Southwest Airlines at 14.08Southwest Airlines, the only large U.S. carrier still operating its full flight schedule, became the first Tuesday to launch a major fare cut aimed at filling empty seats.
The Dallas-based discount king began promoting - via TV ads and e-mail to regular customers - sale fares of $34 to $89 each way, on nearly all of the carrier's routes nationwide. In most cases, the prices are more than 50 percent off of Southwest's coach fares on most routes, and a few dollars less than the lowest fares for senior citizens and children.
Competitors such as American Airlines of Fort Worth quickly matched Southwest's discounts on routes where they compete. But none appears to be ready to advertise its own price cuts or to resume aggressively marketing its own services.
With the exception of a few understated ads proclaiming their sorrow and solidarity with the American people, most airlines have refrained from advertising since the Sept. 11 terrorist hijackings and crashes of four commercial jets.
Is it too soon for the airlines to begin advertising?
Rolfe Shellenberger, a senior consul- tant with Runzheimer International, says it may be for most carriers, but not for Southwest. The airline launched a TV campaign over the weekend featuring images of its airplanes and employees, and a message from President Colleen Barrett: "Nothing will keep our country or our company from moving ahead."