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Southwest Airlines Offers Free Drinks on All Dallas Flights; Dallas-Based Airline Toasts Its Home Team

Posted on: Thursday, 20 April 2006, 18:00 CDT

DALLAS, April 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Never one to miss an opportunity to celebrate, Southwest Airlines will be handing out free drinks to all Customers flying from Dallas' Love Field airport beginning tomorrow through the Memorial Day Weekend (May 29, 2006).

"I'm a huge Dallas Mavericks fan and to cheer on our team as they move toward a championship for the City, we're offering free drinks on all of our flights from Love Field," said Gary Kelly, Southwest's CEO.

The move was prompted by a comment made by Mavericks owner Mark Cuban last night after another airline launched a promotional give-away during the team's last Dallas home game.

"Mark Cuban made mention of all the Wild Turkey he thought would be flowing at Southwest Airlines, and we would hate to disappoint him," Kelly said.

The Dallas-based carrier will be offering its Love Field Customers up to two free drinks on any flight originating from its home airport. The offer is good for travel from Love Field through the Memorial Day Weekend.

This is not the first time the maverick airline has offered free drinks in response to a competitive challenge. In 1973, now-defunct Braniff airlines offered $13 one-way fares from Dallas to Houston, hoping to put fledgling Southwest Airlines out of business. Southwest's then-president and CEO Lamar Muse shot back with a headline, "Nobody's going to shoot Southwest Airlines out of the sky for a lousy $13" and offered Customers a fifth of premium liquor with any full-fare ($26) ticket. Southwest became the largest distributor in Texas those two months of several popular labels. (For vintage photos, please use this link:)

http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/press/060420_vintads.html

Southwest Airlines has revolutionized air travel for 35 years by always offering affordable fares that give people tickets to freedom. More than a quarter-century ago, surveys showed one in four Americans had flown. Since the inception of Southwest Airlines, three out of four people have experienced air travel. Southwest boards more than 80 million people annually, allowing them to go, see, and do things they may have never dreamed possible.

http://www.southwest.com/

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040715/DATH028-ahttp://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010718/SWNULOOKhttp://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010724/SWALOGOPRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Southwest Airlines

CONTACT: Public Relations of Southwest Airlines, +1-214-792-4847

Web site: http://www.southwest.com/http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/press/060420_vintads.html

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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