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):  January 8, 2013

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 2.02                      Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

On January 8, 2013, the Registrant issued a press release announcing its traffic results for December 2012.  The press release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference into this Item 2.02.

The information furnished in this Item 2.02 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 December 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.
January 8, 2013	By	/s/   Tammy Romo
		Tammy Romo
		Chief Financial Officer
		(Principal Financial and
		Accounting Officer)

Exhibit Index

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

EX-99.1

CONTACT:  Investor Relations (214) 792-4415

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES REPORTS DECEMBER TRAFFIC

DALLAS, TEXAS – January 8, 2013 – Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today reported December 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, full year 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 8.2 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) in December 2012, which was comparable to the RPMs flown in December 2011.  Available seat miles (ASMs) of 10.5 billion in December 2012 were comparable to December 2011.  The December 2012 load factor was 78.0 percent, compared to 78.4 percent in December 2011.  For December 2012, passenger revenue per ASM (PRASM) is estimated to have been comparable to December 2011.

For the fourth quarter of 2012, the Company flew 24.8 billion RPMs, compared to 25.2 billion RPMs flown in the same period in 2011, a decrease of 1.4 percent.  Fourth quarter 2012 ASMs decreased 0.3 percent to 31.2 billion from the fourth quarter 2011 level of 31.3 billion.  The fourth quarter 2012 load factor was 79.6 percent, compared to the load factor of 80.5 percent for the same period in 2011.

For the full year of 2012, the Company flew 102.9 billion RPMs, compared to 103.9 billion combined RPMs flown in full year 2011, a decrease of 1.0 percent.  Full year 2012 ASMs decreased 0.3 percent to 128.1 billion from the combined ASMs of 128.5 billion for full year 2011.  The full year 2012 load factor was 80.3 percent, compared to the combined load factor of 80.8 percent for full year 2011.

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

/more 

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
PRELIMINARY COMPARATIVE TRAFFIC STATISTICS
	DECEMBER
	2012	2011	CHANGE
Revenue passengers carried	8,610,383	8,943,438	(3.7)%
Enplaned passengers	10,645,104	10,917,993	(2.5)%
Revenue passenger miles (000)	8,174,930	8,195,341	(0.2)%
Available seat miles (000)	10,479,165	10,454,875	0.2 %
Load factor	78.0%	78.4%	(0.4)pt	s.
Average length of haul	949	916	3.6 %
Trips flown	108,789	114,957	(5.4)%
	FOURTH QUARTER
	2012	2011	CHANGE
Revenue passengers carried	26,607,560	27,536,128	(3.4)%
Enplaned passengers	32,699,829	33,510,920	(2.4)%
Revenue passenger miles (000)	24,821,008	25,180,506	(1.4)%
Available seat miles (000)	31,193,395	31,297,562	(0.3)%
Load factor	79.6%	80.5%	(0.9) pt	s.
Average length of haul	933	914	2.1 %
Trips flown	327,590	343,756	(4.7)%
	TOTAL YEAR
	2012	2011	CHANGE
Revenue passengers carried	109,346,509	110,151,572	(0.7)%
Enplaned passengers	133,978,100	135,274,464	(1.0)%
Revenue passenger miles (000)	102,874,979	103,864,488	(1.0)%
Available seat miles (000)	128,137,684	128,518,201	(0.3)%
Load factor	80.3%	80.8%	(0.5) pt	s.
Average length of haul	941	943	(0.2)%
Trips flown	1,361,558	1,399,644	(2.7)%

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