Southwest Airlines (LUV) 8-K Southwest Airlines Reports November Traffic

Ex 99.1

CONTACT:  Investor Relations (214) 792-4415

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES REPORTS NOVEMBER TRAFFIC

DALLAS, TEXAS – December 8, 2010 -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) announced today that the Company flew 6.5 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) in November 2010, a 10.7 percent increase from the 5.9 billion RPMs flown in November 2009.  Available seat miles (ASMs) increased 5.7 percent to 8.1 billion from the November 2009 level of 7.7 billion.  The load factor for the month was 80.1 percent, compared to 76.5 percent for the same period last year.  For November 2010, passenger revenue per ASM is estimated to have increased in the seven to eight percent range as compared to November 2009.

For the eleven months ended November 30, 2010, Southwest flew 71.4 billion RPMs, compared to 68.5 billion RPMs flown for the same period in 2009, an increase of 4.3 percent.  Available seat miles remained flat from the November 2009 level of 90.2 billion.  The year-to-date load factor was 79.2 percent, compared to 76.0 percent for the same period last year.

This release, as well as past news releases on Southwest, are available online at southwest.com.

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SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
PRELIMINARY COMPARATIVE TRAFFIC STATISTICS
	NOVEMBER
	2010			2009			CHANGE
Revenue passengers carried		7,362,817			7,028,993			4.7	%
Enplaned passengers		8,858,830			8,255,414			7.3	%
Revenue passenger miles (000)		6,506,882			5,879,163			10.7	%
Available seat miles (000)		8,127,548			7,686,018			5.7	%
Load factor		80.1	%		76.5	%	3.6		pts.
Average length of haul		884			836			5.7	%
Trips flown		91,159			89,286			2.1	%
	YEAR-TO-DATE
		2010			2009		CHANGE
Revenue passengers carried		80,901,928			79,273,009			2.1	%
Enplaned passengers		97,281,181			92,983,281			4.6	%
Revenue passenger miles (000)		71,398,991			68,486,053			4.3	%
Available seat miles (000)		90,166,606			90,168,802			-
Load factor		79.2	%		76.0	%	3.2		pts.
Average length of haul		883			864			2.2	%
Trips flown		1,021,956			1,034,327			(1.2	)%

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