Southwest Airlines is getting more gates at Denver Airport
Southwest Airlines looks set to grow at Denver International Airport with a new deal that will give it 16 more gates.
The Dallas-based carrier would use the 16 gates under construction on Concourse C at Denver Airport (DEN) under an updated lease, according to the agenda for a Denver City Council committee meeting. The new facilities would give Southwest 40 gates on Concourse C by 2022.
The gate deal comes as the Boeing 737 MAX grounding has hamstrung Southwest's ambitions to grow. After shrinking capacity by 1.6% year-over-year in 2019 because of the MAX suspension, executives said in January that what little growth the airline does see this year will be concentrated at its Baltimore/Washington (BWI), Denver and Houston Hobby (HOU) bases, as well as to Hawaii.
Denver is Southwest's third largest city by flight numbers, with 214 daily departures at the end of December, according to the carrier.
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Southwest has sought the additional gates since at least last May. At the time, the airline's CEO, Gary Kelly, told reporters that the airline would "like all of them." The added gates in Concourse C are part of the airport's $1.5 billion expansion across all three concourses.
Southwest spokesman Dan Landson confirmed to TPG that the additional gates will support the carrier's "long-term growth plans" in Denver.
The lease is the second such gate agreement in as many months for Denver. The airport unveiled a similar deal with United Airlines, its largest carrier, for 24 additional gates in January. That agreement was signed earlier in February.
With its new gates, United plans to expand its Denver operations to at least 700 departures by 2025 -- its largest presence there since it opened the hub in 1982. The airline will operate roughly 540 departures from the airport this summer.
Related: How United Airlines’ Denver hub got to 700 flights
The Southwest deal, while expected, raises questions over where Denver airport will locate other carriers. Combined with the recent United agreement, all of the new gates under construction at the airport are now spoken for, as well as some existing gates on Concourse A currently used by Delta Air Lines and Frontier Airlines.
Asked about plans to relocate Delta and Frontier, airport spokeswoman Emily Williams told TPG that discussions with the airlines are ongoing and an agreement is expected this spring.
Delta spokesman Trebor Banstetter told TPG that the airline will continue to serve Denver but declined to comment on its future gate location.
Southwest was the second largest carrier in Denver in 2019, the latest airport data shows. The airline had a 27.4% share of the airport's 69 million passengers, behind United's nearly 45% share.
Related: Southwest Airlines ‘absolutely’ harmed by MAX grounding
Denver was the fifth-busiest airport in the U.S. in 2018, according to the latest Federal Aviation Administration ranking. The airport appears to have remained as No. 5 last year, with No. 4 Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) reporting 75 million passengers, though the official FAA ranking is still some months off.
The Denver City Council's business, arts, workforce and aviation services committee is scheduled to vote on the updated Southwest agreement on February 26.
Frontier was not immediately available for comment.
Related: Denver airport will get the first of 3 new outdoor patios this year
Updated with comment from Delta Air Lines.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.