Southwest Airlines added Syracuse to its list of destinations. The new addition will give people a more convenient alternative to flights out of Rochester or Buffalo.

One family from Erie, Pennsylvania has been part of Southwest’s inaugural flights for the past 13 years.

What You Need To Know

  • Southwest Airlines has added Syracuse Hancock International Airpot to one of their destinations

  • Southwest now services 121 cities

  • Officials say this is a great opportunity for Central New York

“We’ve always been a Southwest traveler,” Holly Klan said. “At one point, we were looking at a napkin and it had a map of all the locations we went to. And we started saying which ones can we go to, which ones haven’t we been to and we started going to all of them."

The Klan’s say they have gone to all the inaugurals in Hawaii. They also traveled to Bozeman Montana’s inaugural flight and even to islands like Aruba and Jamaica.

“We come in on the inaugural flights, there’s always a party and a celebration,” Klan said. “It’s fun to be a part of."

Thirteen years ago, when the Klan Family started doing this, their son Mark was just a baby. He says he’s happy to be a part of the excitement.

“It’s fun to do,” he said. “It’s fun to travel, see new places, and experience new cultures and other places of the world.”

The Klan’s say it’s also nice to travel together as a family.

“It’s always a great crew, friendly airlines, friendly employees,” Tim Klan said. “It’s always a little bit more special to be a part of the inaugural. We really enjoy it. We’ve gone back to many of the cities we go to.”

Back when they started this voyage, Southwest Airlines only serviced 60 cities. Now they’re up to 121. The Klan family plans to return to Syracuse in the spring for some outdoor activities.