You are now free to book WestJet flights through a link that is available on southwest.com -- check it out here! As was previously written about in July by my colleague, Richard Sweet, we are very excited to eventually enter a codeshare partnership with the Canadian airline WestJet. And while it won’t be until late 2009 before we can begin offering Customers a seamless travel experience via our codeshare, we have officially embarked on our first important step toward this relationship with our friends north of the border.
It’s no secret that we constantly strive to make our web site friendly, fast, and convenient, and we’re always looking for ways to provide additional offerings, whether they be through our hotel, rental car, credit card, or cruise ship partners. And beginning today, we are very proud to offer a link on southwest.com to book WestJet flights.
So, whether you want to see some “real” hockey, ski, hike, or just want to get away, eh, our friends from WestJet can help you explore the Northern Country. Oh, and bring a jacket…I hear it gets cold there in the winter!
Comments
I have many relatives in Canada that could make good use of this alliance. I would suggest that Southwest consider adding routes to Yuma, Arizona from Las Vegas. There are many thousands of "winter visitors" who would go back and forth between Canada (and have relatives to come visit them) and Yuma as well as locals that would use this service to travel without having to first drive to Phoenix or San Diego.
It is about time the two airlines got to gether.We are flying to San Diego a lot and like to fly only Westjet so now can do so through Las vegas.
We fly with West jet as much as possible as they are a western airline!!! and I understand fashioned after South west.
Thankyou
I heard last fall that Southwest was considering EWR in 2009. Any truth to that? Since Continental pulled out of MDW, Southwest would be a great candidate for east cost traffic into the Chicago area. Especially if Chicago gets the 2016 Olympics. Is there any chance SW would fly to EWR in 2009?
Really, I think everyone is getting the wrong picture about this. There are still a number of markets in the US that can bear southwest service. I believe that it is prudent for them to continue to focus on that with special consideration to the fact that there are many growth opportunities available in a point to point system. Minneapolis and New York Laguardia are coming soon. In the future, people may get to fly to Atlanta, Charlotte, Boston, Cincinnatti, Memphis, Milwaukee, and Non-stop to Dallas. As long as Southwest doesn't take any planes out of service, employment shall at a minimum remain constant. West Jet is a ticket into Canadian Markets that will expire at some point in time. So there is a future. Lets be more optimistic about this.
P.S Why would Southwest want to Taxi Toronto's airport? Are u nuts?
This is terrific news. I have Companion Pass status on SWA but frequently fly to Ottawa on WestJet from Tampa & Orlando. WestJet is a terrific airline (except their DirectTV has mostly Canadian stations) and when I flew them last month, I was wishing that WJ & SWA would codeshare - I had no idea it was in the works already.
Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!
Beginning March 09, you service CRP 5X daily, forcing me to consider moving back to Dallas. Thanks SWA.
Dear Don, does Pepsi let Coke sell or make their product? No.
Read this:
http://www.chiefexecutive.net/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mo...
"Southwest pilots must know the company will not currently operate into domestic, let alone foreign markets that don't / won't have the ability to quickly develop into a station with at least 20 daily departures. "
I'm a SWA pilot and I know we fly into 3 West Texas towns that don't do 20 daily departures. Heck, Corpus (in S. Texas) does 6 departures last time I checked.
LGA will only have 7 and will take YEARS to ever develop into 20 slots.
It's not about Canadian and Mexican travelers in their respective countries. We have business/vacationers that would fill those seats to and from the foreign destinations on our own. Why not Houston to Cancun? Why not Vancouver to Dallas? (oh yeah the moronic Wright amendment) but you get my point....
Sure there is growth to be had here. Denver is a perfect example, but I would think the millions of people in Mexico city could fill a couple 737s a day just as easily as Amarillo.
Don,
Why wouldn't SWA fly to Canada for "a long time"? Is there not a market from Toronto to LA? I understand Edmonton to Saskatoon may not be a market for SWA right now. Once cabatoge goes through, that's another story, but why would WestJet fly Toronto to LA, for example, but not SWA?
By giving Westjet access to the millions of passengers we fly each year it stagnates the growth of seniority lists because we aren't buying more airplanes to fly those passengers. Thereby losing a chance for a better schedule and upgrade in position and bringing on NEW employees. Many employees came here BECAUSE it was a growth airline and all the benefits being a growth airline brings.
WestJet is a great airline, I'm sure. It is nothing personal in regards to the WestJet deal. Employees feel betrayed by ANY type of codeshare that SWA has the physical ability to fly.
Why wouldn't we codeshare with Delta to London, Prague, Africa etc. THOSE are places SWA will not service any time soon. This is a bad strategic decision in the LONG TERM, IMO.
Either sign your REAL name or quit your crying. You won't put your real name why? In my opinion, the Westjet deal will take NO SWA jobs. SWA would not go to Canada on its own, at least for a long time. If anything, there is a chance it may create a couple of SWA jobs in cities where the flights are operating from. I think it is a great deal for both companies. The only thing that even comes close to upsetting me is the fact this codeshare keeps getting pushed back.
DON K