Monday, January 22, 2007

Southwest Airlines, the largest U.S. domestic carrier, says it has decided
against luring passengers with in-flight gambling to revive revenue growth.
Other innovations will be tried, the Dallas-based carrier said, but declined
to be specific, the Financial Times reported Thursday. Low-cost airlines
Ryanair and EasyJet are pioneering efforts to introduce onboard gaming and
mobile phone calls. Gary Kelly, Southwest's chief executive, conceded that
revenue growth had slowed in the final quarter though the carrier had its
34th consecutive year of profitability. Southwest's "no-frills" model
by-passes meals and lounges, which rivals have used to boost revenues, and
last year dropped its contract to carry U.S. mail.