Southwest Announces Fares for ATA Flights

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: January 17, 2005

DALLAS, Jan. 16 (AP) - Southwest Airlines announced on Sunday the fares it will charge for seats on ATA Airlines flights under an agreement that begins Feb. 4. Both airlines were to begin selling the tickets on Sunday.

Tickets bought in advance will generally cost under $200, but last-minute fares could cost as much as $599.

Southwest, which is based here, will sell seats on ATA flights to Hawaii and elsewhere in the United States, with all connections between the airlines made at Chicago Midway International Airport.

A ticket for a flight between Boston and Albuquerque, with the required change in Chicago, bought in advance, will start at $179 each way, with a walk-up fare of $299. Travel between La Guardia Airport in New York and Los Angeles will cost $182 each way if the ticket is bought at least 14 days in advance and $299 each way at the last minute.

A flight between Honolulu and Baltimore will cost $389 each way if bought at least 14 days in advance, and a walk-up fare will cost $599.

The agreement between Southwest and ATA does not allow Southwest passengers to use their frequent-flier rewards on ATA flights.

The so-called code-sharing deal was part of Southwest's acquisition of six gates at Midway Airport from ATA, which is under bankruptcy protection.