South Carolina embraces Southwest Airlines, lower fares

When a high-volume, low-cost airline like Southwest Airlines extends avenues into brand new areas of the country, the competition cannot afford to stand pat. The power Southwest Airlines has to instill fear within the competitors of being undersold is known as the “Southwest Effect” by USA Today. The force is so effective that within one hour of announcing new avenues into South Carolina, the competition scrambled to lower rates by 30 % or more.

Southwest Airlines arrives at town, consumers win

Southwest Airlines shook up the industry and made competitors start lowering prices within an hour of announcing the new avenues to South Carolina, more specifically Charleston and Greenville-Spartanburg. It’s going to be nice for those of the Palmetto State to be able to fly cheaper. The Southwest Effect has already happened. There came a remark from Charleston’s The Post and Courier. It said, “within one hour of Southwest Airlines’ revealing information of its service launching from Charleston International Airport next year, local airfares plunged to $59 each way to Southwest-bound destinations — but only after March 13.”

Travel agents wishing there can be more industry

John Powers of Travel Management Group in Charleston told local media the move by Southwest Airlines has brought on a veritable tsunami of savings. “All major carriers cut their rates by at least 30 percent,” he said Southwest Airlines are met by competitor flights which had to drop from $228 to $59.

Other reports like this have come from News 4 of Charleston which is an ABC affiliate. March 13 was when the reduced airfare started. From Charleston to Chicago on a one way flight used to cost $219 but went down to $99. Even flights to New York City which require stop-over’s went down from $400 to $129. Travel industry experts expect that flights from Greenville-Spartanburg will start going down drastically too.

Data from

USA Today

travel.usatoday.com/flights/post/2010/10/southwest-effect-in-south-carolina/128388/1

ymptoms of the Southwest Effect contain lower fares

youtube.com/watch?v=bMXNVUHmGU0