Five Airline Status Match Rules Travelers Often Miss
Status matching can ease a switch between airlines, but short qualification windows, proof requirements and benefit restrictions make it far from an automatic elite-status transfer.
Southwest Airlines Co.
IATA: WN
ICAO: SWA
Callsign: SOUTHWEST
Active
Low-Cost Carrier
Airline Information
| Country | United States (US) |
|---|---|
| Type | Scheduled |
| IATA Code | WN |
| ICAO Code | SWA |
| Callsign | SOUTHWEST |
| Hub Airport | DAL — Love Field |
| Fleet Size | 712 aircraft |
| Average Fleet Age | 12.3 years |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Status | Active |
| Low-Cost Carrier | Yes |
Fleet Composition (682 aircraft)
| Aircraft Type | Count | Engine | Avg Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| ▶ Boeing 737 NG | 551 | JET | 11.2 yrs |
| |||
| ▶ Boeing 737 Classic | 131 | JET | 23.6 yrs |
Airline Network Card
Southwest Airlines Co. (SWA)
Routes
1,222
Destinations
122
Origins
36
Airports Served
122
Countries
14
Hub Airports
Focus Cities
Top Airports Served
Top Destinations
- BNA Nashville International
- DAL Dallas Love Field
- DEN Denver International
- MDW Chicago Midway International
- PHX Phoenix Sky Harbor International
- AUS Austin Bergstrom International
- LAS McCarran International
- HOU William P Hobby
- MCO Orlando International
- BWI Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall
Latest Articles about Southwest Airlines Co.
Southwest Lounge Plans Gain Momentum as Airline Targets Premium Travelers
Southwest Airlines is moving closer to opening its first airport lounges, marking another significant departure from the stripped-down operating model that defined the carrier for…
Southwest’s 19-Route Spring 2027 Expansion Includes a 90-Mile BWI–Philadelphia Shuttle
Southwest Airlines is adding 19 new or returning nonstop routes for spring 2027, including expanded international flying from Nashville, two more links between California and…
From First to Last Among Major U.S. Airlines: Southwest’s On-Time Rate Falls to 64.9%
Southwest Airlines entered 2026 as North America’s most punctual carrier. Five months later, it finished June with the lowest on-time performance rate among the major…
Southwest’s Next Route Wave Shows A More Surgical Growth Strategy
Southwest Airlines has 23 new and returning nonstop routes scheduled between August 2026 and February 2027, giving the carrier a broad mix of domestic leisure,…
Southwest Adds Burbank-Honolulu As Southern California Hawaii Competition Builds
Southwest Airlines will launch nonstop service between Burbank and Honolulu on August 4, 2026, adding another Southern California gateway to its Hawaii network. The new…
Southwest Shrinks Atlanta Again As 26 Nonstop Routes Disappear From ATL
Southwest Airlines has sharply reduced its nonstop network from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), cutting 26 routes from a market that once looked like one…
Southwest’s Florida Shake-Up: 43 Nonstop Routes Dropped As Network Focus Tightens
Southwest Airlines has made a large number of changes to its Florida network. A schedule review using OAG data shows that 43 Florida-related nonstop routes…
Southwest Adds Singapore Airlines As Its Asia Partnership Strategy Gains Momentum
Southwest Airlines has added Singapore Airlines to its growing international partnership portfolio, giving travelers a new way to combine Southwest’s domestic U.S. network with one…
Southwest’s Next Act: First Class, Lounges And Long-Haul Flying Are Now On The Table
Southwest Airlines may be entering the most consequential period of product change in its history. For decades, the Dallas-based carrier built its identity around simplicity:…
Southwest’s New Denver-Anchorage Flight Is A Small Route With Big Symbolic Weight
Southwest Airlines has launched its longest domestic flight ever, and it did so from the airport that already matters more to the airline than any…
Why Building A True First Class Cabin On Southwest’s 737s Is Harder Than It Sounds
Southwest Airlines has spent the past few years moving steadily away from its old one-size-fits-all identity. It now sells more differentiated fares, is adding extra-legroom…
Southwest Finally Reaches Alaska With Anchorage Flights From Denver And Las Vegas
Southwest Airlines has officially entered Alaska for the first time, adding Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) to its map and marking one of the…
Southwest’s Big Las Vegas And Orlando Push Is About More Than Route Count
Southwest Airlines is adding more than a dozen new routes centered on two of its most important airports, with Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport…
Southwest’s New Boarding Order Puts A-List Preferred Behind Priority
Southwest Airlines has officially rolled out its updated boarding process, and one detail is already drawing attention from frequent flyers: A-List Preferred no longer boards…
Southwest’s 7 New International Routes Show A Carrier Still Growing Cautiously Beyond The U.S.
Southwest Airlines is adding seven international routes to its network in 2026, a meaningful expansion for a carrier that remains overwhelmingly domestic despite its enormous…
Nashville Near Miss Puts Focus On ATC Decision-Making, Not Just Southwest’s TCAS Save
A serious air traffic control error at Nashville International Airport (BNA) sent two Southwest Airlines Boeing 737s into immediate conflict on April 18, forcing both…
Beyond Bags and Boarding: Southwest’s Next Premium Play Could Be Lounges
Southwest Airlines is no longer changing around the edges. The carrier has already dismantled two of the features that defined it for decades — open…
Southwest Tightens Power Bank Rules as Battery Fire Risk Moves Higher Up the Safety Agenda
Southwest Airlines is introducing a stricter onboard battery policy from April 20, limiting passengers to one portable charger per person and tightening how those devices…
Southwest’s Exit From O’Hare And Dulles Is More Than A Station Cut
Southwest Airlines is pulling out of two major airports at once, ending all service at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Washington Dulles International Airport…