Southwest Airlines to push south to San Juan, Puerto Rico on April 14

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) now offers for sale nonstop service from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Orlando and Tampa, for travel beginning on Sunday, April 14, 2013. Beginning in April, Southwest will operate three daily nonstop flights between Orlando and San Juan and one daily nonstop flight between Tampa and San Juan, as the carrier transitions these routes from AirTran Airways-operated city pairs.

AirTran Airways will continue to offer service between San Juan and Baltimore/Washington, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, and Atlanta. Southwest soon will determine the best time to convert the remaining AirTran flying to Southwest as part of the ongoing integration to eventually become one airline flying under the Southwest brand. AirTran Customers who booked flights between San Juan and Tampa Bay or San Juan and Orlando for travel beginning April 14, 2013, or later will be contacted by the airline and rebooked on Southwest flights.

AirTran began service at San Juan in March 2008 with service to Orlando and Atlanta. In February 2009, the carrier added service between San Juan and Baltimore/Washington. AirTran added San Juan service to Tampa Bay in April 2011 and to Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood in May 2012. Today, AirTran still offers a total of five daily nonstop flights to three markets from San Juan: Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood (see below).

Top Copyright Photo: Southwest Airlines’ Boeing 737-8H4 N8604K (msn 39883) taxies to the runway at Los Angeles International Airport.

AirTran Airways: