SFGate: American Begins Flights From Love Field

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Thursday, March 2, 2006 (AP)
American Begins Flights From Love Field



   (03-02) 13:25 PST DALLAS (AP) --

   American Airlines on Thursday began flying from Love Field for the first
time in five years, raising the stakes in a showdown with rival Southwest
Airlines Co., which is based at the Dallas airport.

   American, based at nearby Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, is
flying 16 times a day from Love Field to St. Louis, Kansas City, Austin
and San Antonio — all Southwest destinations. Love Field is closer
to downtown Dallas than the international airport.

   The flights are in response to Southwest's winning permission from
Congress late last year to fly from Love Field to St. Louis and Kansas
City. Southwest has been pushing for repeal of a 1979 law that limits long
flights at Love Field — a move opposed by American.

   American, owned by Fort Worth-based AMR Corp., has lost more than $8
billion since the beginning of 2001. Officials with American said the Love
Field flights could be costly in the short term but are necessary to avoid
losing Dallas passengers to Southwest.

   Southwest, the only consistently profitable major U.S. airline, says the
1979 law known as the Wright Amendment is anti-consumer.

   Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, planned to convene a meeting of Texas
lawmakers Thursday to consider possible changes in the law.

   Southwest has said it is reconsidering relocating its headquarters to
Phoenix. In addition to the Wright Amendment, Southwest has been upset
with recently increased airport landing fees.

   Dallas Mayor Laura Miller said this week that Southwest's talk of a move
is mostly bluff. She said the company has been "finding new ways to
accentuate the fact that they would like to fly unfettered, and I think
this is a piece of that campaign."

   Meanwhile, both airlines have rolled out competitive new extras. American
began offering triple frequent flier bonuses on Love Field flights.
Southwest said it would give frequent-flier rewards to passengers on
partner ATA Airlines, which flies to Hawaii. ------------------------------=
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Copyright 2006 AP

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