Alliance

Southwest plans flight accord with Mexico's Volaris

Southwest Airlines Co., the largest low-fare carrier, plans to expand its ability to book passengers on international flights through an alliance with Mexican airline Volaris by 2010.

The airlines aren't ready yet to announce flight schedules or destinations under the so-called codeshare agreement, according to a statement today from Dallas-based Southwest. Plans call for Southwest to begin selling tickets for Volaris flights through its Web site by spring 2009, the carriers said.

The accord extends Southwest's plan to offer customers flights with partners to its first international destinations in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Southwest, which itself flies only within the 48 contiguous U.S. states, is creating a similar arrangement with Canada's WestJet Airlines Ltd.

“We will continue to work diligently to broaden our international codeshare service even further,” Bob Jordan, Southwest executive vice president of strategy and planning, said in the statement.

Southwest's Web site will be able to sell tickets on WestJet flights by early 2009, the Canadian airline has said.

Volaris, which is closely held, flies 39 routes to 23 cities within Mexico.

Southwest fell 19 cents to $11.10 at 4:03 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The shares have declined 9 percent this year.

(Published by Bloomberg - November 11, 2008)