Southwest Airlines has increased the number of scheduled connecting flights to Mexico through its partnership with Mexican air carrier Volaris and several of the new connections will be made through McCarran International Airport.
Southwest won’t be increasing the number of flights to and from Las Vegas.
The Dallas-based carrier, the busiest commercial operator at McCarran, more than doubled the number of Southwest markets it will connect to Mexico. Southwest is selling connecting flights through Las Vegas to and from Austin, Houston and San Antonio, Texas; Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla.; and San Diego.
Southwest also announced that it is connecting several cities in the Northeast and Midwest to Mexico through Chicago’s Midway Airport.
In November, Southwest and Volaris launched a partnership in which passengers could connect seamlessly on trips to 22 Mexican destinations, booking through Southwest’s website.
Southwest’s international connection conducts two separate transactions, one with Southwest’s reservations system and one with Volaris’ system. The technology connects the two transactions and provides customers with one fare. Customers traveling on an international connection will be required to check in with each carrier, but luggage will be transferred by the airlines and delivered to the final destination, with only one touch point.
Southwest has created an international help desk (888-329-8776) staffed with bilingual agents to support the service.
Volaris inaugurated Las Vegas service in March with one daily round trip to Guadalajara. At the arrival of the inaugural flight, Volaris CEO Enrique Beltranena announced that on May 20 Volaris would add two more weekly round trips to Guadalajara on Fridays and Sundays.
Guadalajara is one of Volaris’ largest stations and flights to several cities connect from there.
The new schedule should boost revenue at the airport since every passenger pays passenger facility charges on their tickets and connecting passengers may make purchases at the airport. Officials haven’t projected how much revenue could be generated.
Connecting schedules also could increase the number of passengers on Southwest flights in and out of Las Vegas.
Mexico is the No. 3 international market for Las Vegas behind Canada and Great Britain.