Southwest Airlines Cuts Prices Sharply for In-State Flights

Intensifying a wave of air-fare cuts, Southwest Airlines said Thursday that it will reduce prices to $78 round-trip on all flights within California from Aug. 16 to Sept. 30.

The tickets, which are not refundable, must be purchased seven days in advance, and travelers must stay over at least one night.

The bargain tickets are limited, and aren’t even available on some flights during heavy travel periods, said Southwest, which serves nine California locations: Orange County, Los Angeles, Burbank, Ontario, San Diego, Oakland, San Francisco, Sacramento and San Jose.

Southwest flies from Orange County to Oakland and San Jose. From Los Angeles, Burbank and Ontario, it connects with three cities--Oakland, San Jose and Sacramento.

The fares represent a significant discount to Southwest’s current prices. Unrestricted round-trip tickets from Orange County or Los Angeles to Northern California points now run $160 or $170. Currently, a ticket with advance purchase and stopover restrictions for these routes costs $102.

Southwest’s chief competitor on the short-haul California routes, United Shuttle, did not match the cuts immediately. “But we’ll be studying the situation,” spokesman Dan Whelan said. “We’re committed to staying competitive.”

Numerous air-fare cuts have cropped up recently, after a run-up averaging 11% in the base price of tickets since the year began.

Last weekend, Northwest Airlines discounted off-peak prices up to 25% through Dec. 17, and other carriers quickly followed suit. Recent California specials included a weeklong America West Airlines promotion that cut fares more than half on its 38 daily flights to and from Orange County.

Tom Parsons, editor of the Internet fare-tracking site www.bestfares.com, said that prices are falling as the summer travel season winds down.

United Airlines, for example, has slashed prices on many flights from California. It cut its Los Angeles-Anchorage round-trip price to $155, although it carries a number of restrictions, such as making reservations 14 days in advance. The fare was matched by America West and Alaska Airlines. “You can fly to Alaska for 3 cents a mile,” Parsons said.

Delta Air Lines has $134 round-trip flights between Orange County and Denver. And America West is offering $117 one-way tickets to Newark from Orange County with no advance purchase required.

Dallas-based Southwest, which promotes itself as the low-fare king, has frequently touched off price has often touched off price wars.