To the excitement of price-savvy travelers, the nation's largest low-cost air carrier has finally arrived in Philadelphia.
Late last week, Southwest Airlines unveiled their flight schedule and fares into Philadelphia International Airport. Starting on May 9, Southwest will provide 14 daily nonstop flights out of the airport, with one-way fares starting at $29.
"Inexpensive flights to and from Philadelphia have finally arrived," said Jim Wimberly, Southwest's executive vice president and chief of operations.
Initially, Southwest will operate direct flights from Philadelphia to six cities, including Providence, Phoenix, Tampa, Orlando, Las Vegas and Chicago.
Additionally, Southwest's introductory fares compare quite favorably to some of the current air carriers in Philadelphia.
For example, a recent Expedia.com flight search found that the lowest price for a flight to Providence booked two weeks in advance was $189, compared to $29 from Southwest.
Other routes saw a less drastic difference. The cheapest one-way flights to Tampa and Orlando airports, for example, were $94 on Expedia. Southwest will offer flights to both of those cities for $79.
And it is exactly those price differences that Southwest plans to capitalize on.
"To say that Southwest's fares are a bargain compared to what Philadelphia travelers are used to paying is a huge understatement," Wimberly said.
Besides offering cheaper fares, it may be that Southwest's presence will drive down prices in Philadelphia.
As has happened in many markets across the country, low-cost, no-frills airlines force other airlines to fight for business, ultimately bringing down fares across the board.
"They try to compete," said Robin Egerman, a travel agent with Boca Raton, Fla.-based Travel Group International. "Because of the low-cost airlines, if other major airlines don't compete with the airfare, their flights are empty."
Furthermore, Southwest and other low-cost airlines, such as AirTran and JetBlue, are "certainly good for the consumers -- it's competition, and competition is healthy."
She also noted that several traditional airlines, such as Delta and United, have in the last year founded low-cost carriers of their own to attract the increasing numbers of cost-conscious and discriminating travelers .
With the addition of its Philadelphia schedule, Dallas-based Southwest -- the nation's fourth largest airline -- will operate 2,800 daily flights to 59 cities in 31 states.
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