Feds fine Southwest Airlines for Branson misstep

The U.S. Department of Transportation yesterday fined Dallas-based Southwest Airlines $200,000 for falsely advertising tickets, including one-way fares from Dallas Love Field to Branson Airport.

The DOT Aviation Enforcement Office found Southwest advertised $66 tickets to Branson from Dallas between March 1 and March 21, but no seats were available at that price during any day of the sale period, according to a news release.

The DOT also found Southwest advertised one-way, nonstop fares for $100 or less for Feb. 14 in a number of markets, but failed to provide a significant number of seats available at the sale price. In addition to the fine, Southwest has been ordered to cease and desist further violations of the department's full-fare advertising rules.

“Consumers should be able to trust that the price they see advertised is the price they’ll pay for a seat,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in the release. “DOT will continue to take enforcement action against carriers and ticket agents when our price advertising rules are violated.”

Publicly traded Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) began flying out of BKG in March.

Southwest produced second-quarter net income of $224 million for the three months ending June 30, a 1.8 percent decrease from $228 million in the same quarter a year ago, according to a company release.

LUV shares were trading at $13.87 as of 9:58 a.m., compared to a 52-week range of $8.68 to $14.56.