Southwest Raises Fares; May Expand in Denver

Southwest Airlines is looking to gradually expand its operations in Denver. The Denver Post reports that Gary Kelly, the carrier's CEO, identified potential for Southwest to build upon its 50 daily flights out of Denver International Airport, though he added, "That's a theoretical answer. We're many years away from that, probably." Southwest expects to use a fifth gate at the airport in March and Kelly said adding a sixth or seventh gate would roughly double the airline's capacity in Denver. Meanwhile, the carrier over the weekend raised several thousand fares, in what appears to be an increase covering roughly 30 percent of its system, reported analysts for JPMorgan Chase. "Unlike prior increases, short-haul markets (under 400 miles) were subject to a $2 one-way increase, with select longer-haul markets rising $3 one-way," the analysts' report said.