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America's largest domestic carrier, Southwest Airlines, will increase its seat capacity to Jamaica by 50 per cent come November, moving to 36 flights per week.
The announcement came on the day Jamaica became the first international destination for the US carrier, which landed its 737 Boeing aircraft on the tarmac of the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, with 110 passengers on board.
"We will operate 32 flights and 4,500 weekly seats now, but by November, we will move that figure to 36 flights and 5,150 seats," the airline's senior director of international business management, John Kirby, told The Gleaner during a welcome reception hosted by the Jamaica Tourist Board and MBJ Airports Limited yesterday.
The Southwest investment will give the island access to 89 connecting opportunities, while the travel and tourism sector now has access to the signature offering of "bags fly free, no change fee, and extremely low fares, complemented by a Wi-Fi-ready service that affords customers free online television on their personal devices", said Kirby.
His counterpart, Kevin Krone, the airline's chief marketing officer, credits the great people who work at the airline for its ability to offer better prices, better policies, and still make a profit.
In 2013, the airline made its highest return on investor capital, experiencing an increase of 13.1 per cent and a record net profit of US$805 million.
Already, in the first quarter of 2014, the airline, which boasts a clientele of 125 million passengers annually, is reporting a net profit of US$126 million.
According to Krone, one in every four domestic customers who gets on an airplane in the US gets on a Southwest plane.
"We really do care about our customers. We treat people the way we want to be treated," he said. "We believe the market is going to be strong. By November, we will have 50 per cent more seats flying into Jamaica. We only do that when we think we can do it profitably."
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The announcement came on the day Jamaica became the first international destination for the US carrier, which landed its 737 Boeing aircraft on the tarmac of the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, with 110 passengers on board.
"We will operate 32 flights and 4,500 weekly seats now, but by November, we will move that figure to 36 flights and 5,150 seats," the airline's senior director of international business management, John Kirby, told The Gleaner during a welcome reception hosted by the Jamaica Tourist Board and MBJ Airports Limited yesterday.
The Southwest investment will give the island access to 89 connecting opportunities, while the travel and tourism sector now has access to the signature offering of "bags fly free, no change fee, and extremely low fares, complemented by a Wi-Fi-ready service that affords customers free online television on their personal devices", said Kirby.
His counterpart, Kevin Krone, the airline's chief marketing officer, credits the great people who work at the airline for its ability to offer better prices, better policies, and still make a profit.
In 2013, the airline made its highest return on investor capital, experiencing an increase of 13.1 per cent and a record net profit of US$805 million.
Already, in the first quarter of 2014, the airline, which boasts a clientele of 125 million passengers annually, is reporting a net profit of US$126 million.
According to Krone, one in every four domestic customers who gets on an airplane in the US gets on a Southwest plane.
"We really do care about our customers. We treat people the way we want to be treated," he said. "We believe the market is going to be strong. By November, we will have 50 per cent more seats flying into Jamaica. We only do that when we think we can do it profitably."
[email protected]
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