* One-way fares as low as $30
* Other carriers match
(Adds some carriers' match, analyst note)
NEW YORK, July 7 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines Co (LUV.N)
launched one of the biggest fare sales in the company's 38-year
history on Tuesday, less than two weeks after many major
airlines boosted prices, the low-cost carrier said.
For two days, one-way tickets will range from $30 to $90
for cities nationwide, depending on distance. The discounted
fares are being offered for travel Sept. 9 through Nov. 18, and
the sale is not valid for travel on Fridays or Sundays,
Dallas-based Southwest said.
Other carriers including Continental Airlines Inc (CAL.N),
UAL Corp's (UAUA.O) United and JetBlue Airways Corp (JBLU.O)
said later on Tuesday they had matched the Southwest sale in
select markets.
Last month, major airlines raised ticket prices twice in
two weeks in an effort to boost revenue. Airlines have been
pressured in the past year by the gyrating price of fuel and
weak consumer demand.
"While airline ticket prices have stabilized recently from
their free fall, airlines are by no means out of the woods as
oil prices remain volatile and demand precarious," said Rick
Seaney, chief executive of FareCompare.com, in an email.
Jesup & Lamont Securities analyst Helane Becker said in a
research note that the Southwest fare sale "is somewhat
disappointing in that it suggests that bookings after Labor Day
are weaker than would be considered normal for this time of
year."
(Reporting by Deepa Seetharaman, with added reporting by Karen
Jacobs, editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Matthew Lewis)
