Southwest Airlines Codeshare Partner, ATA Airlines, Announces Discontinuation of Its Scheduled Passenger Service

DALLAS, April 3, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today, ATA Airlines, Inc. announced its plans to immediately discontinue all scheduled passenger service. Southwest Airlines NYSE: LUV and ATA Airlines have had a codeshare agreement since February 2005. This partnership recently allowed the airlines to exchange passengers and their checked baggage at Chicago Midway Airport; Las Vegas McCarran International; Phoenix Sky Harbor International; and Oakland International. The service was available to select ATA destinations with a single ticketing option through either airline. Southwest also marketed and sold ATA-only flights. These arrangements ended with today's announcement from ATA.

"ATA Airlines has been an outstanding partner for Southwest, and we are disappointed to hear this unfortunate news," said Gary Kelly, Southwest Airlines Chief Executive Officer. "We are sad to end our codeshare relationship with ATA but understand it's extremely difficult for an airline to flourish in today's arduous financial environment that has been plagued by soaring fuel prices."

Upon hearing ATA's decision, Southwest immediately implemented a plan to take care of all Customers who purchased a ticket on Southwest and are scheduled to travel on ATA service by rebooking them on a new itinerary closest to their previous travel plans, or offering a full refund for any unused portion of a ticket. Reaccommodation decisions are based on the best scenario in each Customer situation and contact will be made in the order of the Customer's scheduled travel date. Southwest's immediate focus is those Customers who are scheduled to travel within the next 14 days. Customers with travel scheduled more than 14 days from now also will be contacted and rebooked on alternative flights or offered refunds; Southwest must, however, give immediate priority to those Customers whose scheduled travel dates are most pressing. Southwest reservations agents are in the process of contacting Southwest Customers who have booked future ATA service with travel dates from today to the end of ATA's prior schedule of Aug. 22, 2008. Although Southwest is contacting each Customer regarding upcoming travel, the airline has created a toll free number to answer immediate Customer questions regarding ATA's service: 1-800-308-5037.

"Our intention is to offer a viable option to every Southwest ticketed Customer who is inconvenienced by today's news," said Kelly. "I am confident that we will once again prove that Southwest Employees go above and beyond to deliver outstanding Customer Service even under an unusual set of circumstances."

Southwest Airlines successfully bid and purchased six Chicago Midway gates from ATA in December 2004. The two carriers began a codeshare agreement in February 2005 by exchanging Passengers at Chicago Midway, and the relationship eventually expanded to include codeshare service through Phoenix, Oakland, and Las Vegas. In December 2005, Southwest acquired four additional gates at Chicago Midway from ATA. In March 2006, Southwest Airlines and ATA began a frequent flyer partnership, at which time Southwest started selling "ATA-only service" on southwest.com.