DALLAS -  the most popular airline web site in terms of unique visitors, is now offering an even better online Customer experience. Southwest Airlines launched a new look and feel, along with improved navigation, on its award-winning web site. The new homepage offers Customers a more personalized experience and makes it easier to find what's needed including hotel and car rentals. The new homepage also showcases what makes Southwest Airlines different from other air carriers. southwest is the only place to book Southwest fares online, and the bookings made through the site account for more than 80 percent of all Southwest Airlines bookings. 

The new web site enhancements include:

• The homepage image and other features can be personalized and pre-populated to the user's home airport. Saved searches make it easier for Customers to shop for flights, cars, and hotels.


• Customers can now easily plan any part of their trip directly from the homepage with new car and hotel booking widgets.


• New pages have been added to highlight how Southwest Airlines is different from its competitors.


• Every page of the site has updated, easy-to-use navigation and a search box to help users find exactly what they are looking for.


• Drop downs are available from the global navigation to help users get to interior pages faster.


• Every page now has a social media bar to help users engage with Southwest on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogsouthwest.com.

The new homepage is another step in Southwest's efforts to ensure that southwest is the preferred full-service travel booking solution for Customers. In 2009, multiple enhancements to the site laid the ground work for the new southwest. Southwest launched an online travel community called TravelGuide, provided Customers tools to quickly find travel deals with a new Special Offers section, and completely redesigned the air booking functionality to make the process more useful and efficient. More updates to southwest are expected throughout 2010.

Picture: Carstino Delmonte/ Touristikpresse.net