Southwest Teams with Artist Khalid to Create Heartfelt Connections This Holiday Season

Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) and five-time GRAMMY Award nominee, Khalid, embark on a journey to bring fans closer to the rising star. Kicking off Southwest: On The Rise with Khalid in San Jose, CA, Southwest surprised hundreds of fans with a free show to launch the program in a market that serves as a priority for the airline. Khalid's dedicated fans were up close to the artist during this intimate concert, underscoring the heartfelt connections that are a key theme of the partnership this holiday season.

San Jose fans weren't the only ones to receive a memorable surprise that night. In partnership with Make-A-Wish, Southwest and Khalid surprised one of the artist's biggest fans via video chat when he revealed that her wish will be granted. Khalid delivered an invite of a lifetime, inviting the teen and her family to spend some time with him and attend his show at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Jan. 27, the eve of Music's Biggest Night.

To continue the partnership's spirit of giving, Southwest is donating five million Rapid Rewards Points to Make-A-Wish to help grant even more wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

"Granting this special wish with an artist who shares our desire for giving back, makes for a beautiful partnership," said Linda Rutherford, SVP and Chief Communications Officer for Southwest Airlines. "We're excited to bring fans even closer to Khalid's incredible journey as he continues to be on the rise, sharing his passion for music with fans around the world."

As Khalid was recently named #5 on Billboard's 50 Best Albums of 2017: Critics' Picks list, his fans have a lot to celebrate. Fans can stay close to his journey by visiting Southwest.fm for exclusive content and opportunities to experience Khalid firsthand.

ABOUT MAKE-A-WISH Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true has positive impacts on the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illness, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. Headquartered in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world's leading children's charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 33,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 34 minutes. It has granted more than 300,000 wishes since its inception in 1980; more than 15,300 in 2016 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish at www.wish.org to learn more.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. In its 47th 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 55,000 Employees to a Customer base topping 115 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 of100 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, all of which are equipped with satellite-based WiFi. 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 44 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 2016 Southwest Airlines One Report can be found at SouthwestOneReport.com.

Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online atSouthwest.com or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.

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