DALLAS, Dec. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) announced today that the Company flew 8.6 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) in November 2014, a 6.0 percent increase from the 8.1 billion RPMs flown in November 2013. Available seat miles (ASMs) increased 4.0 percent to 10.7 billion from the November 2013 level of 10.3 billion. The November 2014 load factor was 80.1 percent, compared to 78.6 percent in November 2013. For November 2014, passenger revenue per ASM (PRASM) is estimated to have increased in the four to five percent range, compared to November 2013. For fourth quarter 2014, the Company currently estimates PRASM will increase in the one to two percent range, as compared to fourth quarter 2013.

For the first eleven months of 2014, the Company flew 98.8 billion RPMs, compared to 95.4 billion RPMs flown for the same period in 2013, an increase of 3.6 percent. Year-to-date ASMs remained relatively flat at 119.9 billion compared to the 119.5 billion for the same period in 2013. The year-to-date load factor was 82.4 percent, compared to 79.8 percent for the same period in 2013.

This release, as well as past news releases about Southwest Airlines Co., is available online at southwest.com.


                          Southwest Airlines Co.

                Preliminary Comparative Traffic Statistics


                                 NOVEMBER
                                 --------

                                    2014                          2013    Change
                                    ----                          ----    ------

    Revenue
     passengers
     carried                   9,011,648                     8,563,456       5.2%

    Enplaned
     passengers               10,898,103                    10,459,885       4.2%

    Revenue
     passenger
     miles
     (000s)                    8,553,730                     8,066,291       6.0%

    Available
     seat
     miles
     (000s)                   10,674,900                    10,264,024       4.0%

    Load
     factor                       80.1 %                       78.6 %  1.5 pts.

    Average
     length of
     haul                            949                           942       0.7%

    Trips
     flown                       100,442                       102,069     (1.6)%



                            YEAR-TO-DATE
                            ------------

                                    2014                          2013    Change
                                    ----                          ----    ------

    Revenue
     passengers
     carried                 100,902,542                    98,768,187       2.2%

    Enplaned
     passengers              124,100,764                   121,667,407       2.0%

    Revenue
     passenger
     miles
     (000s)                   98,810,751                    95,372,628       3.6%

    Available
     seat
     miles
     (000s)                  119,852,237                   119,504,160       0.3%

    Load
     factor                       82.4 %                       79.8 %  2.6 pts.

    Average
     length of
     haul                            979                           966       1.3%

    Trips
     flown                     1,150,952                     1,205,628     (4.5)%

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SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.