Southwest Airlines

The city revealed the number of gates after locking down long-term agreements with the seven biggest airlines at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Southwest will set a new record for daily departures while discount airlines Allegiant and Frontier relocate to the Barbara Jordan Terminal, clearing the way for the airport expansion to ramp up.

The city will pay Southwest Airlines $2,750 for each hire in the next five years up to a max of $5.5 million. Texas is kicking in another $14 million.

Airlines led by Delta are rolling out a slate of new routes from Mexico City to Miami to Denver to Palm Springs.

The carrier announced Tuesday that it will begin charging certain passengers to check their luggage on flights, a significant shift at the company long prized by consumers for its perks.

The cuts affect 15% of Southwest Airlines' corporate workforce.

Southwest President and CEO Bob Jordan says research shows passengers “overwhelmingly prefer” an assigned-seat system. He also pledged to improve the airline's financial performance.

While flight activity in Austin levels off, the airport is still buzzing with 30% to 40% more flights than before the pandemic and Delta introducing new connections that offset cuts by American Airlines and others.

Southwest Airlines says it will award the travelers who were caught in the surge of canceled flights during the holidays 25,000 frequent-flyer points, an award worth more than $300 in flights.

Ahead of the New Year's weekend, the airline said that Friday will see minimal disruptions after its slashed schedule stranded hundreds of thousands of travelers during a wintry holiday stretch.