DALLAS, July 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southwest Airlines welcomes Thrifty Car Rental as a new preferred partner to the airline's award-winning frequent flyer program, Rapid Rewards. The partnership with Thrifty, effective July 11, 2008, will allow the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards' program to acquire new Members from Thrifty and build additional brand loyalty with co-branded promotions.

To celebrate the kickoff, now through Oct. 31, 2008, Members can receive triple credit on a weekly rental of five or more days. (That's 1.5 credits per transaction versus the standard 0.5 credit per transaction). For more information, including terms and conditions, visit http://www.southwest.com/ or http://www.thrifty.com/.

"This new partnership with Thrifty will bring tremendous value to our Customers and to the Rapid Rewards program," said Ryan Green, Southwest Airlines' Director of Customer Loyalty. "We are very proud to welcome Thrifty onboard to assist us in getting Customers to their favorite destinations."

"We are simply elated that Thrifty is joining one of the premier rewards programs in the airline industry," said Brian Carpenter, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group. "We always felt Southwest Airlines and Thrifty would be a natural union for customers looking for exceptional value in the air and on the ground."

Since 2004, Thrifty Car Rental has sponsored Southwest Airlines' "Star of the Month" Employee recognition program, providing a free car rental to every featured Employee. Thrifty's sister company, Dollar Rent A Car, has been a Preferred Partner with Southwest Airlines' Rapid Rewards since July 1, 1999.

It is fast and easy to earn free travel through Rapid Rewards. Rapid Rewards Members earn credits by flying or using the program's Preferred Partners, like Thrifty Car Rental. It takes just eight roundtrips to qualify for an Award, but Members can accelerate their earnings by using the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Visa Signature Card, doing business with any of the airline's other Preferred Partners, or by purchasing Southwest's Business Select fares when flying. Plus, once it's earned, the Award may be transferred to anyone. The Award is free but subject to the U.S. government September 11th Security Fee of up to $10 roundtrip.

About Southwest Airlines

After 37 years of service, Southwest Airlines continues to differentiate itself from other low fare carriers-offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest Airlines is the most productive airline in the sky and offers Customers a comfortable traveling experience. Southwest recently updated its gate areas and improved its boarding procedure to make flying Southwest convenient and simple. Southwest Airlines , the nation's largest carrier in terms of domestic passengers enplaned, currently serves 64 cities in 32 states. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,400 flights a day and has more than 34,000 Employees systemwide.

About Thrifty Car Rental

Thrifty Car Rental is a subsidiary of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc. , a Fortune 1000 Company headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Together with its corporately-owned locations and those of its franchise owners, the Thrifty Car Rental brand serves value-conscious travelers from more than 1,028 locations in 68 countries. For additional information, visit http://www.dtag.com/ or http://www.thrifty.com/.

Web site: http://www.southwest.com/
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http://www.thrifty.com/