Carrier reveals Southwest Business Assist which brings new features and capabilities for Corporate Travel Buyers and Travel Decision Makers to better manage business travel on Southwest Airlines
DALLAS, TX, 2022-Aug-17 — /Travel PR News/ — Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today (Aug 15, 2022) announced it is making it easier than ever to manage business travel on Southwest® with the addition of its new travel portal, Southwest Business Assist™. The self-service tool will enable Corporate Travel Buyers, Travel Decision Makers, and Travel Management Companies to better manage their Southwest Airlines® business travel using unique dashboards, reports, automated processing of contractual benefits, receiving or requesting Customers Service, and much more. Southwest Business Assist is anticipated to be available to current Southwest Business Partners starting Aug. 24, 2022.
“Southwest Business Assist is a transformational one-stop shop for our Southwest Business Customers as we deliver industry-leading capabilities on one of the most advanced platforms available today,” said Dave Harvey, Vice President of Southwest Business. “The on-demand self-service tool will provide easy access to real-time information, reporting, and benefits designed to improve efficiencies and communication for our business travel Partners and continues our journey of making it easy to manage business travel on Southwest.”
When the first phase of Southwest Business Assist is available, it will bring a variety of new features to the business travel community including:
- Travel funds management
- Enhanced insight to contractual benefits, account performance, and dashboards
- Expanded sustainability reporting
- Increased automation with real-time capabilities and service
More features are planned as additional phases of Southwest Business Assist are released including duty of care reporting, the ability for travel managers to manage eligible flight credits, and additional automated functions.
Learn more by visiting southwestbusinessassist.com.
Streamlining Products & Services
Southwest continues implementing new tools and programs to enhance its offerings to business Customers. EarlyBird Check-In® is now available to be booked within Travelport and Amadeus global distribution systems (GDS) and it is planned to be available in Sabre. The airline also recently added Mexico itineraries that can now be booked within the participating GDSs. Additionally, Southwest rolled out Airline Tariff Publishing Company’s (ATPCO) Express Contracts and Route happy to further enhance and streamline the management of business travel programs on Southwest.
Southwest Business continues evolving by enhancing its offering including rewarding companies booking and traveling on Southwest as well as rewarding its travelers through Rapid Rewards Business. Launched in 2021, Rapid Rewards Business gives participating Companies and their travelers the ability to earn Rapid Rewards points which can be used for travel on Southwest Airlines*. See how Rapid Rewards Business can help your organization at Southwest.com/RapidRewardsBusiness.
Three Years in the Making
Southwest Airlines is also celebrating its three year anniversary of when Southwest Business launched and began bringing the “Southwest Effect” to business travel. In that time, the carrier invested heavily by adding industry-standard capabilities to Travelport, Amadeus, and Sabre’s GDSs, growing its Sales Team across the country, adding a Priority Desk for account support, continuing to build behind-the-scenes technical capabilities to support growth while setting itself apart from others by the People that make up the Southwest Business Team.
“Through the exceptional Hospitality our People showcase, our industry-leading and business friendly benefits, and zigging when others zag, Southwest Business continues revolutionizing the way business travel is done,” said Andrew Watterson, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Southwest Airlines. “I am immensely proud of what the Team has already accomplished and look forward to seeing the Team capitalize on their continued success.”
To learn more about Southwest Business and how it can help manage your business travel needs, visit Southwest.com/AboutBusiness.
*All Rapid Rewards Business rules and regulations apply and can be found at business.southwest.com/Terms-and-Conditions. Qualifying flights include flights booked and flown through Southwest and flights paid entirely with dollars, Southwest LUV Vouchers®, gift cards, or flight credits, and with no portion of the purchase price paid for with Rapid Rewards points or Rapid Rewards Business points.
ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
Southwest Airlines Co. operates one of the world’s most admired and awarded airlines, offering its one-of-a-kind value and Hospitality at 121 airports across 11 countries. Having celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2021, Southwest took flight in 1971 to democratize the sky through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel and now carries more air travelers flying nonstop within the United States than any other airline1. Based in Dallas and famous for an Employee-first corporate Culture, Southwest maintains an unprecedented record of no involuntary furloughs or layoffs in its history. By empowering its more than 62,0002 People to deliver unparalleled Hospitality, the maverick airline cherishes a passionate loyalty among as many as 130 million Customers carried a year. That formula for success brought industry-leading prosperity and 47 consecutive years3 of profitability for Southwest Shareholders (NYSE: LUV). Southwest leverages a unique legacy and mission to serve communities around the world including harnessing the power of its People and Purpose to put communities at the Heart of its success. Learn more by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship. Southwest is also continuing to develop tangible steps toward achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, including offering Customers an opportunity to help the airline offset its carbon emissions. To be part of the solution, visit Southwest.com/wannaoffsetcarbon.
1) U.S. Dept. of Transportation most recent reporting of domestic originating passengers boarded
2) Fulltime-equivalent active Employees
3) 1973-2019 annual profitability
Media Contacts:
Visit the Southwest Newsroom at swamedia.com for multimedia assets and other Company news.
Media Relations Team: 214-792-4847, option 1
Source: Southwest Airlines
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