Southwest challenges US Airways with PHL-BOS flights

By Joe Brancatelli

Southwest Airlines got its newterminal at Philadelphia International Airport late last month, and the 800-pound gorilla of low-fare airlines promptly renewed its challenge to US Airways, Philadelphia’s incumbent legacy carrier. Starting June 27, Southwest will fly five times a day between Philadelphia and Boston Logan, one of US Airways’ most profitable monopoly routes. According to government figures, US Airways’ average fare on PHL-BOS has been $345, by far the highest in the country for flights between 251 and 300 miles. Southwest’s introductory fare: $59 one-way.

Southwest already services Boston’s alternate airports with 13 daily flights to Manchester (New Hampshire) and Providence (Rhode Island) from Philadelphia. But the flights to Logan are the most direct assault on US Airways’ primacy since Southwest launched flights at Philadelphia in 2004.

Southwest’s new Philadelphia home, Terminal E, underwent a $45 million expansion. Southwest now has seven new gates and a 500-seat holding area to go with its five existing Terminal E gates. That should allow the carrier to consolidate all of its Philadelphia service in Terminal E by the end of March. Some of its flights are now located at Terminal D.