Southwest Airlines Earns Four 2019 TripAdvisor Awards

Southwest Airlines’ Boeing 737-800.
PC: file by Stephen M. Keller, 2012

By Wendy Osher

Southwest Airlines earned a total of four 2019 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice awards including a #6 spot on the list of Top 10 Airlines in the World.

Southwest was also named the top airline in the North America region, top airline in the US and Best Low Cost Airline.

Southwest launched its inaugural commercial flight, for service to Hawaiʻi on March 17th between Oakland International Airport to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.

Southwest will begin once daily Oakland to Kahului flights this Sunday, April 7, 2019; and interisland service four times daily in each direction between Honolulu and Kahului starting April 28.  San Jose to Kahului service begins next month on May 26, with flights once daily in each direction.

TripAdvisor Best Mid-Size Airline for 2019 was Alaska Airlines, with Hawaiian Airlines and West Jet falling into the same category.  In the Specialty and Leisure category, three airlines were featured including: Mokulele Airlines, Air North (Canada) and Cayman Airways.

Mokulele Airlines recently partnered with Los Angeles startup Ampaire to retrofit of a Cessna 337 aircraft with hybrid electric power.  Test flights are planned between Kahului Airport and Hāna Airport later this year.