Southwest Airlines Codeshare Partner, ATA Airlines, Announces Discontinuation of...

Southwest Airlines Codeshare Partner, ATA Airlines, Announces Discontinuation
of Its Scheduled Passenger Service
Southwest Airlines Accommodates Southwest Ticketed Customers Booked on ATA
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.
SOURCE Southwest Airlines

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