DALLAS, Sept. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest
Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV), in partnership with the Hispanic
Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), has awarded 150
students, ranging from incoming freshman through graduate students,
with complimentary roundtrip air travel as part of the
¡Lánzate!/Take Off! travel award program.
Current ¡Lánzate! Travel Award Recipient, and undergraduate
student at Cornell University, Julio
López Ramos said, "There are so many costs not included in a
financial aid package, especially for first-generation, low-income
students." During Ramos' next school break, which once caused added
stress because he worried about his expenses, he plans to fly home
to California to visit his parents
and three siblings. Even more than his trip home, Ramos looks
forward to using his award to fly a family member to New York to visit him for the first time. He
writes, "The program will be a true blessing for my entire
family."
"For the past 14 years the Southwest Airlines
¡Lánzate! Travel Program has contributed to Hispanic success
in higher education," said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores. "Many college students would
not have been able to visit their families were it not for the
travel awards received from Southwest Airlines. HACU is proud to
partner with Southwest Airlines and we congratulate the student
recipients and Southwest Airlines for giving flight to success in
higher education."
The ¡Lánzate! Program is geared toward Hispanic college students
with economic need who attend school far away from home. Students,
from state to Ivy League
institutions, across the nation completed online entries and
submitted essays conveying how receiving a travel award would help
them achieve their educational goals. The impactful program, which
was recognized in 2015 by the White House Initiative on Educational
Excellence for Hispanics, provides roundtrip air travel to selected
college students to travel home to see family.
A panel of judges made up of college professors and educational
advocates met to determine the award recipients. Recipients were
awarded between one and four roundtrips for themselves or a family
member. Southwest donated 409 roundtrips to encourage students to
continue on their paths to higher education.
ABOUT HACU
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU)
represents more than 470 colleges and universities committed to
Hispanic higher education success in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Latin
America and Spain. The
association's headquarters are located in San Antonio, Texas, with offices in
Washington, D.C., and Sacramento, California. HACU is the only
national association representing existing and emerging
Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). Information is available at
www.hacu.net.
ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
In its 48th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co.
(NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other air
carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than
57,000 Employees to a Customer base topping 120 million passengers
annually, in recent years. Southwest became the nation's largest
domestic air carrier in 2003 and maintains that ranking based on
the U.S. Department of Transportation's most recent reporting of
domestic originating passengers boarded. During peak travel
seasons, Southwest operates more than 4,000 weekday departures
among a network of 99 destinations in the
United States and 10 additional countries. Southwest has
announced its intention to sell tickets in 2018 for service to
Hawaii, subject to requisite
governmental approvals.
Southwest coined Transfarency® to describe its
purposed philosophy of treating Customers honestly and fairly, and
low fares actually staying low. Southwest is the only major U.S.
airline to offer bags fly free® to everyone (first
and second checked pieces of luggage, size and weight limits apply,
some carriers offer free checked bags on select routes or in
qualified circumstances), and there are no change fees, though fare
differences might apply.
As launch customer of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 in North America, the Company operates the
largest fleet in the world of Boeing aircraft. Customers who
connect to the WiFi network may use their personal devices to view
on-demand movies and television shows, as well as nearly 20
channels of free, live TV.
With a bold new look first unveiled in 2014, Southwest is
progressing through a multi-year refresh of its fleet to showcase
the carrier's Heart: a new logo, aircraft livery, interior
design featuring new seats, Employee-designed uniforms, and an
updated airport experience, all of which showcase a dedication of
Southwest Employees to connect Customers with what's important in
their lives.
From its first flights on June 18,
1971, Southwest Airlines launched an era of unprecedented
affordability in air travel described by the U.S. Department of
Transportation as "The Southwest Effect," a lowering of fares and
increase in passenger traffic wherever the carrier serves. With 45
consecutive years of profitability, Southwest is one of the most
honored airlines in the world, known for a triple bottom line
approach that contributes to the carrier's performance and
productivity, the importance of its People and the communities they
serve, and an overall commitment to efficiency and the planet. The
2017 Southwest Airlines One Report can be found at
SouthwestOneReport.com.
Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online at Southwest
Airlines or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.
View original
content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/southwest-airlines-and-the-hispanic-association-of-colleges-and-universities-award-complimentary-airfare-to-150-college-students-nationwide-300715492.html
SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.