Southwest Airlines began operating flights into Mexico today following its purchase in 2011 of Air Tran. The first flight by Southwest, the main discount airline in the United States, landed in Los Cabos, marking its official entry in the Mexican market.
The route had been operated by Air Tran. Its new owner is in the process of phasing out the Air Tran brand. It will cease to exist as of November 2 following a gradual transition.
Southwest Airlines will be going head to head against competitors such as Volaris, operating nine of 21 routes between the U.S. and Mexico. Javier Romo, an analyst with Sigmun Research, said at the time that Southwest didn’t represent a threat to Mexican airlines.
“What it’s doing is increasing the number of passengers in Mexico.”
In June it began offering fares up to 11% lower than rivals, and permitting two carr-on bags rather than just one. It was also offering flight changes with no additional charges.
Last year about 1 million passengers traveled from the U.S. to Los Cabos.
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