Southwest Announces Washington National-Orlando Service and Boosts Austin Offering

Southwest Airlines is launching service from Washington Reagan National Airport to Orlando International Airport on November 1.

Orlando will be Southwest Airlines’ third Florida destination from Washington Reagan National Airport, where Southwest says it is now the second-largest carrier in terms of passengers carried.

Southwest Airlines operated its inaugural flight to Costa Rica on March 7, 2015. The aircraft is seen here nearing its docking gate at San José’s Juan Santamaría International Airport

Southwest Airlines is offering introductory one-way fares from $59 for its new service between Washington Reagan National Airport and Orlando.

Introductory-fare tickets can be purchased through May 24 at 11:59 p.m. in the respective time zone of the originating city.

Travel under the introductory fares is valid from November 1 through December 16, 2015, but travel black-out dates of November 24, November 25, November 28, November 29 and November 30 apply for travel under the sale fares.

Additionally, travel to Florida on introductory-fare tickets is valid only on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Travel from Florida on introductory-fare tickets is valid only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Southwest Airlines unveiled its ‘Florida One’ specially theme-painted Boeing 737 on April 23, 2010

Upon the commencement of its Washington Reagan-Orlando service, Southwest will be offering non-stop flights to 17 destinations from Reagan National, metropolitan Washington, D.C’s near-downtown airport.

Southwest Airlines operates more than 260 flights a day from its three Washington, D.C.-area destination airports: Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport, Washington Reagan National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.

Since July 2014, Southwest has added seven new international destinations from Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport, and new non-stop service from Reagan National to Chicago Midway, Columbus, Dallas Love Field, Indianapolis, Nashville, New Orleans and Tampa.

Southwest is also adding service from Washington Reagan National Airport to Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport on August 9.

Southwest Airlines’ new corporate logo, unveiled on September 8, 2014, pairs the carrier’s new ‘Heart’ logo next to the name ‘Southwest’ in a large sans-serif font, with ‘Southwest’ rendered mainly in lower-case letters

In addition, the carrier’s longer-haul offerings from Washington Dulles have grown in the past year to include non-stop flights to both Las Vegas and San Diego.

Also on November 1, Southwest will increase service frequency on its Austin-Fort Lauderdale route to twice-daily round-trips.

Southwest is continuing to add new destinations from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, including previously announced new services starting on June 28 to John Wayne Orange County Airport and St. Louis.

Additionally, Southwest will also add non-stop service in November from Austin to Boston Logan International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and will add an additional New York-area non-stop flight from Austin to Newark Liberty International Airport.

Southwest Airlines’ new livery includes a heart painted on the bottom of the aircraft’s fuselage

The carrier began service at Austin in 1977 with six flights a day. By the end of 2015 Southwest will operate more than 60 departures a day from Austin to nearly 30 destinations in the United States and Mexico.

Southwest has also renewed its commitment to the Greater Orlando Aviation Administration by investing $9.5 million in a renovation and expansion of the airline’s maintenance hangar and parts stores facility at Orlando International Airport.

Additionally, Southwest is also building a new international terminal for itself at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport. Scheduled for completion in 2017, the terminal will have five gates, a new security checkpoint and new concessions for travelers.

Southwest Airlines serves eight Florida cities: Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Panama City Beach, Pensacola and West Palm Beach.