8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported):   November 7, 2012

Southwest Airlines Co.

__________________________________________

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Texas	1-7259	74-1563240
_____________________	_____________	______________
(State or other jurisdiction	(Commission	(I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation)	File Number)	Identification No.)

P. O. Box 36611, Dallas, Texas	75235-1611
_________________________________	___________
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code:   (214) 792-4000

Not Applicable

______________________________________________

Former name or former address, if changed since last report

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the

filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

[  ]           Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act

(17 CFR 230.425)

[  ]           Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17

CFR 240.14a-12)

[  ]           Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the

Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[  ]           Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the

Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 7.01                      Regulation FD Disclosure.

On November 7, 2012, the Registrant issued a press release announcing its traffic results for October 2012.  The press release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference into this Item 7.01.

The information furnished in this Item 7.01 shall not be deemed "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall such information be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, regardless of any general incorporation language in such filing, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

Item 9.01                      Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits:

99.1 Registrant’s October 2012 Traffic Release.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
November 7, 2012	By	/s/   Tammy Romo
		Tammy Romo
		Chief Financial Officer
		(Principal Financial and
		Accounting Officer)

Exhibit Index

Exhibit No.	Description
99.1	Registrant's October 2012 Traffic Release.

EX-99.1

CONTACT:  Investor Relations (214) 792-4415

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES REPORTS OCTOBER TRAFFIC

DALLAS, TEXAS – November 7, 2012 – Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today reported October 2012 consolidated traffic results for Southwest Airlines and AirTran.  AirTran became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines Co. (“the Company”) on May 2, 2011.  For purposes of comparability, year-to-date 2011 traffic results presented in the accompanying table include the combined results of Southwest Airlines and AirTran for periods prior to the acquisition date.

                The Company flew 8.5 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) in October 2012, compared to 8.7 billion RPMs flown in October 2011, a decrease of 2.4 percent.  Available seat miles (ASMs) decreased 1.6 percent to 10.5 billion in October 2012 from 10.7 billion ASMs in October 2011.  The October 2012 load factor was 80.7 percent, compared to 81.4 percent in October 2011.  For October 2012, passenger revenue per ASM (PRASM) is estimated to have increased approximately five percent compared to October 2011.

For the first ten months of 2012, the Company flew 86.6 billion RPMs, compared to 87.4 billion combined RPMs flown in the same period in 2011, a decrease of 1.0 percent.  The year-to-date 2012 ASMs decreased 0.4 percent to 107.5 billion from the combined level of 107.9 billion for the same period in 2011.  The year-to-date 2012 load factor was 80.5 percent, compared to the combined load factor of 81.0 percent for the same period in 2011.

This release, as well as past news releases about Southwest Airlines Co., is available online at southwest.com.

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SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
PRELIMINARY COMPARATIVE TRAFFIC STATISTICS
	OCTOBER
	2012		2011			CHANGE
Revenue passengers carried	9,147,369			9,439,474		(3.1	)%
Enplaned passengers	11,262,984			11,532,252		(2.3	)%
Revenue passenger miles (000)	8,497,347			8,708,832		(2.4	)%
Available seat miles (000)	10,527,246			10,698,068		(1.6	)%
Load factor	80.7	%		81.4	%	(0.7	)pts
Average length of haul	929			923		0.7	%
Trips flown	111,863			117,171		(4.5	)%
	YEAR-TO-DATE
	2012			2011		CHANGE
Revenue passengers carried	91,886,318			92,054,918		(0.2	)%
Enplaned passengers	112,541,255			113,295,796		(0.7	)%
Revenue passenger miles (000)	86,551,318			87,392,814		(1.0	)%
Available seat miles (000)	107,471,535			107,918,707		(0.4	)%
Load factor	80.5	%		81.0	%	(0.5	)pts
Average length of haul	942			949		(0.7	)%
Trips flown	1,145,831			1,173,059		(2.3	)%

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