawaii?

As a WestJetter I am super excited about this new venture and can reassure all of you Fun-LUV-ing Southwest Employees that our culture, our fun and friendly approach and our high-value, low cost business is a great fit! We look forward to things evolving and becoming part of the greater family!

How are Southwest Passengers in the Northeast, South, and Northwest supposed to connect to a WestJet flight if the only cities that both of you serve are in Florida and Southern California? Do we have to go all the way down to one of those cities and turn around and come back again?? Also, only one or two cities with the exception of Las Vegas are served by WestJet from their US cities so does that mean flying down to Florida, switching planes, flying back up to Toronto, switching planes, and then flying to Halifax? For now I think I'll stick with my nonstop flights to Toronto with one stop connections on AirCanada until you clear these things up.

This is fantastic news, but calling WestJet your first international partner ignores that short-lived (and limited) agreement with Icelandair through BWI back in the mid 90's.

Does West Jet fly to Hawaii from the U.S.? Will we be able to fly to Hawaii in 2009 using SouthWest and West Jet?

I'm sure that WestJet and Southwest will begin working together in '09 to create scheduling opportunites from points further north as well as add to SWA focus cities that aren't currently served. I can see Westjet adding DEN, BWI and MDW as additional cities they serve to better link up Southwest's lineup (Westjet already serves the following focus cities MCO, PHX, LAS). With regard to the family that attempted to try one of the most gruling travel plan in the Southwest schedule, Trying to fly DTW to SEA as a PHX/1 (which is only offered on Saturday at last check) would be very hard on a large family (9 hours and 5 minutes from first takeoff to last landing). That doesn't excuse the behavior of the children, but if I was a parent I would have pick one of the MDW/1 plans and avoided the PHX/1 plan.

WestJet has daily flights to HNL, OGG and KOA via Vancouver, BC. on a 737-800's and the entire 700 fleet is also capable for Hawaii. It has to be a good marriage with North America's two most profitable airlines teaming up. Currently, WestJet is making 14% profit margins with no fuel hedge in place. WestJet has 54 flight per week to LAS and I'm sure many other flights will be added to harmonize a profitable network. WestJet has another 44 new 737 currently on order, bringing the fleet to over 120 737NG's by 2015 and an average fleet age of 3 years. It will be great working with Southwest and WestJet together; both airlines share a powerful employee culture and put forward great customer service.

Now the question from me, how does WestJet provide Mexico service to SouthWest, when we only fly direct from Canada.... does Southwest start Mexico flights that WestJet connects to?

For those Hawaii questions - Yes - Westjet does fly to Oahu, Maui and Kona. Even better, their WJ Vacations have great rates for staff at some nice hotels and condos there. It's the only way Canadians can get a good tan in the middle of winter. WJ also does fly into LAX - I'm sure they hook the left coast and mid-pacific up.

It is nice to see SWA teaming with another airline but it would be nice to WestJet fly to more US cities. The only option to go to Hawaii, Mexico, or the Caribbean is to fly North into Canada then South. I don't see how this is a good match for SWA unless they start flying to those places from the U.S.

It's great to see the enthusiasm and warm-heartedness of Westjet employees and customers welcoming Southwest into the code-share agreement.

I've done a little research on Westjet just to ease my own sense of mind, and have found that Westjet and Southwest's culture and structure are very much alike.

I have read many customer reactions and commentaries, and it seems that Westjet has a very loyal base of customers. I compare Westjet's pride with what I observed the first time I went to St. Louis, MO. The people in St. Louis took pride in their city, and what impressed me the most was that when people were talking about the city, they always laid claims to ownership. They always referred to "our city" or "my town", or "we are doing this or that" instead of saying "the government or the city" is doing it. With this said, what astounded me was that Westjet employees and customers seem to deem themselves "westjetters", showing pride and commitment to the company. Westjet had to be doing something right!
There has to be a level of admiration in corporate businesses (and airlines) when you can hear customers and employees labeling or describing themselves after the company. I think Southwest Airlines should promote the code-share by creating our own "Southwester" campaign by showing our employee's and customer's satisfaction with Southwest Airlines commitment to customer service. What do you think--ehe?

Please add PHL - YUL route!!!!

Hello SWA! I'm another one of those infamous WestJetters, and a very proud one to say the least, I look forward to meeting some of you one day! As far as one of the previous comments on opening up the caribbean and mexico, it is possible that WestJet could operate those flights as we already have landing rights in many airports in those countries and with 5th Freedom Rights we could fly (as an example) from Toronto to Chicago to Nassau. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedoms_of_the_air

If that's correct, then the network for SWA not only expands north, but further south, and of course that means increased business for both of us.

Thanks for being the world leaders in this airline business model giving us something to build our airline from. Now look at the possibilities!!

Westjetters.. are you ready to color outside the lines? Sounds like many of you do already. As a Southwest Lifer, I'm thrilled at the annoucment of our two companies working together. I'm sure we will countiune this remarkable tale and the results possible when Employees are liberated to take charge of the rules and have fun at work.

http://www.katkam.ca/

There's a live camera shot of Vancouver. I hope to see Southwest and WestJet making some big cash sending our customers to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

I am also hoping to see lots of Southwest people traveling here as well on the interline agreement that we already have for staff travel. Easy connections from LAS....

Okay, I'm new to Blogging.....I just wanted to find out and start discussion about Southwest adding Ft Walton Beach to your list of great destinations to fly......Those other airlines fly there and normal folks cant afford them. Southwest needs a Destin/Ft Walton Beach flight schedule.....especially for folks in KY who would rather drive to Louisville Ky (SDF) or for us Western KY folks, Nashville Tennessee (BNA) and fly to VPS. Whats your thoughts Southwest ?

A presence at MDW would be wonderful. Right now, MDW has almost no flights to Canada.

jmc, the code3share won't be effective for awhile, so I am afraid that leaves out this month. Also, neither carrier is honoring the other's frequent flyer awards at this time.